Let’s be honest: when DJI dropped the original Neo selfie drone last September, the $199 price tag was the real headline. It was an impulse buy, “drone for the masses” kind of gadget. But to hit that magic number, some serious corners had to be cut. It was fun, sure, but it lacked the “smarts” we’ve come to expect from DJI. It was more of a tough-to-break toy, designed to survive a crash rather than avoid one.

Well, it looks like DJI was just testing the waters.

The company has just announced the DJI Neo 2, and it’s not so much a follow-up as it is a complete do-over. This is the drone the original Neo should have been, adding a wish list of features—most notably, true obstacle avoidance and intuitive gesture controls—that move it from the toy aisle to the tech aisle.

Finally, a selfie drone that can see

The biggest complaint about the first Neo was that flying it was a high-stress affair. Its only “safety” feature was its tough-as-nails propeller cage. The Neo 2, by contrast, gets a serious brain upgrade.

It’s now equipped with a forward-looking LIDAR system and downward-looking infrared sensors. It can now actually see the world in front of it and below it. This isn’t just a proximity warning; the drone can actively detect and dodge hazards all on its own while in its forward and sideways flight modes.

While it still features those integrated prop guards for a little extra peace of mind, you’ll no longer have to live in fear of every tree branch, wall, or unsuspecting friend who walks into its path.

Faster, stronger, and ready for a breeze

To accommodate the new tech, the Neo 2 has bulked up… slightly. It’s a bit larger and clocks in at 151 grams, a 16-gram jump from its predecessor. But that extra weight is all muscle.

A huge chunk of that upgrade is a much, much larger battery. But the performance has been given a serious boost, too. The new maximum “follow” speed has been cranked to an impressive 12 meters per second. That’s nearly 27 mph, and it’s a massive leap from the original Neo, which topped out around 18 mph (and that was after a generous firmware update). This means the Neo 2 can actually keep up with you on a bike or a light jog without you constantly leaving it in the dust.

Even better, DJI claims the Neo 2 can maintain a stable hover in winds close to 24 mph. Anyone who flew the original knows it had a tendency to drift anxiously in anything more than a gentle breeze. This new version, it seems, can actually be flown outside of a wind-free bubble.

Look ma, no hands (or controller)

The Neo 2 is designed to be your autonomous flying camera, but DJI is also giving you more ways to fly it.

It still carries forward support for DJI’s excellent RC-N3 and motion controllers, and you can still pair it with the Goggles N3 headset for a full FPV experience. But the real news here is the addition of gesture controls.

You can now adjust the drone’s position and distance just by moving your hands while it’s hovering nearby. It’s the ultimate “set it and forget it” feature for group shots or quick selfies. To make this all feel less like guesswork, DJI also added a small, clear screen to the drone itself to indicate which mode it’s in, replacing the confusing set of illustrations and LED lights from the original.

The camera gets a proper upgrade

Of course, none of this matters if the video is bad. The Neo 2 gets a major lift here, too.

First, the battery. That slightly heavier frame now holds a 1,606mAh rechargeable battery, pushing the maximum flight time up to 19 minutes. Onboard storage has also been more than doubled, from 22GB to 49GB.

But the camera itself is where it counts. While it uses the same half-inch sensor as the original, it’s now stabilized by a dual-axis gimbal. This is a huge deal. The original relied entirely on electronic stabilization, which often resulted in jello-like, “warpy” footage. A mechanical gimbal will mean far smoother, more professional-looking shots.

The camera now offers a wider field of view and can capture 4K footage at up to 60fps. And for the true creatives, if you pilot the Neo 2 manually, you can even push it to 100fps for some truly buttery slow-motion.

All these upgrades make the Neo 2 a powerful contender, positioning it as a more compelling and cheaper alternative to competitors like the HoverAir X1. It’s the “smart” selfie drone we wanted all along.

…And now for the bad news.

Just like its recently announced Osmo Mobile 8 gimbal, DJI is, for now, keeping this one at home. The DJI Neo 2 is exclusively being launched in China.

The pricing remains incredibly aggressive. The base model starts at 1,499 Chinese Yuan (about $211), a tiny $28 price bump for a mountain of new features. DJI is also offering a bundle with extra batteries and a multi-charger for 1,499 CNY (around $282) and a full FPV bundle with the motion joystick and Goggles N3 for 3,699 CNY (around $521).

For those of us outside of China, all we can do is watch, wait, and hope DJI decides to share its new favorite toy with the rest of the world.