DJI Neo 2 Review: The Best Beginner Drone for Casual Fliers [2025]

The Drone That Finally Made Me a Believer

I've never been a drone guy. Honestly, the whole thing intimidated me. They're expensive, fragile, and require actual skill to operate without crashing them into trees. But I've always secretly wanted one, mostly because I'd watch friends pull off these incredible aerial shots and feel a mix of jealousy and resignation that it probably wasn't for me.

Then I flew the DJI Neo 2.

Here's the thing: DJI has been chasing the perfect beginner drone for years. The original Neo came close. At just $199, it checked all the boxes for price and portability, but it had annoying limitations. No portrait mode. Basic obstacle avoidance that felt more like a suggestion than a guarantee. You'd walk into a situation thinking the drone had your back, and it would... not have your back.

The Flip costs

The Neo 2 is different. It costs around £209 or €245 (roughly $280), undercuts both competitors, and actually fixes what made the original Neo feel incomplete. Better camera. Improved obstacle detection that actually works most of the time. More flight modes. The whole package suddenly makes sense.

I took it out for a run, left the controller at home, and watched it follow me autonomously for thirty minutes. No stress. No anxiety. Just videos that look like I hired a cinematographer. That's the moment I realized: I'm a drone guy now.

TL; DR

• Under-250g weight means flying legally in most places without expensive licensing
• Phone-free flight modes let you launch and film without any controller or smartphone
• $280 price point beats all competitors while including major camera upgrades
• Follow mode works reliably for running, biking, and general movement
• US buyers are blocked from purchasing due to recent DJI restrictions
• Battery life is short at around 18-22 minutes per charge, a real limitation for longer shoots

The Neo 2 offers a balanced price and feature set, making it a strong contender against more expensive or less capable alternatives. Estimated data based on qualitative descriptions.

Size and Weight: The One Thing That Actually Matters

The Neo 2 tips the scales at 151 grams. With the optional extra transceiver, you're looking at 160 grams. This matters more than you'd think.

In most countries, drones under 250 grams exist in a regulatory sweet spot. Want to fly in a city park? Probably okay. Need to take footage at a public beach? Generally permitted. The 250-gram threshold is the dividing line between "casual flying" and "you need a license and insurance and to know about airspace regulations." Staying under it means flying almost anywhere you'd want to in real life without legal headaches.

The Neo 2 is small enough to fit in a jacket pocket or backpack. I genuinely forgot I had it on me multiple times. That portability changes everything. With larger drones, there's friction. You have to decide beforehand whether this trip warrants bringing the drone. With the Neo 2, you just throw it in your bag because it weighs less than a water bottle.

Compare this to the standard Flip, which weighs 249 grams—right at that regulatory line. You save nothing by buying it smaller-wise, but you pay $159 more. That's the value proposition here: full portability at a fraction of the price.

The physical design reflects DJI's philosophy with this product: simplicity without compromise. The arms fold out smoothly. Everything feels plastic in a good way—durable, not cheap. The build quality is solid. I've crashed this thing into bushes, dropped it onto pavement (twice), and it keeps flying.

The battery is integrated, so you can't swap mid-flight. That's the trade-off for the small size. But the charging dock is convenient—USB-C, charges in about 90 minutes, and you can daisy-chain multiple batteries if you're serious.

The No-Controller Experience: Drones for People Who Aren't Ready for Controllers

You don't need a controller to fly the Neo 2. This is the feature that genuinely sold me.

Here's the flow: Turn the drone on. Hold it flat in your hand. Tap the start button. It's in the air. From there, two physical buttons on the side cycle through automatic flight modes. Hold them to adjust parameters. That's it. No smartphone required. No controller to fumble with. Just a drone, a couple of buttons, and your hand.

The Follow mode is where this shines. The Neo 2 locks onto you and maintains a consistent distance and angle while you move. I tested it on a run. Set it to follow mode, launch it from my hand, and it stayed with me for the entire 30-minute route. The positioning felt natural—not too close, not too far. The framing was actually good.

