Acquisition Expands Delair’s Reach in Defense and Civil Markets, Leveraging Grenoble’s Technological Hub to Compete Globally in Robotics and Industrial Drone Solution by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian J. McNabb French drone developer Delair recently announced the acquisition of Grenoble-based swarm drone developer SQUADRONE SYSTEM. SQUADRONE serves both the military market, through the TAMOS (Tactical Multi-Objectives […]
Industry Faces Regulatory and Security Hurdles, but FAA Collaboration Sparks Hope The AUVSI New England UAS and AAM Summit kicked off with a powerful morning keynote from AUVSI President and CEO Michael Robbins. Against the backdrop of the conference theme, “If We Build It, Will They Come?” Robbins addressed the state of the drone industry, […]
Get Z is seemingly the tech generation. They do school on zoom, they shop on TikTok, and they’ve never known life without iPhones. However, they are not actually the generation most eager for a future filled with drone grocery delivery
That honor goes to Millennials, which is the generation most likely to use drone delivery to deliver groceries. That’s according to the “Beyond the Aisle: The 2024 State of Grocery Shopping and Delivery.” Wing, which is a massive drone delivery company affiliated with Google, generated the report based on survey data from 5,000 American adults. Wing conducted the drone grocery delivery survey in July 2024, which consisted of 17 multiple-choice questions about grocery shopping and delivery habits.
Graphic courtesy of Wing
According to the survey, 68% of millennials said that they’re likely to use drone delivery for small grocery orders. That’s in acknowledgement of the statement that drone delivery can help provide speed and convenience.
That’s above the survey average, open which 58% of all respondents said they would likely or very likely use a drone delivery service if it were available.
Why Gen Z isn’t that interested in drone grocery delivery
Now here’s where it gets really interesting. Just 57% of Gen Z said they’re likely to use drone delivery for small grocery orders. Now, that doesn’t necessarily have to be concerning. Drone delivery is a new tech, and the companies behind it surely hope it’s here to stay. That might mean that getting Gen Z onboard now is critical. After all, Gen Z has the longest life ahead as a potential customer.
However, it’s critical to note that Gen Z didn’t say they were opposed to drone delivery. It’s more that they don’t anticipate using it now. Drone delivery can be expensive. Gen Z is a generation largely of people in college or just out of college who doesn’t have the money to spend on conveniences.
Susie Sensmeier (right) and Paul Sensmeier (left). Photo courtesy of Wing.
And speaking of convenience, drone delivery has shown enormous benefit in the oldest generations who are less mobile. An older person might have more trouble driving or walking to a grocery store to pick up food for the next few days (or to grab a takeout meal). They might find the trek to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription to be onerous. Just ask 84-year-old Susie Sensmeier. She’s one of Wing’s top customers. Unable to drive given weakened vision, she says she found drone delivery to be far more convenient than navigating a physical retail store (let alone getting there).
In contrast, a Gen Z customer might not find running errands to be all that cumbersome. They might even live in a city, where stopping in a market to grab last-minute groceries isn’t difficult anyway.
How Americans shop for groceries today versus what they actually want
Wing’s drone delivery tests with Walmart in particular have sought to upend grocery delivery. You order through the Walmart app. Online shopping is a growing trend, drone or not. Online grocery sales are expect to account for 19% of e-commerce orders by 2020, according to a separate report from Insider Intelligence. Additionally, Wing’s survey found that about half of American’s get once-a-week grocery delivery,
When you use Wing’s delivery service through Walmart, you can order all sorts of small groceries, like butter, pasta sauce, 6-packs of eggs and individual beverages.
The key there, though is small. I tested a Wing drone delivery for myself out of a Walmart store in Fort Worth, Texas, and was fascinated to see that the drone could delivery a 6-pack of eggs, but not a 12-pack. Presumably, the box designed specifically to mount on the Wing drone is too narrow for a 12-pack carton. Similarly, a 12-pack of drinks would be too heavy. But, it can deliver one-off drinks.
A Wing representatives told me that limes were one of the most popular drone delivery orders. Presumably people making margaritas forgot a key ingredient, just as the party was getting started. And hey, drone delivery does double up as a cool party trick.
