Leak: here’s the DJI Neo, the lightest budget drone DJI’s ever made

DJI’s 4K-ready Neo drone has leaked — and according to the photos, box, specs, and leaked Walmart price we’ve now seen, it could be the lightest and cheapest full-featured DJI drone you can buy.

A leaked Walmart listing hints that the DJI Neo Fly More Combo could sell for just $329, and the starting price for a standalone drone could be even less given that DJI’s “Fly More” bundle comes with extra batteries, a charging hub, and a shoulder bag that typically increase the price.

Weighing just 135 grams (or about 0.3 pounds), the Neo could also be DJI’s lightest budget drone so far (the kid-friendly 80-gram DJI Tello was made by another company, Ryze). It’ll be lighter than the 249 gram DJI Mini SE — which started at $299 — lighter than the old 300g DJI Spark, and it’ll weigh only 10 grams more than its rival, the HoverAir X1, which The Verge is currently reviewing.

Design-wise, photos show that the drone has propeller guards, which could make it safer for indoor use. It also features a push button on-drone interface that cycles through flight modes, just like the HoverAir X1.

While it’s pictured with a joystick-style pro controller in the “Fly More” kit, the box mentions multiple control options and shows it can take off and land from your palm. Combined with the mode switching button on top and “AI subject tracking,” you might be able to start it up and shoot flying selfies like the HoverAir without using a controller at all. There’s no word on battery life or wireless range yet.

Unlike DJI’s Mini lineup, the Neo doesn’t appear to fold down into a smaller package; it’s shaped more like DJI’s Avata FPV drones. Hopefully, that means the Neo can be piloted from the perspective of the drone by connecting it to an Avata-compatible headset.

It’s uncertain when DJI plans on releasing the drone, but Ellens speculates it could be in “a matter of weeks” if the product photos are real.