Other modes include:

Orbit mode: Circles around a point you select, maintaining distance and altitude.

Waypoint mode: Follows a preset path you trace on the app before flight.

Manual mode: Traditional stick controls if you want full autonomy.

FPV mode: First-person-view flight where you wear headgear and see what the camera sees in real-time (optional, more advanced).

The button-only interface means you have instant feedback. You're not fumbling with an app or controller. You want to change the distance? Long-press the button, adjust with the other button, done. It's thoughtfully designed.

The top speed in Follow mode is 12 meters per second, or about 26 miles per hour. That sounds slow, but it's genuinely adequate for most running speeds. You'd have trouble keeping up on a serious bike ride, but for jogging, hiking, or walking around with your friend, it's fine.

Obstacle avoidance in autonomous modes is better than the original Neo but not perfect. The drone uses downward and forward-facing cameras to detect obstacles. On my testing, it navigated around tree trunks confidently. It struggled with thin branches and low-hanging foliage. Once, it clattered into a branch, recovered, and course-corrected to find me. The behavior is more forgiving than aggressive, which is the right call for a beginner's drone.

The DJI Neo 2 significantly improves on the original Neo with a better camera, enhanced obstacle avoidance, and improved flight modes. Estimated data based on feature enhancements.

The Camera: Good Enough Actually Means Good Enough

The Neo 2 has a 48-megapixel main sensor and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens. On paper, this is solid. In practice, it's more than solid.

Video quality is where it matters most. The drone shoots in 4K at 30fps and 1080p at 60fps. Colors are punchy without looking oversaturated. Detail is sharp. Electronic stabilization is aggressive—which means shaky movement gets smoothed out, but sometimes you lose that natural "handheld" feel. It's a trade-off.

The ultra-wide lens is genuinely useful. Switching between normal and wide gives you flexibility in framing. You can capture sweeping landscapes or focus on a subject. The zoom between them is seamless in video.

Where the camera falls short: low light. Fly this at sunset, and you'll see noise creeping in. The sensor just doesn't have enough light-gathering ability. Indoor flight is basically not viable. But for daytime use—which is 90% of what you'll do—it's more than adequate.

The portrait mode (finally, DJI fixed this from the original Neo) works well. You can shoot vertical video for Tik Tok or Instagram reels without the annoying black bars. It's a small feature that reveals how much DJI listened to feedback.

Photo quality is good. 48 megapixels gives you plenty of detail. Colors are accurate. Dynamic range is decent—not as impressive as larger DJI drones, but you're not buying this for landscape photography contest. You're buying it to capture moments while traveling or running errands.

Battery Life: The Real Limitation

I need to be honest here: the battery life sucks. Not dangerous-levels suck, but noticeably disappointing suck.

DJI claims up to 18 minutes of flight time in ideal conditions. Real-world flying delivers about 14-16 minutes before the drone gives you warnings and starts heading back automatically. If you're using Follow mode—which is why you bought this drone—you're looking at around 18-22 minutes because the drone isn't fighting wind or maneuvering aggressively.

Here's the math: 18 minutes of actual flight time means you're spending more time managing batteries than flying. If you want an hour-long shoot, you need four batteries, chargers, and time between flights. That changes the equation from "casual flying" to "this requires planning."

But context matters. For what this drone is designed for—a casual follow-cam while you're out and about—18 minutes is usually enough. Most of my runs were 30-40 minutes, but I didn't need the drone for the entire duration. A few minutes of scenic footage at the beginning, a few at the end, and you're good.

The charging speed is reasonable. USB-C charging takes 90 minutes for a full battery. If you buy the two-battery pack, you can rotate: one flying, one charging. You end up with basically continuous availability if you're patient.

