I spent the UK’s sweltering Spring bank holiday outside — getting sunburnt on every inch of my exposed skin and testing the brand-new GoPro Mission 1 Pro. Given GoPro’s history I was expecting an action camera, but was greeted by that and a rugged vlog camera that can handle (almost) any adventure you could throw at it provided you respect its limitations.

The Mission 1 Pro is one of a trio of new Mission 1 action cams and, like the best GoPros that came before it, is ready for action. The Sport POV mode is set up to perfectly capture your perspective as you tackle a mountain bike trail, for example, while subject tracking is ideal for following your partner as they race through woodland or down a slope (keeping them framed in the shot so you have one less detail to focus on).

Plus with the Dive mode and a design that’s waterproof to 66ft (20m) without a housing you can easily capture color-corrected underwater footage as you snorkel. Though for me it just provided some extra reassurance I wouldn’t ruin my camera as I snapped shots while my partner and I paddled around in the water just-off Brighton beach.

My weekend was a lot more relaxed than you might expect for a GoPro excursion, but the Mission 1 Pro still felt like a solid companion.

As I just mentioned its rugged design meant I was never worried about it getting damaged, and that same subject tracking is utilized effectively by its Vlog mode — which in conjunction with its cover screen makes it easy to capture selfie-style video as my partner and I wandered through the city’s tight lanes and gardens.

For pure quality, however, you can’t beat the 8K open gate capture which delivers generally high-quality 4:3 video that can be comfortably cropped to 16:9 or 9:16 based on your needs — or be used to clip 44MP photo stills so you don’t need to take yourself out of the moment to swap between capture modes.

The quiet champion of my days out wasn’t the camera itself, it was a new add-on: the point-and-shoot grip case. The three-part attachment makes it much easier to hold the Mission 1 Pro and use it like any point-and-shoot camera, and it can be picked up separately or as part of the Grip Edition Bundle — which costs $779.99 / £679.99 / AU$1,229.95 for non-GoPro Premium subscribers

Capturing quick shots here and there I felt no pressure to be choosy as I had plenty of battery life to eat through. GoPro promises the Mission 1 Pro’s 2,150mAh Enduro 2 battery can deliver over five hours of 1080p 30fps video (or over three of 4K 30fps) and this translated to me finishing my day with charge to spare — letting me refuel the GoPro overnight so it would be ready to go again in the morning.

Some of the less standard shooting modes, though, will be a bigger hit to your battery. I took a few slow motion clips which ate about 15% of my charge. The upshot, however, are ridiculously impressive frame rates — burst Slow-Mo captures offers up to 10 seconds of 1080p at 960fps capture, working out at 5m 20s playback time at 30fps), plus slightly slower frame rates are available at higher resolution.

These slow-mo shots also clearly exposed a couple of the Mission 1 Pro’s weaknesses: focus and zoom quality.

For some burst slow-mo I captured my partner Izzy moving back and forth on a swing but I didn’t realize I’d zoomed in on the shot — it was only to 1.6x but when watching footage back on my computer it was clear the digital crop didn’t pair well with the 1080p video quality.

My other, standard slow-mo footage of Izzy blowing a dandelion was instead ruined because I got too close to her. I wanted to get a better frame of the seeds drifting away but instead the plant was entirely out of focus — as I realised after the fact that tapping on the screen tunes to auto-exposure and not an auto-focus, and that there are no manual focus controls.

These issues appeared in plenty of my other shots too, especially my photos, as it became clear the point-and-shoot grip might have changed my perspective of the Mission 1 Pro but hadn’t actually changed how the hardware functions.

With the grip attached, I was treating the GoPro Mission 1 Pro like the Canon Powershot V1 I had recently been testing for an upcoming piece, when it isn’t the same kind of beast even if it felt the same in my hands.

That’s not to say the Mission 1 Pro is therefore bad — I think it’s pretty great — and the Grip Edition adds some excellent versatility to the snapper. You just need to respect the fact the Mission 1 Pro is still an action camera at its core: this leads to a rugged design that feels perfect for surviving most adventures, but there are some hardware nuances you’ll need to navigate as you vlog your experiences.

With my lessons learned I plan to keep testing the Mission 1 Pro as I try to crack this camera — be sure to look out for my upcoming in-depth review — but if you’re keen to pick one up today it’s currently up for preorder at various retailers for $699.99 / £599.99 / AU$1,099.95.

• GoPro drops a teaser filled with cinematic clips, shot on its next camera
• There's a conspicuous absence of action footage, suggesting a new kind of camera
• The teaser follows the unveiling of a powerful new GP3 processor

Earlier this month, GoPro announced its first new processor in five years, promising that it will power its next generation of cameras, and not just upgrades of the action cameras that it's known for.

Now we've had a sneak peek at a new direction GoPro could be taking its product portfolio through a teaser on its YouTube and Instagram — and there's no way that a humble action cam could have recorded the cinematic footage being showcased.

A close-up of a human eye, slow-motion capture of flames, a telephoto shot of ferns touched by raindrops, plus a detailed image of the moon, are all overlaid with the caption 'Captured on the next generation of GoPro'.

The previous announcement unpacked the new GP3 processor, GoPro's first since the GP2, which debuted in the Hero 10 Black in 2021, saying it will 'usher in a new era of professional-level image quality, low-light performance, resolution and frame rates for small form-factor camera markets, including action cameras, 360 cameras, vlogging cameras, and ultra-premium, compact cinema-grade cameras.'

That same announcement also told us to expect this next generation in Q2 2026, so that should be any time in the next three months.

GoPro already makes some of the best action cameras and 360 cameras, such as the Hero 13 Black and Max 2, respectively, whereas vlogging and compact cinema-grade cameras would be new areas for the action cam giant. Based on the teaser, a cinema-grade camera could come first.

What is GoPro cooking?

Besides the teaser caption 'Find your focus', all the information we have to base speculation on is the clips shot on a next-generation GoPro.

It's not clear if the clips are taken with the same mystery camera or are a collection from a range of new cameras. I'd hazard a guess that it's a compact cinema camera with a more versatile lens than the wide-angle type used in GoPro action cams, possibly an interchangeable lens camera.

Of course, a closeup of the moon can only be captured with a telephoto lens, a detailed shot of a human eye with a macro lens, while the ferns and raindrops shot has pretty decent bokeh (the out of focus dappled light in the background), suggesting either a larger sensor than those in current GoPro cameras, or a wide aperture telephoto lens.

To me, that fern and raindrops shot looks like it is made using a camera with a sensor size likely similar to Micro Four Thirds (that's half the size of full-frame), while the range of shots suggests an interchangeable lens camera — so we could be looking at GoPro's first video-focused mirrorless camera.

Note that none of the sample videos are action-based, suggesting that no action camera is making the footage. However, if such a camera were also equipped with the rugged, waterproof design of GoPro's action cameras, it could be a unique offering.

Macro, telephoto, and shallow depth of field effects will all be new kinds of imaging for a GoPro product, and I'm really keen to see what kind of cinematic camera is creating these shots, or if indeed they are a showcase of what multiple GoPro cameras are capable of.

Reactions to the teaser on GoPro's YouTube range from "Here I was just contemplating swapping over to DJI, but this looks promising!" to "Come on GoPro! It’s time for a comeback," and "The people have been waiting!" What do you make of the teaser, and what kind of camera are you hoping that GoPro will unveil? Is GoPro 'cooking something special'? Let me know in the comments below!

GoPro deals are currently offering excellent savings across the full Hero range, with the release of the GoPro Max 2 and Hero 13 Black, as well as older models, dropping in price even further.

We've been watching these costs trickle down over the last few months, so anyone on the hunt for a budget-friendly GoPro right now is well catered for. Those GoPro sales aren't just reserved for those with the big bucks, though; we're also seeing older models taking steep savings these days. From the Max 2 to the latest entry-level action camera, GoPro deals are available at every budget level.

We've listed today's best GoPro deals below, along with our comparison model that's updated with the best prices from around the web every half hour. You'll also find that all the GoPro models listed below are featured in our best GoPro camera guide, allowing you to read our reviews and make an informed buying decision.

Browse more GoPro deals

US

• Amazon: record-low prices on a wide range of models
• Best Buy: regular discounts on new models
• GoPro: latest and greatest models available
• Walmart: deals from $199

UK

• Amazon: cameras & accessories from £79.99
• Argos: deals from £169.99
• Currys: GoPro cameras & accessories starting at £29.99

You might also want to check out the best cheap dash cam deals and sales.

Editor's Note

• Original review date: October 2023
• Launch price: $399 / £399 / AU$649
• Official price now: $297.49 / £297.49 / AU$489.95

Update: November 2024. Released in October 2023, the GoPro Hero 12 Black is no longer the flagship action camera in the GoPro line-up. The newer Hero 13 Black is now the top pick in our list of the best action cameras, with its swappable Lens Mods and easier magnetic mounting. That said, in almost all other ways, it shares the same imaging performance as the Hero 12 Black, including the same sensor and video resolution. So while the Hero 13 Black is the most complete GoPro we’ve tested, the Hero 12 Black remains a very capable action camera in 2024. Thanks to price reductions, it’s also better value than the flagship – although the similarly equipped Hero 11 Black is even cheaper online.

Two-minute review

The GoPro Hero 12 Black is a variation on a tried and tested GoPro formula. GoPro has an Apple-like ability to refresh its line without overhauling it to great effect, and this year there isn't much that's new in the way of hardware for the 12 Black. That said, familiar hardware might not be an issue given the upgraded software experience, particularly for filmmakers and anyone craving external wireless audio support.

Let's start with what's returning for 2023 from last year's GoPro Hero 11 Black. Firstly, there's that 27MP 8:7 sensor that can capture 16:9, 9:16, and 8:7 footage without needing to reorient your camera. It can shoot at up to 5.3K 60fps and 4K 120fps, and if you want to drop the resolution to 2K, it even captures 240fps, something the DJI Osmo Action 4 can't do.

Next, GoPro's Hero design is back for round six – or is it seven? Seriously, GoPro is very wedded to the style introduced on the Hero 5 Black, so it hasn't deviated too much from its overall aesthetic.

GoPro also brings back the same battery used in past Hero cameras, though, as in the Hero 11 Black, it's the higher-specced GoPro Enduro (1720mAh) cell. And the 12 Black has the same dimensions, processor, and weight as the 11 Black.

Given all these similarities, you might be asking yourself what's new, and whether the Hero 12 Black stands a chance of being rated as one of our best action cameras when its predecessor, the GoPro Hero 11 Black, costs less while offering similar features. 

Probably the most instantly useful addition to the Hero 12 Black is the 1/4-inch thread mount between its flip-out feet, perfect for mini tripods. GoPro has also added HDR video capture to improve how the camera handles highlights and shadows, and this works to great effect.

Filmmakers who want to dig a little deeper can activate GP-Log capture for even greater dynamic range footage and 10-bit color, so video can be easily spliced into a timeline with clips from other cameras and easily color-matched.

Audio options have also been improved, with the 12 Black now supporting wireless audio from a Bluetooth microphone. This works with any Bluetooth earphones or headphones, so if you've got a pair of the best wireless earbuds available, you can just pair them with your GoPro and hit record – it really is that simple.

Whether you're using an external Bluetooth microphone or the Media Mod, GoPro's modular housing that upgrades audio and connection options, the new Hero 12 Black can also capture two audio channels, which you can access through the GoPro Quik app or in Premiere Pro. What's so cool about doing this with the Media Mod is that it captures the device audio or the Mod's own mini boom mic so that you can mix down directional and ambient tracks for the perfect clip.

In a nutshell, while there are a lot of familiar features, GoPro levels up the Hero 12 Black just enough to meaningfully make it a more versatile and powerful action camera than the Hero 11 Black. 

As for how it stacks up against the competition, the Hero 12 Black's stabilization is fantastic, dialing up or down based on what you're doing, thanks to HyperSmooth 6.0 and AutoBoost. It outperforms the DJI Osmo Action 4 in this regard, and I also prefer the tone of GoPro's video versus DJI's. Footage looks more crisp and less subdued – precisely what I want from my action camera. Having said that, the Action 4 does a better job of capturing a wider soundscape from its mics, while the Hero 12 Black focuses more on voices.

Low light is where GoPro has consistently dropped the ball, and while the Light Painting night modes are fun additions, they don't make up for the grainy video when recording in dimly-lit scenes. DJI takes the crown here.

Generally speaking, the action camera race has never been tighter, with DJI and GoPro almost neck and neck with their latest offerings. Whichever you go for, you're getting a fantastic action camera, but the Hero 12 Black edges ahead for anyone who mostly shoots in the day and wants the best stabilization available. It's also ideal for vloggers who want to cut up 16:9 and 9:16 content from the same clip, or GoPro users who already have compatible accessories like the Media Mod, and want to upgrade their camera but not their extras.

GoPro Hero 12 Black: release date and price

• Available to buy now for $400 / £400 / AU$650
• Accessories bundle costs $450 / £450 / AU$730
• Max Lens Mod bundle costs $500 / £500 / AU$820

The GoPro Hero 12 Black is available now, with the lowest-priced Standard Combo package costing $400 / £400 / AU$650 – that's slightly pricier than the DJI Action 4. Interestingly, the Hero 11 Black is still on sale alongside the 12 Black on GoPro's website, and has seen its price drop to $350 / £350 / AU$579.

If you want to pick up an extra Enduro battery, GoPro's Handler grip, a head strap, and a carrying case, then the $450 / £450 / AU$730 accessories bundle is for you, and that price is slashed by around 20% if you have a GoPro subscription.

If you don't need all those extra peripherals but fancy the new Max Lens Mod 2.0, which GoPro announced alongside the camera, for a class-leading wide field of view, the Max Lens Mod bundle costs $500 / £500 / AU$820. Once again, if you have a GoPro subscription, you can enjoy a discount of around 20% on this combo.

While GoPro sold its Hero cameras at a discount with a subscription and a sky-high subscription-free price in previous years, it has simplified things this year. In turn, it's great to see that the standalone 12 Black has one fixed price that's lower than the list price of the 11 Black at launch. 

So, while the Hero 12 Black isn't cheap by any stretch, it's great that its value for money isn't held back by what has, in the past, felt like inflated non-member pricing. This subscription-free model makes GoPro's latest camera much more competitive out of the gate.

• Price score: 4/5

GoPro Hero 12 Black: design

• Identical weight and dimensions to Hero 11 Black
• New 1/4-20 tripod thread mount
• Waterproof up to 33ft / 10m

At first glance, the GoPro Hero 11 and 12 Black look almost identical, apart from some speckled blue styling that differentiates the latest edition. Both cameras weigh 154g, sport the same dimensions (71.8 x 50.8 x 33.6mm), and have removable doors behind which are a USB-C port, battery cavity, and microSD slot.

The removable lens protects familiar f/2.5 aperture glass that delivers a 151-degree field of view, which is slightly less wide than the DJI Osmo Action 4's 155 degrees. The Hero 12 Black, however, can be bumped up to a class-leading 177 degrees with the Max Lens Mod 2.0.

On to mounting, and the camera's base features GoPro's familiar flip-out feet that make traditional action camera mounting possible, and this year the Hero line gets a 1/4-inch mount too, so it works with traditional tripods and action-camera mounts alike. This is brilliant for anyone like me, who uses a Manfrotto Pixi or an alternative vlogging tripod with their main camera, saving the need to pack a separate grip when traveling light.

Having tested out the DJI Action 4 and Insta360 Go 3, both with magnetic mounting support, I do miss the feature when using the Hero12 Black. If GoPro manages to fit magnets into next year's 13 Black, then its action camera will have the holy trinity of mounting options; as it stands, though, two out of three isn't bad.

Just like the Hero 10 and 11 Black, the 12 Black has two color displays, one on the front and the other on the rear. Unlike DJI's latest action camera, only the rear screen is touch-sensitive. This isn't the end of the world, but it was handy to be able to vlog on the Action 4 without having to flip it around to make basic shooting adjustments.

The main screen on the rear measures 2.27 inches. It gets bright enough for comfortable viewing indoors and out, and unlike older GoPros, specifically the Hero 9 Black, it's super-responsive.

The 12 Black's physical controls include a record button at the top and a power button on the side. Pressing the record button when the camera is off activates quick-fire recording, and pressing the power button when the camera is on changes modes.

One of the big benefits of picking up a GoPro over a competitor is accessories – both first-party and third-party options. While DJI does a great job with its Action 4, offering an ND filter system and a host of magnetic mount tools, GoPro's ecosystem is richer.

From GoPro's own camp, the Media Mod is the most powerful addition to the Hero 12 Black if you're concerned about sound quality. This upgrades the audio with a directional mic while adding a 3.5mm microphone port for wireless solutions like the excellent Rode Wireless Go 2, as well as a micro HDMI port and an easy-access USB-C port, and there's nothing quite like it in the DJI camp.

• Design score: 4.5/5

GoPro Hero 12 Black: features and performance

• Excellent HyperSmooth 6.0 stabilization
• Super-fast wired file transfer via USB-C
• New Bluetooth microphone support

The key advantage the GoPro Hero 12 Black has over the DJI Osmo Action 4 is resolution. Yes, its sensor is physically smaller, but its 27MP stills and 5.3K 8:7 video wipe the floor with DJI's 10MP stills and 4K 16:9 video – on a sunny day when light is abundant, it's unsurprising that the Hero 12 Black's picture is noticeably crisper.

GoPro's 8:7 aspect-ratio sensor is poised to capture footage that's primed for editing. Max out the resolution to 5.3K, capture with an almost square aspect ratio, and your clips can be cropped easily in the GoPro Quik app to 1:1, 16:9, or 9:16 while still retaining a sky-high resolution.

GoPro's frame rates are also best-in-class, with 5.3K footage captured at up to 60fps, 4K footage at up to 120fps, and 2.7K footage at up to 240fps. GoPro even offers this super-fast frame rate with Horizon Leveling active, so you can compensate for tilts without them making it through to your final footage.

One GoPro Hero 12 Black feature I love is that you can transfer files to your phone using a USB-C cable, so no more painfully slow wireless transfers. This feature is back from the 11 Black, and it's supported by Android phones with a USB-C port, and by the new USB-C-equipped iPhone 15 range.

GoPro includes a 1720mAh Enduro battery with the 12 Black, though the camera is compatible with the standard, non-Enduro variety, albeit with shorter run times. The battery performance best suits anyone who shoots clips shorter than 20 minutes. While there were reports of older GoPros overheating, I had relatively good experiences with the Hero 11 Black, and the 12 Black fares even better. 

If you're shooting stationary on a hot day, you may experience overheating, but out and about in the UK and Berlin, in around 70F / 20C ambient temperatures, I shot for over 30 minutes at 5.3K without any issues.

The Hero 12 Black also plugs into the GoPro Volta grip and other power sources when you need more capture time than the battery offers, and you can also pack spares, with an Enduro battery capturing over an hour of continuous 4K 60fps video.

GoPro has streamlined the interface slightly for 2023, leveling up the Easy Mode, while adding 8:7 capture to all modes.

If you haven't come across GoPro's Easy Mode, it's an alternative interface to Pro Mode, and makes all the decisions for you. All you need to decide is whether you're taking a photo, video, or timelapse, and choose a quality level, and Easy Mode will adjust the settings accordingly.

Pro Mode has a steeper learning curve, but if you want to access GP-Log, HDR capture, or control the stabilization and frame rates, Pro is the mode for you.

I found that results from Easy Mode were excellent in my first few days with the camera, and it's a great way to ease into the GoPro way of shooting. Once I found my feet, though, the mode felt restrictive, and I jumped to Pro Mode.

GoPro's stabilization for 2023 is HyperSmooth 6.0 matched with AutoBoost. This incredible system doesn't just make super-smooth capture possible; it also supports horizon locking, so you can literally loop-de-loop in a plane or on a rollercoaster, and your footage will mask the spins. 

AutoBoost dials the field of view up and down based on how much stabilization you need, so you always get the most information in frame. We didn't even notice the feature in action, which bodes well for GoPro's latest iteration of HyperSmooth, and footage always looked well held together.

GoPro also adds Bluetooth microphone support to the Hero 12 Black, with support for a total of four Bluetooth devices, be they a mic, a phone, a wireless shutter, or another GoPro for synchronized capture.

Your microphone will entirely dictate quality from Bluetooth audio sources. We tested the Hero 12 Black with the OnePlus Buds Pro 2, as demonstrated in the sample video, and the audio wasn't impressive. The Huawei FreeBuds 4 did a better job, and a dedicated microphone did a better job still.

While handy for anyone wearing a helmet or far from your camera, Bluetooth Audio will unlikely be able to match the quality of dedicated wireless mics like the stellar DJI Mic, which can be used out of the gate with the Action 4 if you have both gadgets.

What is smart with GoPro's new external audio recording is that it captures two audio channels and bakes them into the video file, so you can access both in Adobe Premiere Pro or another video editor, or through the GoPro Quik app.

It's worth noting, for 2023, that GoPro has ditched GPS, a feature that's been on GoPros for generations. I haven't missed it in my time with the camera, though only you can say how much the lack of geotagging will impact your action-cam experience.

• Features and performance score: 4.5/5

GoPro Hero 12 Black: image and video quality

• High-resolution 27MP stills
• 10-bit 4K video quality
• New HDR and GP-Log color profiles

While the new 1/1.3-inch sensor is the headline feature of the DJI Action 4, the headline feature of the GoPro Hero 12 Black's sensor is its 8:7 aspect ratio matched with its 27MP resolution.

While DJI has low light covered, GoPro's latest action camera crams in more resolved detail when the light is right. This is evident when playing back 4K video, or grabbing a still from a clip, or taking a photograph.

GoPro's default shooting modes do an excellent job of making daytime footage look zingy, crisp, and smooth. HDR capture is a welcome addition that makes a tangible difference in bright environments, while the GP-Log capture extends the dynamic range further to great effect.

The Hero 12 Black's 10-bit 4K video also looks impressive, with lively colors and extensive scope for editing. The key limiting factor when it comes to any GoPro's camera quality is ambient light, and when the lights drop, the Hero's video quality does too. 

