DJI Neo 2 – I Didn’t Think a Tiny Drone Could Do This…

I’ve been testing the DJI Neo 2 for the past couple of weeks, and honestly, this thing might be the best follow-me camera drone for everyday people who just want to fly, film, and not stress about anything else. The Neo 2 looks familiar at first glance, but don’t let that fool you. This is faster, tracks smoother, and now it actually thinks for itself with omnidirectional obstacle sensing.

The DJI Neo 2 launched globally as a significant upgrade over the original Neo, which had one glaring weakness: zero obstacle avoidance. That meant you were completely on your own when it came to not hitting a tree while being tracked. Now, the Neo 2 detects obstacles from all directions, and combined with its improved hover stability, it’s becoming harder and harder to actually crash this drone.

DJI Neo 2 vs Original Neo: Key Specs

Specification	DJI Neo 2	Original Neo
Weight	151g (160g w/ module)	135g
Max Tracking Speed	12 m/s (27 mph)	8 m/s (18 mph)
Video Resolution	4K/100fps	4K/30fps
Gimbal	Dual-axis	Single-axis
Obstacle Sensing	Omnidirectional	None
Internal Storage	49GB	22GB
Transfer Speed	80 MB/s	25 MB/s
Max Flight Time	Up to 19 min	Up to 18 min
Transmission Range	10km (FCC) / 6km (CE)	10km (FCC) / 6km (CE)

Design and Build Quality

At first glance, the Neo 2 doesn’t look dramatically different from the original. It still has that compact palm-sized build at roughly 151 grams, or about 160 grams with the transmission module on the back. This module is responsible for the connection between the DJI Goggles and remote controller with the Neo 2, so if you want to use it for FPV activities, this is what you need installed.

Taking a closer look, you’ll see a few big design tweaks. The propeller guards now fully wrap around for complete protection, not just partial coverage like before. That means you can palm take off and land safely, even indoors or around kids. I think that’s kind of the point of the Neo 2: safety without killing all the fun.

The built-in display is still here, but now it’s on the front. You also have side mode buttons, so you can easily switch between flight modes or take off literally with just one hand. You don’t have to use your phone for anything. You can rely on the drone itself entirely.

Flight Performance: A Real Evolution

This is where the Neo 2 feels like a real evolution. The original Neo maxed out at about 8 m/s. The Neo 2 now pushes that to 12 m/s with a noticeably smoother feel during acceleration and deceleration. Even when it follows you during runs or bike rides, it doesn’t jerk or lose tracking during sharp turns, which was something that happened before. It just keeps you centered, which is really nice.

The biggest upgrade is the omnidirectional obstacle sensing. The old Neo had zero obstacle avoidance, meaning you were completely on your own when it came to not hitting trees while being tracked. As Shawn from Air Photography covered in his comparison, this changes everything for autonomous tracking.

The Neo 2 even stabilizes itself over tricky surfaces like water, cliffs, or snow, which is where most small drones really struggle to hold position. For new pilots, this is huge. It’s the kind of confidence boost that makes you really want to keep flying.

Camera Quality: Proper Bump

Camera-wise, DJI gave the Neo 2 a proper bump. It now shoots 4K up to 100 frames per second with a dual-axis gimbal and electronic stabilization working together. On paper, it’s still a 1/2-inch sensor with 12 megapixels, but what has been tweaked is the processing of those images. The color handling feels closer to what you would expect from a bigger DJI drone.

This time, the overall look of the image doesn’t feel oversharpened or noisy like some other smaller drones or the Neo 1 even. I’m quite happy with what we’re getting straight out of the drone this time.

We also have built-in 49GB of internal storage, which is up from 22GB on the Neo 1. Wi-Fi transfer has also been increased to 80 megabytes per second, which is over three times faster than the original Neo. While this drone is definitely not competing with the Air 3, Air 3S, or Mini 5 Pro in terms of dynamic range or image quality, it’s still one of the best image qualities I’ve ever seen on a small drone.

Smart Features: The Showstopper

This is what really defines the drone in my opinion. The active track system got a serious overhaul. It’s now faster, smoother, and way more stable. It can follow you at speeds up to 12 m/s, and the drone stays locked even if you suddenly turn, stop, or move diagonally, something the first Neo really struggled with.

