Dji Neo 2 Review: The Best Budget Drone Is Now Even Better

Even pinch its US early in limbo, DJI keeps releasing awesome drones. Its latest is nan Neo 2, an inexpensive, lightweight exemplary aimed astatine creators and hobbyists. It’s an upgraded type of the Neo, an immensely celebrated drone some successful nan US and elsewhere. The caller exemplary is arsenic safe and easy to alert acknowledgment to nan shrouded props, thenar takeoff and sound control.

DJI didn’t conscionable tack connected a number and telephone it a day, though. The Neo 2 is loaded pinch caller features for illustration LiDAR obstacle detection, improved video value and longer artillery life — each astatine only a somewhat higher price. In fact, a mates of nan caller features can’t moreover beryllium recovered connected high-end DJI drones.

The original Neo wasn’t perfect; nan propellers connected that exemplary emitted a banshee-like scream. The deficiency of obstacle discovery and short artillery life besides wasn’t ideal. Has nan institution solved these problems connected nan caller model? Mostly, yes — and it’s now a astir cleanable individual drone.

Design

Though nan Neo 2 has nan aforesaid 6.5-inch quadrate size and friends quality arsenic before, location are immoderate important differences. A caller LiDAR sensor beside nan camera is designed to observe guardant obstacles, and is simply a astonishing inclusion for specified an affordable drone. On nan near beforehand is simply a mini show — a first for a DJI drone — that shows nan existent changeable mode (follow, dronie, etc.).

The gimbal has besides been upgraded and tin now rotate alternatively of conscionable tilt. That intends nan camera will enactment level erstwhile nan drone banks, pinch nary disfigured cropping aliases reduced solution that I occasionally saw erstwhile doing utmost maneuvers pinch nan Neo.

The Neo 2 has 3 buttons connected nan broadside (rather than conscionable 1 connected apical arsenic before), on pinch 2 caller omnidirectional sensors. On apical of helping nan Neo 2 debar obstacles, these amended stableness successful featureless aliases non-GPS environments for illustration indoors and complete water.

Finally, if you bargain a Neo 2 pinch nan optional RC-2 aliases RC-N3 controller, it includes a removable Digital Transceiver pinch a brace of antennae. Those components springiness it a butterfly-like quality and could impact agelong word durability. However, making them an add-on gave DJI a measurement to make nan basal (non-controller) type arsenic inexpensive arsenic possible.

With each those changes, nan Neo 2 is simply a spot heavier astatine 5.6 ounces (160 grams) pinch nan Digital Transceiver, compared to 4.8 ounces (135 grams) for nan Neo. That’s still easy mini capable to descent successful a container and ray capable (under 250 grams) that you won’t request to registry your drone pinch nan authorities.

Features

Gesture power is simply a awesome caller Neo 2 characteristic not recovered connected different DJI drones. It lets you alert pinch astonishing precision, if you don’t mind looking a small silly. To do so, activity a manus up, down aliases sideways to climb and bank, move 2 hands isolated aliases together to make it attack aliases move distant (think pinch-to-zoom successful nan air), clench a fist to extremity it and clasp retired your thenar to land. Gestures tin beryllium utilized successful operation pinch different alert modes truthful you get nan nonstop changeable you want.

Along pinch nan expertise to activity your hands, nan Neo 2 offers different ways to alert for illustration thenar takeoff. After selecting nan formation mode (shown connected nan caller show and audibly announced), you tin motorboat nan Neo 2 from your manus by pressing nan takeoff fastener aliases utilizing sound control. It will past execute nan chosen mode, alert backmost to you and onshore connected your outstretched palm.

Smartphone power (not seen connected different DJI drones) is disposable for manual flight. Wi-Fi scope has been extended by 10 times to 546 yards, compared to 55 yards for nan Neo. However, for that scope you request a clear awesome way pinch nary obstacles betwixt you and nan drone. For much precise formation and longer scope (up to 6 miles), nan Neo 2 supports RC-N2, RC-N3 aliases RC-2 controllers. And FPV (first person) flying is still an action erstwhile utilizing DJI’s Goggles N3 aliases Goggles 3, paired pinch nan RC Motion 3 aliases FPV Remote Controller 3.

The Neo 3’s Quickshots repertoire has besides been updated. A nosy caller mode is nan “Hitchcock zoom.” When activated, nan drone backs distant while zooming successful astatine nan aforesaid time, creating a trippy position effect you might’ve seen successful Vertigo and Jaws. Again, this characteristic is unsocial to nan Neo 2 successful DJI’s lineup.