GoPro includes fun night modes for light painting-style video capture, and photos shot in dimly-lit scenes and timelapses can look respectable. That said, the 12 Black should be put in a bag and your phone should be taken out if you're capturing candlelit dinner scenes or nighttime strolls on the beach – your mobile will probably cope better.

GoPros are excellent vlogging tools, and handle faces and skin tones better than DJI's Action 3 from experience. The Hero 12 Black's Horizon Lock feature is also more powerful than DJI's, looking great at up to 5.3K resolution, while DJI's caps out at 4K.

As with most action cameras, the GoPro Hero 12 Black has a fixed-focus lens, which means it isn't suited to close-up shots or videos, though there are macro lenses available that can bring this nearest focus distance close if you want to invest in the Hero ecosystem.

With 5.3K 60p 10-bit video, and impressive 120fps 2.7K slow-motion, GoPro brings back timelapse and hyperlapse modes, and some creative photography modes geared to helping the GoPro not become redundant in low light.  

The 12 Black's microphones do a great job of capturing voices, making it our choice for vlogging, especially compared to other cameras including the DJI Osmo Action 4, which did a better job of pulling in more ambient sounds.

• Image and video quality: 4/5

Should I buy the GoPro Hero 12 Black?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

Testing scorecard

How I tested the GoPro Hero 12 Black

While it's always ideal to get time off to test an action camera, I wasn't so fortunate in my fortnight with the GoPro Hero 12 Black, so exercised my city adventurer status, taking it on work trips to Berlin and Barcelona, while conducting lab tests on home turf. 

I used the Hero 11 Black more like a vlogging and travel camera while out and about, and conducted stabilization tests at home, strapping it onto a remote-control car and taking it on runs. I also tested run times in various temperature conditions.

Having been a Hero 11 Black user, I wanted to focus on the new features for the 12 Black, so captured an abundance of GP-Log and HDR video, and tested it with different Bluetooth microphones, from AirPods Pros to over-ear solutions like the Sony WH-1000XM5.

First reviewed October 2023

After weeks of leaks, the GoPro Hero 12 Black is officially here – and it's one of the smallest updates we've seen to GoPro's flagship action camera.

Still, while there's nothing as radical as a new 1-inch sensor, the Hero 12 Black does deliver a handful of new upgrades on the Hero 11 Black that are particularly geared towards more advanced video shooters.

These include support for dual-channel audio, HyperSmooth 6.0 stabilization, a new built-in tripod thread and a much-improved battery life (on paper, at least). You can also now use its full 8:7 sensor area in all shooting modes, which is handy for TikTok and social media.

This does also mean that a lot remains unchanged, including the 1/1.7-inch sensor (which is smaller than the one in the DJI Osmo Action 4), 5.3K video recording and the body design, which is at least compatible with all the usual Media Mods and accessories.

Talking of which, GoPro has also announced a new Media Mod 2.0 that offers an ultra-wide, 177-degree field of view and, most interestingly, a new GoPro Quik desktop app (which will be available in November 2023). So when is the Hero 12 Black available and will it retain GoPro's long-held reign at the top of our guide to the best action cameras? Here's everything you need to know.

GoPro Hero 12 Black: Cut to the chase

• What is it? GoPro's latest flagship action camera. 
• When is it available? Right now from GoPro's store, on from September 13 at stores globally.
• How much does it cost? The Hero 12 Black costs $399 / £399 / AU$649, and it also available in a bundle with the Max Lens Mod 2.0 for $479 / £479 / AU$785.

GoPro Hero 12 Black price and release date

The GoPro Hero 12 Black is available to pre-order right now from GoPro's store in three different bundles, and go on sale in stores globally from September 13.

If you just need the action cam itself, it costs $399 / £399 / AU$649. That's the same price that the Hero 11 Black launched for last year when it was bought with a GoPro Subscription. You don't need a Subscription this time to get that price, which is a bonus for those who don't want to be tied down with monthly payments.

The other two bundles are an Accessories bundle (which gives you an extra Enduro battery, Handler tripod and Head Strap) for $449 / £449 / AU$729, and a bundle with the Max Lens Mod 2.0 for $479 / £479 / AU$785.

The new GoPro Quik desktop app will be a part of the GoPro Subscription and will be available from November 2023. We're checking to see if there'll be a version of the app for non-Subscribers and will update this page when we hear back.

GoPro Hero 12 Black features and battery life

The GoPro Hero 12 Black is a pretty minor upgrade on its predecessor, and one of the smallest updates we've seen for its flagship action camera. But there are five main upgrades that could encourage you choose it over the cheaper Hero 11 Black or the new DJI Osmo Action 4.

Arguably the biggest one, particularly for vloggers or shooting for social media, is support for dual channel audio. As the name suggests, this lets you record two audio tracks at the same time – for example, one from the GoPro's Media Mod and another from an external mic.

Alongside that, the Hero 12 Black also now has support for any wireless Bluetooth microphone, including Apple AirPods, and lets you hook it up to four Bluetooth devices simultaneously. This could be particularly handy for adding voiceovers, or just listening to recording alerts through your earphones.

Another important quality-of-life upgrade is what GoPro claims is a much-improved battery life. It still uses the same Enduro batteries as the Hero 11 Black, mind, but GoPro says that improved power management can deliver up to 70 minutes of continuous video recording in 5K/60p, even with HyperSmooth 6.0 turned on. That's a decent leap over its predecessor in theory, but one we'll need to test out in the field.

While the Hero 12 Black uses the same 1/1.9in sensor (with a versatile 8:7 aspect ratio) as before, alongside the GP2 processor we first saw on the Hero 10 Black, it does have a few new image quality tricks. The video resolution and frame-rates are the same as before, but you can now use that full 8:7 sensor area in all shooting modes. That means it's possible to shoot TimeWarps, Time Lapses, Night Lapses and Night Effects in a TikTok-friendly vertical format.

A more pro-friendly new feature is the addition of GP-Log encoding, which when paired with 10-bit recording should give color graders some extra dynamic range and color variations to play with during video editing.

Lastly, on the underside of the Hero 12 Black there's now an industry standard 1/4-inch tripod thread, in between its usual mounting fingers. Okay, it's not exactly a revolutionary addition, but it is pretty handy if you regularly use a standard tripod with your action cams or don't want to shell out for extra accessories.

GoPro Hero 12 Black: early thoughts

Given the early rumors and our original wishlist for the Hero 12 Black, it's hard not to be a little underwhelmed – we'd hoped for a 1-inch sensor and an edge-to-edge screen, but what we've got instead is a mildly upgraded Hero 11 Black with the same sensor, processor and design (aside from that new tripod thread).

Clearly, GoPro is struggling to evolve its action cam hardware and that may make its battle with the DJI Osmo Action 4 the closest one we've seen so far. Still, dig into the Hero 12 Black's spec sheet and you do find little bonuses that could still make it the most appealing choice for pros who needed a super-rugged B-cam – including dual-channel audio and GP-Log encoding for color graders.

We're looking forward to putting those battery life claims to the test and also seeing GoPro's new Quik desktop app in action, even if the latter is only free for Subscribers. Until then, we'd recommend looking at some of the best GoPros of the recent past if you need a more affordable action camera, as they will likely bring much of the same polish and image quality of the Hero 12 Black for less. 

The latest in GoPro’s flagship action camera series has landed, and on paper the highly anticipated Hero 12 Black is an underwhelming update to the Hero 11 Black.

The Hero 12 Black rumor mill touted bigger things; a totally new 1-inch sensor that, combined with the Hero Black series chops, would blow away the competition like the DJI Osmo Action 4 and create the best action camera available. Sadly for most GoPro fans, it was mere hyperbole, and the Hero 12 Black is a strikingly similar camera to its predecessor.

That’s not a bad thing per se. We still have the 1/1.7-inch, 8:7 aspect ratio sensor with 5.3K video recording and 27MP photos, 6.0 HyperSmooth image stabilization, while the body design is virtually identical, too, with Media Mod compatibility. In fact, GoPro announced a new Max Lens Mod 2.0 that can expand the frame with an ultra-wide 177-degree field of view, plus a new GoPro Quik desktop app.  

On the face of it, we’re hard-pressed to see what’s new and any reason to upgrade from a Hero 11 Black. However, dig a little deeper and there are some new features that could prove to be helpful in real-world use, especially for audiophiles. Let’s take a look at 5 highlights. 

1. Dual channel audio

The Hero 12 Black adds dual channel audio support. The ability to record two audio tracks simultaneously – one from an external mic or the front mic of GoPro’s Max Lens Mod 2.0, and mix it with the in-camera audio – could transform the audio quality of your action videos. For example, you can grab the environmental sound from the in-camera mic, and pair it with higher-quality voice recordings from an external mic protected from distortions caused by wind. 

2. Versatile audio control

Support for any wireless Bluetooth mic has been added, including Apple Airpods, meaning you gain reliable voice command control when out of the Hero 12 Black’s range. Let’s say you’re inside a car with the Hero 12 Black mounted to the outside (like in the above picture), you can start video recording via voice command using Apple Airpods from your chair. Same goes for extreme sports when you’re wearing a helmet. It's super-useful hands free operation. 

3. Much improved battery life

The GoPro Hero 12 Black has up to double the run time of the Hero 11 Black. That’s 70 minutes of 5.3K / 60p video, 95 minutes at 5.3K 30p and over 155 minutes of continuous full HD recording. That's a huge leap in performance from an already impressive Hero 11 Black, however, it’s not because of a new battery type. In fact, the Hero 12 Black uses the exact same battery as the Hero 11 Black – so you can swap batteries between the two cameras. The improvement is instead thanks to what GoPro says is a "redesigned power management system".  

4. Additional video modes

Video resolution and frame rates are unchanged, with the Hero 12 Black topping out at 5.3K up to 60 frames per second, and up to 8x slow motion in a lower resolution. What has been rolled out is video capture using the full 8:7 sensor area in all shooting modes, which was not the case in the Hero 11 Black. HDR video has also been added, plus GoPro’s own log and luts color profiles. That’s great news for those that share on social in multi-aspect ratios, and those with a keen eye for color – there should be greater color grading flexibility in the editing suite. 

5. There's a tripod thread

Including the addition of an industry standard 1/4-inch tripod thread might feel like we are scraping the barrel at this point, but it is a useful feature that opens the Hero 12 Black to use with non-GoPro supports, including standard mounts, accessories, tripods and monopods. The thread is positioned on the underside of the camera between the fold out feet.

Early analysis

For most people, there’s very little reason to choose the Hero 12 Black over the Hero 11 Black. The latest flagship has been launched with the same list price, that is $399 / £399 / AU$649.95 as standard, or $479.98 / £479.98 / AU$785.91 when bundled with the Max Lens Mod 2.0 (which is available separately for $99.99 / £99.99 / AU$169.95). If the price of the Hero 11 Black comes down it could be an excellent option instead, for most people. 

And when we consider DJI made strides with its Osmo Action 4 launched just a month ago, introducing a larger 1/1.3-inch sensor and improved image quality, in a camera with more convenient magnetic mounting, it feels like advantage DJI. Each camera has its own upsides, and we’ll be publishing a versus piece to see which camera comes out on top. 

The Hero 12 Black will still be one of the best action cameras available, and it was perhaps the rumor mill that gave false hope for even better things. A modest update does leave us asking, “Have we reached peak performance?”. We’ll be sharing more conclusive thoughts on the matter in an upcoming full review. 

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The GoPro Hero 12 Black is expected to arrive soon to take on the new DJI Osmo Action 4, but the latest leaks suggest it could be one of the smallest updates we've seen to the flagship action cam.

Some massive leaks from WinFuture and @Quadro_News have seemingly revealed most of the Hero 12 Black's specs alongside some images – and one of the few upgrades appears to be improved battery life. Earlier rumors about a 1-inch sensor and edge-to-edge screen have seemingly been debunked.

Instead, the Hero 12 Black will, according to the spec sheets WinFuture has seen, have the same 1/1.9-inch sensor as the Hero 11 Black, which will again be capable of shooting 5.3K/60p videos and 27MP photos. As before, you'll also be able to shoot 8-bit or 10-bit video in GoPro's 'flat' color profile, which can help you fine-tune footage using the best video editors.

Those rumored battery life improvements will seemingly come from software optimizations rather than new hardware, with the leaked Hero 12 Black specs showing the same 1,720mAh Enduro battery as last time. WinFuture claims you'll be able to shoot 70 minutes of 5.3K/60p video (nine minutes more than before), or over 90 minutes in 5.3K/30p (again around 10 minutes more than the Hero 11 Black).

Physically, the Hero 12 Black will seemingly be pretty much identical to its predecessor, apart from two tweaks. The main one appears to be the inclusion of a standard tripod thread in between the mounting fingers on the underside of the action cam, which would be a big bonus for anyone who already has a non-GoPro tripod. The action cam itself also appears to have a new speckled finish, potentially hinting at the use of recycled or environmentally-friendly materials.

Elsewhere, the Hero 12 Black's size and weight (154g) appear to be the same, with waterproofing still good down to a depth of 10m and a 2.27-inch screen. While the lack of any physical upgrades would be disappointing, that would at least ensure that GoPro's new action cam would work seamlessly with any existing cases and accessories.

The leaks also suggest that the Hero 12 Black will get a new HyperSmooth 6.0 feature, although quite how this will improve on the already excellent HyperSmooth 5.0 stabilization in the Hero 11 Black isn't clear. GoPro's new flagship will also apparently continue to offer 1080p live-streaming, plus 8x slow-mo video (presumably, as before, at 2.7K resolution).

Analysis: is DJI closing the gap on GoPro?

Our DJI Osmo Action 4 review recently praised that new model's larger 1/1.3-inch sensor and hassle-free magnetic mounts. If these GoPro Hero 12 Black leaks are correct, then DJI will, on paper at least, have closed the gap on GoPro's flagship – and maybe even surpassed it.

That would be a big disappointment for GoPro fans, and a slight surprise given earlier rumors that the Hero 12 Black might make the leap to a 1-inch sensor, like the one we've seen in the Insta360 One RS and its optional module. Based on the leaked specs, the Hero 12 Black could be the smallest upgrade we've seen in the series for years.

Of course, there could be new features coming to GoPro's flagship that leaks haven't yet revealed. For example, we did recently hear GoPro hint that it may finally be bringing back a desktop video-editing app for its cameras, even if it might only be free for GoPro subscribers. We also don't yet know if GoPro is planning to update others cameras like the Hero 11 Black Mini, or announce a GoPro Max 2.

But with the Hero 12 Black's fundamentals, like the sensor, screen, batteries and physical design seemingly unchanged, it looks like the battle between GoPro and DJI for the title of best action camera is set to intensify.

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Everyone loves a good deal, and GoPro has delivered good news with comprehensive price drops on most of its current action cameras, including the GoPro Hero11 Black, Hero9 Black and Hero10 Black. Only the price of the GoPro MAX – the company’s 5.6K 360-degree action camera – remains the same. 

The savings of around $100 / £100 / AU$150, as you can see in the table below, are great news for anyone looking to pick up one of the best action cameras, but there’s a sting in the tail for GoPro subscribers – the new prices are for everyone, and additional savings are not being rolled out for those with a GoPro subscription plan. 

If we compare the new price of the Hero11 Black against its launch list price, we can see the price is essentially the same as it was then for subscribers.

While these new prices are the best we’ve seen for non-subscribers, there was a better deal to be had for subscribers in the most recent GoPro Black Friday deals, when there was an additional 15% saving. That put the Hero9 Black and Hero11 Black Mini subscriber price at $262.48 / £262.48, the Hero10 Black at $304.98 / £304.98 and the Hero 11 Black at  $347.48 / £347.48.

GoPro is also doing its best to grow its pool of more than two million subscribers, by halving the cost of subscription for new subscribers from $50 / £50 to $25 / £25. It’s only for the first year, though, after which the price will jump back up to the full amount.

Other GoPro subscription perks remain unchanged, including unlimited cloud storage, auto highlight reels to your phone, and guaranteed damaged camera replacement.

Savings of $100 / $100 / AU$150 on future GoPro cameras will still be available for existing subscribers after a first annual subscription renewal, so those who regularly upgrade their kit are still well served by a subscription plan.

Confused? To summarize: GoPro is doing away with the $100 / £100 / AU$150 saving on its current crop of Hero Black cameras for those taking a subscription at the time of purchase, and applying those price drops for anyone who’s not sold on GoPro’s subscription plan. Very little else has changed.

The GoPro Max 2 is overdue – the original GoPro Max is now almost five years old, and while the 360 degree camera holds up fine today, it has been well and truly supplanted by the Insta360 X4: an 8K video beast which is the best 360-degree camera today. 

The earliest reports suggested that GoPro would announce the Max 2 in late 2022; however that didn’t happen. Instead, in a quarterly earnings call on May 8, GoPro's CEO Nick Woodman projected the Max 2 will launch in Q4 of 2024.

With its late arrival to the party, the Max 2 has its work cut out to turn heads away from the Insta360 X4. Surprisingly, there's still very little information that has been leaked about the camera thus far, although in July the first supposed image popped up courtesy of serial leaker @Quadro_News, suggesting a massive redesign that could tackle previous overheating issues. 

Otherwise, much of this preview is based on what the GoPro Max 2 needs to do to dethrone Insta360, and what we know/imagine to be possible using today’s/ tomorrow’s technology. 

Cut to the chase

• What is it? The GoPro Max 2 is a 360-degree pocket camera 
• When is it out? Projected Q4 of 2024
• How much will it cost? Likely around $499 / £599 / AU$849

GoPro Max 2: release date

Virtually all GoPro products launch in September or October, though given the protracted Max 2 delays, anything could happen. The latest info we have was from GoPro's quarterly earnings call in May, during which GoPro CEO Nick Woodman addressed the expanding range of GoPro products and said,

"Due to the development process taking longer than expected, the launch of our new entry-level camera will push from Q2 to Q3 in 2024, and our new 360 camera will push to late Q4."

Let's hope that projected timeline turns out to be true and no longer – otherwise we'll be exceeding five years between the Max and Max 2. We're in the second half of 2024 and haven't seen the new entry-level camera yet, so fingers crossed for GoPro's next 360-degree camera.

GoPro Max 2: a cool design

Overheating is a regular complaint from GoPro fans, especially users of the original Max. That could all change in the Max 2 if leaked pictures are to be believed. Quadro_News shared an image of what is speculated to be the GoPro Max 2, and it's design is radically different to the Max. 

In this leaked image, the lens is moved to a central point, the speaker has gone, but the key point to note is the ribs going up and down the device. There’s a good chance these fins are the brand’s “upgraded cooling solution,” according to NotebookCheck.

GoPro Max 2: a fresh approach to editing

A patent registration document provides best available information pointing to possible GoPro Max 2 features. In July 2022, we reported about a 29-page document published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. 

The gist of these patent applications is that GoPro is looking at new software trickery that automatically reframes 360 footage into standard flat videos, based on AI-powered analysis of what's happening in the scenes. 

GoPro’s current software could do with a refresh, as it’s starting to be shown up in a few areas by Insta360’s fast and intuitive approach. However, the document also hints at specific features, such as the capability to dynamically zoom in on the faces of people who are speaking. 

This could be very handy for quick editing of podcast-like conversations or interviews, with no need for a dual camera setup. Patent filings often amount to nothing but, well, this stuff makes sense. 

GoPro Max 2: 4K flat footage

One of the best traits of the GoPro Max is that it’s geared up to be all the action camera you need. The modes that capture flat video, like the footage captured by the GoPro Hero 12 Black, are given just as great prominence as the 360-degree modes.

However, the quality of flat footage from the original Max is just okay, capped as it is at 1080p or 1440p. And that’s 1920 x 1440 pixels for the latter, not the 2560 x 1440 resolution you might hope for. The quality is the same as 1080p; the frame is just taller. 

The Max 2 is going to need a flat 4K mode at the least, if not 5.7K or higher, to become a class leader in 2024, not least because the Insta360 X3 and X4 already have such a mode. GoPro will need to use an additional new higher-resolution sensor to make this happen, though. 

The original Max has a pair of 12.3MP Sony IMX577 sensors. To capture unassailable 4K footage we need 8.3MP’s worth of pixels after cropping into one of the sensors fairly heavily; we don’t have that at present in the Max, which is why there’s no 4K mode. 

GoPro Max 2: dual 1/1.9-inch sensors

What would be the perfect new sensors for the GoPro Max 2? It'll need to be a pair of 27-megapixel 1/1.9-inch sensors, as seen in the Hero 12 Black.

The Sony IMX677 is another option, as seen in the GoPro Hero 9 Black and 10 Black. This 23-megapixel sensor is the same size as those in the original Max's, 1/2.3-inch, but makes a classic action camera view at 4K resolution much more viable. 

The sensor used in the Hero 11 Black models is actually a custom version of the IMX677, called the IMX677L. It’s larger, and has an unusual 8:7 aspect ratio. If GoPro gives us a pair of either of these, we’ll likely be happy. 

GoPro Max 2: HDR and improved dynamic range

We would need to see a larger sensor in order to facilitate one of the other improvements we’d like to see: increased native dynamic range. This would mean less blowing-out of highlights in skies, particularly when there are lots of big, bright, white fluffy clouds about. 

However, even if the GoPro Max 2 ends up using the smaller IMX677 sensor, there is still a way in which GoPro could improve dynamic range – by using HDR video. All current GoPros use basic tone mapping to maximize dynamic range in footage, but the IMX677 sensor also supports DOL-HDR. 

This is where two versions of each frame are generated on the fly, at two exposure levels, to avoid ghosting. These can then be merged to preserve highlight detail and bring more information out of the shadows. 

We find this particularly useful for 360-degree cameras, because exposure metering is a bit of a nightmare with this style. You can’t move your view to radically affect the auto metering, as everything is always in the camera’s field of view, and it’s not as if action cameras have easy-access manual exposure dials. 

The downside of DOL-HDR is that it halves your maximum frame rate. And that brings us to our next point. 

GoPro Max 2: slow-mo video and 5.7K at 60fps

The original GoPro Max does not have a particularly high maximum frame rate. 30fps is the max at the top 5.7K resolution, rising to 60fps at 3K. 

