The DJI Neo – and its pricier, even more feature-stacked sibling, the Neo 2 – are both excellent choices this holiday season. It is a drone which doesn't even need a controller because it can safely take off from a hand follow its user around using it's own AI, what we're calling a 'follow me' drone, respond to gestures, and land back on the palm.
What is really clever about the Neo and Neo 2 is that while the entry price isn't too high to join the party, the option exists to extend capabilities by investing in accessories. That's because the original drone doesn't include a long-distance (RC) remote controller in the box, but the tech exists inside every drone to receive signals from one, for example.
Similarly there is a way to fly a drone called 'FPV' in which you wear goggles, a bit like virtual reality goggles, and see through the drone's camera as if you were a pilot in the cockpit. DJI also offer the ability to pilot the Neo and Neo 2 using this technology using a wand-like controller which is held in the hand and a
As you can imagine, this adds a good bit to the price. (If you're getting the drone for Christmas, this is the sort of thing that can wait for a birthday if you ask me!)
None of this, though, is the most essential accessory I'd recommend if you're gifting the DJI Neo. The thing you're going to need to realise if you're buying this drone (or any) is that they're such fun that the time you have with them is never enough. So, unless you're absolutely scraping your financial limits, it's really worth getting an extra battery.
In fact, if you can, I'd strongly recommend one of the 'Fly More' bundles. That because these include three batteries AND a handy charging hub that you can put three batteries in.
That is much easier than just having three batteries that you need to charge by manually swapping in the charger. After all, who has the time to keep checking if the battery has charged? (With the standard one battery version of Neo the only 'charger' supplied is the drone itself, which has a USB-C port of its own – this is reasonably convenient)
DJI Neo |
DJI Neo 2 |
|
1 Battery |
$196 |
£209 |
Drone + 3 batteries & charging hub |
$289 |
£289 |
Drone + 3 batteries & charging hub + RC control bundle |
$349 |
|
DJI Neo Motion Fly More Combo (FPV) |
$529 |
£509 |
Why do I make this point? Because drones are fun. And outdoor fun a lot of the time, too. Charging batteries – even a relatively quick-to-charge one like the Neo's – will take about 50 minutes. And the useful time of that battery will be depleted in 15 minutes of flying time. Sure, if you keep landing, that 15 minutes will eek out into more like half an hour of play, but, trust me (and I say this as a parent), one battery will not seem like enough.
Looking at the extras you can spend your money on, two more batteries (and the facility to take the stress out of charging them) might not seem as exciting as the technical leap afforded by an extra control system, but the reward for not having to pack up and go home before everyone is ready will pay massive dividends!
That's not to say that the other accessories aren't great fun or well worth it too – but notice that they're also only bundled in packs that come with the extra batteries. There is a reason for that!
