DJI Adds $299 Neo to Drone Stable

If I was one of the “tech stores” or a retailer such as JB Hi-fi etc, and I carried a drone brand other than DJI – as many do with imported no-name knockoffs – I’d be liquidating that stock right here and now.

At $299, the new DJI Neo has suddenly become an affordable drone with all the bells and whistles you expect from DJI kit, thus making the choice of a “cheap” drone a no-brainer.

It’s sole aim is to give the operator some fun. I’ll rephrase that. LOTS of fun. And this it does all too well. Weighing only 135g, so well under that magic 250g weight administrators of the skies the world over love so well, the Neo can take off and land from the palm of your hand. Built in propeller guards keep those whirling blades away from inflictiong damage (which I know only too well from a rampant GoPro Karma drone some years back and stil have scars to prove it) and Voice Control gives you total hands free control, although there is also a smartphone app with “virtual joysticks” and customised tracking and distance adjustment.

DJI has not scrimped on the video capability either. Most of the “cheap” drones only allow 1080p at best, and 720p is quite common. The Neo has 4K video out of the box, and even supports higher end functionality like horizon balance and stabilisation. To further show off your video, QuickShots like Dronia, Circle and more are also available. while Follow will keep you in frame as you bike, skate or whatever you fancy.

There are two “package” variations of the DJI Neo. The base unit is the drone with the smartphone app, while the Fly More Combo comes with the addition of an RC-3 controller and three batteries. It costs $539.

Other accessories are also available including DJI Goggles 3 for POV flying, a motion controller, portable and car chargers and a charging hub.

For more information, see https://www.dji.com/au/neo