The GoPro Max 2 is most likely going to offer 60fps at its maximum resolution, which would also allow for 2x slow-mo. But we’d also like to see more pronounced slow-mo too at lower resolution. 

120fps at 5.7K? While we can hope for that, 120fps at a step-down resolution somewhere around 3K is perhaps more realistic. 120fps in the ‘flat’ 4K mode we expect from the GoPro Max 2 is also likely. 

GoPro Max 2: GP3 processor

What do we need in order to get those kinds of frame rates? A better processor than the one in the original GoPro Max: the latest processor is currently the GoPro GP2. found in models such as the Hero 12 Black. The GoPro Max 2 will need this processor at the very least, but could we see a new GoPro GP3 processor? 

The GP2 was introduced in 2021, and GoPro will switch to newer silicon when that chipset has been wrung dry. For a little context, the GP1 was introduced with the GoPro Hero 6 Black in 2017, and was used all the way up until the Hero 10 Black in 2021. We think a new GP3 processor is about due, but there's no guarantee that the Max 2 will feature it even if it materliazes in the latest Hero Black action camera, the supposed Hero 13 Black. 

GoPro Max 2: A higher-resolution 8K

All the stuff we’ve mentioned so far will make the Max 2 a tidy upgrade over its predecessor. However, a higher-res 360-degree capture mode is a must if we’re going to see real progress in the quality of consumer-grade 360 cameras in general.

This is not down to a need to see more detail when fully zoomed out, but to make footage look better as you reframe and digitally zoom in. The original Max’s quality breaks down fairly swiftly at 5.7K resolution. 

What could we get? We’re going to have to do some rough calculations.

The IMX577 of the first GoPro Max has a horizontal resolution of 4,056 ‘active’ pixels; two cameras therefore means a maximum lateral resolution of 8,112 pixels. The actual horizontal resolution of the Max is 5,760 pixels, 0.71x that combined pixel count. 

The active pixel count of the Sony IMX677, a possible Max 2 sensor, is 5,599 pixels. Double that, multiply it by 0.71, and we get 7,951 pixels. This suggests the next Max could offer ‘8K’ capture. Sounds pretty good, right?

As testers of tech, 8K consumer-grade 360-degree video is something we’d like to see above all else in the GoPro Max 2 – and to match the stellar Insta360 X4. However, we’ll have to wait until later this year to see if we actually get it, and to see what other upgrades the Max 2 brings. 

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If a GoPro is on your shopping list, there’s a good chance you’ll find one discounted soon. The annual Black Friday camera deals usually include offers on a range of GoPro action cameras and accessories. But there’s another factor to weigh up when searching for November savings – should you buy one with a GoPro Subscription?

At face value, the answer seems obvious. Buy any current GoPro model with a GoPro Subscription and you’ll get a big discount on the camera’s standard price. For example, the flagship GoPro Hero 11 Black is $200 / £200 / AU$270 cheaper when bough with a Subscription. And the savings could increase during the Black Friday GoPro deals.

We’ve created this guide to explain exactly what discounts you can get with a GoPro Subscription and whether it’s worth signing up for one during the Black Friday sales. We’ve outlined all of the key benefits of a membership, as well as any potential disadvantages to keep in mind when shopping during Black Friday.

As well as reducing the cost of a new GoPro camera, a GoPro Subscription also gives you unlimited cloud video backups, optional camera replacements and large savings on a range of official accessories. Our guide should help you make sense of these perks and whether they could represent good value for you – and if you can expect additional discounts during the GoPro Black Friday deals in 2022.

What is a GoPro Subscription?

GoPro launched its paid membership service as ‘Plus’ a few years ago, but only more recently did the action cam stalwart start pushing hard for Subscription sign-ups.

So what does a Subscription get you? The concept is simple: like Fitbit Premium or iCloud Plus, paying extra for a GoPro Subscription unlocks additional services, support and savings for your GoPro action camera. 

These premium features are meant to enhance your user experience and make it easier to focus on filming the fun stuff.

How much is a GoPro Subscription?

A standalone GoPro Subscription costs $49.99 / £49.99 / AU$69.99 per year. There’s no option to pay in monthly installments, so you’ll need to stump up for the entire annual fee when you sign up.

Alternatively, you can buy a camera like the latest GoPro Hero 11 Black and choose to ‘save with a 1-year GoPro Subscription’. Tick this box at checkout and GoPro will bundle an annual membership in with your purchase, automatically applying the discount and giving you access to all the benefits of a GoPro Subscription. Easy.

What’s the catch? There isn’t one, really. Membership will automatically renew every 12 months. If you’re only in it for a one-off discount, you’ll just need to remember to cancel the subscription before it renews after a year, otherwise you’ll be charged the full annual fee. But the good news is that you can cancel at any time without a penalty.

What do you get with a GoPro Subscription?

1. Discounts on GoPros and accessories

GoPro promises savings on GoPro gear of up to 50% with a Subscription. That’s a tempting proposition, but it’s worth noting the ‘up to’ part of that promise: the half-price discount doesn’t apply to everything on the GoPro store. So which GoPro products can you save money on with a Subscription?

The biggest savings can be found on GoPro’s countless cases and mounts. Subscribers can claim a 50% discount on GoPro’s Floaty case for the GoPro Hero 11 Black (and the 10, 9 and 8 Black before it), for example. Similarly, members can pick up GoPro’s surfboard mounts or Super Suit dive shell for half-price.

A smaller but still significant discount of 30% is available on the Volta battery grip, which extends your GoPro’s battery life and doubles up as a tripod. That same saving also applies to the Creator Kit, which bundles the Volta grip with a Media Mod and Light Mod for a complete vlogging setup.

A huge range of other accessories are reduced by 20% with a GoPro Subscription. You can save cash on everything from the Suction Cup and Fetch Dog Harness to the Display Mod, Protective Housing and GoPro’s range of backpacks and sling bags.

What about the action cams themselves? For most people, the main attraction of a GoPro Subscription is the option to save money on a GoPro camera – and there are certainly discounts to be had. GoPro offers fixed-price reductions on every model in its official line-up. That means you can save on the Hero 11 Black, Hero 10 Black, Hero 9 Black and the Max, as well as the Hero 11 Black Mini and, for buyers in the US, the Hero 10 Black Bones.

For the Hero 11 Black, the discount technically offered to subscribers is $200 / £200 / AU$270. However, when you account for the cost of the annual Subscription required to claim the saving, the real reduction on the standard price is actually $150 / £150 / AU$200. Which is still a solid saving, especially as you get all the perks of a GoPro Subscription bundled in.

You can also opt for the Hero 11 Black Creator Edition. That gets you the GoPro Hero 11 Black, together with a Volta grip, Light Mod, Media Mod and 32GB microSD card. The bundle is good value at full price, but Subscribers can save a further $170 / £170 / AU$260.

As for the GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini, the saving for subscribers in real terms is a slightly lower $100 / £100 / AU$150. You can also save the same amount on a GoPro Max and a GoPro Hero 10 Black. We think that discount still makes it worth ticking the box to sign up: not only are you netting a useful saving outright, but you’re also getting all of those membership benefits for a full yer.

A Subscription also saves you $50 / £50 / AU$50 on a GoPro Hero 9 Black when you factor in the annual fee. The oldest and joint-cheapest model still sold by GoPro, we can’t see any harm in signing up to reduce its price a little further. But you might need to move quickly: if the GoPro Hero 8 Black is anything to go by, the Hero 9 Black discount may be disabled during Black Friday, either because stocks are low or because GoPro plans to officially discontinue the model.

Subscribers can purchase up to three discounted GoPro cameras per year. The savings are identical whether you’re signed in as an existing GoPro subscriber or you take out a new membership at checkout.

2. Unlimited cloud storage

One of the key features of a GoPro Subscription is unlimited cloud backup. Members can save all footage shot with a compatible GoPro camera to the cloud, in full original quality. Subscribers can do this ether via the Quik app on their smartphone, through the GoPro web interface, or by configuring Auto Upload.

Auto Upload will automatically save your latest clips to the cloud whenever your camera is within range of your home Wi-Fi and plugged in to a wall charger. It works with every GoPro model back to the Hero 5 and it means you no longer need to worry about manually offloading footage.

Given the potential size of 4K video files, the offer of unlimited storage alone is enough to consider a GoPro Subscription – especially if you regularly record high-quality clips and don’t fancy filling your hard drive. That said, it's worth nothing that the cloud storage does not support content captured with a GoPro Fusion.

3. Damaged camera replacements

A GoPro Subscription comes with the promise of ‘no-questions-asked camera replacement’. This sounds like a very good deal, especially if you’re planning to use your GoPro camera in particularly tough filming situations. But there are a few caveats to this offer.

If you read the small print, you’ll see that subscribers in certain countries (including the USA, UK and Australia) are permitted to "exchange up to two cameras per year for the same model". The offer covers the GoPro Hero 5 and every GoPro released after that, including the Fusion and Max. It also cryptically states that "fees apply".

Dig a little deeper and you’ll find that a “trade-in fee” is required to claim a replacement camera. For the Hero 10 Black Bones, the fee is quoted as $199. For every other model, right back to the Hero 5 Black, the fee is $99. So you won’t be getting a fresh camera for free – you can find all of the fees listed on GoPro's camera replacement page.

The camera replacement offer also doesn’t cover lost GoPro cameras, only damaged ones. You need to return your old, broken GoPro as part of the exchange – which you won’t be able to do if your action cam is somewhere in the sea. And GoPro will only replace cameras purchased directly from its website.

It’s worth remembering that every GoPro is built to be tough. That’s part of the appeal, after all. If you’ve seen the YouTube video of a GoPro falling from an aeroplane, landing in a pig pen and surviving to tell the tale, then you’ll know that damaging GoPro’s action cameras is no easy feat. So you may never even need to use this optional replacement offer. Then again, crack a touchscreen and you’ll be glad to have the cover.

4. Quick app premium editing

As part of a GoPro Subscription, all of the premium editing tools, filters and royalty-free backing tracks are made available in the Quik app. Unlocking these normally requires a separate subscription, which would otherwise set you back $9.99 / £9.49 / AU$14.99 per year – or $1.99 / £1.79 / AU$2.49 per month.

Whether this represents added value will depend on how much you use the Quik app to edit and compile clips. It’s certainly an easy way to tweak videos for social media and the premium tools give you greater options for accessible creativity. We've put together some more in-depth thoughts on GoPro Quik, if you want to know more about the app's premium tools.

5. Private live-streams

If you’re using a GoPro Hero 7 Black or later, you don’t need a membership to live stream to YouTube, Facebook or Twitch in 1080p. But your streams will be visible to anyone who follows you on those platforms.

A GoPro Subscription changes that, allowing you to broadcast directly from the GoPro website. You can then share a unique link to your private stream with friends, family and your favorite fans. This makes streams easier to share and access directly, while keeping the audience limited to those with the link.

Will a GoPro subscription be cheaper during Black Friday?

With the annual Black Friday deals starting to arrive, is it worth waiting for the sales before buying a GoPro with a Subscription? While it’s too early to be definitive, the answer is most likely yes. 

If previous years are anything to go by, we’d expect to see solid discounts on all of GoPro’s current range, including the GoPro Hero 11 Black, Hero 10 Black, Hero 9 Black and Max. We’ve outlined which cameras we think you should watch out for in this guide to which GoPro should you buy during Black Friday. 

The best deal last year was on the GoPro Hero 10 Black with an accessory bundle, including a spare battery, tripod and 32GB microSD card. The total price with a subscription dropped to $399, a saving of $260 against the official price.

It’s possible we’ll see GoPro’s latest models similarly discounted this year. That said, GoPro has already dropped the price of several cameras, well in advance of the Black Friday deals. It could be that additional discounts are limited to certain models. We think the Hero 9 Black could offer excellent value if bought with a GoPro Subscription during Black Friday, for example.

We wouldn’t expect to see the cost of a Subscription itself reduced. More likely is that members find themselves treated to greater savings on GoPro equipment, standalone cameras and bundles in its current range.

Any savings offered to subscribers in addition to the discounts outlined above only makes a GoPro Subscription more worthwhile. We wouldn’t expect the deals to be reserved for new subscribers either, given that GoPro wants existing subscribers to continue claiming their allocation of three discounted cameras per year.

So for the best GoPro Black Friday deals in 2022, there’s a good chance you’ll need a Subscription. If you don’t already own a GoPro camera, we recommend waiting a few days or a week to see what savings GoPro has in store. You can then sign up for a Subscription at checkout to claim any discounts on offer. That also means your membership will only start when you order a new camera, so you’ll be able to make the most of it before it renewing or cancelling after a year.

For those who already own a GoPro camera, you can make a case either way: wait and see what offers GoPro’s got planned, or sign up now to start enjoying the perks of a Subscription. You'll still be able to benefit from exclusive deals down the line either way.

Is a GoPro subscription worth it?

There’s really no question: a GoPro subscription is worth it if you’re planning to buy a new GoPro action camera. 

Besides all the added benefits of a membership, the outright savings make it a no-brainer. With discounts of up to $150 / £150 / AU$200 available on GoPro’s latest action cameras (after you’ve factored in the cost of a Subscription), there’s significant money to be saved by signing up.

What’s more, you can cancel the annual Subscription at any time before it automatically renews after a year, so you won’t be locked into a long-term contract. Of course, GoPro is hoping you won’t do that – and there are several reasons why you wouldn’t.

A Subscription isn’t cheap at $49.99 / £49.99 / AU$69.99 per year, but for unlimited cloud storage and automatic backup of full-quality videos, plus private live streams, access to the Quik app’s premium features and up to two damaged camera replacements per year (for a fee), it’s not a bad deal. Especially when you factor in the rolling offers, including the ability to buy three discounted GoPro cameras per year.

While to some the screenless GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini seems like a budget option, to the brand’s base of extreme sports enthusiasts and high-octane adventurers the Hero 11 Black Mini could be the best GoPro product of the year. It seems the action camera maker has saved the best till last. 

The new Hero 11 Black Mini is available globally from today (Tuesday, November 8), an unexpected early arrival since GoPro pushed back its release date to November 18 recently. 

The Hero 11 Black Mini is a bit cheaper than the standard Hero 11 Black, costing $299.98 / £299.98 / AU$499 when you purchase the camera with an included one-year GoPro subscription, with an additional $49.99 / £49.99 / AU$70 per year thereafter. 

While you can opt out of the GoPro Subscription at any time if you’re willing to pay the full initial price of $449.98 / £449.98 / AU$799.95, one of the biggest features of the range this year was the access to remote processing of video files so you can edit your footage into professional clips on-the-go.  

 Analysis: Bigger doesn’t always mean better 

The main drawcard of the GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini is that it’s 13% smaller than the Hero 11 Black – important if you’re trying to hold it in your mouth (we’re referring to the bite mounts here, we’re not uncouth) or on a helmet for hours – and it’s got a new set of low-profile mounts that allow it to get into tighter, more secure places. 

The Hero 11 Black Mini features the same larger 8:7 sensor as the Hero 11 Black and all the same HyperSmooth 5.0, 10-bit color depth, and HyperView wide angle lens as you get on GoPro’s other 2022 cameras. So there really is a lot more bang for your buck here.

The device also gets the new Enduro Lithium Ion rechargeable battery technology, but in a smaller 1,500mAh capacity. This smaller battery loses the ability to be swapped out, but it manages to benefit from the lack of a screen to get comparable runtimes with the standard Hero 11 Black. 

It’s also probably the camera that’ll get the most out of the automatic cloud uploads, and the AI GoPro Quick highlights reel that gets edited automatically in the cloud and sent to your smartphone. 

All in all, there’s a great balance of price and feature set here, making it a strong contender to be one of the best action cameras you can get.

• Can't decide between a GoPro and a DJI camera? Read how the Hero 11 Black compares to the Osmo Action 3

GoPro is still the byword for action cams, but DJI is an increasingly strong rival. The drone maker has been making its own tough cams for years – so how does its latest, the DJI Osmo Action 3, compare with the new GoPro Hero 11 Black? And which should you aim to buy in this year's Black Friday deals?

GoPro’s Hero 11 Black is exciting. It shakes things up with its larger sensor that has a nearly square 8:7 aspect ratio. It also introduces an upgrade to GoPro’s camera software that makes it better for novices, and it still supports a wealth of mods and accessories owners of older GoPros can repurpose if they pick up the latest, greatest Hero.

How does DJI hope to take on the leader of the action camera pack? It starts its assault with price, undercutting both last year’s GoPro Hero 10 Black as well as the new 11 Black. A lower price doesn’t mean inferior features across the board, though, with the DJI Osmo Action 3 introducing a more durable body that can withstand depths of up to 16m.

But is the Hero 11 Black still the one to target in this year's Black Friday GoPro deals? Or does DJI take on the established action camera champion and win? Here are eight main differences between the two action cameras to help you decide, followed by our final verdict.

GoPro Hero 11 Black vs DJI Osmo Action 3: price and packages

It's no simple task comparing the prices of a GoPro Hero 11 Black and a DJI Osmo Action 3, as what you pay will depend on a number of factors: which package you opt for, what subscription you have, and where you are in the world. 

The GoPro Hero 11 Black costs $399.98 / £399.98 / AU$649.95 if bundled with a GoPro Subscription, or for $499.99 / £499.99 / AU$799.95 with no GoPro Subscription.

The DJI Osmo Action 3, by contrast, costs a fair bit less: $329 / £309 / AU$519 in its lowest-cost package, and DJI has also launched the Adventure Combo for $439 / £399 / AU$719.

You can see the range of packages and prices outlined below:

Going into a bit more detail on what each package consists of, the Creator Edition GoPro Hero 11 Black includes the Volta battery grip, Media Mod, Light Mod, as well as the core camera pack – the camera and an Enduro battery.

The DJI Osmo Action 3 Adventure Combo combines the camera with a host of mounts, a total of three batteries, and a charging cradle for them, in addition to a grip and portrait-orientation mountable housing.

It's possible that both of these cameras could see discounts or offers in the Black Friday GoPro deals or Black Friday DJI deals, so check out our respective guides on those for the latest news from deals town.

GoPro Hero 11 Black vs DJI Osmo Action 3: Sensors

The biggest practical difference between the GoPro Hero 11 Black and other action cameras is the sensor – specifically, its shape. 

The Hero 11 Black's new 8:9 sensor features a more square aspect ratio that makes it better suited to portrait and landscape orientation crops than the traditional 4:3 sensor of the DJI Osmo Action 3.

Why would you want to export a single clip in either portrait or landscape orientation? To feed your hungry social media channels – portrait for Instagram Reels and TikTok, landscape for YouTube.

The Hero 11 Black also enjoys a higher resolution than the DJI Osmo Action 3, clocking in at 27MP versus 12MP. That benefit obviously means that the photo resolution of GoPro's flagship camera will be significantly higher – over double that of DJI's. And it also means the Hero 11 Black can capture 5.3K video too, both in 16:9 and 8:7 aspect ratios.

Despite its big pixel count, the Hero 11 Black sensor isn't exactly huge at 1/1.9-inch. In fact, the DJI Osmo Action 3's sensor is larger at 1/1.7-inch – suggesting it should be better able to handle lowlight environments. As we'll come onto, that isn't the case – GoPro's software does wonders with the tiny hardware at hand and edges ahead in dimly-lit environments.

GoPro Hero 11 Black vs DJI Osmo Action 3: Image and video quality

The GoPro Hero11 Black bests the DJI Osmo Action 3 in a number of ways when it comes to image quality. For starters, it captures a fuller dynamic range than DJI's camera, better able to balance highlights in the sky and shadows in one frame. It's also a 10-bit camera, just like an iPhone 14 Pro, so handles gradients with less banding than the 8-bit DJI Osmo Action 3.

GoPro's camera processing also helps the Hero 11 Black's lowlight footage look less noisy and more usable – though neither camera does a good job when the lights drop. Nevertheless, with the inclusion of some night modes, specifically, Light Painting, GoPro finds some fun workarounds to help edge the 11 Black even further ahead in challenging scenes.

Video enthusiasts who want maximum resolution and frame rates can expect similar results across both cameras in standard video mode, thanks to the cameras' 16:9 4K video captured at up to 120fps, and 2.7K footage at up to 240fps. 

For anyone who wants a more squat aspect ratio, the GoPro Hero 11 Black shoots 8:7, 5:3K footage at up to 30fps, and 16:9 5.3K footage at up to 60fps. That's versus a maximum resolution of 4K (4:3) at 60fps on the DJI Osmo Action 3.

While the GoPro Hero 11 Black edges ahead when it comes to frame rates and resolutions, though, the DJI Action 3 can shoot with a wider horizontal field of view, thereby getting even more in frame in a 16:9 video.

GoPro Hero 11 Black vs DJI Osmo Action 3: Diving Depths

When you think of underwater action cameras, shark cage capture and deep(ish) sea diving footage, you might think GoPro’s the way to go, complete with underwater housing if you’re really pushing the limits. But DJI goes deeper than the Hero 11 Black with its new Osmo Action 3.

For over a decade, 10 meters, which works out to around 32 feet, has been the standard maximum depth that action cameras like the Hero 10 Black, could handle. Now, DJI pushes things all the way to 16m – over 53 feet. 

So while your GoPro Hero 11 Black might need underwater housing if you want to use it in a shark cage, for example, which is generally submerged between 10 and 15m, the Osmo Action 3 won’t.

You might not need underwater housing for deep swims, but you will need to activate a special mode that disables the touchscreen. This means you’ll be reliant upon the buttons for capture, and you won’t be able to change the settings underwater, but provided the camera’s doors are well sealed, it shouldn’t drown under pressure.

GoPro Hero 11 Black vs DJI Osmo Action 3: Horizon locking

GoPro's HyperSmooth 5.0 adds a new horizon lock option for the Hero 11 Black, and one-ups DJI at its own game. 

Before we go into the details of the two camera's leveling abilities, let's talk about exactly what horizon leveling and locking are. Horizon leveling refers to a feature that keeps your footage looking level with the horizon even if you tilt it left and right – usually up to around 45 degrees. Meanwhile, horizon locking takes you from 45 degrees all the way to 360 degrees so that you can loop-de-loop with your camera, and your footage will look like it was held perfectly level with the horizon line.

