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The simplest beginner drone I've ever used is DJI's tiny Neo. It works with or without a controller, with goggles as an FPV drone, and can take off from the palm of your hand, track your movement for aerial 4K selfies, and return to your hand. It's also DJI's cheapest drone that just got even cheaper ahead of the Prime Day sales.
The Fly More Bundle now costs $295 at Amazon US or it's just £198.55 at Amazon UK, and includes the drone, a controller, three batteries and charging hub. You can get the drone-only package for much less, just $169 at Amazon US / £113.05 at Amazon UK.
There are two further bundles available; one with additional batteries and no controller for $239 / £175 or, if you fancy immersive FPV flight, there a Motion Fly Combo for $449 / £297 — all available for the same link.
These excellent value deals, for a drone we gave 4 stars in our review on its September 2024 release, would have been a straightforward recommendation but for one thing — the Neo 2 upgrade.
You can see five key differences in my DJI Neo 2 vs DJI Neo explainer, but I can tell you here that the Neo 2, which came a year later in November 2025 (just six months ago or thereabouts), came with some very welcome improvements and gained 4.5 stars in our Neo 2 in-depth review.
Of course, the Neo 2 costs more, and with the original Neo early Prime Day deal that price gap further grew. The DJI ban is also in the picture for US consumers. So which model, if either at all, do I recommend you buy?
A 'big upgrade', but is the Neo 2 worth the extra money?
Having tested many of the best DJI drones over the last few years, I can tell you that Neos are small, simple and excellent starter drones, especially if aerial selfies top your shot list. Anyone can get started with a Neo in minutes, with no prior experience needed.
It's no exaggeration that the Neo 2 was a big upgrade over the Neo, delivering important improvements in key areas. Chief among those upgrades is that the Neo 2 has obstacle avoidance, so it's much less likely to crash into things than its predecessor.
The Neo 2 camera is supported by a 2-axis gimbal, max flight speeds are improved by up to 50%, there's more internal storage, a built-in screen and better wind resistance, thanks in part to its slightly larger and heavier build. Gesture control has also been added. All solid improvements for an all-round sturdier-in-flight drone.
However, there is also much that's familiar between Neo drones, and autonomous tracking flight is where they both shine. Battery life is still modest, and image quality from the same 1/2-inch sensor is largely similar too, with JPEG-only 12MP photos. The max 4K video frame rates are upped to 60fps (or 100fps when using the controller), but again there's only the standard color profile (no D-Log), nor any way of fitting an ND filter.
In short, both Neos are simple and fun selfie drones, that can be flown multiple ways with or without a controller (and goggles), but not ideal for serious aerial photography. If image quality is a chief concern you might want to look at alternative drones such as the Lito X1, and you won't need to pay extra for the Neo 2 instead of the Neo.
And if you can live without the Neo 2's obstacle avoidance, which for this kind of casual drone is entirely possible, then the original Neo at this low price is arguably the more compelling of the two.
I joined the TechRadar team as Cameras Editor In January 2023, and since then I've covered every major drone launch and Amazon Prime Day sale. I only recommend tried and tested drones (by me or one of my team of expert reviewers). Put simply, I know which models you should buy, what are genuinely good prices, and if indeed you should buy a DJI drone in 2026 at all, especially if you're in the US where there's currently a DJI ban.
I'm in the US — should I still buy a DJI drone in 2026?
If you’re based in the US and new to flying drones, you might be concerned about how the DJI ban impacts purchasing and using these models.
Currently, the restriction only applies to newly released and imported drones, meaning existing inventory already in the country - including the Neo and Neo 2 - isn’t affected.
Both Neo models are especially lightweight options, too, well below the 249g threshold which effectively defines the difference between beginner and enthusiast / professional models. In the US, sub-250g drones don't need to be pre-registered with the authorities before you fly them.
Today's best DJI Neo deal (US)
Today's best DJI Neo deal (UK)
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