DJI Neo 2: The Selfie Drone Gets Smarter, Faster, and Tougher

The new DJI Neo 2 selfie drone is here, and it finally has obstacle avoidance! Discover its faster speeds, better camera, and new gesture controls.

Remember last year’s DJI selfie drone? It was this tiny, palm-sized quadcopter that promised to be your personal aerial photographer. A cool idea, for sure. But let’s be honest, flying it felt a bit like handing your expensive camera to a toddler... it was missing the one feature that gives every other DJI drone its confidence: obstacle avoidance.

DJI Neo 2: The Selfie Drone Gets Smarter, Faster, and Tougher

We’ve all been there. That heart-stopping moment when your drone gets a little too friendly with a tree branch or a wall. It’s a feeling that can put a serious damper on an otherwise perfect day of shooting.

Well, it looks like DJI was listening. Say hello to the DJI Neo 2, the successor that fixes its predecessor's single biggest flaw.

Finally! A Selfie Drone That Won’t Kiss a Tree

This is the upgrade we were all holding our breath for. The DJI Neo 2 now comes packed with the same intelligent obstacle avoidance technology found in its bigger, more expensive siblings.

How does it work? It's kitted out with a whole new suite of sensors, including a forward-facing LiDAR and downward-facing IR modules. Think of it like giving the drone its own set of eyes and spatial awareness. The result? Far fewer crashes, a lot less stress, and way more usable footage. While it still has those chunky prop guards to shrug off minor bumps, you won’t have to be nearly as precious about where you choose to fly it.

So you can finally get that epic shot weaving through the woods without holding your breath the entire time.

More Than Just a Bumper Car

Okay, so it’s smarter about not running into things. But here’s the thing... the Neo 2 is a bit bigger and heavier than the first model, which usually isn't the direction tech goes. But trust me, the trade-off is more than worth it. That extra heft packs some serious performance upgrades.

• A Serious Speed Boost: The original topped out at a leisurely 18 mph. The Neo 2 blows that away with a new max speed of 27 mph. Now it can actually keep up with you whether you’re on a bike, a skateboard, or just a very brisk jog.
• Stands Strong in the Wind: One of the biggest complaints about the first-gen model was how it would drift in even a mild breeze. The Neo 2 can hold its position steady in winds up to 24 mph. That's a massive improvement, making it usable on days that aren't perfectly calm.
• Smarter Hovering: DJI also tweaked the algorithms for better positioning indoors, around big buildings, and even over tricky surfaces like water or snow. It’s just more stable and reliable all around.

But What About the Footage? Oh, It’s Good.

A drone can be fast and un-crashable, but it’s just a toy if the camera isn't up to snuff. Thankfully, the Neo 2 got a major glow-up in the imaging department.

The gimbal, which is what keeps your video smooth, has been upgraded from a single-axis to a two-axis system. This means your footage will be noticeably more stable and professional-looking, even when the drone is moving around.

When it comes to resolution, it still shoots gorgeous 4K video, but now at a buttery-smooth 60 frames per second in its autonomous flight modes. And if you’re piloting it yourself? You can crank that all the way up to 100 fps for some epic slow-motion shots.

To top it all off, DJI also improved the battery life (up to 19 minutes of flight time) and more than doubled the onboard storage to 49GB, so you can spend less time worrying about power and space and more time creating.

Feel Like a Jedi with New Gesture Controls

The Neo 2 is designed to be your autonomous follower, and all the "set it and forget it" intelligent shooting modes are still here. You can still use the app to set the drone’s height, distance, and flight path.

But now, they’ve added something straight out of a sci-fi movie: gesture controls. You can now change settings and parameters on the fly just by using preset hand gestures. It’s a small touch that makes the whole experience feel that much more futuristic and intuitive.

For those who want full manual control, don't worry. It's fully compatible with DJI's RC-N3 and motion controllers, as well as the Goggles N3 headset for a first-person view.

So, What's the Catch?

There's always one, right? For now, the DJI Neo 2 is only launching in China, with a starting price that converts to around US$211.

There’s no official word yet on when or if it will be released in global markets, but our fingers are crossed. A smart, fast, and crash-resistant selfie drone at that price point is too good to pass up.

What Do You Think?

This feels like a huge step up for the world of personal drones. The added safety and performance make the Neo 2 seem like the V-logging and selfie companion we've been waiting for. For more information, head over to DJI's official website.

What feature are you most excited about? Is the obstacle avoidance a game-changer for you? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.