The DJI Neo is shaping up to be one of the company's most fun drones in years, and some new leaks have given us a clearer picture of its impressively small dimensions, plus potential compatibility with FPV (first-person view) headsets.
Thanks to a post from regular DJI leaker @JasperEllens on X (formerly Twitter), we now have what appear to be the tiny drone's likely dimensions. If the 157mm x 130mm x 49mm measurements, taken from a premature posting on an online Mexican store, are accurate, this will be DJI's smallest drone so far.
On the downside, it appears that the Neo won't have a foldable design like many of DJI's drones, which means it won't be much smaller or more portable than a DJI Mini 4 Pro when the latter is folded down. Instead, it's shaping up to be a mini version of the DJI Avata 2.
To give us a clearer idea of how the Neo and Avata 2 compare, a separate post from @hakasushi on X has put the two drones side-by-side, based on those leaked dimensions.
Some webshop in Mexico didn't hide the #djineo properly: the dimensions are 15.7 x 13 x 4.9 cm. That's about 5 stacked CD-rom boxes (for who remembers). It should take more than a week before we see more photo's popping up. Cheers pic.twitter.com/w5nEzUjvUAAugust 3, 2024
Another post from @hakasushi shows how the Neo might compare to a Mini 4 Pro. The Neo will seemingly be much smaller in flight (and therefore more vulnerable to high winds), but not dissimilar to a Mini-series drone in terms of portability.
Perhaps the biggest unanswered question about the Neo is whether or not it'll support FPV headsets like the DJI Goggles 3. A new Reddit post from user lileyedmonster suggests that it will, although we don't know the source of this information, so we'd treat it with caution.
The software screenshot appears to show that the Neo has been prematurely added to a list of drones that work with the Goggles 3. However, some DJI leakers, like @OsitaLV, has previously suggested that the Neo won't have FPV functionality, but will instead compete with 'hover' drones like the HoverAir X1.
For now, then, the Neo's potential FPV mode remains up in the air, so to speak...
Upgrading to FPV class?
Previous DJI Neo leaks have suggested that one of the drone's main appeals will be affordability, with a likely 'Fly More' bundle price tag of $329 (which would convert to around £320 / AU$515).
FPV headsets like the DJI Goggles 3 ($499 / £579 / AU$869) cost significantly more than that – so unless DJI is planning to launch a cheaper pair of Goggles alongside the drone, any FPV functionality will likely be a minor part of its appeal.
On the other hand, a drone like the Neo – which has a 'Cinewhoop'-style design similar to the drones that typically shoot dramatic indoor videos – could certainly appeal to a niche crowd that doesn't want to bother with the DIY tinkering that's typically associated with FPV drone-flying.
DJI could well launch the Neo as an affordable, approachable entry point for drone beginners, then, while also adding support for headsets like the DJI Goggles 3 as a bonus extra. Judging by the number of leaks we're seeing for the drone, we shouldn't have to wait too long to find out for sure.