Speaking of getting limes now for the party that’s starting, well, now: that aligns with a top priority among customers. The survey found that speed is critical when it comes to the power of grocery deliveries. 84% of survey respondents said that, when online shopping, they expect grocery orders to arrive within the same day. What’s more, a smaller yet more demanding cohort, 30% of shoppers, said they wanted grocery deliveries to arrive within the hour.
Small items only: is that a bad thing?
Don’t expect drone delivery partnerships with Costco anytime soon. At present, Wing drones can only make deliveries weighing up to about 2.5 pounds. That means orders are limited to mostly small, single items.
However, there might be enough of a use case. Wing calls them “Boomerang trips.” These are trips where shoppers have to return to the store for a key ingredient they forgot. That’s something like the lime described above. And according to the survey, 62% of shoppers say they make such “Boomerang trips.”
Will Americans pay for speedy drone deliveries?
Currently, the online shopping process isn’t typically as fast as just going to the store yourself. In fact, the Wing survey found that 60% of consumers say they choose to shop in-store because it’s faster than waiting for a delivery driver.
With drones, that’ll likely change. And good news for investors wondering if drone delivery is financially viable, customers have indicated it could be. 76% of the survey respondents said they’d pay for ultra-fast delivery of their order, meaning that it arrives within 30 minutes or fewer. But going back to the Gen Z question mark, here’s where it gets interesting. An above-average amount — 83% of Gen Zs — said they would be willing to pay more for ultra-fast delivery.
And here is good news for investors looking for a long-term payoff in drone delivery: Gen Z does in general have a greater willingness to pay for delivery. Here’s the percentage of shoppers who said they were willing to pay for delivery, according to Wing’s grocery survey.
18-24 year-olds: 83%
25-34 year-olds: 82%
35-44 year-olds: 83%
45-54 year-olds: 78%
54+: 59%
Graphic courtesy of Wing
Of course, plenty of people will not pay for drone deliveries — or deliveries of anytime. Grocery delivery can add about 10% to a bill. And according to the survey, 50% of survey respondents said they preferred doing their own in-store shopping or pickup purely to avoid having to pay delivery fees and associated costs, such as tips.
A bright future for drone delivery
My first drone delivery experience was positively delightful, and many Americans say they want to undergo a similar experience. The survey asked people who said they never use standard deliveries if they would be open to drone deliveries. Of those folk, 44% said yes, they’d like to do a drone delivery.
And of those who have already tried drone delivery, most like it. 65% of shoppers said that drone delivery improved the overall experience.
A study by composites manufacturer Quickstep Technologies and RMIT University has concluded that braiding technology offers an opportunity to enhance the production rate of composite structures for eVTOL UAS applications. A collaboration between Quickstep, RMIT and the Defence Science Institute studied the use of advanced composite manufacturing methodology — braiding — to produce the primary […]
Join us on Tuesday, November 5, at 3:00 PM EST for the latest episode of the Public Safety Drone Review. This month’s discussion will explore the challenges law enforcement faces when communities report unauthorized drones or drone-related crimes. The event will feature DJ Smith, a covert surveillance and counter UAS expert, who currently serves as […]
Key Stakeholders Outline the Path Forward for UAS and AAM Networks At the AUVSI New England UAS and AAM Summit held today in Cambridge, MA, industry leaders gathered to address a pressing question: “If We Build It, Will They Come?” The panel discussion, titled “Infrastructure Supporting Advanced Aviation Operations,” brought together experts to explore the […]
Today’s AUVSI New England UAS and AAM Summit in Cambridge, MA, was themed “If We Build It, Will They Come?”, and brought together stakeholders from the unmanned aircraft and advanced air mobility sectors. During an address titled “FAA Perspectives on UAS Integration,” Angela McCullough, Deputy Executive Director of the FAA’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Office, highlighted […]
New Collaboration with NevadaNano Adds Real-Time Hazard Detection for Safer Indoor Missions by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian J. McNabbSwiss drone manufacturer Flyability recently announced a new payload for their indoor-use focused Elios 3 drone, a flammable gas sensor created in partnership with NevadaNano, a leader in the advanced gas detection technology space with over 20 […]
Mixed Signals from Public and Private Sectors at AUVSI New England Summit The Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) industry faces a funding shift as venture investment declines but public interest rises. At the AUVSI New England UAS and AAM Summit in Cambridge, Massachusetts, experts gathered to discuss the state of AAM funding. With a conference theme […]
At just $199, the DJI Neo is a game-changer in the budget drone market, especially for content creators and drone enthusiasts who prioritize a simple flying experience above all else — but also aren’t willing to sacrifice other essential features like camera quality.
