The firmware update for the DJI Neo drone brings more speed and vertical video

DJI’s Neo is shockingly capable for a tiny drone, but it also had a few weaknesses – namely the lack of vertical video and relatively slow flight speeds in tracking mode. The company has now fixed both problems with a new firmware update that, among other things, adds vertical video and increases the Neo’s tracking speed.

Considering that the Neo is designed and priced for YouTubers, the lack of vertical videos was a major drawback. It can now handle it, but only at 1080p 60 fps 9:16 and not at 4K. This lower resolution is due to the camera gimbal not rotating 90 degrees like on the Mini 4 Pro; Instead, it shoots horizontal 4K resolution and then crops the sides.

As for speed, the Neo can now reach speeds of up to 20 mph in tracking mode, up from about 12 mph before. That’s actually faster than the top speed of 18 mph in Sport mode, but still much slower than the Neo’s top speed of 36 mph in the fully manual setting (which requires FPV Remote Control 3). Nevertheless, the task now lies in locating slow-moving vehicles, especially bicycles.

Other new features include Goggles N3 support, live view stabilization with Goggles N3 or Goggles 3, and improved noise cancellation with the Mic 2. Unfortunately, DJI can’t do much about the annoying propeller noise. To get the update, you’ll need to connect your Neo to DJI’s Fly app on Android or iOS and then update both the drone and the app.