While DJI introduced a locked horizon in its DJI Action 2, capping at 2.7K resolution, it hasn't upped the stakes with the Osmo Action 3. Meanwhile, GoPro has bumped up horizon locking on the Hero 11 Black to work at maximum resolution – 5.3K, at 16:9 aspect ratio. 

This is a huge win for GoPro, and its horizon-locked footage looks superior to that of the Osmo Action 3, capturing with a wider field of view – better for vloggers.

It isn't just vloggers who can benefit from superior horizon leveling and locking – the tech makes shooting swaying footage – on water, for example, or motorbike footage, look incredibly cinematic.

GoPro Hero 11 Black vs DJI Osmo Action 3: Battery life

Comparing battery life across action cameras is tricky. Of course, the obvious place to start is battery capacity – the number of milliamp-hours in a single battery from each challenger. This approach would give the win to DJI, with its 1770mAh battery edging ever so slightly ahead of the 1720mAh battery inside the GoPro Hero 11 Black. 

It's also worth noting that if you pick up the DJI Osmo Action 3 in the Adventurer Combo, it ships with three batteries as well as a portable USB-C charger so you can easily hot-swap when one's empty. This is all pointing to a win for DJI.

Battery performance isn't quite so cut and dry when it comes to action cameras, though. The GoPro Hero 11 Black ships with an Enduro battery out of the box, and it can get as cold as -10ºC before it stops charging. Given it generates heat when recording, the ambient temperature can, in turn, be significantly lower before the battery itself hits conks out. Sounds impressive, right? 

The Enduro battery is mighty, but DJI's edged ahead with its battery by breaking down the battery performance into charging and recording temperatures. The Osmo Action 3 battery can operate the camera at temperatures as low as -20º, and charge at temperatures as low as 5ºC.

With the Action 3's battery also lasting slightly longer than that of the Hero 11 Black when recording 4K footage, it's a battery win for DJI. If you're thinking about picking up a GoPro, though, and want to make sure your camera goes the distance, you'll probably want to get some spare batteries or a Volta battery grip.

GoPro Hero 11 Black vs DJI Osmo Action 3: Mounting

The GoPro Hero 11 Black brings back the flip-out feet introduced on the Hero 8 Black. This means that without any housing, the 11 Black can be securely fixed onto any traditional action camera mount accessory. When it was introduced, these little flip-out feet were revolutionary, saving on bulk and the need for extra accessories. 

In a turn for the books, DJI has one-upped GoPro for 2022, bringing back its magnetic mounting system, which was introduced on the DJI Action 2, and adding it to the Osmo Action 3.

DJI's magnetic mounting isn't perfect – it requires a magnetic plate to live on your mount, and these cost around $25 / £19 / AU$29, adding some height to the system. That said, once your plate is affixed to your mount, you can quickly and easily clip and unclip your Action 3 on and off your mount in seconds – much quicker than screwing and unscrewing the whole camera on and off, as required by the Hero 11 Black. 

GoPro Hero 11 Black vs DJI Osmo Action 3: Low light performance

For those of you who don't want to completely ditch your action camera when the lights drop, the Hero 11 Black adds three timelapse presets that capture lowlight video with a twist, and it includes a Night Photo mode too. None of these camera modes are available on the DJI Osmo Action 3.

The first of these new GoPro Hero 11 modes is Light Painting, which employs a long exposure in a dark environment to create brush stroke effects with moving light. We played around with this feature during testing, and although it can be tricky to master, the results were so unique that even botched attempts could be passed off as deliberately artistic. The same goes for Vehicle Light trails, which uses the same technique to capture trailing light from (you guessed it!) moving vehicles.

The third new preset is Star Trails, which makes use of the earth’s rotation to create star trails across the night sky. Naturally, you’ll only be able to use this feature in certain conditions, but it’s a nice option to have if you’re camping out in the wilderness.

Meanwhile, Night Photo combines a longer exposure and a degree of computational photography to help eke out a usable snap from the Hero 11 Black's camera even in dimly-lit scenes. This works well on a tripod, and bests the Osmo Action 3's efforts when handheld. That said, the results will unlikely outperform a modern-day smartphone, so if you have anything newer than an iPhone 12 or a Google Pixel 5, you'd be better off switching to your mobile when the lights drop.

GoPro Hero 11 Black vs DJI Osmo Action 3: Software

One of the great new features introduced on the GoPro Hero 11 Black is its simpler, more stripped-back software that makes shooting a breeze for novices and seasoned pros alike. Users can select either Easy, or Pro controls when they set up their 11 Black, or switch between the two with a few swipes. 

While Pro controls give you all the options available on previous GoPro cameras – frame rate, resolution, aspect ratio, and more – Easy translates everything into plain and simple language. There are fewer settings in Easy mode so that users can focus more on footage and less on settings.

DJI's camera interface is user-friendly, but doesn't offer an Easy mode, so might still boggle folks new to the world of action cameras.

Software differences between the Hero 11 Black and DJI Osmo Action 3 aren't limited to in-camera options. The smartphone apps available for both phones also give users different tools to play with. 

While both action camera apps offer comprehensive control over the shooting experience, we found the DJI Mimo app to hold a stronger connection with its respective action camera than the GoPro Quik app. That said, GoPro offers more editing options than DJI, including the freedom to create montages of your clips, and a new Auto Highlight option for GoPro subscribers. 

Auto Highlight automatically generates a montage using the footage on your camera that's been automatically uploaded to the cloud, possibly saving you needing to edit your footage ever again. 

GoPro Hero 11 Black vs DJI Osmo Action 3: which should you buy?

If your main concern is bang-for-buck and battery superiority, then the DJI Osmo Action 3 is our choice. With its lower price, deep sea diving chassis, and fantastic accessory suite when you pick it up with the Adventurer's Combo, DJI has undercut GoPro by some margin, and created a compelling package.

For anyone who wants the very best footage on offer in an action camera, not to mention maximum versatility when it comes to resolutions, aspect ratios, and playful modes, the GoPro Hero 11 Black is the obvious choice. 

You'll be paying more for GoPro's flagship action camera than DJI's, but its video capture quality alone will likely justify the price difference for many. GoPro's image processing captures superior dynamic range, more pleasing colors, and more stable footage, specifically when shooting a 360-degree horizon lock at maximum resolution.

The Hero 11 Black's new 8:7 sensor is also very compelling for social media users, capable of capturing clips that can easily be cropped in the powerful GoPro Quick app, then uploaded in 9:16 on TikTok, 1:1 on Instagram, and 16:9 on YouTube. 

Add to the mix GoPro's novel night modes, which bring Light Painting to the line, its simple UI, and the host of Mods available on the Hero line, and while DJI puts up a mighty fight, especially on the value and battery life fronts, GoPro has ultimately created the best action camera of 2022 in the Hero 11 Black.

The GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini is one the most interesting action cams we've seen for a few years, but we'll sadly have to wait a bit longer to see it – GoPro has delayed its expected availability until next month.

The Hero 11 Black Mini, which packs most of the GoPro Hero 11 Black's shooting power into a cheaper, smaller form factor, was due to start shipping today. But GoPro has updated that expected availability to November 18.

Interestingly, GoPro hasn't blamed the delay on supply chain issues, which is the typical reason we've seen for late camera shipping. Instead, GoPro CEO Nicholas Woodman simply said that "we’re giving ourselves a little more time to perfect the product for our excited customers".

That suggests a teething problem of some kind – we've asked GoPro for more specifics, but we'll likely simply have to wait the extra three weeks and hope everything's been properly ironed out.

Given the relatively short delay, the issue is most likely to be software-related. One of the big differences between the Hero 11 Black and its Mini sibling is that the latter lacks a touchscreen, instead offering only a tiny monochrome display on the top next to its shutter button. This means that changing your shooting settings and styles involves using the GoPro Quik app, which is likely to be updated when the Hero 11 Black Mini launches. 

Another challenge for the Hero 11 Black Mini is likely to be battery life and minimizing overheating. The action cam has a non-removable 1,500mAh battery, and GoPro hasn't yet released its expect battery life per charge. The camera also has heat sinks on its back to keep it cool, but we'll be interested to see how it performs when shooting continuously both with and without airflow.

Analysis: Minor delay hopefully means minor issues

The Hero 11 Black Mini's shipping delay is both good news and bad news. On the plus side, it's good that GoPro is planning to smooth out any teething problems before the action cam launches, which isn't always the case. It also hasn't been pushed back to next year. 

In recent years, we've seen many products, like the DJI Mavic 3, launch well before they were ready, requiring lots of firmware updates to get them up to their claimed levels of performance and feature sets.

On the other hand, we don't yet know why the Hero 11 Black Mini's shipping has been delayed, and that expected availability is getting dangerously close to peak shopping season.

We'll be putting the Hero 11 Black Mini through its paces before that November 18 shipping date, so look out for our full review before then. If you want a breakdown of how the compact action cam compares to its big brother, check out out GoPro Hero 11 Black vs Hero 11 Black Mini comparison.

And, if both of those new action cams are a bit beyond your budget, it's well worth keeping an eye on the Black Friday GoPro deals. While we likely won't see any major discounts until November, our guide takes you through what to expect and which older GoPro models are likely to offer the best value during this year's sales.

Choosing a GoPro action camera just got harder, but our GoPro Hero 11 Black vs GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini comparison will help you make the right decision.   

The GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini represents a new fork of GoPro’s action camera family. It's an extra-small camera, optimized for mounted use and ideal for those times when you don't need to intermittently check the preview image on the screen. 

It doesn’t have a display — well, not a typical action camera one anyway — and is smaller and lighter than the standard GoPro Hero 11 Black. The latter model, meanwhile, is the latest version of GoPro's class-leading full action cams.

The GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini is less of an all-rounder action camera, then, but may be the better one to buy if your GoPro will spend most of its life mounted to a bike helmet. Or something similar. We’re going to look at all the key differences to find out whether the Mini is going to appear mighty through your eyes.

GoPro Hero 11 Black vs Hero 11 Black Mini: Price and availability

• Mini considerably cheaper than standard Hero 11 Black
• Some key features missing from Mini 

GoPro’s Hero 11 Black and 11 Black Mini were announced together in September 2022. 

There’s a $100 / £100 disparity in their prices. The GoPro Hero 11 Black costs $499 / £499/ AU$799, or $399 / £399 / AU$649 if you sign up for a GoPro subscription. 

The GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini costs $399 / £399 / AU$639, or $299 / £299 / AU$499 with a GoPro subscription involved. It’s a fairly hefty price drop, but you do lose some important key features that you may not want to give up.

GoPro Hero 11 Black vs Hero 11 Black Mini: Mounts

• Smaller Mini is geared towards bikers
• No need for a hinged mount adapter, cutting down on bulk

The GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini is, no surprise here, the 'small' camera in the 2022 line-up. It also demonstrates how much GoPro’s approach differs from rival Insta360. That company’s small camera is the Insta360 Go2, ideal for attaching to a t-shirt. The Hero 11 Black Mini will seem much more at home on a bike helmet, made for extreme sport more than urbanite influencers.

It’s 20g lighter than the standard Hero 11 Black at 133g, and significantly less wide; it measures 52.4mm across, compared to the 11 Black’s 71.8mm. Thickness increases slightly, 38mm to the 11 Black’s 33.6mm, but this is very much a nugget of an action camera like the old GoPro Session. 

It’s still instantly recognizable, not exactly stealthy, but GoPro says it is optimized for helmet mounting. It will get in the way less, and simply look better. 

The Mini also has two sets of mounting fingers. One pair sits on the bottom, as in the GoPro Hero 11 Black. The other lives on the back. This means you’re unlikely to need to use a hinged mount adapter that, you guessed it, would add bulk. Smart work, GoPro. 

GoPro Hero 11 Black vs Hero 11 Black Mini: Screens and displays

• Smaller Mini has one tiny monochrome display only 
• Hero 11 Black has color touchscreen
• Modes accessed via smartphone for Mini

The main sacrifice made for a smaller footprint in the Mini are obvious: it has no 'proper' screen. 

GoPro’s Hero 11 Black is much like the last two generations of GoPro action camera. Full-color displays sit on the front and back of the body, for image preview whether shooting normally or in vlog-style. 

In their place you get one tiny display up top in the Mini, next to the shutter button. This is monochrome, and shows the battery level, the current mode and how much footage you can record in that mode before your microSD card is filled. 

On the GoPro Hero 11 Black you use the touchscreen to select various modes. The Mini cycles through a very stripped-back selection of presets using the mode button on the front. And you use the GoPro Quik app on your phone to access the wider range of shooting styles. The Mini can use almost all the same modes as the Hero 11 Black, just not without a little extra help from your phone.  

Other aspects of the hardware remain intact, though. Both cameras have 33ft/10m water resistance, and the outer protective lens glass is removable.

GoPro Hero 11 Black vs Hero 11 Black Mini: Stills capture

• No stills capability for the smaller Mini 
• Same video capability for both models
• No HDR Photography options

The stripped-back design of the Mini has not lead to a lower ceiling in its video capture. These two cameras have the same 1/1.9-inch sensor, use the same Hypersmooth 5.0 stabilization and run on the GP2 processor. Both can capture 5.3K video at up to 60fps, and 4K at up to 120fps. 

However, the Mini loses almost all of the stills skills of the GoPro Hero 11 Black. There’s no stills capture mode at all, but you can grab 24.7MP stills from video when shooting with the full 8:7 sensor view. 

You could therefore say the Mini doesn’t lose out all that much, at least in some situations. However, the lack of a proper stills mode rules out HDR photography, which has its own mode in the GoPro Hero 11 Black. 

GoPro Hero 11 Black vs Hero 11 Black Mini: Audio 

• Both models feature three microphones
• Hero 11 Black can record stereo audio 
• Mini has no support for 3.5mm socket adapter cable

Both of these cameras have three microphones, but the Hero 11 Black can record stereo audio. The GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini can’t, perhaps thanks to the limited distance between the mics, or the way they are oriented internally. 

There’s no media mod for the Hero 11 Black Mini either. This is an accessory that adds a shotgun mic, and lets you plug in a much higher-end microphone using a 3.5mm socket. GoPro also says the Mini doesn’t support the 3.5mm socket adapter cable, which acts as a bridge between a camera’s USB-C port and a microphone. 

Of course, this all fits with the Hero 11 Black Mini’s image. It’s a small low-fuss camera for folks who don’t want their tech to get in the way too much. And if you do find yourself needing higher-quality audio further down the road, you can record audio separately and then sync it up manually in your editing software. 

GoPro Hero 11 Black vs Hero 11 Black Mini: Battery

• Mini has non-removable battery (so no spares)
• Battery life figures not yet available 

The battery is perhaps the most contentious parts of the GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini. It has a non-removable battery. You can’t pull the classic GoPro fan move of bringing several batteries along on busy shooting days. 

GoPro’s vanilla Hero 11 Black has a removable battery, an Enduro cell. It’s a 1720mAh unit, to the Mini’s 1500mAh. Despite also being called an 'Enduro' battery too, its capacity sits somewhere between the Hero 11 Black’s and the old 1220mAh battery GoPro used back in the Hero 8 Black days. 

The effect of the disparity in capacity is going to be minimized by the screen situation. No large screens to power means lower battery draw in general operation, and this will have a greater impact if you shoot shorter clips rather than super-long ones — where the screen with automatically time out after a few seconds anyway.

GoPro says the Hero 11 Black can last up to 70 minutes of 4K60 video capture, compared to 57 minutes using the Hero 10 Black. We don’t yet have figures for the Mini, but they are likely to be a chunk lower as these particular tests don’t show up display power draw all that much. 

GoPro Hero 11 Black vs Hero 11 Black Mini: Early verdict

Most folks are going to find the GoPro Hero 11 Black more enjoyable to use than the GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini. It is better suited to mixed styles of shooting — casual use, vlogging, and a more careful kind of capture where you actually frame a scene before you hit the shutter button. 

However, if you need an action camera for use almost exclusively attached to a helmet, or another object that rules out any significant use of the screen, it’s ideal. The Mini is lighter, less bulky, and will record video of the same quality as the standard GoPro Hero 11 Black. 

Do consider the battery style before buying, though. The Mini has a non-removable unit, a major issue if you plan on recording for more than around 50 minutes per session. 

The GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini is a small action camera made for mounting, particularly on bike and motorbike helmets. 

This is a classic use case for GoPro’s action cameras, but they've arguably become less well suited for this very scenario over the last few generations. Sure, image quality, stabilization and performance have improved, but these cameras also got a whole lot bigger in 2020 with the GoPro Hero 9 Black. 

They've become a little bulky, and the GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini is here to bring back a dinky style without compromising on performance. It’s also cheaper than the standard Hero 11 Black, although we wouldn’t recommend buying this model just for the drop in price – the dual screens and greater flexibility of the normal Hero 11 Black are easily worth the extra $100/£100/AU$150 for many.

Go Pro Hero 11 Black Mini release date and price

The GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini was announced in September 2022 with its sibling the Hero 11 Black. There is no direct predecessor. Back in 2021 when the Hero 10 Black emerged, there was no Mini model. 

GoPro initially delayed the Hero 11 Black Mini's availability from October 25 to November 18, but it can now be bought at your favorite retailer. According to GoPro's CEO Nicholas Woodman, the delay was because the company was "giving ourselves a little more time to perfect the product for our excited customers".

This smaller model is a little cheaper than the Hero 11 Black as well as being more compact. It costs $299 / £299 / AU$499 when bought with a GoPro subscription, or $399 / £399 / AU$639 without a subscription. This subscription offers a replacement if you damage your camera, unlimited cloud storage, and money off accessories bought direct from GoPro. 

By comparison, the standard Hero 11 Black will set you back $399.98 / £399.98 / AU$649.95 with a GoPro subscription, or $499.99 / £499.99 / AU$799.95 without one.

GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini design

You can think of the GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini as a GoPro Hero 11 Black minus the two screens. There is a small display up top, but there's image preview on offer here without using the Quik app on your phone. 

We’ve seen other display-less action cameras, such as the original Insta360 Go. But this one is higher-end, as it has the same core hardware as the Hero 11 Black. That includes a relatively large 1/1.9-inch sensor and GoPro’s GP2 processor. 

The Hero 11 Black Mini weighs 133g, making the standard GoPro Hero 11 Black 15% heavier. And it’s notably narrow at 52.4mm. 

Sacrifices made are probably worth it if you will use your GoPro almost exclusively mounted to something like a bike handlebars or a helmet. In these situations a preview image of your footage is going to be of limited use anyway. 

If you plan on using the GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini with a selfie stick, we think you’ll miss the screens too much. Get the standard Hero 11 Black instead. 

There are other compromises too. The GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini has a non-removable battery, which will be a massive turn-off if you typically carry two or three spares around with you to extend your shooting time. 

GoPro calls it an  Enduro battery, but its 1500mAh battery capacity is actually less than that of GoPros since the Hero 8 Black. There are no big and bright displays to power, of course, but the battery-saving effect isn’t going to be all that apparent in 'set it and forget it' situations where the Mini thrives, as display of a normal GoPro would time out fairly quickly anyway. 

You’ll have to recharge the GoPro 11 Black Mini using an external battery pack while out on a shoot, and GoPro makes no unusual claims about its charging speed. 

The lack of a hot-swappable battery may limit the appeal here more than the lack of proper screen, for the intended audience. But you are going to get a super-streamlined and simple experience here. 

A tiny display on top of the GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini shows you basic parameters. You’ll see battery life, the amount of space left on your memory card and the mode currently engaged. 

A side button lets you switch between the three presets — 5.3K, 4K and 1080p — all shooting using the SuperView FOV at 60fps. GoPro suggests you should choose between them based on the battery life you’ll get, over anything else. You’ll probably see at least 50% greater run time shooting at 1080p rather than 5.3K. Of course, 5.3K does offer much better scope for editing, and better image quality. 

To use any other modes, of which there are many, you’ll have to wirelessly control the GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini through the Quik app on your phone. 

GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini features

In most other areas the GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini matches the standard Hero 11 Black. It can shoot 4K video at up to 120fps, 2.7K at 240fps, and 5.3K at up to 60fps. 

There are also advanced low-light video modes, which leverage longer exposure times to take high-quality timelapses. You can paint in thin air using a light source like a torch, turn car headlamps into streaks of light and shoot at night to see the path of stars as they cross the sky.

However, there’s no dedicated stills mode. GoPro instead lets you grab high-resolution snaps out of 5.3K footage. There’s no obvious technical reason GoPro couldn’t add stills capture. It’s more likely it felt such modes would dilute the direction of the Mini, and that the camera wouldn’t offer an up-to-par stills experience. 24.7MP still images are mined from the high-res video capture, though, so you’re arguably not missing out on much bar the Hero 11 Black’s HDR photo mode. 

The Hero 11 Black Mini has GoPro’s latest Hypersmooth 5.0 stabilization tech, and this allows for horizon locking at up to 27 degrees camera rotation in top modes. And a full 360 degrees of rotation in modes below the top frame rate in each resolution. In all cases you have to use the Linear field of view, because otherwise there’s not enough spare image information around the frame to make this possible. 

Either way, you can expect excellent stabilization from the GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini. You can thank the unusual 8:7 sensor shape. 

GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini early thoughts

To some the GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini is not going to make much sense. It strips back the GoPro Hero 11 Black to its essentials, forcing you to control the camera with a phone app if you want more than the basics. 

However, it makes perfect sense if you mount your action camera to a helmet 95% of the time, making the standard GoPro design’s dual screens dead weight.

You don’t lose any core video modes. And while anything beyond the fundamentals has to be accessed through the phone app, the stripped-back style ensures you won’t end up with 30 minutes of footage in the wrong mode thanks to an ill-timed screen swipe. 

The biggest issue here, for the right type of action camera user, is the battery. It is non-removable, meaning you’ll be restricted to the run time of the Enduro cell — and many current GoPro users carry a couple of spare batteries to let them shoot for longer. 

GoPro is used to fighting the likes of DJI and Insta360 in a Squid Game-style battle for action cam supremacy, but this year, an unexpected contender entered the fray: Apple.