That said, DJI Neo does lack some key features. Its battery life is short. It’s not all that powerful outdoors, even in moderate breezes. Its transmission distance is limited. This is not the drone for taking big sweeping landscapes. If you’re flying a drone over a volcano in Iceland, definitely don’t count on the DJI Neo to do the job.
But with that in mind, here’s my DJI Neo review. Find out why I love it, and exactly who is best suited for this charming little DJI drone:
Sally French, The Drone Girl, and the DJI Neo drone. (Photo by Sally French)
DJI Neo review: Drone Girl’s guide to this tiny DJI drone
If you’re a vlogger, traveler, or just someone who loves to capture unique angles for your social media feed, the DJI Neo is a serious contender.
You can watch me fly it here on my own social media feed, as shared by the Drone Girl YouTube channel. Or, keep scrolling for my full, in-depth DJI Neo review:
The DJI Neo stands out as incredibly compact and portable. It weighs in at a critical 249 grams, which makes it light enough to take with you anywhere. But drones under 250 grams are really a big deal because they won’t require FAA registration in the U.S., eliminating one more friction point for new pilots.
Of course, checked bag fees (and even carry-on bag fees in basic economy on some airlines, like United) can be a friction point for travelers. This drone might not have an issue there, either. Its design is sleek, foldable, and easy to carry, even if taking your drone on an airplane. While other budget-oriented drones such as the DJI Mini 4K and HoverAir X1 also fall into this lightweight category, the Neo’s $199 price tag makes it one of the most affordable drones in its class.
Camera: impressively good (for the price)
A portable and affordable drone does no good if the camera is bad. Happily, the low price point doesn’t bring down the DJI Neo camera tech.
The DJI Neo captures 4K video at 30fps and 1080p at 60fps, along with 12-megapixel stills. That’s good enough to meet the high-definition requirements for sharing content on mainstream social media platforms.
While it doesn’t boast the 3-axis gimbal found on higher-end drones like the DJI Mavic 3, its single-axis mechanical gimbal does a great job, especially with DJI’s stabilization technologies—RockSteady and HorizonBalancing—that correct horizon tilt and reduce shake. For a $199 drone, the video quality is surprisingly sharp and smooth, making it perfect for YouTube content or social media posts.
And the post-flying experience is convenient, too. Yes, I’m talking about actually posting that footage. The Neo includes 22GB of internal storage, enough to store 40 minutes of 4K video or 55 minutes of 1080p footage, which is impressive for such a small drone. You might not even need a memory card.
You definitely won’t need to mess around with cords, as you can transfer footage recorded on your drone to your phone via the DJI Fly app and a Wi-Fi connection. It’s pretty fast, too, with a maximum download speed of up to 25 MB/s.
Flight performance: more than a selfie drone
The Neo is designed for hand-launch, much like one of its closest competitors, the HoverAir X1. That makes it a perfect selfie drone for quick captures. Simply toss it in the air, and it’s ready to start shooting.
Battery life
The underside of the DJI Neo drone, where you plug in the battery. (Photo by Sally French)
With a maximum flight time of 18 minutes, the DJI Neo does somewhat fall flat on battery life. It’s sufficient for short vlogging sessions or quick aerial captures. But, if your love truly is flying, then anticipate stocking up on spare batteries.
Luckily, chating is somewhat fast. When using a 30W charger, Neo can get from a 0% to 100% charge in about 50 minutes.
With the Two-Way Charging Hub (an additional fee), you can charge up to three batteries simultaneously.
