DJI NEO Do It All Mini Drone Full Review

This is not an unboxing first impression video with basic out of the box test videos. This video is going to go over how the DJI NEO actually performs comparing to the HoverAir X1 and other DJI dedicated Drones and FPV Drones.

I have used different drones to do everything the DJI NEO claims to do, but can the DJI NEO really do it all and if so can it do it all as good or good enough?

The short answer is yes it can do it all but will it meet your specific expectations?

I don’t claim to be a pro at any of the things the DJI Neo can do, but I have at least some experience using the HoverAir X1 for the past year which is a similar experience as what you get with the base model DJI NEO out of the box. 

I also have owned and flown standard DJI Drones with remote control setups for taking those cinematic flying around smooth shots. The DJI NEO out of the box can do limited distance and height using your DJI NEO with your phone in Manual Mode. You can also purchase the DJI NEO Fly More Kit that comes with the RC-N3 Controller and unlock almost limitless distance and even more features out of your DJI NEO.

I owned the first generation DJI Avata and flew it with the motion controller similar to what you can do with the DJI NEO when combined with the DJI Goggles 3 and RC Motion 3 Controller. That experience really got me more interested in experimenting with FPV drones.

I now own a bunch of FPV drones in various styles and sizes and use them with my DJI Goggles and Manual Controller to fly in full Manual Acro Mode for a true fps experience.

DJI NEO Compared to the HoverAir X1.

• For the most part they both perform a lot of the same Selfie Camera shots like Follow, Droney, Circle, Rocket, Spotlight, Direction Track and some more specific to each unit.
• You can fly them without a controller or even your phone by simply turning them on, selecting your flying mode and pressing a button.
• They both can use your phone as a simple virtual controller to fly them around in manual mode and get some cool more cinematic shots.
• They both can use your phones built in Microphone to record audio while taking out the drones propeller noise.
• They are both well under 250 grams closer to 120 to 130 grams.
• They both have a one axis gimbal setup.
• The cameras in both are comparable. 2.7k 30fps for the HoverAir X1 and 4k 30fps for the DJI NEO.
• Both have full prop guards and are very crash resistant.

Where does each one shin in my opinion?

HoverAir X1:

• Starting with the HoverAir X1 it came out first and so more of the bugs and settings have been worked out, and you have to give them credit for being first here as DJI did a lot of copying if we are being honest.
• The HoverAirX1 has more ability to change settings using the buttons on the drone without going into the phones software to do it.
• The HoverAir X1 is better at staying in place when inside and in lower light situations.
• The HoverAir X1 can record in portrait mode for social media content.
• The HoverAir X1 can use just about any external USB or BT Microphone for recording to get better audio than just by using you phones internal Microphone. The DJI NEO only gives you the option to use their DJI 2 Microphone which starts at $300 Canadian.
• The HoverAir X1 can be folded, making it much more portable.
• The HoverAir X1 at this time can track a little bit faster than the DJI NEO, but that can change with a softer update in the future.
• The HoverAir X1 does not restrict where you can fly as there is no Geo Fencing. The DJI NEO will not give you much of a problem here when in solo mode or when connected to the DJI Fly App without any controllers or Goggles, but when connected to addition DJI accessories, you will  have to factor in Geo Fencing limitations and work arounds which can be really annoying.

DJI NEO:

• Moving on to the DJI NEO, the NEO has voice command as long as the DJI Fly App is open and your phone screen is on, very useful when wanting to change the drones distance and height in modes like Follow and Direction Tracking.
• The DJI software is a bit more intuitive and the Manual Mode allows for much smoother control of the DJI NEO and further distances and height. (60m)
• The DJI NEO records in 4k which is a bit better than the HoverAir X1 2.7k, but not by much. There is room for improvement with the NEO in terms of software updates but we will see what DJI does in terms of improving video quality and hopefully the ability to tweak the video settings.
• The DJI NEO has built in GPS which allows it to stay in position outside better and even go over water and steep drop-offs.
• The DJI NEO has an 18 minute battery run time versus the HoverAir X1 10 minute battery run time. (In real life it is more like 15 versus 8 minutes), so almost double per battery.
• The DJI NEO is much more than a one trick pony with its ability to be much more than a Flying Selfie Camera Drone. It can be a full fledged remote controlled drone or even a true FPV drone when adding the additional accessories to it.

And that brings us to the point in this video where I talk about if the DJI NEO can really perform good enough to possibly replace your stand alone drone or even your FPV Drone? And again it depends on what your expectations are and what your end use in these modes is.

In terms of a stand alone drone, when the DJI is connected to the RC-N3 Controller, it can do much of the same tasks you would expect and get many of the same shots. Because of its size it will not be as good in stronger winds and it also does not have the power or speed of a larger dedicated Drone. Most of the DJI Drones also have higher quality cameras with larger sensors and 2 or even 3 axis gimbals with better stabilization. They also have much longer battery run times so you can go farther and longer with them. That said the DJI NEO may be good enough for a non-pro user to get the shots they are looking for.

The DJI NEO has been compared to the DJI Avata series and it does look a lot like a smaller version for sure. In terms of flying ink a DJI Avata, again it is smaller and less powerful so it will be slower and more prone to weather conditions. The camera systems on even the DJI Avata 1 is much better than the DJI NEO with full 4k 60fps ability and the DJI Avata 2 camera is even better than the Avata 1 camera.

As an FPV Drone you can strap on a set of DJI Goggles 3 and and instead of using the Motion Controller 3, you can connect to the RC Motion 3 Controller and get full manual mode FPV flying and hit speeds as high as 60km/h. You do have to be careful as the DJI NEO is not really a freestyle drone, if you push it too hard it will washout and go out of control potentially crashing, especially if you are close to the ground and it does not have time to recover. That said it is a lot of fun to fly if you fly within its limitations.

Some tips when using the DJI NEO based on my experiences:

• Record in 4k for best quality except when in FPV Manual mode as the faster motion of FPV flying requires more frame rate speed to capture all of the motion without getting video jitter. Your feed in the DJI Goggles will look a lot better in 1080p 60fps as 1080p is the native resolution and 60fps is much smoother and allows for easier viewing while flying.
• Do not use the DJI NEO inside in low light, it simply does not work very well in low light inside and will most of the time just land.
• When using a remote like the RC-N3 or the Goggles 3, lower your video sharpness to (-2) for better looking video.
• To fly in restricted GEO Zones you will need to go online and make a license request on the DJI Fly-Safe website and then you will need to treansfer that request license to your drone using the DJI Fly App while connected to the DJI NEO with with an internet connect. A bit of a process but after a few times you get the hang of it. I was not able to unlock a Geo Zone on location while in the app even with an internet connection. Hopefully this gets fixed down the road.