This week we saw the arrival of the highly-anticipated GoPro Hero 11 Black, a direct successor to what is, for us, the best action camera you can buy. But just a week earlier, Apple heckled GoPro by launching its iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro smartphones with a shiny new video feature called Action Mode.

The feature is effectively Apple’s take on GoPro’s HyperSmooth technology, a powerful form of digital video stabilization that works by cropping into the camera’s wide-angle view, leaving the outer edges of the frame free to correct shake and vibrations. 

This creates a gimbal-like effect without needing any extra accessories, with HyperSmooth being a staple of GoPro’s action cams since its first introduction on the GoPro Hero 7 Black back in 2018.

Has Apple, then, finally cornered the lucrative action photography market? Tim Cook and company would certainly like to think so, but the reality is a little different. While the iPhone 14’s Action Mode has certainly been impressive in our early testing, it comes with more limitations than the stabilization effects possible on the Hero 11 Black. And the latter, naturally, maintains a degree of durability that Apple’s smartphones just can’t match.

Lost horizons

Why is Apple's Action Mode more limited than GoPro's HyperSmooth? For starters, Action Mode mostly uses the iPhone 14 Pro’s ultra-wide lens (13mm), which has a relatively small 1/2.55in sensor and f/2.2 lens (the standard iPhone 14 has an even smaller sensor and slower f/2.4 lens). Both configurations mean you need plenty of light for Action Mode to function effectively, and it’s likely to struggle (or be unavailable entirely) in gloomy environments. 

The Hero 11 Black, on the other hand, boasts a larger 1/1.9in sensor that means its HyperSmooth feature can work in moderately lower light. It’s still not brilliant in these situations, mind, but you’ll certainly get more versatility from the GoPro than the iPhone when you’re out and about in the mountains, on the water or wherever else you like to get your adrenaline kicks. 

This 1/1.9in sensor, and in particular its 8:7 aspect ratio, also gives the Hero 11 Black wiggle room for more stabilization tricks, like the very impressive 360-degree Horizon Lock. 

The GoPro Hero 10 Black already uses 'Horizon Leveling' technology to correct footage that's been skewed by up to 45 degrees, but the Hero 11 Black takes the feature one step further by keeping footage straight even when the camera rotates a full 360 degrees. 

This works with all resolutions and frame rates (except for 5.3K/60p, 4K/120p, 2.7K/240p or 1080/240p, where you’ll get standard Horizon Leveling for angles up to 27 degrees), and in our brief experience testing the Hero 11 Black, we were mightily impressed by just how effective Horizon Lock proved to be.

Apple’s Action Mode doesn’t offer you the same degree of freedom to haphazardly move your iPhone camera up, down, left and right without losing stable orientation. Granted, most users won’t be tossing their devices into a horizon-altering spin – and Action Mode does have some roll correction – but the Hero 11 Black’s inclusion of Horizon Lock marks another small victory over the iPhone-as-action-cam. 

Smooth operator

The same goes for the amount of control you’re able to exercise over the GoPro’s level of stabilization. The Hero 11 Black offers various degrees of HyperSmooth – standard, Boost and AutoBoost – which lets you tailor stabilization to specific activities. 

For example, you don’t always want a super-smooth, floating effect for things like mountain biking, where a little judder can create a more realistic look. The Hero 11 Black – unlike Apple’s Action Mode – allows for a more relaxed crop, and these different HyperSmooth strengths are available in pretty much any resolution, frame-rate or digital lens.

Right now, GoPro's stabilization also beats its Apple rival for resolution options. The Hero 11 Black gives you stabilization for footage shot in up to 5.3K/60p, compared to just 2.8K on the iPhone. Then there’s the extra effects at your disposal with GoPro, like TimeWarp, which combines timelapses with HyperSmooth to let you capture super-stabilized timelapse videos while you move through a scene. 

Naturally, the GoPro’s durability is also a factor, too. Apple beefs up the structural integrity of its iPhones on an annual basis, but there’s no way a four-figure-costing iPhone 14 Pro gets taken into the mountains or onto the water without some form of additional protection. 

The Hero 11 Black, though, is ready to rock straight out of the box. Its casing is pretty much indestructible – we put its scratch-resistant lens cover to the test during a particularly gnarly mountain bike incident, and the camera remained completely unblemished – and its built-in mount makes attaching it to action-y things like handlebars and surfboards a breeze. 

Action replay

To be clear, we're certainly not discrediting Apple’s Action Mode. We were glad to see the feature announced at the company’s September launch event, and it’s so far proven an effective (if not quite gimbal-level) method of casual stabilization in our early testing. 

We also expect to see Action Mode become much more powerful in the years to come – Cinematic Mode, for instance, was recently upgraded to 4K resolution, having been limited to 1080p at launch.

But Apple’s first major foray into action videography remains, for now, a feature that's mainly designed to enhance footage captured while walking and running. Action Mode is not, as some have suggested, the GoPro killer – at least not for those who engage in more adventurous (read: most outdoor) sporting activities. 

The Hero 11 Black offers better quality video, more granular control over stabilization and a host of useful effects like Horizon Lock and TimeWarp, as well as the obvious durability benefits granted by its sturdy design. 

Apple’s shiny new mode may well eat into the Hero 11 Black’s appeal for vloggers, though, which could impact the popularity of GoPro's Hero 11 Black Creator Edition and other vlogging cameras like the Sony ZV-1. Between an improved Cinematic Mode and Action Mode, the iPhone 14 series could definitely carve itself a place among the best vlogging cameras. 

We’ll be running a more comprehensive side-by-side comparison between the GoPro Hero 11 Black and iPhone 14's Action Mode soon, so stay tuned to TechRadar for our final verdict. If you've been trying to figure out how GoPro's new flagship actually differs from predecessor, you can check out out GoPro Hero 11 Black vs Hero 10 Black comparison, too.

Like Apple with its iPhones, annual GoPro camera launches are about as certain as new seasons of Stranger Things. And sure enough, the technology-cum-lifestyle brand has officially lifted the lid on the latest addition to its flagship Hero series: the GoPro Hero 11 Black.

Billed as GoPro’s most capable action camera yet, the Hero 11 Black combines impressive versatility with powerful performance to give users – beginner or otherwise – the tools to capture all manner of outdoor adventures in movie-style quality. You can read all about it in our hands-on GoPro Hero 11 Black review.

But just how different is GoPro’s latest action cam to its predecessor, the GoPro Hero 10 Black? The latter remains an exceptional piece of kit in its own right, so upgrading to the Hero 11 Black won’t necessarily be a no-brainer for everyone.

To help you decide whether or not to make the jump, we’ve narrowed down nine of the key differences between the GoPro Hero 11 Black and Hero 10 Black – from their respective prices to stabilization capabilities.

Before we dig into that, though, it's worth noting what's stayed the same between the two action cams – and that list includes the two cameras' design, max resolutions (5K/60p or 4K/120p slo-mo), microphones, connectivity, 10m waterproofing, GP2 processor and displays. 

The fundamentals, then, are very similar, but here's where the Hero 11 Black differs from its predecessor...

1. A price to pay

Unsurprisingly, the GoPro Hero 11 Black is more expensive than the Hero 10 Black – but not by a huge margin. 

The former is available to buy right now for $399.98 / £399.98 / AU$649.95 if bundled with a GoPro Subscription, or for $499.99 / £499.99 / AU$799.95 with no GoPro Subscription. Here's how that compares to the Hero 10 Black and other current GoPro cameras.

As you can see, the Hero 10 Black is available for the cheaper subscription price of $349.98 / £349.98 / AU$549.95 – having been discounted following its successor’s launch – and it’s also now slightly less expensive if bought on its own, too (at $449.99 / £449.99 / AU$699.95).

2. Bigger means better

The biggest practical difference between the GoPro Hero 11 Black and its predecessor is sensor size. The Hero 10 Black sports a capable 1/2.3-inch sensor, but the Hero 11 Black bumps these dimensions up to a versatility-improving 1/1.9 inches. 

This larger sensor brings with it the option of shooting in 8:7 aspect ratio (on top of the 16:9 and 4:3 in-camera aspect ratios already offered by the Hero 10 Black), which gives you the flexibility to export your footage into any number of formats – a particular benefit for social media creators looking to capture vertically-minded content in 9:16.

But the Hero 11 Black’s 8:7 aspect ratio also offers an enticing shooting option, period. You’ll get a 16% vertical field of view increase over the Hero 10 Black with this 'full-frame' setting, making GoPro’s latest action cam its most immersive snapper yet.

3. Say hello to HyperView

Speaking of immersion, the GoPro Hero 11 Black takes its predecessor’s already impressive SuperView digital lens technology to the next level with HyperView (which was presumably named using the only logical superlative left available to GoPro’s branding team).

As the name suggests, HyperView lets you capture even more of your surroundings by taking that aforementioned 8:7 aspect ratio and compressing it into a wide-angle 16:9 shot. Basically, this is the best possible lens to use for action-heavy POV footage – and in our experience during testing, HyperView footage was indeed the most immersive of the lot.

That being said, we think SuperView still captures enough of the action for most users, so we wouldn’t describe HyperView as a game-changing upgrade for GoPro casuals

4. Even smoother sailing

Sticking with the Hyper theme, HyperSmooth 4.0 becomes HyperSmooth 5.0 with the Hero 11 Black, continuing GoPro’s commitment to class-leading stabilization.

Where the Hero 10 Black offers two HyperSmooth settings – Standard, High and Boost – the Hero 11 Black does away with the middle option in favor of AutoBoost, a dynamic setting that only applies GoPro’s HyperSmooth stabilization when the camera detects shaking (in a bid to maintain the widest field of view possible during recording).

It works well, particularly during rough activities like mountain biking, and AutoBoost is a smart option for those unsure when to enable the HyperSmooth feature. 

5. 360-degree horizon

HyperSmooth 5.0 also adds a new Horizon Lock option for the Hero 11 Black’s Linear lens – and this is definitely one of the more impressive features to arrive with GoPro’s latest action cam. 

The Hero 10 Black already uses Horizon Leveling technology to correct footage that's been skewed by up to 45 degrees, but the Hero 11 Black takes this feature – which was previously only possible with the Max Lens Mod on its predecessor – one step further by keeping footage straight (‘locking’ it in place) even when the camera rotates a full 360 degrees. It works with all resolutions and frame rates except for 5.3K/60p, 4K/120p and a handful of others (which stick by standard Horizon Leveling).

In practice, Horizon Lock makes shooting particularly bumpy activities – jet skiing and so on – a breeze, and adds a real cinematic look to movement-heavy footage. Heck, you can even toss the Hero 11 Black into an aerial spin, and it’ll remain almost completely level despite its numerous turns. Magic. 

6. Keeping it colorful

This distinction is more important for experienced color graders than it is for everyday GoPro users, but it’s definitely worth flagging as a key improvement for the Hero 11 Black over its predecessor.

The former now boasts 10-bit color video, which provides 1 billion shades of red, blue and green (versus the 16.7 million offered by 8-bit) to help footage appear more life-like. 

Sure, the human eye can only recognize about 10 million colors, but the Hero 11 Black’s superior shade count will eradicate banding in color-changing skies and improve the degree of detail in motion-heavy footage – a major benefit for serious video editors.

7. Make light work

For those of you with a great deal of patience, the Hero 11 Black adds three timelapse presets that aren’t available on the Hero 10 Black. 

The first is Light Painting, which employs a long exposure in a dark environment to create brush stroke effects with moving light. We played around with this feature during testing, and although it can be tricky to master, the results were so unique that even botched attempts could be passed off as deliberately artistic. The same goes for Vehicle Light trails, which uses the same technique to capture trailing light from (you guessed it!) moving vehicles.

The third new preset is Star Trails, which makes use of the earth’s rotation to create star trails across the night sky. Naturally, you’ll only be able to use this feature in certain conditions, but it’s a nice option to have if you’re camping out in the wilderness.

8. Superior stamina

A crucial feature for all GoPro users, irrespective of skill level, is battery life, and the Hero 11 Black comes equipped with the brand’s Enduro battery as standard.

This meatier in-package battery – which extends recording time by up to 38%, depending on the mode you’re shooting in – is available for the Hero 10 Black as an optional extra, but it’s nice to see GoPro including it straight out of the box with its latest action cam.  

For a more in-depth look at its strengths compared to GoPro's older battery, you can read our GoPro Enduro review.

9. Choose your difficulty 

To help better suit the needs of both casual and hardcore GoPro users, the Hero 11 Black features two different interface settings: ‘Easy’ mode and ‘Pro’ mode.

This distinction isn’t available on the Hero 10 Black, and gives seasoned pros the option of controlling all manner of complex presets (bit-rate, color profiles and so on) while keeping more inexperienced users happy with a simpler point-and-shoot experience.

Should you upgrade to the Hero 11 Black?

Without a doubt, the Hero 11 Black is GoPro’s most accomplished action camera to date – but is it worth the upgrade for those already rocking the Hero 10 Black? 

Unsurprisingly, the answer to that question will depend on your specific needs. Hardcore content creators will almost certainly benefit from the Hero 11 Black’s improved color grading options and the versatility brought about by its new sensor. 

Casual GoPro users, though, may find that its slightly bigger battery, new digital lens and handful of neat timelapse options aren’t significant enough improvements to warrant the additional expense.

For point-and-shoot users, there's no real difference in image quality between the Hero 11 Black and Hero 10 Black. So the question is whether or not you need the versatility of that new sensor for producing videos with different aspect ratios, plus handy extras like Horizon Lock.

These are nice-to-haves rather than essentials, so we think the Hero 10 Black is the better value option for most people. But there's no doubt the Hero 11 Black is GoPro's most versatile action cam so far – and that could be worth paying extra for, particularly if you regularly post to different social media platforms.

Editor's Note

• Original review date: September 2022
• Launch price: $399.98 / £399.98 / AU$649.95
• Official price now: $299.99 / £349.99 / AU$498

Update: November 2024. Now two generations old, the Hero 11 Black is no longer available to buy directly from GoPro. It can still be found at a range of online retailers, though. That’s good news, because at its lower price, we think it represents fantastic value. While the GoPro Hero 12 Black and Hero 13 Black have introduced a number of new features, the core experience remains very similar. Both of those cameras share a near-identical physical designs and the same sensor resolution as the Hero 11 Black. With 5K/60p recording, 10-bit video and class-leading HyperSmooth 5.0 image stabilization, the GoPro Hero 11 Black still holds up well against many of the best action cameras.

The GoPro Hero 11 Black is the new flagship model in an action camera range that dates back to 2005. It isn't a huge upgrade on the Hero 10 Black, which will remain on sale for the lower price of $349.98 / £349.98 / AU$549.95 with a GoPro Subscription. But the Hero 11 Black's new 1/1.9in sensor does bring some new tricks that'll make it particularly appealing for social media creators and those who like to color grade their videos.

That new sensor is mainly on board to boost the Hero 11 Black's versatility, rather than its image quality. Because it has an almost square 8:7 aspect ratio, you can export videos in various formats – like 9:16 for TikTok and Instagram, for example – without losing any quality or resolution. This makes the Hero 11 Black, and potentially its incoming Hero 11 Black Mini sibling, the best action camera around for shooting social media videos.

That unusual sensor aspect ratio supports some other new effects, too. There's a new super-wide 'HyperView' digital lens, which gives you the equivalent of a 12mm focal length. And even more useful is the arrival of Horizon Lock, previously only possible with the Max Lens Mod, which keeps the horizon in place even when you rotate the camera through 360 degrees. Well, as long as you aren't shooting in modes like 5.3K/60p or 4K/120p, when it'll apply Horizon Leveling instead.

The Hero 11 Black's other new headline feature is support for 10-bit video. This feature is usually only found in the best video cameras, so is an impressive first for a GoPro. A video's bit-depth describes the total possible number of color gradations, with 10-bit offering far more than the standard 8-bit seen in previous GoPros. This makes it easier for video editors to fine-tune footage and avoid issues like color banding in skies, particularly when shooting in GoPro's 'flat' color profile.

In other respects, the Hero 11 Black is more a tweaked version of its Hero 10 Black predecessor. There are handy new 'Easy' and 'Pro' modes in the menus, with the former making it more of a point-and-shoot experience. You can also now shoot TimeWarp 3.0 videos (which are effectively timelapses with HyperSmooth stabilization) in 5.3K resolution, rather than 4K. And aside from the new aspect ratio options (you can choose from 16:9, 4:3 or 8:7 in-camera, or others using the Quik app) the resolutions and frame-rate options are the same as before. This means you can shoot 5.3K/60p or 4K/120p slo-mo videos.

Still, the Hero 11 Black does bring some new timelapse tricks. You can now find Star Trail, Light Painting and Vehicle Lights options in the timelapse menus, which help you produce shareable clips on those themes. And it also comes with GoPro's Enduro battery as standard, which was previously an optional extra. This helps boost recording times by up to 38% over GoPro's previous battery, depending on which mode you're using, and makes it more reliable in extreme cold. We haven't experienced any major overheating issues with it either, which some users reported when using a standard battery in the Hero 10 Black.

Overall, then, the Hero 11 Black isn't a dramatic leap up from its predecessor. It's the most feature-packed, user-friendly action camera you can buy, and the best one around if you shoot a lot for different platforms (with different aspect ratios) like YouTube and TikTok. But it also has some familiar limitations, like low-light performance and pretty average on-board audio. We're looking to do some more testing before we deliver our final verdict, but here's our early GoPro Hero 11 Black review. 

GoPro Hero 11 Black price and release date

The GoPro Hero 11 Black is available to buy now for $399.98 / £399.98 / AU$649.95 (if you buy it with a GoPro Subscription), or for $499.99 / £499.99 / AU$799.95 with no GoPro Subscription.

You can check out our in-depth guide to the GoPro Subscription, but the short answer is that it's a no-brainer, for the first year at least. You can cancel at any time, but GoPro's hope is that you'll become tied into its cloud features, like automatic backups and highlight videos. 

After that first year, the Subscription will cost $49.99 / £49.99 / AU$69.99 per year, so you'll need to decide how important its features are to you before it auto-renews. But that up-front saving certainly makes it worth getting the Subscription bundle in order to find out.

Unusually, the Hero 11 Black will be available in two other flavors at launch. If you're a vlogger, you can buy the Hero 11 Black Creator Edition, which includes a battery-grip (promising over four hours of 4K recording per charge), plus a directional microphone, external mic input, HDMI port, an LED light and two cold-shoe mounts for mounting accessories. This Creator Edition costs $579.98 / £579.98 / AU$929.95 (with a GoPro Subscription) or $699.99 / £699.99 / AU$1,099.95 (without a Subscription).

But the more interesting option is arguably the Hero 11 Black Mini. This is effectively a standard Hero 11 Black without a front or rear screen. Unfortunately, it won't be available until October 25, when it'll cost $299.98 (with a GoPro Subscription) or $399.99 without a Subscription.

If you're looking for an even cheaper GoPro, the new 'entry-level' model will be the Hero 10 Black, whose price has now dropped to $349.98 / £349.98 / AU$549.95 (with a GoPro Subscription) or $449.99 / £449.99 / $699.95 without one. That's a decent drop on its previous Subscription price of $399 / £379 / AU$599.95.

GoPro Hero 11 Black: design

• Exactly the same size and design as the Hero 10 Black
• Lens has same impressive scratch-resistance
• Handy new 'Easy' and 'Pro' modes in the menus

If you're having a tough time distinguishing between the Hero 11 Black and its predecessor, there's a good reason for that – they look identical.

For the first time in a while, GoPro hasn't made any notable design changes to its flagship action camera. The Hero 10 Black at least delivered a new water-repellent lens coating with improved scratch-resistance. But the only design tweak this time is the inclusion of GoPro's Enduro battery as standard.

This has been available as an optional extra for the Hero 10 Black and Hero 9 Black since November 2021, so isn't exactly a new feature. But it is a welcome addition, given its ability to boost battery life in some settings by up to 38% and reliably start up in extreme cold. We found these claims to ring true in our GoPro Enduro review.

But otherwise, the Hero 11 Black is physically the same GoPro we've come to know and love for the past few generations. To recap, this means you get a tough little camera that's waterproof down to 10m without a case. There's a 1.4-inch front LCD for vloggers, which is now smoother than when it first appeared on the Hero 9 Black, thanks to the frame-rates unlocked by the GP2 processor. And round the back is the usual 2.27-inch rear touchscreen, which is responsive if a little dated.

This touchscreen experience is a vast improvement on the sluggish Hero 9 Black, which is again largely thanks to the GP2 processor that appeared in the Hero 10 Black. And the UI does now benefit from the inclusion of new 'Easy' and 'Pro' modes. 

Flip the Hero 11 Black into 'Easy' and you effectively get a point-and-shoot experience, with no control over resolutions and frame-rates. Seasoned GoPro users, though, will want the 'Pro' experience, which includes the host of presets and ProTune controls that let you decide bit-rate, color profiles and, yes, switch to that lovely new 10-bit mode (when shooting in 4K resolution and up).

Our experiences with the Hero 11 Black have found it to be a polished, charming companion. It's ready to go within five seconds of pressing the power button, which is the same as the Hero 10 Black and three seconds speedier than the Hero 9 Black. The lens does indeed have pretty great scratch resistance – during a mountain bike ride, we roughed up the Hero 11’s casing and the glass remained completely unblemished.

The Hero 11 Black is also super-easy to mount on bikes and helmets, if perhaps not quite as slick as the DJI Osmo Action 3 in this regard. Those who mainly want to head-mount their action cam may also be more interested in the Hero 11 Black Mini, which offers the same shooting power in a smaller, screen-less bundle. We'll update this review when we've had a chance to take it for a spin.

GoPro Hero 11 Black: features

• Larger 1/1.9-inch sensor has 8:7 aspect ratio for better vertical videos
• New 10-bit color mode gives editors more color grading flexibility
• Horizon Lock feature now available in some video modes

The big differences between the Hero 11 Black and its predecessor are under the hood. And the most significant of these changes is GoPro's new 1/1/9-inch sensor, which has an unusual 8:7 aspect ratio.

