DJI announced its tiny Neo drone in September last year, and now the Neo 2 could be on its way to greet the world. A series of leaks detailing everything from the drone’s visual design to its capabilities has turned up. The only thing missing is an official launch, which is expected — for the Chinese market, at least — very soon.
Neo 2 knows kung fu, too?
Americans may well miss out on the Neo 2, given how tech prices are trending up in the wake of that country’s various tariffs. Hopefully, South African flyers won’t be similarly affected. We shouldn’t be. SA’s leaders tend to be awfully chummy with China’s government. We could see just how chummy as soon as 30 October.
That’s when the Neo 2 is supposed to arrive on the scene, according to various leaks. Overseas pricing is known, assuming the leaks are accurate, and the basic version of the little flyer is expected to cost approximately R4,000 at launch. The obligatory Fly More Combo version will run buyers about R7,800.
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As far as DJI’s commercial drones go, this one’s tiny. Most tend to bump up against the 250-gram mark, as going any larger requires that buyers attend pilot school; however, the Neo’s sequel will weigh a diminutive 135 grams. It’ll still include a 1/1.3in CMOS sensor and will shoot 4K video at 60fps, but it’s also a little more at the mercy of the wind thanks to its size.
An improved gimbal, an underside time-of-flight sensor, and dual front-facing omnidirectional sensors will reside inside the Neo 2, according to folks who seem to be playing with it already. There also seems to be space for a (possibly made just for this drone) Ocusync module. DJI’s Ocusync lets users transmit video over distance at low latencies. It’ll be interesting to see how it’s incorporated, assuming it is, in the Neo 2.
