One of this year’s hottest gifts is the DJI Neo. Steve Dent at Engadget called it “the best $200 drone ever made,” which must’ve been music to DJI’s ears (even though Steve also said it “sounds like a banshee”).
When our CT scanner confirmed there was a DJI Neo under our Christmas tree, we couldn’t wait to open it.
But drones are notoriously crashable, even when they eliminate the problems of human error by flying primarily via AI, as does this drone—and it has no obstacle detection sensors.
So, as we got inside this gadget’s guts, we wondered: how hard will it be to fix when it breaks? Short answer: Too hard.
Replacing the blades or the battery is no problem, which we love to see. Inside the body of the drone, there’s some glue and some solder, but the hardware is decently repairable. If you want to replace the brushless camera motor or the camera sensor itself, however (some of the parts that are most likely to break!), you need calibration software that’s only available to DJI and their authorized representatives.
The Teardown: Fun Outside, Frustrations Inside
Unboxing the Neo feels like Christmas morning—until you crash it. Thanks to the Lumafield Neptune CT scanner, we got a sneak peek inside before diving in. The tiny drone features four propellers, a lightweight body, and a 12MP camera stabilized by a gimbal.
The propellers, likely the first casualty in a crash, are thankfully easy to replace. Each is secured with two Phillips screws, and proper installation only requires matching the semi-circular markings to the correct motor arm.
The battery, weighing just 45 grams, is another consumable component designed with usability in mind. It accounts for about a third of the drone’s weight and is simple to swap out—an essential feature given the Neo’s modest 15-minute flight time.
Opening the drone involves peeling back adhesive stickers, undoing Torx screws, and dealing with glue over key screws. While DJI’s use of “tamper-evident” glue is frustrating, it’s manageable with a little patience. Once inside, the lightweight plastic frame, designed for maximum flexibility, makes the rest of the disassembly surprisingly easy.
The modular layout reveals press connectors, coax cables, and the gimbal-mounted camera at the heart of the drone’s functionality.
The Camera: Repairable in Theory, Not in Practice
The camera and its brushless motor are the stars of the show—and the most likely parts to break. DJI separated the motor from the sensor in the Neo, which in theory allows for individual repairs. However, both components require proprietary calibration software to function after a swap. Without access to that software, repairs are a no-go unless you’re an authorized DJI technician.
This limitation isn’t new. DJI’s Care Refresh Plan—a paid warranty service—starts to feel less like a perk and more like a necessity when DIY repairs are effectively blocked.
Final Thoughts
The DJI Neo’s repairability is a mixed bag. Propellers and batteries? No problem. Mainboard and camera components? Tricky at best. The biggest letdown is the locked-down calibration software, which undermines the device’s repairability in the areas that matter most.
Would you feel good gifting a $200 drone that can’t be fully fixed by its owner? For us, that question takes the fun out of flying. After all, a crash shouldn’t ground your holiday joy.
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