The new sensor now serves up 27MP still photos, rather than the 23MP ones produced by the Hero 10 Black. But this change is less about image quality and more about the added flexibility that its almost-square aspect ratio brings.

In a similar way to cameras like the Panasonic Lumix GH6, the shape of the Hero 11 Black's sensor makes it much better for producing videos of all kinds of aspect ratio from one shot, particularly vertical videos for TikTok and Instagram.

GoPro has effectively added 4MP of vertical resolution to the Hero 10 Black's sensor, with both cameras sharing the same horizontal resolution. This means GoPro's new flagship still shoots standard 5K/60p videos in 16:9 or 4:3, but also lets you shoot in a 'full-frame' 8:7 mode and export clips later in other formats like 9:16 using the Quik app.

The benefit of this approach is that, rather than taking a crop from a horizontal frame, you still maintain very high image quality with the vertical exports. For example, if you shoot in 8:7 and export a 9:16 vertical video from that footage, its resolution will be about 20% higher than 4K. So this feature is certainly a big boon for social media creators, particularly those posting on platforms that are stylistically different like YouTube and TikTok.

The extra headroom of this 'taller' sensor also brings a few more advantages. There's a new HyperView digital lens, which works particularly well for immersive 'point-of-view' footage. And a new Horizon Lock feature (previously only available with the Max Lens Mod) now also keeps your footage perfectly level, even when you spin the camera through 360 degrees.

Horizon Lock isn't available when shooting 5K/60p, 4K/120p, 2.7K/240p or 1080/240p video, when the Hero 11 Black will default to Horizon Leveling (which can only correct the horizon up to a 27-degree angle) instead. You also need to shoot with the Linear lens, which has a relatively narrow field of view versus GoPro's traditional fisheye look. But the feature is very impressive and a big bonus if you do a lot of rotational movements, like during a wingsuit flight.

The Hero 11 Black's stabilization has also improved in 4:3 aspect ratio video and includes a new AutoBoost setting, which only applies HyperSmooth when the camera detects enough shake to justify it.

The biggest new feature alongside the new 8:7 sensor, though, is the inclusion of 10-bit video recording on the Hero 11 Black. This is a first for a GoPro and a useful addition for experienced shooters who like to color grade their videos afterwards. Rather than producing an instant improvement to video quality, 10-bit video is more about letting you make finer adjustments in post-production thanks to the extra shades of color available (10-bit has over one billion shades of color, compared to 16.7 million in 8-bit).

Given GoPro is renowned for point-and-shoot simplicity, this feature is therefore a little niche. It's also slightly at odds with the fact that GoPro doesn't offer any desktop editing software, and is instead funneling everyone towards its Quik app instead. But it's definitely something that'll please pro shooters who are looking to drop GoPro footage into a timeline shot by more advanced video cameras.

The final improvements of the Hero 11 Black over its predecessor are in timelapses. In the menus, you'll find new 'night effects' including Light Painting, Star Trails and Vehicle Lights. We've only had time to try the former so far, but it's a fun setting that gives the Hero 11 a little more versatility. If you're a fan of GoPro's TimeWarp mode – which is like a super-smooth timelapse with HyperSmooth stabilization applied – you can also now shoot these in 5.3K resolution, rather than just 4K.

These new features are all well and good, but what's still missing on the Hero 11 Black? Well, the audio options are the same as before, which means they're pretty limited. If you want anything approaching decent audio, you'll need to invest in either the Pro 3.5mm mic adaptor or, better still, GoPro's Media Mod.

Despite its larger sensor, it's fair to say the GoPro Hero 11 Black still isn't a great low-light camera either. That's because that extra sensor real estate is mainly on hand to give you extra aspect ratio options, rather than dramatically improving the camera's light-gathering powers. If you need an action camera that's stronger in low light, check out the Insta360 One R 1-Inch Edition.

GoPro Hero 11 Black: video and image quality

• Same maximum 5.3K/60p and 4K/120p resolutions as predecessor
• Higher 120Mbps maximum bit-rate (100Mbps on Hero 10 Black)
• Live-streaming still limited to 1080p

Aside from that new 10-bit color mode, the Hero 11 Black doesn't bring any major image quality improvements over its predecessors, but there are a couple of other small tweaks.

Firstly, the camera's maximum bit-rate has been boosted to 120Mbps, up from 100Mbps on the Hero 10 Black. That doesn't necessarily mean any noticeable boosts to video quality, as other factors like resolution and frame-rate will have a bigger effect, but it does give the Hero 11 Black a higher ceiling that could help in more complex scenes.

You can also now take 24.7MP photo frame-grabs from the Hero 11 Black's 5.3K 8:7 video, compared to its predecessor's 19.6MP stills from 5K 4:3 footage. But more noticeable to your final output will be added features like the ability to shoot TimeWarp timelapses in 5.3K resolution.

While 10-bit is an improvement for those who are happy to shoot in GoPro's 'flat' color profile and color grade the resulting footage, the reality is that most GoPro fans want a simple point-and-shoot experience. And like the Hero 10 Black, this new model has fine-tuned the 'out of camera' default settings to create a more natural, pleasing style out of the box.

The 'Natural' profile, which sits alongside the punchier 'GoPro' one and the 'flat' one for graders, produces good results without too much saturation, while the sharpness is now down to 'medium' by default (another good move). Overall, the video produced by the Hero 11 Black is still along the best you'll find on an action camera, and it's joined by what is undoubtedly the best user experience for beginners.

While it's tempting to whack up the resolution to 5K/60p, it's worth bearing in mind the limitations this brings when it comes to stabilization modes and overheating. Still, we haven't encountered any major overheating concerns during testing, with the Hero 11 Black lasting a decent 58 minutes and 12 seconds when shooting 5K/30p continuously with no airflow. And while higher frame-rates like 4K/120p can cause the Hero 11 Black to run hot, you're unlikely to need to shoot these continuously.

Those slow-mo settings do still produce pretty soft-looking video, but they're certainly still usable if you shoot in decent light. And it's effects like Horizon Lock and HyperSmooth that are arguably more important to the end result, given their ability to help you create videos that simply aren't possible on smartphones, even if the iPhone 14 has introduced a new 'action' mode.

GoPro Hero 11 Black early verdict

Last year, we called the GoPro Hero 10 Black "the ideal social media workhorse", but it's now undoubtedly handed that title over to its Hero 11 Black successor. 

GoPro's latest flagship doesn't hugely raise the bar in terms of image quality, but it is the most versatile Hero model we've tested thanks to its new sensor. The ability to export videos in various aspect ratios without compromising on quality means it'll particularly appeal to those who post across multiple social media platforms.

It's a slight shame that the Hero 11 Black hasn't brought any real improvements to audio or low-light performance. But it's undoubtedly the most polished, user-friendly action camera around – and despite the useful addition of a 10-bit video option, it's still most at home being a near-indestructible pocket camera for beginners.

We're looking to spend a little more time using the Hero 11 Black, particularly with the updated Quik app that brings new features like automatic video edits, before delivering our final verdict and star rating. But so far, there's a good chance that it'll rise to the top of our best action cameras guide and become the best GoPro for most people, despite the price drop on the Hero 10 Black.

If you're in the market for a new action camera, yesterday was a very big day indeed – both GoPro and DJI have just announced new flagship models. And based on our early impressions, they're likely to duke it out for the title of the world's best action camera.

GoPro went particularly big in announcing two new models: the new Hero 11 Black and the Hero 11 Black Mini. The latter won't be available until October 25, but is effectively a Hero 11 Black without the built-in displays – which means a more compact form factor and lower price tag.

GoPro's new flagship brings some interesting new features, which you can read about in our hands-on GoPro Hero 11 Black review. These include a new 1/1.9in (8:7 aspect ratio) sensor that's ideal for creating vertical, TikTok-friendly videos and wider YouTube-friendly ones from the same shot. It also brings 10-bit video recording to GoPros for the first time, which is a boon for color graders, and has GoPro's Enduro battery (which launched last year) as standard.

DJI, meanwhile, has launched the DJI Osmo Action 3, which is the spiritual successor to its original DJI Osmo Action camera from 2019. You can check out our final verdict in our DJI Osmo Action 3 review. It has the same mounting system (based on a combo of magnets and clamps) that we enjoyed on the DJI Action 2, and now has two touchscreens, with the front one now letting you tweak settings with a few taps.

With other features like RockSteady and HorizonSteady stabilization, the ability to shoot 4K/120p video and a wide 155-degree field of view, we're looking forward to seeing how it compares in reality against GoPro's new Hero range. But for now, you can read all of our first impressions, alongside handy info like pricing, in this regularly updated liveblog.

GoPro and DJI: quick links

• Hands-on GoPro Hero 11 Black review
• DJI Osmo Action 3 review

Hello, I'm Mark (TechRadar's Cameras editor) and I'll be leading you through what is probably the biggest ever day for action cameras. That might sound like industrial-strength hyperbole, but I've been covering and using action cams for several years since the Hero 6 Black. And I've definitely never seen two launches this big take place within an hour of each other. 

It's going to be a fun day, particularly as there's a tasty 'GoPro vs DJI' sub-plot going on. Stay tuned for regular updates, as I'm going to delve into the backstory of why these two camera giants are seemingly taking each other on, UFC-style, on the same day. Then as the launches approach, we'll dig into the rumors to see what we're likely to get and how they compare.

Okay, first up – let's confirm when and where you can tune into these two big GoPro and DJI launches.

DJI has sneakily scheduled its action camera launch to take place one hour before GoPro at 8am EDT / 1pm BST / 10pm AEST. You can watch its big reveal at the YouTube page above. 

For a taster of what's to come, check out our DJI Osmo Action 3 rumor round-up. Spoiler alert: it's expected to be an updated version of its original DJI Osmo Action from 2019. But surprises are always possible with DJI.

On paper, GoPro's launch is likely to be the bigger of the two. That's because its teaser poster shows two Hero 11 Black action cameras, including a new smaller model that could be the rumored Hero 11 Black Mini.

You can tune into the official launch today at the YouTube page above at 9am EDT / 2pm BST / 11pm AEST. It's likely to be a pre-record rather than a live event, but given the amount that's expected to be announced, it'll be well worth sneaking off to a 'meeting' to tune in.

For a primer on all the rumors, check out our GoPro Hero 11 Black round-up. It also contains our wishlist for GoPro's next flagship, which I'll be ticking off or marking in red pen during the launch, like a gadget exam moderator. 

So why are GoPro and DJI launching new action cameras within an hour of each other today? The backstory is pretty fascinating. The two companies have been on a collision course ever since GoPro made the ill-fated decision to enter the drones space with the GoPro Karma (above right) seven years ago.

Back then, DJI's Phantom drone didn't have its own camera, but was compatible with GoPros. So the two companies discussed teaming up to make a drone. DJI founder and CEO Frank Wang revealed this in a 2015 interview with Forbes (opens in new tab), revealing that negotiations stalled because GoPro "treated us like the original equipment manufacturers". 

With DJI "not willing to be someone else's accessory", the two companies went their separate ways – and have been competing head-on ever since. GoPro's Karma drone was a disaster, but it's now making action cams like the Hero 10 Black Bones for drones. And DJI is making drones, like the DJI FPV above, and also action cams, like the one we're expecting to see today just an hour before GoPro's launch. 

It's getting feisty – and that's both fun and good for anyone who's looking to buy an action cam.

It's fair to say that GoPros have come a long way in the 20 years since the company was founded. Above is the first GoPro from 2005 – incredibly, it was a disposable 35mm film camera stuck inside a waterproof case.

There was no video recording and you had to wind it on manually. It simply came with strap for surfers to mount it on their wrists. There's quite a leap between that origin story and the astounding promo videos GoPro makes today, which for me is a little part of their charm.

Okay, that's enough misty-eyed nostalgia for now. What exactly are we expecting to see from GoPro and DJI today?

GoPro is expected to overhaul its action cam lineup in quite spectacular fashion. The launch teaser it released yesterday shows two cameras under the Hero 11 name – a standard model that looks similar to the Hero 10 Black and a smaller one that looks like the rumored Hero 11 Black Mini.

This would be the biggest change to GoPro's lineup for a few years. The Mini, which has appeared in leaks from WinFuture, would presumably be the new entry-level Hero model. Or could the current Hero 10 Black get a price drop and take that title instead? We'll find out in just under an hour and a half.

Some might find it disappointing that the Hero 11 Black looks almost identical to the Hero 10 Black, at least in WinFuture's leaked images. If those images are correct, then it's hard to see any physical changes from today's model, which itself was almost identical to the Hero 9 Black, barring a tougher lens.

But I'm not so bothered. While it'd have been nice to see a innovations like an edge-to-edge display or even a second lens, GoPros are practical, pocketable tools. And any additional features will likely have knock-on effects to battery life and usability. 

For me, the classic Hero design is now tough to improve on. But I'm really interested to see what's changed inside – and also how much GoPro has managed to squeeze into that mini version. If there aren't too many compromises, and it's cheaper than the Hero 11 Black, it could become GoPro's most popular model. 

With only seven minutes to go until DJI's launch, it's time to talk Osmo. I really liked DJI's original Osmo Action, which beat GoPro to the punch in delivering a front-facing screen to help you see what you're filming.

It seems from recent leaks that DJI's about to announce a DJI Osmo Action 3. Last year, it went for an unusual, modular approach with the DJI Action 2, which has its good points but also has overheating limitations.

What's interesting to me is whether the Osmo Action 3 is a replacement for that model – and perhaps an acceptance that its design was just a little too radical – or a a more standard GoPro-rival to sit alongside it. 

My money's on the latter, given the Action 2 is relatively new, but we'll find out for sure in a matter of minutes. 

Ooh, some more GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini images have just leaked courtesy of WinFuture.

It certainly doesn't look as small as the old GoPro Hero Session, but that has the makings of a popular action cam if it doesn't have any issues like overheating.

But anyway, back to DJI for its Osmo launch...

That was short and sweet – the DJI Osmo Action 3 is official. Perhaps the biggest news is that it has the same mounting system as the DJI Action 2, which is a combo of magnets and clamps.

This is great as it means avoiding fiddling with screws like on GoPros. It looks like you can flip the Osmo Action 3 into vertical orientation quite quickly, too. As expected, RockSteady 3.0 and HorizonSteady stabilization are included, as is an impressive-sounding 160-minute battery life. Now just to confirm pricing...

Okay, you can buy the DJI Osmo Action 3 right now for $329 / £309 for its base package. There's also an Adventure Combo ($439 / £399), which includes two batteries, a battery case and an Insta360-style 1.5m extension rod.

Interestingly, the DJI Action 2 is still on sale, so the Osmo Action 3 is a new alternative rather than a replacement. The two cameras share the same mounting system, so that makes sense. First blood, DJI.

Here are the official specs of the DJI Osmo Action 3. A couple of things stand out. Firstly, it's waterproof down to 16m without a case, which beats the current GoPro Hero 10 Black. It'll be interesting to see if GoPro responds to that in, ooh, 40 minutes or so.

The Osmo Action 3 also offers a wider angle of view than any GoPro, with a 155-degree lens – that works out as 12.7mm, in 35mm terms. So that could be another point of difference with the Hero 11 Black, particularly if you like to get a lot in shot. But we'll have to wait to see what tricks GoPro has up its sleeve.

Another nice touch on the DJI Osmo Action 3 is that its front screen is touch-sensitive, letting you tweak settings without needing to flip the action cam round.

This makes a lot of sense, as I've spent a lot of time flipping GoPros around to change the digital lens or frame-rate. On the downside, there's probably a good chance of touching it accidentally, so we'll have to see how well it works in practice.

DJI is also making a big deal of the Action 3's color management, particularly for shooting underwater. Not something I do a whole lot, but could be important to keen divers and swimmers.

One more crispy DJI Osmo Action 3 photo, before we move onto the smaller matter of the GoPro launch.

DJI's action camera can apparently handle temperatures as low as -4F degrees and has no overheating limits when shooting 4K/60p. That's something I'll definitely look forward to testing next to GoPro's new Hero 11 range.

Talking of which, there's just 15 minutes to go until we see GoPro's response. It's like the tech world equivalent of a UFC Octagon in here today.

GoPro's livestream will be kicking off in three minutes at the page above. There are three big things I'm looking forward to finding out.

Firstly, will GoPro go with a new sensor on the Hero 11 Black? History suggests not, as GoPro traditionally gives each of its sensors three generations before replacing them – and the Hero 10 Black's Sony IMX677 sensor has only been in two GoPro models. Then again, the leaks suggest a jump to a new 27MP chip.

Secondly, has GoPro done anything to improve the heat-handling of its cameras? Some users reported users with overheating in more challenging modes, particularly without any airflow. I never experienced that with the Hero 10 Black, partly because I mainly tend to use action cams outdoors – but it'll be interesting to see if GoPro addresses it.

Lastly, how much will the GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini (if that's what it's called) cost? If it performs like a Hero 11 Black without the screens, and dips significantly below $300 / £300, it could be very tempting indeed. Not long to find out now.

Time to sneak into that 'meeting', we're almost ready to go now.

The Hero 11 Black is official. The headline news: a new taller sensor, a new HyperView lens and, yes, 10-bit color. That cheers is the sound of color graders rejoicing.

The benefit of that new taller sensor is the ability to reframe shots in different aspect ratios for social media, for example 9:16 for TikTok. Pretty handy that you don't have to flip the camera round, like the Osmo Action 3.

But wait, what about the Hero 11 Black Mini? There's a separate livestream about to start – we'll see you there!

The Hero 11 Black Mini is here! It's basically a Hero 11 Black without the front and rear displays, which means 5.3K/60p video and 10-bit color depth – pretty impressive, if it doesn't overheat too much.

To keep it small, there are rear mounting fingers and, a slight downside, a built-in Enduro battery. Without screens, a lot will depend on the user experience – GoPro is promising "one-touch simplicity", but I'm looking forward to seeing how well that works in practice.

Hang on, there's one more GoPro about to launch – we've had the Hero 11 Black and Hero 11 Black Mini, what's the third piece of the puzzle?

Ah, the final video is simply a broader Hero 11 Black promo, and a very impressive one it is. Once again, no-one is better than GoPro at making videos that convince me to buy something I don't really need.

The final bit of extra news is the GoPro Hero 11 Black Creator Edition, which is the Hero 11 Black plus a load of vlogging-friendly extras. These include a battery-grip (which promises over four hours of 4K recording) and other extras like a directional microphone, external mic input, HDMI port, LED light and two cold-shoe mounts for mounting accessories.

Basically, it's GoPro's best vlogging setup. But now to confirm the pricing for all of these Hero 11 cameras and how GoPro's new lineup looks...

Okay, we've pulled together the pricing for GoPro's new 2022 lineup above. As usual, there's a hefty discount if you buy the cameras with a GoPro Subscription – and given you can cancel the subscription at any time, I think that's well worth doing. Just make sure you set a reminder before that year's up.

The Hero 11 Black Mini sadly isn't going to be available until October 25th, which is a shame. But the Hero 10 Black will continue as a current camera with a new lower price of $349.98 / £349.98 / AU$549.95.

The big decision for most will be whether to go for the Hero 11 Black, Hero 11 Black Mini, or Hero 10 Black. It's going to be tricky to give a definitive answer until we've tested a Hero 11 Black Mini, but we have had some solid time with the Hero 11 Black. So it's time to move onto our thoughts on that... 

Okay, time to come clean. We have had some quality time with GoPro's new flagship, which you can read about in our hands-on GoPro Hero 11 Black review.

The short summary: the Hero 11 Black isn't a huge upgrade on the Hero 10 Black overall, but does have some key improvements that might be a big deal for you. The main ones are a new 1/1.9in sensor, which is less about improving image quality and more about versatility. 

Because it's almost a square sensor, it lets you export videos in most aspect ratios (including the TikTok and Instagram-friendly 9:16) without any major quality loss. That's because, rather than cropping a vertical portion of a rectangular sensor, you can shoot in 8:7 and use that extra height for smartphone-friendly videos. 

Pretty handy if you regularly post to lots of different platforms. But even if you don't, that extra height also helps deliver a new wider HyperView lens and Horizon Lock in certain modes, which keeps the horizon steady even if you flip the camera around. 

I've enjoyed my time with Hero 11 Black so far, but my colleague Axel has used in more extreme settings that South West London – so I'll hand you over to him now for some extra insight into its new tricks.

Hey, action camera fans! Axel here, staff writer at TechRadar. I’ll be briefly stepping in for Mark while he takes a well-earned tea break on this hectic (double) launch day. 

I’ve just returned from testing the Hero 11 Black in sunny Spain, so I’ll be sharing a few of my first impressions about its design, usability and suite of brand new features. Let's dive in.

Let’s kick off with the physical feel and appearance of the Hero 11 Black. Yes, it sports exactly the same dimensions and exterior design as its predecessor – but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. 

The Hero 11 Black sticks by the dinky size of the Hero 10 Black to remain exceptionally easy to mount on bikes, helmets and the like, while also being solid enough to withstand whatever rocks and knocks you decide to throw at it. 

You’ll get the same water-repellent lens coating and scratch-resistant glass as on the Hero 10 Black, and the latter proved particularly effective when I found myself tumbling down a Spanish mountain bike trail (deliberately, you understand…) with the Hero 11 Black mounted to my chest. 

Seriously, this thing is pretty much indestructible.

As a relative GoPro newbie, it was nice to be given the option to simplify the user interface (UI) on the Hero 11 Black – and I know that the more seasoned pros around me were equally grateful for the sheer amount of customization options at their disposal. 

I’m referring to the new ‘Easy’ and ‘Pro’ modes for navigating the camera’s touchscreen controls. The Hero 10 Black didn’t make such a distinction, but now users can self-assess their expertise to choose between a simple, point-and-shoot experience or a more hardcore, option-heavy view (one that grants access to bit-rate, color profiles and so on).

Another helping hand for relative GoPro newcomers is the addition of an AutoBoost toggle for HyperSmooth 5.0. Where the Hero 10 Black offers two HyperSmooth settings – Standard, High and Boost – the Hero 11 Black does away with the middle option in favor of AutoBoost, a dynamic setting that only applies GoPro’s HyperSmooth stabilization when the camera detects shaking.