I ran a little tracking test to see if I could shake it. Running, dodging, weaving, trying every trick I could think of. “I can’t shake it off,” I said, laughing. “Come on, come on, come on. Okay. I did not expect that. I give up. I’m tired.” The tracking has improved dramatically. For more extreme testing, check out DC Rainmaker’s gauntlet test where he put it through even more punishment.

But the showstopper is the new selfie shot mode. I think it’s a genius move from DJI. You can set it for upper body, full body, or wide framing, and it automatically composes and moves the camera for you without needing a tripod or a friend or those “excuse me, can you take a picture of me” moments with strangers.

For creators, vloggers, or just normal people wanting nice travel footage, this is a massive quality of life upgrade. It’s not even about the specs that much. It’s simply the fact that you get nice footage straight out of the camera without even knowing what ISO and shutter speed is.

Gesture Control: DJI Nailed It

DJI really nailed the gesture control this time. To make it work, you face the drone, extend your hand, and you can literally move it left, right, up, or down with one hand. If you use both hands, you can adjust the distance of the drone.

What’s even cooler is you can adjust the camera angle during tracking directly through gestures. You don’t have to go into your phone or menus to pick a certain position. You can set it up exactly as you wish just by gestures without accessing anything else. If you’re new to drones, Shawn’s beginner guide covers the gesture controls in detail.

We also have dolly zoom on the Neo 2. This is a pre-programmed mode you can access to have that classic dolly zoom effect applied to your footage without touching any settings. Tap it once and the drone handles both the motion and the zoom automatically. Perfect for short cinematic reels or travel edits.

Now, looking at the quality of this dolly zoom mode, I have to say I kind of like it, but I kind of don’t, both at the same time. The quality is a little bit subpar in my opinion. It starts off really nicely and then degrades quite significantly because of the digital zoom and how the image processing works. The idea is very cool though.

Five Ways to Control the Neo 2

The Neo 2 continues the tradition of being one of the most versatile drones in terms of control options:

1. Gestures or tracking – Just the drone and batteries, nothing else needed
2. Smartphone only – Ultra light without bringing any remotes
3. DJI RC-N3 remote – Fly it like a traditional camera drone
4. RC Motion 3 with Goggles 3 or N3 – FPV-like experience for beginners
5. Full FPV mode – DJI Remote Controller 3 and Goggles 3 or N3 for manual acro mode

For the full FPV setup and pairing process, check out this FPV beginner guide.

The FPV Limitation: No True Manual Mode

Something important if you plan to use this drone for FPV: it doesn’t really have a true manual mode. For some reason, it’s just not the usual manual mode that FPV pilots are used to. You get this little bump every now and then when you’re cruising and maybe letting go of the throttle to dive a little. The drone kind of levels itself up and creates that really annoying wobble in your footage that you just cannot escape.

I was thinking maybe something was wrong with my settings, maybe I hadn’t deactivated something to get true manual mode. But then I searched in the documents DJI sent me and saw you just have this basic M mode, which is not the true M mode. I think this is a big bummer because if you know what you’re doing flying in acro mode, you should have the freedom to explore and do everything you want with the drone in that mode.

Battery Life and Range

DJI claims a maximum flight time of up to 19 minutes per battery, which is quite a lot for a drone like this at this weight. However, that severely comes down to how you use it because we have so many different ways of controlling it and flying modes that significantly change how long it operates.

You might notice I removed the prop guards in some footage. That’s another thing that bumps up battery life a little bit because the airflow changes significantly. So if you’re looking for extra flight time, removing the prop guards is worth considering.

In terms of transmission, we have a maximum range of up to 10km in FCC mode or up to 6km in CE mode. That’s kind of generous since you’re never going to achieve that distance with this drone, but the signal is pretty strong.

Who Is the Neo 2 For?

I think the Neo 2 is perfect for beginners, content creators, solo travelers, and people who just want to get that shot without hassling with different settings and without the massive learning curve of flying a drone. That’s sometimes quite the challenge, especially in FPV.

With the smooth active track, the obstacle sensing, the selfie shot, and that gesture control that DJI really nailed this time, I think the Neo 2 now fully understands how normal people want to use a drone. And it’s helping them do exactly that.

If you’re in the United States wondering where to buy one, check out our guide on where to find the Neo 2 before the December 23 deadline.

Thank you so much for your support. Never stop flying, and I’ll catch you in the next one. Ciao.

Check out Mike’s full video review on the Drone Supremacy YouTube channel.