I picked up the DJI Neo 2 hoping for something small, fast, and reliable for everyday content creation. I used the original Neo often, and it already offered an easy way to capture aerial selfies, quick tracking shots, and simple travel footage without carrying a full drone kit. With the Neo 2, DJI took that foundation and refined almost every corner of the experience. After using it across travel days, afternoon shoots, fast moving indoor clips, and simple lifestyle footage, the Neo 2 delivered performance far above its size. It feels like a selfie drone built to remove friction and help you get straight to creating.

Design and Build

Compared with the original Neo, the Neo 2 feels sturdier and more stable in the air. It is still small enough to fit in a jacket pocket, but the frame feels tighter, the motors feel stronger, and the prop guards feel more durable. The compact size makes it easy to toss in a bag without thinking about it.

Controls are simple, the menus are easy to navigate, and the touchscreen responds quickly. The dual-screen setup is a big help for selfie-style filming. The bright front screen simplifies vertical framing, and the rear screen stays usable outdoors. Just like the original, this is a drone that encourages spontaneous filming, but the Neo 2 feels more grown up and more polished.

Performance and Imaging

The original Neo’s biggest weakness was stabilization and motion handling. The Neo 2 fixes that immediately. Footage looks noticeably smoother, and horizon level holds more consistently during quick turns or wind gusts.

Color quality is clean, vibrant, and ready for posting. Skintones look natural, which is essential for a selfie-focused drone. Dynamic range is better than expected for this size, and the camera handles mixed lighting more gracefully than the previous model.

I shot in indoor storefronts, outdoor scenes with strong backlight, and dim late-evening settings. Exposure holds steady, movements stay smooth, and highlight rolloff looks more cinematic. Low light performance is another improvement over the original Neo. Indoor clips remain usable with minimal noise, and evening footage looks cleaner and more stable.

Audio, Connectivity, and Workflow

Onboard audio is surprisingly good for a small drone. It picks up clear enough voice clips for casual recording. For more polished shots, pairing it with a wireless mic is quick and clean.

Transferring files feels painless. WiFi transfers were fast enough for on-the-spot editing, and wired transfers moved full-resolution footage smoothly. The Neo 2 workflow feels faster and more reliable than the original Neo, reducing the friction between shooting and sharing.

Battery Life

Battery life on the Neo 2 reaches around 19 minutes of flight time in ideal conditions. Real-world use brings that closer to 15 to 18 minutes depending on wind, tracking mode, or movement speed. This is slightly better than the original Neo but still short enough that creators who film frequently will want to carry an extra battery. Charging the battery back to full takes roughly 90 minutes.

Pros

  • Clean, vibrant image quality
  • Strong stabilization for a compact selfie drone
  • Faster, more reliable autofocus
  • Easy touchscreen controls
  • Excellent framing tools for vertical and selfie content
  • Better low light performance than the original Neo
  • Quick workflow that encourages more spontaneous filming
  • Portable design that travels anywhere
  • Improved battery life over the previous model

Cons

  • Flight time still limits long shooting sessions
  • Very fast motion can soften briefly before stabilization catches up
  • Onboard audio is usable but external mics still sound better
  • Small sensor limits cinematic depth compared with larger drones
  • Requires careful planning for long takes or multi-scene shoots

Verdict

The Neo 2 evolves the original Neo in all the ways that matter. It is still a selfie drone at heart, built for fast, flexible, everyday content. But the improvements in stabilization, color science, low light, and workflow make it feel like a significant upgrade rather than a small revision

It won’t replace a larger professional drone, but that isn’t the point. The Neo 2 exists to help you capture polished aerial selfies, lifestyle clips, tracking shots, and quick creative ideas without slowing you down. If you want a lightweight, creator-focused drone that feels effortless to use, the Neo 2 is one of the best options available today.

Overall Score: 9.1 out of 10