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Unlike 10 years ago, Drones are now a means and utility that is no longer strange to people in 2024. 2025 is approaching, if you are about to own a drone, this is indeed the best time. In this article, let’s learn more about a cheap and quality drone from DJI. And now, I would love to introduce to you, the 2024 masterpiece, DJI Neo.
What is DJI Neo?
Launched in September 2024, DJI Neo is by now the newest drone from the well-known drone manufacturer DJI. This drone has brought a breath of fresh air to the drone market in the fourth quarter of 2024. Its ultra-lightweight, compact size and low price have made DJI Neo the focus of drone users and drone reviewers in recent discussions.
DJI Neo is considered a big step forward for DJI in the drone market in recent years. Many technologies are used and optimized on a drone for only $ 200. Designed for versatility, the Neo caters to hobbyists and seasoned pros alike. In this article, we will analyze DJI Neo in depth in many different aspects. This is a relatively long series of articles and you can see the list of articles right here:
DJI Neo Part 1: The lightest drone that you’ve ever seen in your life
DJI Neo Part 2: Cheap drone with awesome camera quality
DJI Neo Part 3: Two-in-one drone with special connection options
And now, let’s get straight to the point.
DJI Neo Specifications
The DJI Neo is almost unlike any other DJI ever made. Everything on the this drone has been optimized to minimize size and weight while still ensuring the power and camera quality to meet the users’s needs in most situations. When talking about the DJI Neo, perhaps the biggest difference that makes the DJI Neo special is its appearance.
Appearance
| Weight | ~ 135g |
| Size | 130×157×48.5 mm |
DJI Neo is insanely light and small
DJI Neo is one of the world’s most compact drones ever. The take-off weight is only about 135g. In addition, the size is also just under 160mm, equivalent to the size of an adult’s hand. This brings users, especially beginners, a lot of benefits during use.
First, you will not need to register a license in some specific countries such as the United States or the United Kingdom. In some countries, when you own a drone weighing more than 250g, you will need to register a license to be allowed to fly because this is in the law of that country. Because of this, owning a DJI Neo means that you will not need to register a license to use as well as have your aircraft’s location tracked by the government.
Second, the light weight coupled with the palm-sized size means you can easily carry the DJI Neo with you in most situations. Whether for beginners or veterans, having to carry a drone that is too heavy or too large will cause more or less hindrance when choosing a takeoff location. This drone is small enough to fit in a backpack yet sturdy enough to handle various conditions.
In conclusion, the DJI Neo is, without a doubt, the lightest DJI drone that has ever been made. DJI has made a great effort to make the drone smaller, lighter, and more accessible to customers who are new to drones. But the truth is that nothing is comprehensive, DJI was forced to remove or minimize many things to achieve the above small weight and size. Are you curious about what that is? Let’s keep going.
Battery and Flight time
| Battery Capacity | 1435 mAh |
| Type | Li-ion |
| Energy | 10.5 Wh |
| Battery Weight | ~ 45 g |
| Charging Time |
|
| Max Flight Time | Approx. 18 mins (approx. 17 mins with the Propeller Guards)
Each battery allows Neo to perform at least 20 palm takeoffs and landings for shoots in succession |
| Max Hovering Time | Approx. 18 mins (approx. 17 mins with the Propeller Guards) |
DJI Neo has minimized battery weight and capacity to make the drone lighter
One unfortunate thing about the DJI Neo is that the size and weight of the battery on this drone are relatively small. This has inadvertently limited the battery capacity, thereby affecting the flight time of the DJI Neo.
The DJI Neo has a battery with a capacity of 1435 mAh, a battery capacity much smaller than other drones launched in 2024 by DJI. This battery capacity reminds me of my DJI Mavic Mini when I first came into contact with drones in 2019. However, a small battery capacity does not mean low battery performance.
In fact, the DJI Neo uses a Li-ion battery, which is quite different from the DJI Mavic Mini above, a drone line that uses a different battery technology, LiPo 2S. The advantages of Li-ion batteries over LiPo batteries are lighter weight, higher energy storage capacity, more stable voltage, and cheaper price. On the contrary, LiPo batteries are more resistant to impacts and more durable than Li-ion batteries. I think this trade-off point in DJI Neo is quite reasonable because it will support the reduction of overall weight when flying, ensure the operating voltage is always stable, and reduce production costs.
Thanks to the use of Li-ion batteries, the weight of the battery on DJI Neo is only about 45g, a very small number when put on the scale to compare with other DJI Mini lines. Next, the performance of this small battery reaches 10.5 Wh. This is quite a modest number, but when used to fly a drone of only 135g, this number is more than enough for smooth operation as well as high-intensity flying.
