- DJI Neo 2 takes 4K aerial selfies at up to 100fps and weighs just 151g
- Upgrades the original with omnidirectional object detection.
- Prices start at £209/$409, but it’s not available in the US at launch.
DJI just took selfie drones to new heights with the Neo 2, which is the lightest and most affordable drone with omnidirectional object detection (with front-facing LiDAR built in for good measure) and a solid upgrade from the original Neo.
I never thought such an advanced safety feature could make its way into such a low-cost drone (trust me, it’s a brilliant feature for beginners) with prices starting at £209 / AU$409. However, there’s bad news if you’re in the US: the Neo 2 is another DJI product not available at launch.
We already published an in-depth review of the Neo 2, and it’s clearly a much improved model, even if it is a bit heavier and more expensive than the Neo. However, I have no doubt which is the more attractive of the two: the Neo 2’s upgrades are worth the negligible additional cost and weight.
If you’re not familiar with selfie drones, the idea is that anyone can fly in seconds, with the drone taking off from the palm of your hand, in this case complete with gesture and voice control, and DJI’s enhanced intelligent ActiveTrack abilities.
Like the OG selfie drone, the HoverAir Honestly, it’s that simple.
The controller-free experience is made even easier now that there is a screen next to the camera, showing the shooting mode you have selected.
The Neo 2 also works with a DJI remote controller like the NC-3, which offers extended flight range (up to 10 km), or even goggles for immersive FPV flight, although the cost skyrockets when you factor in those accessories. I’ve included the prices for the various Neo 2 packages below.
Once again, users can record 4K videos at up to 100fps, 2.7K vertical videos, and 12MP stills, through a relatively small 1/2-inch sensor. However, it is undoubtedly the introduction of object detection that elevates the latest model.
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The new selfie drone you’ll get?
For me, the addition of object detection is reason enough to upgrade, while for newbies, the Neo 2 is now one of the best drones for beginners.
Its built-in propeller guards, lightweight 151g body and now object detection make flying safely at close range an easy possibility, with those tracking abilities optimized for racing like running and cycling. There is also an additional complement of automated flight movements common on most DJI drones, for dynamic video sequences.
Flight times increase up to 19 minutes (although less is expected in real-world use), as does wind resistance, which is now rated up to level 5, making the Neo 2 slightly more stable in flight than the Neo.
There is now up to 49GB of internal storage, which is enough to store 105 minutes of 4K video at 60fps or 175 minutes if you reduce the frame rate to 30fps.
With such an impressive feature set and such a low cost, DJI may have out-priced its HoverAir rival, unless of course you’re in the US, where the Neo 2 isn’t available yet.
The DJI Neo 2 comes in one of the following packages; drone only for £209 / AU$409, Fly More Combo (drone only) for £289 / AU$549, Fly More Combo (with NC-3 controller) for £349 / AU$709 or Motion Fly Combo (with goggles) for £509.
We’ve previously rated the DJI Mini 4K as a better beginner drone than the Neo, but the Neo 2 with its improved two-axis camera and object detection is really tempting.
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