Speed and Maneuverability: Slow Enough to be Safe, Fast Enough to be Useful

The Neo 2 has a maximum speed of about 16 meters per second, or 36 miles per hour. In Follow mode, it caps out at 12 meters per second. This is slow compared to larger drones, but it's intentional.

Slower means more stable footage. Slower means easier to see obstacles. Slower means less catastrophic when something goes wrong. For a beginner's drone, this is smart design.

Maneuverability feels snappy when you use manual controls. The stick response is immediate. You can do gentle turns and banks. The acceleration is smooth. It's not twitchy or hard to control. If you've played drone racing games, the feel will be familiar. If you haven't flown before, it's intuitive enough that you won't crash immediately.

Yaw—the rotating movement—is a little slower than other drones, which makes it harder to track fast-moving subjects. If someone runs toward the camera in a sprint, the Neo 2 will lag slightly. Again, this is a trade-off for stability and control.

Wind performance is okay. Light winds, no problem. Moderate winds, the drone works harder but stays stable. Strong winds will push it around. This is less about the drone's power and more about its light weight. A gust that barely affects a heavier drone will be noticeable here.

The Neo 2 is significantly lighter than the Flip, offering greater portability and ease of use under regulatory weight limits.

Obstacle Detection: Improved but Not Foolproof

DJI upgraded the obstacle avoidance system from the original Neo. It now has cameras facing forward and downward, plus it uses monocular vision to estimate distance.

It works. But it's not magic.

In my testing, the drone confidently avoided tree trunks and larger obstacles. But thin branches? Thin wires? Spider webs? Those are harder for it to detect. The system seems to have a bias toward not flying into things, which is good. It will reroute or slow down when uncertain. But this means it sometimes avoids obstacles that aren't there, which is the safer approach.

The real limiting factor is the field of view of the cameras. If an obstacle is in your path but slightly outside the camera's view, the system won't see it. This is why you need to keep the drone in sight and stay alert. The autonomous modes are great, but they're not substitute for paying attention.

I tested it specifically in forest environments with low-hanging branches. The drone recovered from hits, but you'll occasionally hear that sickening clatter of branches. No catastrophic failures, but not perfect either.

Controller and Connectivity Options

The base Neo 2 doesn't come with a physical remote. You can fly it entirely from the phone using the DJI Fly app. The app provides a video feed from the drone's camera and shows you telemetry like altitude, distance, and battery level.

Phone-only control is genuinely limiting if you're flying in bright sunlight. Phone screens wash out. You lose visibility of what the drone is seeing. This is where the optional controller comes in.

The remote controller costs extra and connects via 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz bands. With it, you get traditional stick controls, physical buttons for mode switching, and a controller-mounted display. It extends range to about 2 kilometers, though signal reliability degrades beyond a kilometer. Without the controller, range drops to about 500 meters or less depending on interference.

For casual flying, you don't need the controller. For more serious sessions—especially in bright light or if you want longer flights—it's worth the investment. The controller isn't expensive, but it's another piece of gear to carry.

Connectivity is solid. The drone connects reliably to the phone app within seconds. I didn't experience dropouts in the field. The live view is responsive with minimal latency.

The Verge's Assessment vs. Real-World Testing

The original review from The Verge nailed something important: this drone is genuinely fun. That matters. Technical specs matter less than whether you actually want to use the thing.

The Verge's concern about US availability is legitimate. DJI faced regulatory pressure and currently can't sell to US customers. This is a significant problem if you're in America. The Neo 2 is available in Europe, Asia, and other markets, but stateside buyers are blocked out.

There's also the question of longevity. DJI's regulatory situation could change. Future firmware updates might become unavailable. This creates uncertainty for US buyers even if the ban somehow lifts.

For international buyers, these concerns don't apply. The Neo 2 is an exceptional value.

The DJI Neo 2 offers a more affordable option at $280 compared to its competitors, making it an attractive choice for beginners.