The charging time of DJI Neo is not much different from other drone lines. 60 minutes when charging 3 batteries at the same time with an external charger and 50 minutes when charging directly through the drone is not an impressive number but almost a DJI standard.
Last but not least is the flight time. Due to the limited weight and battery capacity, the flight time of the DJI Neo is also affected. While other DJI drone models usually have a flight time of about 25 – 35 minutes, the DJI Neo has a more modest number of 18 minutes. This is a decent minus for drone users when the flight time for each battery only lasts for less than 18 minutes in real conditions. In fact, a normal drone user will spend about 40 – 60 minutes flying, while for professional drone users, this number can even increase. Therefore, buying 2 more batteries when using is something you can hardly avoid. However, I think that the 18-minute time for each battery is relatively reasonable when concerning some other factors of the DJI Neo. The following section will explain the idea I just mentioned.
Speed and control distance
| Max Flight Distance | 7 km |
| Max Takeoff Altitude | 2000 m |
| Max Ascent Speed | 0.5 m/s (Cine mode)
2 m/s (Normal mode) 3 m/s (Sport mode) |
| Max Descent Speed | 0.5 m/s (Cine mode)
2 m/s (Normal mode) 2 m/s (Sport mode) |
| Max Horizontal Speed (near sea level, no wind) | 6 m/s (Normal mode)
8 m/s (Sport mode) 16 m/s (Manual mode) |
| Max Wind Speed Resistance | 8 m/s (Level 4) |
| Operating Temperature | -10° to 40° C (14° to 104° F) |
Specifications on control distance and flight speed of DJI Neo
The maximum control distance of DJI Neo is also on the list of factors that must be reduced to minimize weight and size. Unlike the DJI Mini 4K launched earlier with a distance limit of up to 15.7km, the DJI Neo can only be controlled within a range of 7km from the controller. This 7km figure is quite modest and may somewhat affect the experience of professional users. However, with DJI’s positioning as a “drone for beginners”, this 7km figure is completely able to meet the needs of use.
The 2000m maximum take-off altitude is not a big minus point of DJI Neo. Firstly, this number is measured in a laboratory environment. The DJI will take off from a height of 120m at 100% battery and reach a height of 2000m at 20% battery. This means that in reality, this number can change. But I think this 2000m number is more than enough for you to use in almost all normal situations. Secondly, most of DJI’s other drone models are currently limited to an altitude of 2000m when the Propeller Guard is installed. Therefore, the maximum take-off altitude is not a big minus point of DJI Neo.
In terms of speed, we will observe 3 factors including ascent, descent, and horizontal flight speed. In Cine and Normal modes, DJI Neo does not have an impressive speed or in fact, is relatively slow compared to the Mini drone models. However, in Manual mode, DJI Neo’s speed is very impressive and can be compared to the DJI Mini 4K, the previous drone model. The horizontal flight speed of up to 16m/s in Manual mode can provide users the best experience. I think the reason for the horizontal flight speed nearly tripled when switching from Normal to Manual mode is to make this drone fit for both new and amateur users. For new drone users, running in Manual mode brings many limitations because there are too many indicators that you need to observe and control yourself.
On the contrary, let’s do a little calculation. When flying horizontally at full speed in one direction, in 18 minutes, you will fly about 17km. This means that the battery life, maximum control distance, and maximum flight speed of DJI Neo have set a safe limit for you when flying, ensuring that your drone can land safely. The above 3 factors are like a symphony, complementing each other to ensure that users have a good and safe experience while ensuring a cheap price and lightweight for their drone.
Finally, about the maximum wind speed resistance. DJI Neo has the ability to withstand a maximum wind speed of level 4, equivalent to 8 m/s. In fact, level 4 and level 5 in the maximum wind speed resistance do not create too much impact because this level is equivalent to level 5 wind according to international convention.
The operating temperature factor is probably not something that many people really care about. The temperature range from -10° to 40°C is also a suitable temperature range, enough to serve your drone flying needs in both summer and winter. In fact, DJI Neo can also operate at temperatures below 0° C while most other DJI drone models will have an ideal operating temperature range above 0°C. So this is a plus point for this small but powerful drone.
Brief conclusion
DJI Neo is a small, lightweight, and economical drone but still completely capable of meeting the needs of the majority of drone users at the present time. In the next post, we will analyze more specifically the image, video, and camera quality of DJI Neo. Will DJI Neo bring users surprises in its image quality? Let’s wait for the next part.
