We thought we’d learned all we could about the upcoming DJI Neo drone from last week’s rumor fest, but the leaks keep on coming — and this time, some marketing materials revealed just how easy it should be to get the little selfie camera flying.
A series of marketing promotions just shared by the ever reliable @Quadro_News on X (formerly Twitter) show why the Neo could be DJI’s most accessible drone yet, thanks to in-app flight controls that mean you don’t even need a controller. The drone itself is expected to be lighter than an iPhone, at just 135g.
The promo below portrays the Neo as a flying selfie camera for families, with on-screen controls in its companion app. DJI currently offers the Fly app for drones like the DJI Mini 4 Pro, but it doesn’t have on-screen controls to control the drones.
This suggests that the Neo could be a spiritual successor to the DJI Spark, which also featured a direct connection to your phone (albeit with a maximum range of 100m). The app featured in the promo includes most of the controls you’ll need, from direction to return-to-home, and a shutter button for video or stills. There’s even a voice control function, which would be a first for a DJI drone.
👉Family happiness in every frame! Control your DJI Neo with ease#djineo pic.twitter.com/3mPbn9YEFIAugust 17, 2024
The app doesn’t appear to let you control the movement of the drone’s camera, as the Neo likely doesn’t have a gimbal – instead, it’s expected to have a fixed camera. That would make the Neo more of an FPV racing drone, which seems to be another skill set of a various leaked slides shows compatibility with DJI RC Motion 3 controller.
That controller, which is already compatible with the DJI Goggles 3 and DJI Avata 2, lets you control the drone with wrist movements. While you’ll need to have a “spotter” companion with you when using the Goggles 3 with the Neo, it should be able to pull off some “cinewhoop”-style shots – especially since some leaked specs show it can fly at a brisk 16 m/s (or 57.6 km/h) in sport mode.
When will the Neo fly?
Aside from the official price, one of the few things we don’t know about the DJI Neo is when it will launch. Previous rumors of @Quadro_News predicted for August 20th, but with no official teaser or event from DJI, that seems increasingly unlikely.
Other DJI commentators on X (formerly Twitter) Speculation is now rife about a possible announcement in early September, but there’s no sign of an actual release date. Still, given how much has been revealed so far, the DJI Neo must be imminent.
As for the camera’s specs, previous leaks suggest we’ll be dealing with a 1/2-inch sensor (the same size as the sensor in the 2020 DJI Mavic Air 2) that can record 4K/30p or 1080/60p video.
Sure, video bitrate will be capped at 75Mbps (compared to 150Mbps on the Mini 4 Pro), but it should be able to deliver some impressive results for such a small drone as long as you’re shooting in decent light. We’re looking forward to comparing the Neo against the new HoverAir X1 Pro and Pro Max drones soon.
