DJI Neo review: The drone that flew out of my hand and into my heart

One of my favorite tech gadgets ever is the HoverAir X1, a video-selfie drone that takes off from your palm, follows you around and lands right back where it started — all with the push of a button. It's genuinely cool and great for capturing hands-free cinematic video from the sky. When DJI announced a similar product, the Neo, I expected it to be more complicated (based on past experience) and similarly expensive (same). But my sticker shock went the other way: The Neo starts at just $199, less than half the original price of the X1, and it's nearly as easy to use. Plus, it adds a few desirable extras to the feature mix. There are some shortcomings, sure, but this feels like a game-changer — to say nothing of one of the best holiday gifts of 2024. Here's my DJI Neo review.

Rick Broida/Yahoo

DJI Neo Mini Drone with 4K UHD Camera

VERDICT: A fun and affordable flying camera that's also easy to use and surprisingly versatile. It's a steal at $199.

Pros

• Less than half the price of its main competitor
• Palm-launch flight modes easy to learn and use
• Enough onboard storage for up to 55 minutes of footage
• Can record steady 4K video, even in windy conditions
• Up to 18 minutes of flight time on a charge
• Compatible with other DJI controllers for expanded range, flight options

Cons

• Flight-mode adjustments require the DJI app
• No obstacle-avoidance
• Storage can't be expanded
• Can't fly over water, sharp drop-offs
• Dolly mode struggles when you walk toward the camera

$199 at Amazon

So what is this thing for? Selfies when your arm isn't long enough. Group photos from above. Walk-and-talk videos, no cameraman required. Dolly shots that move with you — no dolly required. In other words, it's a flying camera that can lock onto you, orbit you, fly alongside you and so on. When you're done, you just download the footage to your phone for immediate review, editing and sharing.

You can buy the drone and one battery for $199, or get the Neo Combo for $289; the latter comes with three batteries and a charging dock. Both represent a significant savings over the HoverAir X1, which starts at $429 (but does routinely get discounted). Alas, neither one includes a carrying case, though there's already at least one third-party DJI Neo case available, with more sure to follow.

DJI Neo design

You're likely to want some kind of case because one key physical difference between this drone and the HoverAir X1 is the design: The latter can fold in half, making it small enough to actually fit in a pocket. The Neo is fairly compact (roughly 6.25 x 5 x 1.75 inches) and lightweight (just 0.3 pounds), but definitely not pocketable. It does, however, have full-coverage blade guards making it safe for both indoor and outdoor use.

There's no controller included, or necessary; the Neo can fly just as autonomously as the X1. Simply turn it on, choose a flight mode, then extend your palm for takeoff. Although you do need the DJI app for things like initial activation, downloading videos and tweaking flight settings, for the most part you can leave your phone in your pocket. That's a marvelous thing.

But it's not the only thing. You can manually control the Neo via the app (see screenshot below) or an actual DJI RC-N3 controller ($159). You can also pair it with the RC Motion 3, a slick "point-to-fly" controller ($99), and the DJI Goggles 3 FPV headset. (Both those accessories are typically used with the DJI Avata 2 I reviewed earlier this year.) Those afford not only many more flight-control options but also a much greater range. The HoverAir X1 is "tethered" to a maximum range of 30 meters.

DJI Neo setup

My preproduction sample came without any printed documentation, but there's a quick-start guide and full manual available online. (I'm assuming the former will be included in retail boxes.) Both are surprisingly detailed and easy to follow, though I did run into one setup glitch.

After charging the battery and firing up the drone, I opened the DJI Fly app for the one-time activation process. While I was happy to see that the app automatically detected the Neo (via Bluetooth, I'm guessing), it took multiple tries to successfully establish a Wi-Fi connection — which is necessary for initial activation and later video downloads. Ultimately, I had to force-restart the app and "hard reset" the Neo (by pulling its battery for a few seconds). Then everything worked normally, including the obligatory firmware update.

DJI Neo features

The Neo can perform half a dozen aerial acrobatics (more, actually — read on), all with you as the focal point. A couple of these "QuickShots" have hard-to-remember names, like Dronie (zoom out and then back in) and Spotlight (in which the drone stays in a fixed position but the camera still tracks you), but that's a minor quibble. What's important is that the Neo supports both 1080p (at up to 60 frames per second) and 4K video (30 fps). The HoverAir X1 tops out at 2.7K — fine for everyday shooting, but 4K is certainly preferable.

