been watching the Neo since the announcement and i keep going back and forth on it. on paper it seems like it fills this weird middle ground that i didnt know i needed ? lighter than the Mini 4 Pro but with that palm landing thing which honestly looks kind of fun for solo shooting. the no-remote option is what has me curious because i do a lot of hiking and sometimes i genuinely dont want to deal with a controller in my bag

that said the video specs feel like a step back compared to what ive gotten used to with my Air 3 and im not sure id actually be happy with the footage after a few months. like is this more of a casual share-on-instagram drone or can it hold up if you want decent looking footage. curious what people who have actually flown one think, not just the spec sheet stuff

picked one up about three weeks ago and its been sitting in my bag on basically every run since. the footage isnt going to replace your Air 3 for anything serious, the dynamic range especially is noticeably flatter in high contrast situations. but for what it is ? a tiny thing you can throw in a pocket and launch off your hand while youre standing on a ridge ? its genuinely great. the subject tracking works better than i expected for a drone this small and the stabilization holds up well enough for walking shots which i was skeptical about

if you already have an Air 3 i wouldnt say its a must buy. but if you find yourself leaving your main drone at home because its too much hassle then yeah the Neo solves that problem pretty well

the no controller thing is a gimmick imo. you end up just using your phone which is more annoying to hold than an actual remote. saw someone flying one at the park last weekend and they looked pretty frustrated trying to get smooth movements out of it with just the app. maybe i'll come around on it but right now it feels like DJI chasing a casual market and the serious hobbyist crowd is just collateral