We tested out the various strengths of HyperSmooth 5.0 during a mountain bike trail, and AutoBoost definitely felt like the jack-of-all-trades option. I can imagine it being especially useful for those (like me) who may be unsure of when to activate HyperSmooth in the first instance. 

The headline-grabbing feature of GoPro’s latest action cam is its new 1/1.9-inch sensor, but specifically, the 8:7 aspect ratio that this superior snapper brings with it. 

As with the AutoBoost mode for HyperSmooth, shooting in 8:7 offers an all-bases-covered approach to capturing content, giving you the flexibility to export footage into any number of formats at a later date. Want to produce a 16:9 video with a side serving of 9:16 social media content? 8:7 gives you the freedom to do so. 

The Hero 11 Black’s ‘full-frame’ 8:7 mode is also a pretty enticing shooting option in its own right, offering a 16% vertical field of view increase over the Hero 10 Black. I shot some jet-ski footage this way (check it out in the video above), and the sky looks visibly enormous.

This versatile 8:7 aspect ratio also brings with it a brand new digital lens, aptly dubbed HyperView. 

The logical extension of the Hero 10 Black’s SuperView lens, HyperView delivers GoPro’s most immersive camera angle yet by taking that 8:7 aspect ratio and compressing it into a wide-angle 16:9 shot. You’ll get the equivalent of a 12mm focal length from this new digital lens, making it perfect for capturing action-heavy POV footage (think surfing, skiing, skydiving and so on). Heck, I stuck with it for the entirety of our mountain bike ride (see above). 

Incidentally, if you're looking for a whistle-stop tour of the key differences between the GoPro Hero 11 Black and its predecessor, the Hero 10 Black, check out our side-by-side comparison of the two action cameras.

That's all from me, folks. I'm handing back to Mark, who I suspect will be able to shed a little more light on today's equally exciting DJI announcements. Happy snapping!

Hello, it's Mark again here (TechRadar's Cameras editor) just popping back in to wrap up today's big GoPro and DJI launch-off with some final thoughts.

Firstly, I've had a few questions asking whether the Hero 11 Black has overheating issues. So far, I've only done a few overheating tests (which is one of the reasons why we haven't given the Hero 11 Black a final star rating), but the signs so far are good. 

For example, when shooting 5K/30p, the Hero 11 Black ran continuously for 58 minutes and 12 seconds, before shutting down. I'll be doing more tests in different modes soon, but that's pretty impressive.

For context, I didn't experience any overheating issues with the Hero 10 Black, whereas some users did (certainly before GoPro issued a firmware update soon after launch). 

But we asked GoPro if it had done anything to help with overheating on the Hero 11 Black and it said: "We made several changes to improve thermal performance in the Hero 11 Black. This includes redesigning the heat sink, optimizing FW [firmware], and including the Enduro in-box with the camera. All these changes allows the Hero 11 Black to run longer in high temperatures".

So there you go – I'll do some more tests soon, but right now I don't think overheating should be a major concern for prospective Hero 11 Black buyers, particularly if you mostly shoot outdoors with airflow.

Another big question raised by today's GoPro question – what exactly are you missing out on if you go for the GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini? That smaller version isn't available until October 25th, but we do have some specs for it.

The Hero 11 Black Mini's fundamentals are the same as its bigger brother. You get the same sensor and processor, with all the same resolution options, bit-rates and features like Horizon Lock. It's also just as waterproof and rugged, on paper, as the Hero 11 Black. But the lack of any displays does also limit its functionality quite a bit by comparison.

For example, it doesn't appear to be able to take photos at all, even if you can take 24.7MP stills from a 5.3K video. There's also no HindSight, Scheduled Capture or Webcam mode, nor any stereo audio (despite the inclusion of three mics). The Mini's shape means it also isn't compatible with GoPro's Mods, like the Media Mod, which bring a 3.5mm input for external mics. And the smaller battery (1500mAh, compared to 1720mAh on the full-size model) is also non-removable.

Naturally, you also don't get any screens to control the camera, which means you'll need to choose your settings in the GoPro Quik app. This does at least bring ProTune controls, so you'll be able to get granular with bit-rates and color profiles. But I'm looking forward to trying out the Hero 11 Black Mini closer to its launch to find out just how user-friendly it is and who it's for, because there are some important limitations to be aware of. 

Still, it's definitely good to have a smaller, Session-style camera back in the lineup.

Right, time to wrap things up on this liveblog with some early thoughts on the DJI Osmo Action 3 and GoPro Hero 11 Black.

Firstly, both models show that there's definitely still place for action cameras, despite the arrival of an 'action' mode on the iPhone 14. The slo-mo modes, ruggedness and versatility offered by these new flagships just can't be matched by smartphones. And both are also significantly cheaper than many mirrorless video cameras.

Also, DJI and GoPro seem to be settling into the familiar roles we saw when the original Osmo Action launched in 2019. The Osmo Action 3 is more affordable option, and comes with neat innovations like that handy mounting system. But GoPro's Hero flagship still feels like the more featured-packed choice – I've certainly never used a more versatile action cam.

If you fancy diving a bit deeper into both, check out our DJI Osmo Action 3 review and hands-on GoPro Hero 11 Black review. But for now, it's bye from me and the chirpy little action cams sitting next to me.

GoPro's action cams have followed a predictable upgrade cycle for the past few years, but that's about to change according to an intriguing new teaser – the video confirms that the Hero 11 Black will launch in two different sizes.

GoPro's unusually revealing trailer gives us some strong hints of what to expect at its next launch, which will take place on September 14 at 6am PT / 2pm BST / 11 AEST. For the first time since the original GoPro Session arrived in 2015, we'll see its flagship action cam arrive in two form factors – a Hero 11 Black and a mini sibling.

Recent leaks from WinFuture have suggested that a Hero 11 Black Mini model is en route. And it seems GoPro is attempting to own the rumors by posting a teaser video that pretty much announces the compact action cam, alongside a more standard model that looks very much like a GoPro Hero 10 Black.

The Hero 11 Black Mini, if that's indeed what the compact action cam will be called, looks like it could be the spiritual successor to the GoPro Hero Session, which first launched in 2015 and was discontinued three years later.

Based on the poster on GoPro's site, the Mini won't be quite as small as the cube-shaped Session (see below), which weighed just 74g. But that could be a good thing from a usability standpoint, with our GoPro Hero 5 Session review remarking that the action cam suffered from a poor battery life and fiddly controls. 

Instead, it looks like the Mini will instead simply be a Hero 11 Black without its front and rear displays, which means it should (according to WinFuture, at least) bring the same new sensor and processing power. The two action cams will, though, likely have different batteries, so we'll have to wait to see how this affects their respective run times.

The Session Reborn?

The arrival of a new Hero form factor would jive with comments GoPro made earlier this year about expanding into new "types" of action cameras.

During an earnings call transcribed by the financial website The Motley Fool(opens in new tab), GoPro CEO Nick Woodman said "at the end of 2022, we plan to increase our hardware offering from the two product types we have today, Hero and Max, to four distinct camera products".

It looks like those four distinct products will be the Hero 11 Black, Hero 11 Black Mini, Max, and Hero 10 Black Bones, which is a drone-friendly model that's currently only available in the US. This apparently won't be the end of the GoPro shake-up either, with Woodman adding that "we expect to expand that further by the end of 2023".

This all marks something of a change for GoPro, which has been streamlining its offerings since the GoPro Hero 8 Black in an attempt to stick to its home turf of action cameras. With the iPhone 14 introducing a new stabilized 'Action Mode', though, it seems GoPro is again looking to give us more specialized options.

Who will this new Mini action camera be for? We'll have to wait until September 14 to find out for sure, but with the Hero 10 Black Bones covering drone cameras, it seems likely to appeal to anyone who wants to mount a GoPro on their helmet  – for example, cyclists, mountain bikers, and surfers. Hopefully, its price tag will also match its smaller form factor, too.

The first leaked images of the GoPro Hero 11 Black have seemingly landed – and they suggest that action cam makers could be struggling to make big evolutionary leaps, at least from a design perspective.

The Hero 11 Black images come from WinFuture, which has a strong history of reliable GoPro leaks. So while it's tempting to dismiss the images as mock-ups based on the Hero 10 Black, it looks likely that this will indeed be the design of the action cam king's next flagship.

And that's certainly no bad thing. While the Hero 11 Black's only real change from its predecessor appears to be its logo, our GoPro Hero 10 Black review praised that camera's physical design. The latter has a useful 1.4-inch front LCD for vloggers, a 2.27-inch rear touchscreen with improved responsiveness over the Hero 9 Black, and the usual waterproofing down to 10 meters.

It's fair to say that nearly all of the Hero 10 Black's improvements were also under the hood – the key one was a new GP2 processor, which unlocked some new shooting modes like 5K/60p video and 4K/120p slow-mo – although there was also a hardier lens cover with a water-repellant coating, which was handy for watersports fans.

Still, the leaked images do suggest that dramatic changes – like a much larger sensor, or an edge-to-edge display – are highly unlikely on the Hero 11 Black. And that could disappoint action cams fan who were hoping for a big reason to wait for the new flagship, which is expected (based on GoPro tradition) to launch in September.

Peak evolution?

The overall conclusions we can reach about the Hero 11 Black based on these images are pretty limited. Firstly, there's a small chance they're not the real deal, even if WinFuture's previous history suggests this is unlikely. They also don't give us any real idea of the Hero 11 Black's internal or software changes.

What we can infer, though, is that GoPro and action cams in general have reached a kind of peak evolution when it comes to design. The last big physical change for GoPros was a front-facing LCD, which the Hero 9 Black introduced in response to the original DJI Osmo Action. 

The Hero 9 Black was the biggest redesign of GoPro's flagship since the Hero 5 Black in 2016, though, so big physical improvements – a slightly bigger battery and some built-in mounting fingers aside – have been increasingly rare.

Does this matter? After all, we don't criticize smartphones for bringing only minor changes to notches or a screen's bezel. Also, rather than change a winning formula with its Hero Black line, GoPro has instead introduced more dramatic changes on its 360-degree camera, the GoPro Max.

We would have loved to see the Hero 11 Black get features like a 1/4-inch threaded mounting point, edge-to-edge rear display and maybe even a second lens with a different focal length, like on smartphones. But perhaps a more fair criticism is that GoPro hasn't (yet) updated its GoPro Max for almost three years. 

Safe ground

Action cameras have certainly attempted some interesting new ideas in recent years. The DJI Action 2 delivered an intriguing modular design with a smaller main camera module, which had echoes of the old GoPro Hero 5 Session.

Insta360 has also been a GoPro-bothering innovator, introducing another modular system that came with a large 1-Inch sensor on the Insta360 One R 1-Inch Edition. We've also enjoyed the tiny Insta360 Go 2, which comes with a clever remote control charging case, and versatile 360-degree models like the Insta360 One X2.

Yet none of these has unseated the Hero 10 Black at the top of our guide to the best action cameras you can buy. This suggests that the Hero 11 Black's apparently conservative design, assuming these leaked images are accurate, indicates that GoPro recognizes that it works for most people, so is best kept comfortably familiar.

It also suggests that we can expect to see some interesting internal changes on GoPro's next flagship. GoPro doesn't release new models without at least a couple of headline features, so we're still expecting to see these arrive in software form. 

While a new sensor looks unlikely based on previous GoPro history, we're hoping that there's a way that the current 23MP 1/2.3-inch chip can produce HDR video with some help from the GP2 processor, along with a 480fps 1080p slow-mo mode. Based on these leaks, it looks like we won't have to wait long to find out.

Are you thinking of buying a new action camera from DJI or GoPro? Unless you need one for an imminent trip, we'd hold fire for now, as fresh rumors suggest DJI could be joining GoPro in launching a new model soon.

Regular DJI leaker @DealsDrone has claimed that a new DJI Action 3 "will be released in mid-September". This would be a successor to the modular DJI Action 2, though the leak claims that "its appearance is almost [the] same as [the] Osmo Action".

If so, this means DJI is planning to launch a more traditional action camera that would again compete directly with GoPro's Hero lineup. The original Osmo Action, which launched in 2019, beat its GoPro rivals to the punch with many features, including a front-facing screen for vlogging.

But that camera could soon be competing against a new GoPro flagship. While we haven't yet seen any leaks for a GoPro Hero 11 Black, all GoPros from 2017 to today have been announced in September (barring the GoPro Hero 8 Black, which landed in mid-October).

That means the chances are high that a Hero 11 Black will launch sometime next month, particularly as GoPro CEO Nick Woodman stated earlier this year that "at the end of 2022, we plan to increase our hardware offering from the two product types we have today, Hero and Max, to four distinct camera products".

So far this year, the action cam king has only launched the GoPro Hero 10 Black Bones, a stripped-down version of its flagship model for FPV (first-person view) drones. This means we're expecting refreshes of its Hero and Max lines, and perhaps one new type of camera, by the end of the year.

But the main one will likely be a Hero 11 Black, which will apparently soon compete against a refreshed DJI Action 3 for the hearts of action adventurers who need a compact, waterproof video camera with powerful stabilization.

Analysis: New flagships, but minor upgrades?

Action cameras have managed to remain relevant by acting as stunt doubles for our smartphones, which are still too important (and awkwardly-shaped) to risk putting in the line of fire during action-packed adventures.

But in the last couple of years, the best action cameras have also been only relatively minor upgrades on their predecessors. More powerful processing has delivered superior slow-mo modes, alongside useful features like horizon-leveling, and the DJI Action 2 did also deliver a unique, modular design. But huge leaps forward haven't really been possible with the tech that's currently available.

This means that if you do need to buy an action camera right now, getting either a Hero 10 Black or DJI Action 2 certainly wouldn't be a bad move. Both are excellent action cams in different ways, and DJI and GoPro's new models are likely to concentrate mostly on software-based improvements.

Based on recent history, we're not expecting a Hero 11 Black to have a new sensor, for example, as GoPro typically uses the same Sony chip for three generations before moving on to a new one. The current Sony IMX677 has, so far, only been in two GoPro models, though it's possible that GoPro could change tack for its next flagship.

Either way, it's wise to hold fire on buying a new action camera for a few weeks, if only because current DJI or GoPro models will likely see discounts as a result of new launches. Come the end of September, it's likely we'll have new DJI and GoPro flagships – and as a result, their cheaper models should offer better value than they do at present. 

It's been well over two years since the original GoPro Max arrived with the aim of taking 360 cameras mainstream – and some new patent applications suggest a GoPro Max 2 could finally be en route to fulfill that early promise.

The new GoPro patent applications, which were published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office on June 30, contain some detailed descriptions of the kind of 360 camera software tricks that a GoPro Max successor could be capable of.

While the GoPro Max remains one of the best 360 cameras you can buy, its software skills have fallen behind the likes of Insta360. But the gist of these patent applications is that GoPro is looking at new software trickery that automatically reframes your 360 footage into standard flat videos, based on AI-powered analysis of what's happening in the scenes. 

The patent application states that it "relates to framing videos based on the context of the videos" and that "determining which portion(s) of the video should be presented during playback may be difficult and time consuming". This is the issue that GoPro is seemingly looking to solve, with the patent applications including a few different examples of how this might work.

While the applications don't mention a GoPro Max 2 by name, they do include a top-down image of a 360 camera that looks like the GoPro Max. They also include descriptions of a processor with a "context component" that can analyze the context of a scene and adjust the "viewing window" (what you see during video playback) and the final framing of the video accordingly.

This analysis could apparently include "blur detection, color analysis, face recognition, histogram analysis, object recognition, scene recognition" and more, giving the 360 camera a potentially strong foundation for deciding where you'll want the camera pointed in your final video. 

We've seen something similar before with Insta360's AutoReframe feature, which uses AI to create an automatic edit of your 360 video. GoPro's patents describe a similar skill, albeit a more powerful one that seems to be generated in-camera rather than on your phone. For example, the patents describe a virtual zoom function that could work automatically to frame a person walking to "make the presentation of the action within the visual content more interesting and/or pleasing".

Other examples include "automatic panning to provide panning views of traveling scenes" and a vlogging-friendly feature where "the user's gaze tracked within the selfie-view may be used to determine where interesting things are happening within the visual content". 

GoPro's patent applications also describe a handy feature for filming events, which has echoes of Canon's AMLOS system, allowing it to simultaneously capture multiple views of a speech or presentation, based on "directional audio and/or voice detection" of who is speaking at a given moment.

Of course, these patent applications aren't concrete proof that GoPro is either working on these concepts or has the technology to execute them. But earlier this year, GoPro did say in an earnings call that "at the end of 2022, we plan to increase our hardware offering from the two product types we have today, Hero and Max, to four distinct camera products". 

With Max still very much in its plans, it seems increasingly likely that we'll see an update to that aging 360 camera later this year – and the ideas in these patents could be very welcome party tricks for its impending battle with Insta360. 

Analysis: The case for a GoPro Max 2 grows

On their own, patent applications certainly aren't proof that a product is being developed or any closer to launch. But the combination of these ideas and GoPro's quotes earlier this year that Max is one of "four distinct camera products" it expects to offer by the end of 2022 do suggest that a GoPro Max 2 (if that's what it's ultimately called), would make a lot of sense as one of its next releases.

The GoPro Max will be three years old in October and the likes of the Insta360 One X2 have now taken its original concept further in both versatility and usability. While 360 cameras remain relatively niche, their unique skill – letting you reframe a video after it's been shot – has become increasingly popular among solo YouTubers and vloggers.

The original Max was a little ahead of its time when it launched back in October 2019, with its main issue being a lack of the automated editing skills and software polish that we've seen more recently from the likes of Insta360.

But between these patent applications and GoPro recently updating its desktop Player app for Mac and Windows, the stage appears to be set for a new GoPro Max – hopefully with a larger sensor and GoPro's GP2 processor – that can finally deliver a more polished, user-friendly 360 experience that its original trailblazer gave us a taste of.

GoPro's discontinued Karma drone had such a bad take-off in 2016 that you'd forgive its cameras for never wanting to fly again. But its new Hero for FPV (first-person view) drones reveals a more sensible, laser-focused approach that should help banish those ghosts – and gives us an intriguing glimpse of what other Hero cameras to expect this year.

The Hero 10 Black Bones is the really anti-Karma. Rather jumping outside its comfort zone and building a drone with an unfortunate tendency to lose power mid-flight, GoPro has instead stripped down its flagship action cam and made what looks like the perfect little camera for FPV fans. You can see why in our hands-on GoPro Hero 10 Black Bones review.

When it comes to product launches, this is about as close to a guaranteed home run as you can get. Yes, FPV drones are still pretty niche, but a significant number of pilots have been reverse-engineering Hero action cameras to make them suitable for small drones for years. The growing community has also frequently pleaded with GoPro to make a newer version of its previous tiny action cam, the Hero Session (which arrived back in 2015).

Well, the Hero 10 Black Bones is that camera. And that means we can expect to see a lot more videos like Tesla's swooping Gigafactory tour. The only real downsides are that Bones is currently US-only, with GoPro telling us "we do not have a date yet for international availability". And the fact that it's strangely more expensive than the Hero 10 Black, despite that fact that 'Bones' lacks the display, battery, speaker, GPS, or waterproof build quality of its all-rounder sibling. 

When we asked GoPro about this, it told us its new action cam costs "significantly less than the industry going rate for a “naked” GoPro, and Bones helps you save time, money and risk by delivering a quality product with GoPro warranty". Perhaps, but there's no doubt GoPro is cashing in on the unique combination of Bones and the ReelSteady stabilization software it acquired in 2020, which only works with GoPro gyro data. And that's a sign of things to come.

Skeleton crew

Naturally, we'd rather the GoPro Hero 10 Black Bones was priced more like the Hero 4 Session, which quickly dropped to $199 from its original $399 price tag. But this strategy, which seems more likely to succeed than the all-in-one DJI FPV, reflects a new, savvier GoPro that sees niche, specialist cameras as the fix for plateauing demand for its do-it-all Hero range.

So where else might GoPro take the 'Bones' approach? A strong contender, based on some patent applications we recently discovered, is a rival to the DJI Pocket 2 vlogging camera. The patent applications describe a Session-style modular camera that would, unusually for GoPro, sit in a three-axis mechanical gimbal for super-smooth stabilization. This marks it out from the recent GoPro Volta grip accessory.

Interestingly, the camera is also described as modular and compatible with drones. Could the Hero 10 Black Bones have already given us a glimpse of GoPro's vlogging camera? If so, the move would again have echoes its Karma drone, whose camera could be removed and used with the now-discontinued Karma grip stabilizer.

The possibilities for specialist GoPro cameras don't end there either: a dash cam, streaming camera, bike camera and, in particular, high-end professional GoPro are also surely on the cards. One of our few issues with the Hero 10 Black Bones is that it still only lets you shoot with 8-bit color depth – which means there could well be room for a higher-end Hero, offering features like 10-bit color depth, in the near future.

While we're moving into the realms of speculation here, it does have a solid grounding – a recent earnings call confirmed that this kind of specialization is going to be GoPro's direction for the next couple of years. During the call in February, GoPro CEO Nick Woodman said that "at the end of 2022, we plan to increase our hardware offering from the two product types we have today, Hero and Max, to four distinct camera products". 

Is the Hero 10 Black Bones one of those four products? Given it's part of the Hero line, perhaps not – and that apparently won't be the end of GoPro's expansion. According to Woodman, GoPro "expects to expand that further by the end of 2023". In other words, 'Bones' is just an appetizer for what's to come from the action cam maker.

Karma chameleon

This is change of tack is long overdue. GoPro has taken a long time to recover from the hedonistic mid-2010s when it over-extended itself with launches like the Karma drone.

This set the company on a more focused path that led to the Hero 9 Black, Hero 10 Black and, importantly, a new software-focused model that's produced some popular wins. These include the GoPro Quik app, the new GoPro Player + ReelSteady desktop app, and its GoPro Subscription, which we rate as a good investment (particularly if you're planning to buy one of its cameras).

The upshot of all this is that GoPro is ready to make some interesting new cameras again, if not like the ones of the past. The Hero 10 Black Bones is an interesting start, but it's just a hint of the ways GoPro is planning to chop up its all-in-one action cam into smaller, and perhaps more useful, pieces.