The DJI Neo drone via the Fly More Combo, which has spare batteries and a charging hub. (Photo by Sally French)
Flying Neo indoors versus outdoors
While it performs best in calm conditions, DJI does claim the Neo can handle winds up to Level 4 wind resistance, which does make it functional outdoors for flying in moderate breezes. That said, fly outdoors at your own risk, and understand what a “moderate breeze” entails. It might seem logical to take this drone out to spots like a beach, but ocean breezes can often be more than moderate — and you don’t want to get your drone carried out to see because it caught a wind gust.
The DJI Neo drone. (Photo by Sally French)
I found myself much more at ease flying this drone indoors. And yes, its small size and propeller cages absolutely allow for safe indoor flying. There are few drones I’d seriously recommend for indoor flying, but DJI Neo is one of them.
However, it’s important to note that the Neo lacks obstacle avoidance, so you’ll still need to be thoughtful to avoid crashes. For that reason, I would not consider DJI Neo a follow-me drone.
For vloggers and casual users, the automatic Return to Home (RTH) feature adds a layer of convenience, though the lack of full obstacle detection means it won’t avoid obstacles on its way back. Fly carefully.
Smart features allow Neo to still fly itself
Though it’s not a true follow-me drone, this drone is still incredibly smart and can fly itself. It’s just not wholly crash-proof, the way drones with sensors on all sides, like the DJI Mavic 3, are.
DJI Neo comes equipped with a intelligent flight modes like QuickShots, which lets you choose pre-programmed flight paths such as circling around you or zooming out for dramatic reveal shots. These modes make it easy to capture cinematic footage without needing manual flight skills. DJI Neo supports the following modes:
Follow
Expanse
Circle
Rocket
Spotlight
Custom (Neo can connect to the DJI Fly app via Wi-Fi to select Helix or Boomerang)
It’s also compatible with DJI accessories like the DJI RC Motion 3, DJI Goggles 3 and FPV Remote Controller 3 for more advanced controls. And yes, with certain accessories, DJI Neo supports additional modes.
Can you record audio on DJI Neo?
One standout feature is the ability to record audio through your smartphone via the DJI Fly app, syncing it with your footage. While the drone itself doesn’t record sound (you wouldn’t want propeller noise anyway), this is a fantastic addition for vloggers who want to capture commentary or ambient sound on the go.
Other drones to consider besides DJI Neo
The HOVERAirX1 PRO (left) and HOVERAirX1 PROMAX (right) are two other drones to consider besides DJI Neo.
DJI is in something of a class of its own. It’s super affordable at just $200. I’ve compared all the best DJI drones under $500. And though I do love the $300 DJI Mini 4K or the $419 DJI Mini 3, the DJI Neo is incredible value for the low price point. Check out a comparison of those drones in my guide to the best DJI drones under $500.
But what other drones should you consider besides DJI Neo if price isn’t as much as a concern? The two other standout drones to consider are the HoverAir X1 and DJI Mini 4 Pro.
The DJI Mini 4 Pro has a small size, but has way more powerful flight controls, a higher-quality camera and obstacle avoidance (which I consider the best drone insurance policy there is, hah!). It’s also pricey, at more than $700.
The HoverAir X1 is probably the closest competitor to the DJI Neo, largely because both offer a similar hand-launch style. It’s more expensive at $349, but some people seeking a DJI alternative might not be all that opposed.
The bottom line: a budget-friendly drone with big features
The tl;dr of this DJI Neo review? For just $199, this little DJI drone is hard to beat. It’s not the most advanced drone on the market, but it strikes a perfect balance between price, portability, and functionality. Ideal for content creators, vloggers, and those new to the drone world, the DJI Neo offers impressive 4K video quality, smart features, and ease of use—all in an ultra-light package.
Sally French, The Drone Girl, and the DJI Neo drone. (Photo by Sally French)
As you’re comparing it to others like the HoverAir X1 or the DJI Mini 4 Pro, know that the Neo shines as the best budget option. It delivers DJI’s renowned quality and innovation at an unbeatable price. If you’re looking for an entry-level drone that’s easy to fly but still offers pro-level video quality, the DJI Neo should be at the top of your list.
How to buy your own DJI Neo
The base model costs $199 and gets you basics like the battery and propeller guards. There’s also a $289 DJI Neo Fly More Combo which throws in goodies like more batteries and a two-way charging hub to charge them all up in one go.