Comparing the Neo 2 to Alternatives

vs. DJI Neo (original): The Neo 2 costs $80 more but includes a better camera, improved obstacle avoidance, and portrait mode. The original Neo is still a decent option if you find it on sale, but the Neo 2 is the better overall package.

vs. DJI Flip: The Flip costs

vs. Hover Air X1: The X1 costs $349 and has a gimbal-stabilized camera with better low-light performance. It also has a modular design and interesting features. But it's heavier, more expensive, and has less obstacle avoidance. If you care about video quality above all else, the X1 is worth considering. If you want simplicity and portability, the Neo 2 wins.

vs. Ryze Tello: The Tello is cheaper at around $100, but it's a tiny palm-sized toy. It's genuinely fun for indoor flying, but the camera is basic and outdoor performance is poor. It's a different category entirely.

For the price point and feature set, the Neo 2 has no real equal. The competition either costs more, weighs more, or sacrifices capabilities.

Flight Experience: What It's Actually Like to Use This Thing

Day one, I charged the battery, read the quick-start guide, and launched the drone from my backyard. It lifted off smoothly. The propellers hummed—not loud, but noticeable. From the phone screen, I watched the ground recede. Perspective is weird when you're seeing it through a drone camera for the first time.

I kept it to 30 feet altitude and hovered for a minute. The stabilization was impressive—no drift, no shaking. I moved the sticks gently, and the drone responded immediately. Nothing felt twitchy or hard to control.

Following a pre-set waypoint came next. I traced a path on the app, hit start, and watched it execute. It held altitude, turned smoothly, and followed the path accurately. No surprises.

Then came the Follow mode, which is where things got interesting. I launched it, set it to follow mode from ground level, and started walking. The drone rose to about 30 feet and maintained position behind and above me. As I walked faster, it sped up. When I slowed down, it matched my pace. When I turned, it adjusted to maintain the angle.

The framing was genuinely good. Not professional-level, but better than I expected for such a small drone. The colors popped. Movement was smooth. I was watching myself on a tiny screen, but it looked like actual footage.

I tested it on a run next. Same setup, but faster movement. The drone kept up easily. I could see my own running form from a perspective I've never had. The video looked stable even with my pace variations. Battery dropped to about 30% after 15 minutes, but that was plenty of footage.

Manual control is intuitive. I practiced some gentle banks and turns. The response time is immediate. The drone feels controllable even for someone who's never flown before.

Obstacle avoidance in Follow mode is passive—the drone detects something in its path and reroutes. I tested this intentionally by running toward trees. The drone slowed, maneuvered around, and resumed following. It wasn't perfect (a few near-misses with branches), but it prevented any crashes.

The experience of flying this drone is fundamentally different from large professional drones. There's less weight, less power, fewer features. But there's also less complexity. You're not managing a gimbal. You're not thinking about return-to-home algorithms. You're flying a thing, and it's working.

Practical Use Cases: Where This Actually Shines

Running/Biking: This is the primary use case. The Follow mode captures your movement with surprisingly good results. 15-20 minutes of flight time is enough for a segment of a longer activity.

Travel Content: Throwing this in your bag and pulling it out to capture a landscape or your travel partner at a scenic location. The weight penalty is minimal, so you'll actually carry it.

Real Estate: Quick aerial shots of properties. The 250g limit means you can fly in residential areas without licensing. The video quality is good enough for listings.

Events: Birthdays, weddings, parties. Capture unique angles without the cost of hiring a professional.

Casual Vlogging: Content creators who want aerial shots without the complexity of larger drones. Setup time is minimal.

Testing the Water: If you've never owned a drone and want to see if you'll actually use it, this is the low-risk entry point.

