Only going to say this once but I told them so!

scottalmas · Sep 20, 2024

I was a long time member of the MavicPilots and SparkPilots groups a frequent poster there. When the first Mini came out I nearly lost my mind that there was no "phone only" support. After all, how is it "portable" if you need to carry around a controller and go through the whole startup process when all you want is a quick vlog shot or vacation photo. I caught a lot of crap with everyone saying how phone only control was terrible and who needs it.

When the Spark and Mavic Air (OG) got a little long in the tooth, DJI dropped Gesture Control and SmartCapture, respectively, and I nearly lost my <Removed by Moderator>, again questioning why they would drop the ability to control your drone without a controller or even a mobile phone. I was ridiculed as everyone said such functionality was nothing more than a useless gimmick. Not for me it wasn't. To this day, I refused to retire my OG Air because of the usefulness of SmartCapture.

All of this was 3 or 4 years ago.

Now, finally, with the release of the Neo, all of the sudden everyone is falling over themselves in disbelieve how amazing it is to be able to launch a drone without a controller or only a smartphone to capture quick and easy pictures and video. The question is, with the advances in AI technology, why the hell would DJI NOT have included the SmartCapture hand gestures in the Neo to help better position the drone during Follow Me and to signal you want a still shot or to start and stop recording? I just don't understand what they are thinking sometimes.

Anyway, I'm just going to say it this once but I TOLD YOU SO!!!!!! There, now I feel better. I've been looking forward to this drone since the release of the original Mini in late 2019. Can't wait to get my Neo from Amz UK next week.

Old Man Mavic · Sep 20, 2024

@scottalmas firstly welcome to the forum
i am sure you will have fun with the Neo ,no matter how you choose to fly the thing

pauljmuk · Sep 20, 2024

scottalmas said:
I was a long time member of the MavicPilots and SparkPilots groups a frequent poster there. When the first Mini came out I nearly lost my mind that there was no "phone only" support. After all, how is it "portable" if you need to carry around a controller and go through the whole startup process when all you want is a quick vlog shot or vacation photo. I caught a lot of crap with everyone saying how phone only control was terrible and who needs it.

When the Spark and Mavic Air (OG) got a little long in the tooth, DJI dropped Gesture Control and SmartCapture, respectively, and I nearly lost my <Removed by Moderator>, again questioning why they would drop the ability to control your drone without a controller or even a mobile phone. I was ridiculed as everyone said such functionality was nothing more than a useless gimmick. Not for me it wasn't. To this day, I refused to retire my OG Air because of the usefulness of SmartCapture.

All of this was 3 or 4 years ago.

Now, finally, with the release of the Neo, all of the sudden everyone is falling over themselves in disbelieve how amazing it is to be able to launch a drone without a controller or only a smartphone to capture quick and easy pictures and video. The question is, with the advances in AI technology, why the hell would DJI NOT have included the SmartCapture hand gestures in the Neo to help better position the drone during Follow Me and to signal you want a still shot or to start and stop recording? I just don't understand what they are thinking sometimes.

Anyway, I'm just going to say it this once but I TOLD YOU SO!!!!!! There, now I feel better. I've been looking forward to this drone since the release of the original Mini in late 2019. Can't wait to get my Neo from Amz UK next week.

I think you answered the reasoning in your post - time, tech, software, AI etc.. back then the idea was nice but probably would have been a much poorer user experience. When they got to the point they could go fully autonomous as they have done, I figure that needed the technology to get there.

Of course the Hover got their first, but that was the signal I guess.

But nice to recognise it back then - just don't think the tech was up to it.

Droning on and on... · Sep 20, 2024

@scottalmas, you and I are peas in a pod. I could have written your post. I still haul around my Mavic Air, in that nice little drone-only case, for selfie-type stuff on family outings.

I also agree with @pauljmuk that the reason it was dropped is the technology wasn't quite up to the task yet. It was ambitious, and a big part of the Spark launch, but it was too unreliable.

I think we're really there, now. Plenty of CPU horsepower cheap these, days, specialized SoCs for some very sophisticated image processing, and the advent of AI tech to make it work even better.

Result: The Neo.

I've ordered one. Excited about it. However, what I'm really excited about is the Neo Pro, which we know absolutely nothing about, it's a rumor I'm starting, and I'm almost 100% certain will come true.

Early rumored specs that I'm 100% fabricating right here:

1/1.3" quad-bayer sensor, same as Avata 2.
Stronger motors, 42mph Sport, 60-65 in FPV manual.
Much better VPS camera similar to the Minis.
Bottom light for improved indoor flight. Automatically come on when the drone detects there is too little light, and the IR ranging sensor says it's close enough to the ground/floor for it to be effective.
Better GPS antenna and sensitivity.
4k/120.
Rear OA.
A bunch of Gesture Control that works.
Heavily engineered props to squeeze every bit of noise out of them that's possible
$500 standalone with 1 battery.
RC2 FMC.

Hummingbird.uav · Sep 21, 2024

I recall that the Mavic Pro, which came out before the Spark, could be controlled with just a phone using wifi. It could also be controlled by waving your arms and making a square with your fingers to take a picture. It kind of sounds like the Mavic Pro was Neo's grandpa.