The DJI Neo is the smallest and lightest 4K drone ever with a tempting price tag

DJI has almost completely dominated the global consumer drone market for years, but recently a few competitors have recognized a gap in DJI's product line – tiny selfie/FPV drones – and used that space to offer this new series of drones aimed at beginners.

HoverAir's X1, whose successors were just announced in the form of the Apple-like X1 Pro and X1 Pro Max, and BetaFPV's Cetus X were both well-reviewed last year. Now DJI is looking to take on its rivals with its latest model, the aggressively priced Neo, which is the smallest and lightest 4K drone ever.

Weighing just 135g, the Neo can take off from the palm of your hand and shoot stabilized 4K video with AI subject tracking and DJI's Quickshots feature. It can track you and stay close to you, keeping you in the center of the frame for selfies with a difference. It can also perform six automated flight movements: Boomerang, Helix, Circle, Rocket, Dronie and Spotlight before returning to your palm.

It can be controlled without a remote control or paired with DJI's Fly app, remote controls and FPV goggles. Voice control is also possible. Its small size and propeller guards allow it to maneuver safely in and around tight spaces.

The DJI Neo also has a tempting standalone price of just $199 / £169 / AU$299 – in fact, I'd call that pretty aggressive pricing. The Neo Fly More Combo Kit (including three batteries and an RC controller) costs £299 / AU$539, but isn't available in the US, where there's instead a Combo Kit (three batteries, no controller) for $289.

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DJI Neo drone quickshots move around a cyclist — (Image credit: DJI)

Neo knows kung fu

Sitting somewhere between DJI's entry-level Ryze Tello drone and DJI's FPV drone DJI Avata 2, the Neo is designed to be as simple as possible and is packed with impressive flight and camera features that will help you quickly improve your flying skills and aerial photography.

The easiest way to get airborne is to select your desired shooting mode using the drone's mode button. The Neo will then take off from the palm of your hand, capture 4K 30fps or 1080p 60fps video or 12MP stills, and then return to your hand – all without the use of a remote control.

Alternatively, you can control Neo with the Fly app on your phone using virtual joysticks or try FPV piloting with DJI's Goggles (additional cost).

Whether you want intelligent tracking as you move or cool aerial maneuvers from above, like Boomerang, where the Neo flies around you in an oval pattern, the idea is that you don't need any previous drone experience to get the aerial shots you want.

DJI Neo on a pine table with phone and other essentials showing the compact size of the drone

(Image credit: DJI)

DJI says the Neo can hover stably in wind conditions up to level 4 thanks to single-axis stabilization. It has 22GB of internal storage, which is equivalent to about 40 minutes of 4K video or 55 minutes of 1080p video.

If you want audio too, there's a built-in microphone, with the app automatically eliminating propeller noise. And if audio quality is important to you, you can connect a Bluetooth microphone like the DJI Mic 2.

We're still in the early stages of our full review of the DJI Neo, but if it lives up to its impressive specs, it could be the gateway to aerial flying and photography for a whole new generation of beginners.

The DJI Neo is the smallest and lightest 4K drone ever with a tempting price tag

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The DJI Neo is the smallest and lightest 4K drone ever with a tempting price tag

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