The DJI Neo 3 is unannounced, but increasingly solid leaks point to a 1/1.1-inch square sensor, native vertical shooting, and a pocket controller with a screen.
The rumor mill, largely in the shape of serial offenders Igor Bogdanov and Jasper Ellens, has moved into high gear around the forthcoming DJI Neo 3 drone. A September launch was initially thought possible, but has since slipped to October or possibly November. The previous-gen DJI Neo 2 launched in China on October 30, 2025, and global markets two weeks later. Given the usual cadence of DJI releases, it definitely feels imminent. Here’s what we know so far.
The headline is all about a camera package upgrade. A marketing sheet posted by leaker Igor Bogdanov on October 1 lists a 1/1.1-inch square sensor, which unlocks native vertical shooting and 2x lossless zoom (probably via a sensor crop). That’s a significant improvement over the Neo 2’s 12 MP 1/2-inch sensor and no zoom. The size and shape match the sensor in DJI's latest Osmo Action 6, which adds further credibility to the reports.
A Chinese registration listing dated September 21 puts the Neo 3 at 192.7 g (6.8 oz) under model number DEN326. That’s about 28% heavier than the Neo 2, but still well under the crucial 250 gram registration limit.
Leaked images show hub-and-spoke propeller guards, rather than the solid propeller rings of the Neo 2. There is also an upward-facing sensor, and a small rectangular screen on the nose behind the gimbal that glows blue when the drone is on. Your guess on that is as good as ours.
The drone is expected to ship with the RC Mini, a pocket controller with its own screen that means a phone is not necessary for control. Leaked video shows two short sticks, a combined return-to-home and pause button, an orange shutter button, and a ribbed scroll wheel on the back edge. DroneXL notes that on full-size DJI controllers a wheel in that position tilts the gimbal, but the footage does not show what it does here.
Notebookcheck.net points out that the RC Mini resembles the RC Mini AG, a controller DJI launched in China for agricultural drones. That model has a 1.97-inch, 410 x 494 pixel display rated at 800 nits, OcuSync 4 transmission up to 10 km (6.2 miles), and about three hours per charge. Whether the consumer version shares that hardware is unconfirmed.
The Fly More Combo box lists a charging hub, three flight batteries, the RC Mini, an RC Mini Expansion Cover, an Anti-Loosening Pad, two spare propellers, a screwdriver, and a USB-C cable. A leaked unboxing video posted on October 6 matches that list. The Neo 2's separate transceiver module is gone from the contents, perhaps as per Jasper Ellens to be integrated into the airframe of the new model, helping explain some of the weight gain.
The Neo 2 managed about 19 minutes of flight time, so it remains to be seen whether DJI has managed to extract more juice out of the flight systems to match that with the extra payload.
Beyond the sensor, the sheet lists palm takeoff and landing with one-hand gesture control, upgraded omnidirectional obstacle detection, high-speed ActiveTrack with automatic camera moves, SelfieShot 2.0, fast startup, and quick file transfer.
All of which leaves us with plenty of questions, namely video resolution, bitrate, frame rate, storage, price, and more. However, it is unlikely that the company will have taken a step back on much of this, so 4K60 is at least probable as a minimum spec. And if you look past the heavy marketing angle pitching the Neo 3 at beginners, you have an increasingly capable model with a bigger sensor, vertical capture without having to mount a rotating gimbal, and cages that should protect from any of the more run-of-the-mill flying accidents.
The Neo 2 is currently $229 drone-only, and the Fly More Combo with RC-N3 controller $399. Both are likely to creep up with the Neo 3, but how much is pure guesswork. We’ll say $70 as a ballpark for now and update if we hear different. And, as usual nowadays, expect it to only appear in the US as a gray import.