DJI has big drone plans for the rest of 2024, according to rumors that have recently hinted at the arrival of a mid-range Air 3S and flagship DJI Mavic 4. But it may also be cooking up something completely new, with some intriguing new leaks pointing towards a pocketable drone called the DJI Neo.
A post from @DroneMood on X (formerly Twitter), which credited the reliable @Quadro_News for the information, has revealed an US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) registration label for the DJI Neo, alongside stills taken from a video (posted by @OsitaLV on July 25) that appear to show the tiny drone in flight.
According to some calculations from drones expert Weiliang Zhang based on this battery label, the Neo could weigh around 169g. With the DJI Mini 4 Pro weighing around 249g, that would make the Neo one of DJI’s lightest drones so far – if a little larger than the 80g Ryze Tello (which runs on DJI tech).
The leaked video shows a compact drone with a propellor cage, which suggest it’s designed to be safe for indoor flying. That cage would likely be removable, and if the Neo has a folding design, which most DJI drones so, it could well fit in your pocket.
Drone novo chegando: DJI Neo“Seguindo a regra usual de 30% para o peso do drone DJI, o peso estimado do Neo será de 169g. Vou chutar que é algo como o drone Hover com gaiola de hélice completa e compacto o suficiente para colocar no seu bolso quando dobrado.”Zhang estima o… pic.twitter.com/3W2qTwgd05July 26, 2024
It isn’t yet clear whether or not the DJI Neo is a flying selfie camera, like the HoverAir X1, or a cinewhoop drone that works with an FPV (first-person view) headset. Given that the person flying the drone in the leaked video doesn’t appear to be wearing a headset, a so-called ‘hover’ drone looks more likely at this stage.
A more recent post from DroneMood on X (formerly Twitter) highlighting what appears to be a premature Walmart listing also gives us a hint of possible pricing. That post suggests the DJI Neo Fly More Combo bundle (which typically includes two extra batteries, a charging hub and a shoulder bag) will cost $329 (which would likely convert to around £320 / AU$515). That’s a similar ballpark to the HoverAir X1, whose combo kit costs $399 / £395.
Ultimate flying selfie camera?
We don’t yet know who the DJI Neo will be aimed at, but its potentially low price and tiny form factor could make it a potentially popular little drone – particularly if it crams in some of DJI’s automated flying smarts.
One possibility is that it might take on the likes of the HoverAir X1, which has snuck into our guide to the world’s best beginner drones. That drone weighs only 125g, and combines a two-axis gimbal and electronic image stabilization to good effect, although DJI has proven itself to be a leader in both of those areas. In theory, it could be significantly better than the failed Snap Pixy drone from 2022.
But elsewhere, DroneXL has speculated that the Neo could also be useful for first responders, giving personnel a quick view of a developing situation that could prove invaluable. Alongside DJI, this is something that the likes of Skydio and Brinc have targeted with their drones, and it could be another potential use case for the Neo.
Either way, the Neo looks like a fascinating little drone, and perhaps the spiritual successor to the DJI Spark, which was one of the company’s earliest drone offerings, and was similarly made for beginners who were on a budget. Given that FCC filings are typically followed official launches within a couple of months, we shouldn’t have to wait too long to see the Neo for real.
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mark.wilson@futurenet.com (Mark Wilson)