To choose a shooting mode on the drone itself, you simply press the mode button repeatedly to cycle through them. You'll hear an audio announcement of the selection and see a corresponding LED light up. Then you press and hold the button for a few seconds to start the takeoff countdown. Simple.

The sixth mode is called Custom, and by default it's set to DirectionTrack Me, which is kind of like Follow Me but from the front or side. (This is often referred to as a dolly shot.) Within the DJI app, you can switch Custom mode to Helix (a curving flyaway) or Boomerang (an oval-shaped orbit). Technically, then, the Neo can do eight different QuickShots, but only six are accessible via the drone proper.

Within many of those modes, you can modify things like distance (how far away from you the Neo should fly) and angle (low, flat or high). To make those modifications, however, you must use the app. On the HoverAir X1, you can toggle distance settings right on the drone, which is both convenient and a time-saver.

On the flipside, the Neo can respond to voice commands, which the X1 can't do. This requires your phone to be connected and the screen to remain on during flight, but it's a quick and easy way to change modes and parameters. Just say the wake word ("Hey Fly"), then a command like "Follow," "6 meter Rocket," "Farther" or "Land."

And speaking of voice, the Neo shares the X1's ability to record audio during a flight, using either your phone's mic or something like AirPods. That means you can capture a complete walk-and-talk video, no cameraman or boom-mic operator required. Just as remarkable, the app eliminates any trace of noise from the drone propellers, leaving you with completely clean audio. I tried this not only outside but also in my office, using just my iPhone's microphone; the propeller noise was deafening in that small space, but the software worked its magic and my voice came through loud and clear in the recording. Pretty amazing.

The Neo comes with 22GB of usable storage, which DJI says is good for 40 minutes of 4K video (30 fps) or 55 minutes of 1080p (60 fps). Do I wish it had a microSD slot for expansion? Sure. Do I think that's ample recording time for hobbyist purposes? Yes.

DJI Neo: How it flies (and records)

Most small drones have pretty limited flight time; you're usually lucky to get more than 10 minutes. Indeed, the HoverAir X1 is good for only about 11, but DJI promises up to 18 minutes of flight on a charge. That's impressive.

Also impressive is how well the Neo handles itself in windy environments. My first flights took place on a pretty blustery day, with gusts hitting up to 18 mph, according to my weather app. But in most modes the Neo kept me in the frame as expected and produced admirably steady video. (It does have image-stabilization features, though it's not clear if that happens through hardware, software or a combination of the two.)

Where I ran into trouble was with DirectionTrack Me: The drone had trouble staying at a steady distance from me, instead moving closer and then farther as I walked toward it. I thought the wind might be the cause, but I tried again on a calm day and the results were the same. Overall the HoverAir X1 did a better job in this particular mode.

Meanwhile, there are a few flight limitations, starting with things like tree branches and people: The Neo has no obstacle-avoidance capabilities. What's more, it's not recommended for use over water (the ground-facing sensors have a hard time recognizing it), nor should you fly it out over a sharp drop-off, like the edge of a cliff. (To be fair, the X1 shares all these limitations.)

The DJI app is my least favorite part of Neo experience. For starters, the busy home screen relegates the drone to a small corner instead of presenting you with a big "fly now" box or the like. Tapping that corner initiates a Wi-Fi connection, which is slow to complete and sometimes returns an error message (after which there's another wait before you can try again). The HoverAir app, on the other hand, allows you to access the drone and its settings without Wi-Fi; you need it only to transfer media to your phone.

I will say that once you're connected, the Neo's user interface is admirably streamlined and intuitive. I just wish getting there was a bit quicker and easier.

It should come as no surprise that the Neo captures crisp, colorful video — maybe not filmmaker-quality, but certainly good enough for social media and vacation memories you want to watch on your TV.

DJI Neo: Should you buy it?

Yes, yes, all the yes. It may have a few quirks and limitations, but the DJI Neo feels like a steal at $199. It's a must-have companion for vacations, family gatherings, special occasions, nature outings and anywhere else aerial video would be welcome. It's simple to operate, and it captures sharp, share-worthy video. (DJI's more full-featured Mini drones start at just $279, but they're larger and far less automated than the Neo.)

I do think the HoverAir X1 is a bit easier to use (mostly due to its beginner-friendly app), and I love that it can fold up to travel in a pocket. But it costs significantly more and doesn't support 4K. A forthcoming new model, the HoverAir X1 Pro, does — but its introductory price starts at $449.

Most of all, the Neo is just fun. Outdoor fun. Screen-free fun (for the most part). That makes it equally well-suited to kids and adults. Whether you're buying one for yourself or as a gift, I highly recommend it.