TECH FEATURE
FAST & THE FEATHERLESS
BY BYRON LUKAS
IMAGINE YOU’ RE THE PILOT. NO TRAINING REQUIRED. DJI’ S NEO 2 HANDS YOU A CAPTAIN’ S BADGE, SHRINKING SMART DRONE TECH INTO A POCKET-FRIENDLY COMPANION. IT FLIES ITSELF, FOLLOWS YOUR MOMENTS, AND TURNS EVERYDAY LIFE INTO EFFORTLESS AERIAL CINEMA WITH ZERO PILOTING STRESS.
At first glance, the Neo 2’ s design sets the tone. Its ultra-portable body and full-coverage propeller guards make it feel approachable, even friendly. This is a drone you’ d happily toss into a backpack without overthinking it. Palm Takeoff and Landing is the headline feature here, and it works exactly as promised: place the drone on your hand, press the button, and it lifts off smoothly, locking onto you in seconds.
The new Return-to-Palm function is just as impressive, bringing the drone back to your hand with precision that feels borderline magical.
Where the Neo 2 really shines is control – or rather, the lack of traditional control required. Gesture control lets you guide the drone with simple hand movements, while SelfieShot and ActiveTrack turn it into a personal camera operator. Whether you’ re running, cycling, or just walking through a scenic spot, Neo 2 keeps you perfectly framed, tracking at speeds of up to 12 m / s with noticeably smoother performance than previous compact DJI models.
For users who want more flexibility, the Neo 2 supports multiple control options. You can fly using the DJI Fly app’ s virtual joysticks, issue voice commands via your smartphone or Bluetooth earphones, or pair it with DJI RC-N3 or RC 2 for more traditional, professional-level control. Add DJI goggles and a motion controller, and the Neo 2 transforms into an immersive FPV drone with Easy ACRO support – proof that this tiny drone has serious range.
The 12MP 1 / 2-inch CMOS sensor delivers sharp, low-noise footage, with support for 4K video at up to 60fps, 4K slow motion at 100fps, and vertical 2.7K video for social platforms. A 2-axis gimbal keeps footage steady, while intelligent noise reduction filters out propeller sound when recording audio through your phone.
Ultimately, the DJI Neo 2 isn’ t trying to replace high-end cinematic drones. Instead, it succeeds as something arguably more useful: an alwaysready, follow-me camera that lowers the barrier to aerial creativity. For beginners, content creators, and anyone who just wants great footage without the learning curve, the Neo 2 feels like DJI at its most intuitive and most fun. IB
92 INBOUND SA / MARCH 2026