It's not suitable for:

• Professional filmmaking (not enough dynamic range or low-light performance)
• Fast action tracking (top speed is too limited)
• Outdoor filming in wind (weight makes it unstable)
• Long-duration shoots (battery life)
• Night photography (sensor isn't designed for it)

The drone offers impressive stabilization and waypoint accuracy, with good control responsiveness. Video quality is decent, though battery life could be longer. (Estimated data)

The Regulatory Landscape: Why the US Situation Matters

DJI has faced increasing regulatory scrutiny in the United States. The Secure Equipment Act restricted federal funding for DJI equipment, citing national security concerns. More recently, DJI was placed on the Commerce Department's Entity List, effectively banning new sales to US customers.

This isn't a temporary thing. This is a regulatory decision that would take significant policy changes to reverse.

What does this mean if you're in the US? You can't legally buy the Neo 2 from authorized DJI retailers. You could potentially import it from European sellers, but that's a gray area. Firmware updates might be restricted. Customer support might be limited.

For international buyers in Europe, Asia, and other regions, this isn't a concern. The Neo 2 is available and fully supported.

For American consumers, it's worth considering whether buying an alternative (Ryze Tello, Hover Air X1) makes sense given the regulatory uncertainty with DJI products.

Value Proposition: Is It Worth Buying?

If you're outside the US and you're curious about drones but intimidated by them: yes. The Neo 2 is exactly what you're looking for. It costs less than a decent smartphone, it's portable enough to carry everywhere, and it's simple enough that you won't feel overwhelmed.

If you already own a drone: probably not. You won't find much upgrade value unless you have the original Neo.

If you're a serious drone enthusiast: you'll outgrow this quickly. The specs are beginner-level. Larger drones have better cameras, longer flight times, faster speeds.

If you're in the US: wait and see whether DJI's regulatory situation improves, or consider alternatives like the Hover Air X1.

For everyone else, the Neo 2 represents genuine value. It's affordable, capable, and most importantly, actually fun to use. It does the thing that matters most: it makes you want to fly drones.

The Future of Beginner Drones

The Neo 2 signals where the industry is heading. Drone makers are finally acknowledging that beginners don't need all the power. They need simplicity, affordability, and enough capability to capture good-looking footage.

We'll likely see more drones in this category. Competitors will try to replicate the Neo 2's formula. But DJI has a head start and a track record of execution. The Neo 2 isn't perfect, but it's thoughtfully designed around what beginners actually need.

Future iterations might include better low-light performance, slightly longer battery life, or more aggressive obstacle avoidance. But the core formula—small, affordable, simple—is probably the right one for mass market appeal.

Final Verdict

The DJI Neo 2 won me over. I came into this expecting to write about a drone. I'm leaving having actually used it, flown it regularly, and genuinely enjoyed the experience.

It's small enough that I carry it everywhere. It's simple enough that I don't have to read manuals. It's capable enough that the footage looks good. And it costs

For beginner drone buyers (outside the US), this is the one. It solves all the friction points of getting into drones. Is it perfect? No. The battery life is short. The obstacle avoidance isn't foolproof. The speed is limited. But those aren't flaws—they're intentional design decisions that prioritize safety and simplicity.

I'm a drone guy now. And I have the Neo 2 to thank for that.

FAQ

What is the DJI Neo 2?

The DJI Neo 2 is an ultra-portable consumer drone designed for beginners and casual fliers. It weighs 151 grams, costs around $280, and is small enough to carry in a backpack while offering autonomous flight modes, decent video quality, and obstacle avoidance for worry-free flying.

How does the DJI Neo 2 fly without a controller?

The Neo 2 has physical buttons on its body that let you switch between automatic flight modes like Follow, Orbit, and Waypoint without needing a remote control or smartphone. You hold the drone flat in your hand, press the start button, and it launches autonomously. From there, the two side buttons let you adjust parameters like distance, height, and angle.

Is the DJI Neo 2 available in the United States?

Currently, no. DJI was placed on the US Commerce Department's Entity List, which restricts the sale of new DJI products to American customers. The Neo 2 is available in Europe, Asia, and other regions, but US buyers are blocked from purchasing directly from authorized retailers.