Other cardinal functions see compatibility pinch DJI’s microphones, including nan Mic 2, Mic 3 and Mic Mini. Since nan Neo 2 is quieter than nan Neo (more connected that shortly), sound cancelling requirements are reduced truthful audio value is improved. Onboard retention has besides been upgraded to 49GB (up from 22GB), letting you grounds up to 175 minutes of 4K video. At nan aforesaid time, DJI much than doubled nan Wi-Fi transportation velocity to 80MB/s.

Performance

The Neo 2 retains nan Neo’s toughness and protection, but it tin now alert astir obstacles alternatively of conscionable plowing done them acknowledgment to nan LiDAR and sensors. To trial that, I utilized it to travel subjects astir trees, buildings and different obstacles. The purpose was to spot not only really good it avoided crashes successful each directions, but to observe really smoothly it tracked while doing so.

To start, I engaged nan ActiveTrack travel characteristic and utilized nan Trace mode “steering wheel’ to travel subjects from nan front, sides and back. When flying forward, nan Neo 2 avoided astir obstacles utilizing its LiDAR, while swooping cinematically astir trees and branches. It occasionally grounded to observe mini twigs and leaves, but dissimilar open-prop DJI drones, it usually flew done them without incident. With conscionable 2 omni sensors, nan Neo 2 is little adept astatine avoiding obstacles to nan sides and rear, however. So if you’re utilizing it to vlog while stepping aliases biking, it’s champion to make judge there’s thing successful nan way.

With a apical velocity of conscionable 18 mph, nan original Neo was truthful slow that it could hardly way a bike. Luckily, nan Neo 2 is overmuch faster pinch speeds up to 27 mph successful travel mode and moreover has a typical “Bicycle Tracking” mode. I tested that connected an e-bike and nan drone easy kept up pinch maine while easy avoiding obstacles successful nan guardant direction. Again, you request to beryllium other observant erstwhile it’s flying backwards aliases sideways.

The Neo 2 is arsenic agile arsenic ever, truthful nan other velocity makes it a amended FPV drone arsenic well. While wearing nan Goggles N3, I was capable to bask that sensation of other velocity arsenic it swooped astir obstacles. That, positive nan debased price, makes it a bully first drone for anyone looking to get into FPV flying.

I likened nan Neo’s prop sound to a banshee howl, but nan Neo 2 is possibly a… banshee purr. Both nan decibel level and transportation are now tolerable, moreover indoors. I flew it astir astatine a reasonably large statement and hardly anyone noticed; it besides didn’t tie overmuch attraction successful a nationalist park. The only antagonistic is it’s a high-pitched sound, a sound that carries moreover crossed precocious altitudes.

Video quality

With a caller 12MP, 1/2-inch sensor camera, video value is fantabulous for this value range. The Neo 2 now supports 4K astatine up to 60 fps aliases 100 fps successful slo-mo mode. On nan erstwhile model, it was conscionable 30 fps. The Neo 2 besides has an f/2.0 iris to fto successful much ray compared to nan erstwhile f/2.8. With those updates, nan drone offers sharper and much color-accurate video and photos than nan Neo.

There are of people immoderate sacrifices astatine this price. The mini sensor intends nan Neo 2 has mediocre low-light capability, pinch pronounced atom astatine nan maximum ISO 12,800 standing that’s moreover noticeable astatine ISO 3,200. Unlike nan $400 Flip, nan Neo 2 has nary 10-bit D-LogM capability, truthful over- aliases underexposed video is difficult to correct.

With those issues, video and photos from nan Neo 2 aren't rather bully capable for master work. However, it’s fantabulous for societal media users, hobbyists and contented creators, delivering smartphone-quality aerial shots.

Wrap-up

DJI has yet to uncover readiness aliases pricing of nan Neo 2 successful nan US (or whether it will travel present astatine all) owed to a looming December 23 ban. If it does arrive, it will efficaciously person nary title astatine its value point, which I expect to beryllium astir $250. The HoverAir X1 is nan only sanction marque alternative, but costs doubly arsenic much. That exemplary offers coagulated follow-me capabilities for activities for illustration biking and hiking. Feature-wise, though, it pales successful comparison to nan Neo 2, pinch inferior video quality, artillery life, scope and obstacle detection.

DJI’s Neo 2 is not conscionable nan champion individual drone; it's nan champion tech merchandise I’ve seen successful a while, period. It retains everything I liked astir nan Neo, particularly nan easiness of usage and information features. On apical of that, it adds a big of useful functions for illustration obstacle protection and, convey goodness, little sound levels. With each that, nan Neo 2 performs that uncommon instrumentality of doing overmuch much than I expected — for a batch little money.