The $199 DJI Neo is the best drone for beginners and I’m buying it for full price on Cyber Monday

Black Friday might be in the rearview mirror but that doesn’t mean you can’t still score some killer discounts, thanks to Cyber Monday deals. We’ve seen some awesome price slashes on audio gear, cameras, and TVs, but not all of our favorite products have been discounted — and the DJI Neo is one of them.

If you’ve been hoping for this small but mighty drone to go on sale, I’m here to tell you that you need to buy it at full price instead.

I know you think I’m crazy, and you’re probably thinking: “Why should I pay full price when other drones are discounted?” Well, dear reader, the Neo costs just $199, making it DJI’s cheapest offering, and if you’re familiar with the tech giant’s drones, you know you’re getting the best-in-class features.

I have reviewed both DJI drones that launched this year: the Neo and the Air 3S. I rewarded the Neo 4.5 stars which earned it the coveted Editor’s Choice award, and that’s thanks to its compact body, minimalistic design, and the fact that it can remain stable in tricky conditions despite the light weight. The Neo makes drone photography more accessible thanks to its low price point. When I tested it, I thought it was so good that all I could think about was flying it.

The Neo is a fantastic drone for beginners. It weighs less than 8.78 ounces (249g) which means you don’t need FAA/CAA registration to fly it. Speaking of, the drone is extremely easy to fly and control thanks to the RC-N3 controller and the DJI Fly smartphone app. Utilizing a single camera with a 1/2-inch 12MP sensor, the Neo captures beautiful 4K footage at 30fps. It also comes with 22GB of internal storage and if you manage to fill that up quickly — which you will as you won’t want to stop flying it — you can quickly offload the footage via the app.

It’s the season of giving, of course, as the holidays are upon us, so why not buy the Neo for your family or friends? Better yet, why not buy it for yourself? The Neo is available for $199 at Amazon U.S. and £169 at Amazon U.K. for just the drone. Or, you can grab the Fly More combo which includes spare batteries, a charging hub and the RC-N3 controller for $289 at Amazon U.S. and £299 at Amazon U.K.

Don’t forget to tune into our Cyber Monday deals live blog where we’ll be updating you on the best tech discounts — from TVs and consoles to smart home tech and audio gear.