DJI Neo 2 review

Specifications

Specifications above come from DJI's published feature list for this listing. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.

What it does well

• Omnidirectional obstacle sensing on a 151 gram aircraft, which did not exist in this class a generation ago and is the headline reason to choose this over the original Neo.
• Palm takeoff and landing means no controller, no phone and no launch site, which is the difference between filming a moment and missing it.
• Full-coverage guards make it safe around people and safe to catch, and they are fitted rather than optional.
• At 151 g it is a long way below the 250 gram threshold, so accessories will not push it over the line the way they do on a 249 gram aircraft.

Where it falls short

• It is a following camera, not a composing camera. There is no gimballed cinematic control here in the sense a Mini offers, and shots are chosen from what the aircraft can do rather than from what you can imagine.
• This listing is the drone only, with one battery. Flight times in this class are short, so one pack is a single brief flight and almost everyone needs more.
• Very low mass means very little wind authority. A breeze that a Mini shrugs off will move this aircraft, and the footage will show it.
• Guards add drag, which costs endurance on an aircraft that did not have much to spare.
• DJI has removed the Fly app from Google Play, so Android owners must install it from DJI's website.

What owners report

Owner reports on the Neo family are about spontaneity more than about specifications. The pattern is that people fly it far more often than they flew a larger drone, because launching from a palm removes every step between deciding to film and filming. Reports repeatedly describe using it in places a conventional drone would have stayed in the bag: parties, gardens, trailheads, indoors. That is the product working.

The consistent complaints are flight time and wind. Neither is surprising on a 151 gram airframe and neither seems to change anyone's mind, though owners are near-unanimous that extra batteries are not optional. The other recurring note comes from buyers who wanted a camera drone and got a flying camera, which is a mismatch of expectation rather than a fault. People who wanted an aircraft to fly rather than an aircraft that flies itself generally say they should have bought a Mini.

How it differs from the rest of the small family

Three comparison pages cover this decision. Flip versus Neo is the guards-and-camera question, Mini 4K versus Neo is the piloted-versus-autonomous question, and Neo versus HOVERAir X1 is the follow-me question. If you already know you want autonomy rather than piloting, the last of those is the one to read.

Light does not mean exempt

At a stated 151 g the aircraft is comfortably under the 250 gram recreational registration threshold in the United States, and unlike a 249 gram drone it has room for accessories without crossing it. That still leaves everything else in place: recreational flyers need the free TRUST test, controlled airspace needs authorization before launch, and any flight for work requires Part 107 and a registered aircraft at any weight. Check your own configuration on the weight and registration calculator and confirm current requirements with the FAA rather than a listing.

Who it suits

• Anyone who wants footage of themselves without handing a controller to someone else.
• Nervous or first-time flyers who want guards, omnidirectional sensing and the lowest possible consequence of a mistake.
• Travellers and hikers who want an aircraft small enough that carrying it is never a decision.

Who should skip it

• People who want to compose aerial shots, who should buy a Mini 4K or Mini 4 Pro instead.
• Anyone flying in exposed, windy conditions, where 151 grams is simply not enough mass.
• Buyers expecting long flights, since this class trades endurance for size and safety.

Alternatives worth considering

Keep reading

• DJI Flip vs DJI Neo
• DJI Neo vs HOVERAir X1
• DJI Mini 4K vs DJI Neo
• Weight and registration calculator
• HOVERAir X1 review
• DJI Flip review
• DJI Mini 4K review
• Best drones under 250 grams

This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.