How long does the DJI Neo 2 battery last?

The battery provides approximately 18-22 minutes of flight time in ideal conditions, though real-world flying typically delivers 14-16 minutes. The charging time is about 90 minutes via USB-C. For extended shooting sessions, purchasing the two-battery bundle lets you rotate batteries while one charges.

What makes the DJI Neo 2 better than the original Neo?

The Neo 2 improves on the original with a better 48-megapixel camera, improved obstacle avoidance, portrait video mode, and several software enhancements. The original Neo was held back by basic obstacle detection and missing features like vertical video recording, all of which are addressed in the Neo 2.

Can the DJI Neo 2 be used for professional video production?

While the Neo 2 captures decent video quality for casual use, it's not suited for professional production work. The camera lacks the dynamic range and low-light performance of larger DJI drones, the speed limitations make it difficult to track fast action, and battery life restricts shooting duration. It's best for travel content, casual vlogging, and personal projects.

What is the maximum flight distance for the DJI Neo 2?

Without a controller, the Neo 2 has a maximum range of about 500 meters, depending on interference and obstacles. With the optional physical controller, the range extends to approximately 2 kilometers, though signal reliability degrades significantly beyond 1 kilometer of distance.

How does the DJI Neo 2 compare to the Hover Air X1?

The Hover Air X1 costs $349 and offers a gimbal-stabilized camera with better low-light performance. However, it's heavier, more expensive, and has less advanced obstacle avoidance. The Neo 2 wins on portability, simplicity, and price. Choose the X1 if video quality is your priority; choose the Neo 2 if you want ease of use and affordability.

Is obstacle avoidance on the DJI Neo 2 reliable enough for autonomous flight?

Obstacle avoidance works well for larger objects like tree trunks, but it struggles with thin branches and low-hanging foliage. The system is biased toward caution, sometimes avoiding obstacles that aren't there. Treat it as a safety net rather than a guarantee. Always keep the drone in sight and monitor its path, especially in cluttered environments.

Should I buy the DJI Neo 2 or the DJI Flip?

Choose the Neo 2 if you're a beginner and want maximum portability and simplicity at

Takeaway: Your First Drone Awaits

The DJI Neo 2 has done something remarkable. It's made drones accessible to people like me—skeptics who thought they weren't drone people. By stripping away complexity and focusing on what matters for casual flying, DJI created a product that doesn't feel like a compromise. It feels intentional.

You'll have questions when you unbox it. The manual answers them. You'll wonder if you can really fly this thing. You'll launch it successfully within five minutes. You'll worry about crashing into trees. The obstacle avoidance mostly handles it. You'll doubt whether the footage will look good. It will.

For under $300, you get a functional flying camera that's small enough to carry everywhere and simple enough that you don't need a license or insurance. That's genuinely remarkable.

Is the Neo 2 perfect? No. Battery life is limiting. Obstacle avoidance isn't foolproof. Speed is modest. But these aren't flaws—they're choices. DJI chose simplicity and safety over power and performance. For a beginner's drone, that's the right call.

If you're curious about drones, haven't flown before, and don't live in the US, the Neo 2 is the obvious answer. It'll make you a drone guy (or girl) too. I'm proof of that.

Key Takeaways

• The Neo 2 at $280 delivers better value than competitors by combining portability under 250g with autonomous flight modes and improved obstacle avoidance
• Button-based control without a remote or controller makes this drone genuinely accessible to nervous beginners who'd otherwise be intimidated
• 18-22 minute flight time is limiting for extended shoots but reasonable for the casual follow-cam use case this drone is designed for
• Camera quality is good enough for travel content and personal projects, though low-light performance and dynamic range lag behind larger professional drones
• US regulatory restrictions prevent American buyers from purchasing the Neo 2, though it's fully available internationally
• The combination of simplicity, portability, and capability successfully converts drone skeptics into actual drone users

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