Huge DJI Neo leak reveals everything we didn’t know about the lightest drone ever
Multiple posts on X (formerly known as Twitter) have collectively revealed almost everything about the DJI Neo.
Notable leakers Quadro_News, MysteryLupinAnd Jasper Ellens, have shared not only spec sheets, but also product images of the device and its many accessories. The DJI Neo is a small, ultra-portable device measuring just 130 x 157 x 48.5 mm and weighing a mere 135 grams, according to the leak.
To put that into perspective, the iPhone 15 weighs 171 grams. So you have a drone that is potentially lighter than a smartphone. But because it is so small, it doesn’t have the most impressive specs.
DJI has rated their upcoming model at a maximum flight time of around 18 minutes, or 17 minutes with the propeller guards on. Images in the leak show that you can compensate for the short flight time with spare 1435mAh batteries.
The company states that each power supply “enables the drone to perform at least 20 palm takeoffs and landings.” Additionally, you can purchase a Two-Way Charging Hub to charge these batteries.
The leaked spec sheets warn that “results may vary depending on environment, actual usage, and firmware version.” 18 minutes is only an approximation based on internal testing.
Camera specifications
On the front of the drone is said to be a 1/2-inch camera with a 12MP lens with a field of view of 117.6 degrees. It should be able to shoot video up to 4K resolution at 30 FPS, but you can also record at 60 FPS, only with a lower image quality than Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels).
Storage is capped at 22GB and there’s no apparent way to upgrade, so users who plan on shooting high-definition video will want to pay close attention to how much they record. Otherwise, they’ll quickly use up all the available space.
Additionally, the spec sheet lists seven individual flight modes, all of which are present on currently available drones.
Now this #Neo battery (1435mAh) design really reminds me of #DJISPARK. You click them under the drone and easily swap them to continue flying. It seems you have to remove the battery to get to the micro sd slot because I can’t find one. pic.twitter.com/YLDz4bbOgHAugust 13, 2024
Firstly you have Normal, Cinema, Sports and Manual. To give you an idea of what they do, The Cinema mode provides the plane remains stable while recording video, while sport mode makes it “more responsive to stick movements.”
The magazine also mentions three QuickShot functions, such as Rocket, which allows the drone to take off quickly while the camera is pointed downwards.
Other notable features include a maximum flight distance of seven kilometers, an internal GPS and support for a first-person mode. To use the drone’s FPV function, you will need a number of accessories, such as the DJI Goggles 3 and the DJI RC-N3 remote controller.
Availability
That’s about all the relevant information we could glean from the leak. The photos show the drone from a few different angles, so if you’re interested, they’re still available online at the time of writing. Pricing for the DJI Neo is unknown, but additional propeller guards will reportedly cost $15 each.
Jasper Ellens claims that the drone will be released on August 20th. Apparently, a number of YouTubers already have the device and are currently reviewing it, so we probably won’t have to wait long to find out more.
While you wait, check out TechRadar’s list of the best DJI drones for 2024.
