The DJI Neo drone is all but official thanks to a succession of leaks over the past few weeks, but the revelations keep coming, and a new one gives us a glimpse of the kind of video quality we can expect, plus a sample of what it sounds like in flight.
While the YouTube squeeze and the fact that it's a leak means it's too early to draw any definitive conclusions, the quality seems decent considering this is expected to be a tiny 135g drone that costs €199 (which converts to around $220 / £167 / AU$325).
The footage is pretty sharp and overly sharp, but I'm hoping that's something that can be adjusted in both settings and editing. Realistically, it's a drone that can only be flown in decent lighting (either indoors or out), but it looks perfectly fine for social media or travel videos.
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We're interested in seeing how loud the drone is in real life, because a leaked video on YouTube suggests it won't be exactly subtle. The video shows it emitting a high-pitched, slightly ear-splitting scream, although this may be partly due to the fact that the video was shot on a smartphone.
If you have any questions about the DJI Neo, the full user manual also appears to have leaked in a Reddit post. This means you can take a look at the app experience (below) and also check out the handy intelligent flight modes it'll likely have, including FocusTrack and QuickShots like Dronie, Rocket, and Boomerang.
Neo or Air?
The DJI Neo is shaping up to be a rival to what are commonly referred to as “flying drones” or “selfie drones,” such as the HoverAir X1. This means it won’t offer the image quality we’ve seen from the best drones, but it will be a relatively affordable and compact option for those looking to get into aerial videography.
Where DJI has always had the edge over rival drones is in its software, both in terms of object tracking and obstacle avoidance. The Neo doesn’t have any kind of obstacle detection, according to its leaked manual, but we’re eager to try out its companion app and automated features to see if it manages to deliver the seamless experience we’ve come to expect from DJI drones.
If you're looking for a slightly more capable drone, it looks like DJI will have something else on the way to tempt you – a separate leak from @JasperEllens recently revealed what appears to be the box for the DJI Air 3S, which is expected to be its new mid-range model.
While it may just be a minor update to the Air 3, previous leaks for the Air 3S have suggested that it will combine a 1-inch sensor with a 1/1.3-inch one for its medium telephoto. Both of these sensors are much larger than the DJI Neo’s 1/2-inch one, but that’s to be expected – the Neo is likely to compete for a spot in our guide to the best beginner drones, while the Air 3S could be one of DJI’s best drones overall.