Smartphones may mean that GoPros will never again reach the heights of their earlier mainstream appeal, but in its 20th year it seems the action cam king is preparing to show off its new tricks – and we're looking forward to seeing what those are later this year.

• Should I get a GoPro Subscription?

Rising from the ashes of GoPro's discontinued Karma drone, the Hero 10 Black Bones is the company's lightest-ever action camera – and one that's been specifically built for increasingly popular FPV (first-person view) drones. It's also, currently, only available to buy in the US, with GoPro stating that "we do not have a date yet for international availability".

FPV drones differ from standard drones like the DJI Mavic 3 in two main ways: they're flown using a headset that gives the pilot a live view from the aircraft for maximum control, and they're also typically smaller and more nimble than their mainstream counterparts. 

This means that FPV drones are frequently used for racing, but an increasing number are being used to create spectacular aerial videos – and it's this audience that the Hero 10 Black Bones has been designed for.

FPV fans have previously bought or created their own 'naked' GoPros by stripping down the company's traditional action cameras and voiding warranties in the process. For years, they've pleaded with GoPro to make an updated version of its long-discontinued Session action cam – and the Hero 10 Black Bones is finally that camera.

Unlike the Session, the Bones isn't a traditional action camera that can be used for all of your video needs. In order to reach its 54g weight, GoPro has removed the display, battery, speaker, GPS and waterproof build quality from the GoPro Hero 10 Black. In other words, it's the Hero 10 Black's imaging pipeline, minus the rest of the camera.

All that the Bones really has left is the same 1/2.3in sensor and GP2 processor as the Hero 10, in a plastic, well-ventilated shell. Is that enough to justify its price tag? We took one for a spin around a skate park to find out.

GoPro Hero 10 Black Bones release date and price

FPV drone fans can buy the Hero 10 Black Bones today (in the US only) for $399.99 if you're prepared to sign up for a one-year GoPro Subscription, or $499.99 without a subscription.

Considering that the Hero 10 Black Bones lacks a battery, display, speaker, GPS and or GoPro's traditional waterproof build, that might not sound like a great deal – and it is pretty pricey for an FPV camera.

But a big part of the camera's appeal is its compatibility with GoPro's ReelSteady stabilization software – and a license for this, which has now been combined with the desktop GoPro Player app, is included in the price.

As for whether or not you should get a GoPro Subscription, our advice remains that it's worth doing for the discount – particularly as you can cancel at any time before the subscription automatically renews after a year. For a full rundown of what the subscription includes, check out our 'Should I get a GoPro Subscription?' guide.

Design

The Hero 10 Black Bones is a shell of its fully-fledged sibling – and that's a good thing. In the hand, it weighs a barely noticeable 54g, which means it's compatible with 3-inch class FPV drones (in other words, ones with 3-inch propellors) or larger. At a push, you could even mount it on smaller 2.5-inch models.

The reason why it's so light is because GoPro has stripped out everything except for the Hero 10 Black's sensor, processor and lens (which thankfully still supports replaceable lens covers for ND filters). There's no display, battery, speaker, GPS, or metal enclosure here, with the Bones instead constructed from lightweight plastic.

GoPro says this shell still offers some protection, which you'll need in the event of the inevitable crashes. But the more noticeable design feature of the Hero 10 Black Bones are its new vents, which help provide cooling to stop the camera from overheating while shooting. This design means it also isn't waterproof. 

On the back of the camera are just two buttons – one for power, and one for switching between video and stills. Above these buttons is an LED light, which blinks in various ways to tell you which mode you're in. It follows a similar pattern to standard GoPros – for example, one blink every two seconds means it's recording, while three blinks means it's stopping.

Fortunately, there are easier ways to interact with the Hero 10 Black Bones. You can control it using the GoPro Quik app, GoPro's The Remote accessory or, as our FPV pilot did, using QR codes generated by apps like QRControl (below). 

The latter works with GoPro Labs-enabled cameras, which include the Hero 10 Black Bones (along with the standard Hero 10 and Hero 9).

So how exactly do you plug 'Bones' into a drone and mount it safely? This involves a little more tinkering than your average GoPro. On the back of the camera is a socket for a GH 1.25 3pin Connector, which connects to both the battery (supplied by you) and your drone's flight controller. You can use battery types from between 2S (two cells in series) and 6S (six cells in series), with a voltage between 5-27V. 

FPV drone pilots will typically carry a number of spares during a shoot, as each one will usually only last for a few minutes of recording, and batteries can be hot-swapped in and out of the Hero 10 Black Bones pretty quickly. You can also mount the camera pretty easily using a single screw boss or, on larger drones, the included adapter for GoPro's existing mounting system.

Beyond the lack of a built-in battery, a more noticeable usability limitation on 'Bones' is the lack of a screen. While it's possible to review footage by pinging it wirelessly to your phone, this doesn't always work seamlessly – which means it's sometimes easier to simply remove your microSD card and put it in a traditional Hero action cam, if you have one.

One feature the Hero 10 Black Bones does have in common with its fully-fledged siblings is removable lens covers. This is an important inclusion, because it means you can swap them out for ND (neutral density) filters, which FPV drone pilots frequently use in bright conditions to help maintain desirable shutter speeds.

What else do you need?

Unlike other GoPros, the Hero 10 Black Bones doesn't work on its own – you need to plug in your own battery and use it with various FPV accessories to get the most out of it.

The main things you need are a battery (rated between 2S-6S, with a voltage between 5-27V), a controller, an FPV headset and a drone. The setup we used for the videos below included a iFlight Protek 25 Pusher drone, the DJI FPV Goggles V2, a Taranis X Lite Pro controller, and several R-Line 4S batteries (with a 650mAh capacity).

This is a digital setup that's pretty expensive when you throw in the Hero 10 Black Bones, but it's possible to get started in FPV drones for much less by going for an analog setup instead. The downside of analog compared to digital is that the signal can be more prone to interference between the drone and your headset, but it's also generally more affordable.

For example, our FPV drone pilot Gonzalo Gonzalez De Vega suggested a similar analog setup to the one above, which includes a iFlight Protek 25 Pusher analog drone, some BetaFPV VR02 Analog FPV Goggles, and a BetaFPV Lite Radio 3 remote controller. If you're just getting started, that might be a better option, considering the relatively high price of the GoPro Hero 10 Black Bones.

Features

The Hero 10 Black Bones may only have the skeleton of a full Hero 10 Black, but inside it's very similar to GoPro's flagship action camera. This is the key part of its appeal, and also the reason why GoPro can charge such a high price tag compared to other FPV drone cameras.

Like the Hero 10 Black, it can shoot 5.3K/60p video or 4K/120p slow-mo from its 1/2.3-inch sensor. You can choose to shoot this in GoPro's color profiles, including the new default Natural that you can see in our video below, or in a Flat profile for color grading afterwards.

All the usual Hero 10 Black recording settings are available too, so you can switch to a 4:3 aspect ratio, choose from the usual digital lenses like Wide or Linear, and flip the bit-rate up to High if you want a bit more detail at the expense of storage space on your card.

Thanks to the GP2 processor you also get access to HyperSmooth 4.0 stabilization, which is pretty much the best available on any action cam. This is the simplest way to stabilize your FPV drone videos, but it's not necessarily the one that most pilots will go for, because there's also the option of using ReelSteady afterwards.

Rather than cropping your video in-camera to smooth out bumps and jitters, as HyperSmooth does, ReelSteady instead taps into the gyro metadata from your GoPro videos. The benefit of this approach is that you have far more control over the stabilization (and the amount of crop applied), and can tweak away knowing that your original, unedited footage is always there to return to.

This is why GoPro acquired ReelSteady (which was previously a plug-in for Adobe After Effects) in March 2020, and has now combined with its own GoPro Player desktop software, which you can use to edit your Hero 10 Black Bones footage. A license comes included with 'Bones', and it's what our FPV drone pilot used to stabilize the sample footage you can see below.

Video and image quality

Given that the Hero 10 Black Bones shares the same sensor and GP2 processor as the Hero 10 Black, there are no real surprises when it comes to image quality.

You get all of the same frame-rate options as you get with GoPro's current flagship, including 5K/60p and 4K/120p, and the noise performance looks to be pretty similar too – which is to say pretty impressive for a 1/2.3-inch sensor.

We put the camera to the test in challenging mixed lighting conditions in a covered skate park, and it performed pretty well. Our FPV pilot shot in 4K/60p with a High bit-rate and using the Wide lens, with HyperSmooth turned off.

Instead, the stabilization was done in post-production using ReelSteady, and the results are very smooth. We shot in the GoPro Natural profile, but you could no doubt get an even more cinematic look by shooting in Flat and color grading afterwards.

Perhaps the only criticism you could level at the Hero 10 Black Bones is that it's still, like most action cameras, limited to an 8-bit color depth. This bit depth affects the number of different shades of each color that it can record, with 10-bit offering more color variations (and in theory, more nuance) to your edits. 

The lack of 10-bit is certainly understandable for an FPV camera that weighs only 56g. But with relatively small drones like the DJI Air 2S now able to shoot in 10-bit color, which gives you more color grading flexibility in tricky conditions, it's a feature we'd like to see on future GoPro action cams (and, indeed, future 'Bones' cameras).

Early verdict

The Hero 10 Black Bones is the most niche GoPro ever made, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing – it's good to see the action cam maker build more specialist cameras, and 'Bones' is likely the best one that FPV drone fans can buy right now.

This is partly because it's effectively a Hero 10 Black that you can attach to tiny 'cinewhoop' drones, but also thanks to that compatibility with ReelSteady software for applying excellent stabilization in post-production. This combination was already considered a gold standard among many FPV fliers, and now it's possible to get it without having to tinker with 'naked' GoPros.

The inclusion of ReelSteady in the price of the Hero 10 Black Bones does help to take some of the sting out of the camera's price tag. GoPro told us that 'Bones' is "significantly less than the going rate for a 'naked' GoPro" and that it "helps you save time, money and risk by delivering a quality product with a GoPro warranty".

While that's true, it does also seem expensive considering the hardware it lacks compared to the Hero 10 Black. Still, there's nothing else out there quite like the combination of the Hero 10 Black Bones and ReelSteady, and that's why keen FPV filmmakers will likely consider it worth the premium.

• Looking for something more traditional? Check out our guide to the best action cameras you can buy right now

GoPro has built its lightest-ever action camera for FPV (first-person view) drones in the form of the Hero 10 Black Bones – a stripped-down version of its flagship Hero that weighs only 56g. (Want to jump to our early verdict? Check out our hands-on GoPro Hero 10 Black Bones review).

The Hero 10 Black Bones is the camera that FPV pilots have been crying out for (although it's currently only available in the US), thanks to its combination of Hero 10 Black image quality and that super-lightweight body.

This means it can be mounted on small, agile FPV drones that are in the 3-inch class (or above, with that measurement referring to the propellor size), which are usually too small for traditional GoPros.

Naturally, GoPro has had to cut corners to achieve that weight, with the result that the Hero 10 Black Bones is lighter than a pair of Airpods Pros in their case. Unlike the standard Hero 10 Black it has no display, battery, speaker, GPS, or metal enclosure, with the camera coming with a plastic, well-ventilated shell instead.

The idea is that FPV pilots can plug one of the best action cameras into their existing drone setups without the unnecessary weight of those extra parts, while benefitting from the 5.3K/60p video quality and stabilization that have made GoPros so popular among FPV pilots. Instead of a built-in battery, you add your own – with the 'Bones' compatible with rechargeable lithium batteries that are rated between 2S and 6S and have a voltage between 5-27W.

Many FPV pilots actually turn off GoPro's excellent HyperSmooth stabilization, and iron out any wobbles in post-production using ReelSteady, which GoPro acquired in March 2020. With this in mind, GoPro has now folded ReelSteady into its revamped GoPro Player desktop software (now called GoPro Player + ReelSteady), and includes a license for it with the Hero 10 Black Bones.

Further good news for FPV pilots is that the Hero 10 Black Bones retains its sibling's replaceable lens covers, which means you swap in ND (neutral density) filters when needed. These are often used by FPV drone pilots in bright conditions to help maintain ideal shutter speeds for video.

The new action cam can be mounted on drones using a single screw, or by using the bundled adapter for GoPro mounts. There are two buttons on the camera itself, and it can also be controlled using the Quik app, GoPro's The Remote accessory, a drone's transmitter, or QR Codes generated by GoPro Labs (software that lets you test experimental GoPro features).

The only downsides of the GoPro Hero 10 Black Bones are that it's currently US-only and also pretty pricey. GoPro told us that it "does not have a date yet for international availability", which suggests that a global launch is at least possible. If you're in the US, you can buy it now for $399.99 (if you get it with a one-year GoPro Subscription), or $499.99 without a Subscription.

Considering that the Bones version of the Hero 10 Black lacks so much of its sibling's hardware (including a screen and battery), that price tag seems quite steep. But right now that's the price you'll have to pay for what is likely the best FPV drone camera around. 

Analysis: GoPro returns to the skies

Four years ago, GoPro had to discontinue its ill-fated Karma drone – so why has it returned to aerial videography? The Hero 10 Black Bones is certainly more niche than the Karma, but it's a more sensible launch that's likely to prove popular with the growing FPV drone community.

Until now, FPV drone fliers have effectively been reverse-engineering recent GoPro models to create what are known as 'naked GoPros' for their small, speedy drones. This is because FPV drones need to be as small and light as possible to achieve the dynamic shots that are increasingly going viral on social media.

Recently, we've seen FPV drone videos of Tesla's new Gigafactory and a bowling alley widely shared on Twitter and Facebook, and those kinds of videos are the ideal match for GoPro's action-oriented brand and video style. 

GoPro previously launched a compact version of its flagship action camera in the form of the cube-shaped Session in 2016. This proved popular with FPV drone fans, so the Hero 10 Black Bones can be seen as its natural successor – albeit with a more niche appeal and, for now, US-only availability.

Given its lack of a screen, battery, GPS or GoPro's trademark rugged build quality, it's a shame that the Hero 10 Black Bones isn't a little more affordable. But given how long FPV drone pilots have been asking for a stripped-down Hero camera, it will still likely fly off the shelves in the US.

• How I shot Tesla's viral Gigafactory video with my FPV drone

GoPro clearly wants its Hero range to mix it with the best vlogging cameras around, thanks to accessories like its new Volta battery grip. And while the latter is certainly a useful sidekick, as you can see in our GoPro Volta review, it isn't quite as interesting as the modular vlogging camera we recently discovered in some fascinating patents.

Before we gaze ahead to what might be coming down the line, let's delve into the pros and cons of GoPro's new accessory. The Volta grip, which you can buy on its own or as part of a new Hero 10 Black Creator Edition bundle, combines a battery-equipped handle, tripod, and wireless controller in one handy accessory. It's mainly designed for the GoPro Hero 10 Black and Hero 9 Black, which benefit from its remote control powers, but will also charge and mount with older GoPros.

One of the main benefits of the Volta for vloggers and YouTubers is a significantly boosted battery life for their action cam. On the Hero 10 Black, for example, it'll jump up from 74 minutes (when shooting 5.3K/30p video) to over four hours when used with the Volta. Overheating limitations aside, that should mean you can leave the spare batteries at home.

The Volta's built-in camera buttons also give you one-handed control of your GoPro, or you can detach it to give you remote control of your Hero 10 or Hero 9 from up to 98 feet away. This means the Volta effectively combines three of GoPro's existing accessories (the Remote, spare batteries, and a tripod) into one.

One of the few downsides, as our review explains, is that the Volta is only weather-proof, rather than fully waterproof. So if you're planning to go diving, you'll still be best off getting a floating Handler grip instead. The Volta also doesn't, like the GoPro concept below, have a mechanical gimbal that would allow it to follow you around a scene, like the DJI Pocket 2.

While the Volta is useful on its own, it still needs the help of Mod accessories like the Media Mod to become a really powerful vlogging setup. So GoPro has created a new Hero 10 Black Creator Edition bundle, which includes the action cam, a Volta grip, a Media Mod (which has a built-in directional mic, plus 3.5mm in and HDMI-out ports), and the Light Mod to help illuminate your subjects.

Naturally, this is a pretty pricey setup. You can buy the Volta on its own for $90.99 / £83.99 / AU$139.96 with a GoPro subscription, or $129.99 / $119.99 / AU$199.95 without one. But if you want the full Hero 10 Black Creator Edition, you'll pay $581.96 / £558.46 / AU$890.33 (for existing GoPro subscribers) or $784.95 / £759.95 / AU$1204.75 (without a subscription). 

Luckily, there's also currently a special deal on the Creator Edition for new GoPro subscribers. If you don't have a Hero 10 or an existing subscription, you can pick up the bundle for $531.95 / £508.45 / AU$820.33, which is pretty decent considering the setup's filmmaking powers. But should you wait to see what GoPro has in store for later this year?

Analysis: A handy accessory, but is it a stop-gap?

Our GoPro Volta review concludes that the accessory is a "compelling option for creators on the go" that's both "comfortable to use and adds plenty of functionality" to the Hero 10 Black and Hero 9 Black.

The Volta is effectively three GoPro accessories in one, given it can act as a tripod, battery grip, and controller (both wireless and wired) for the action cam maker's two most recent Hero models. 

The only real downsides are that it isn't fully waterproof, can't act as a wireless remote for older GoPros, and lacks extending selfie-stick powers for wider group shots. But could the Creator Edition bundle also be a mid-cycle stopgap for a more streamlined vlogging setup?

Earlier this month we discovered GoPro patents for a DJI Pocket 2-style camera that suggest it's planning to resurrect its Karma Grip as a new all-in-one camera with a mechanical gimbal.

Naturally, patents can only be treated as concepts rather than signs of concrete plans, but these were highly developed and match GoPro's comments earlier this year that it's planning new 'types' of action cam for 2022.

The downside of the Volta grip and Creator Edition bundle is that it lacks a mechanical gimbal to follow vloggers around a scene as they're talking to camera. So while both are certainly worth investigating if you already have a Hero 10 or Hero 9 action cam, there could be a more exciting vlogging solution coming later this year. 

• GoPro plans to dethrone DJI with new modular camera, patents suggest

Two-minute review

GoPro makes some of the best action cameras you can buy. The GoPro Hero 10 Black is our top pick thanks to its unmatched image and stabilization quality, and the Hero 9 Black still holds its own after over a year on the market. What also helps GoPro cameras stand out is the brand’s commitment to accessories, with the latest being the battery grip tripod hybrid – the GoPro Volta.

The Volta is a very practical addition to the GoPro Hero 9 or Hero 10 black, loaded with utility, and perfect for anyone who doesn’t need a waterproof grip. It’s comfortable to use and adds plenty of functionality to the line, turning into a tripod, extending your camera’s battery, and offering both wired and wireless remote control over your Hero. For a truly polished vlogging setup, you'll need to buy the Volta as part of the Hero 10 Black Creator Edition, which also includes some Mods.

The fixed USB-C cable coil on the back of the Volta is awkward when unplugged, and it can be a fiddle getting the USB-C connection into the port, whether you’re using a camera standalone or as part of the Media Mod system. Once everything’s set up and connected, though, the Volta helps dispel battery anxiety and delivers a comfortable shooting experience hand-held, and a steady one when in tripod mode.

If you don’t have a Hero 10 Black already, the Creator Edition is a smart call for YouTubers or vloggers looking to create a compact film rig with external audio. The Media Mod helps capture high-quality audio, and the excellent light mod is a brilliant tool for photographers and videographers, whether used as part of the GoPro rig or standalone on a remote shoot.  Read our GoPro Hero 10 Black review and find out more about how it performs.

GoPro Volta and Hero 10 Creator Edition pricing

While the Volta is a perfectly good accessory in its own right, when matched with the Hero 10 Black, Media Mod, and Light Mod, it becomes part of a powerful mini filming rig also known as the Creator Edition bundle. 

You can buy the Volta standalone for $90.99 / £83.99 with a GoPro subscription, or $129.99 / $119.99 without one, though pricing gets a bit more confusing when you consider picking up the Creator Edition. 

New GoPro subscribers get the best deal for the Creator Edition – $531.95 / £508.45 / AU$820.33 – not bad given how powerful the system is, especially when matched with a microphone like the DJI Mic or Rode Wireless Go II. 

If you’re an existing GoPro subscriber, expect to pay $581.96 / £558.46 / AU$890.33, and for anyone who doesn’t have a membership, the Creator Edition bundle costs above the odds at $784.95 / £759.95 / AU$1204.75. Given GoPro subscriptions cost $49.99 / £49.99 / AUS $69.99 a year, picking one up is a no-brainer.

Design

A quick glance at the Volta and you can likely tell what it does. For starters, it’s a grip. The coiled, dangling USB-C cable suggests it charges up your action camera, while the buttons on its side clearly control shooting modes and content capture. At the base, there’s also a tripod thread which means it's also mountable – and, of course, you can mount your GoPro atop it. 

There are a few hidden highlights when you inspect the Volta more closely – a USB-C port underneath a flap so you can charge the Volta’s battery, and a concealed action cam mount, which needs to be released into view with the press of a spring-loaded button.

This means you can mount the Volta onto your handlebars or car bonnet without having to dismount your GoPro. Finally, the front side of the grip flaps open, turning the Volta into a tripod. 

It’s also worth noting, the Volta’s main mount swivels, so you can rotate your GoPro Hero, locking it at 90-degree increments – a saving grace when fitting the cumbersome coiled USB-C cable into your camera.

Setup and usability

Connecting your action camera to your Volta is easy enough provided you’re running with the latest firmware. The Volta ships with a battery door that replaces the default door so you can plug the grip into your camera. 

This downgrades waterproofing to weatherproofing, but means in addition to powering up your camera, you can control it without needing to pair it with your Volta. For wireless control, it’s a simple case of Bluetooth pairing in the camera’s menu – no need to faff with the GoPro app.

As for real-world use, the Volta’s grip is comfortable, its features are logical and for the most part, its design does a great job of eking out even more from your GoPro. It easily converts into a tripod, when the legs are locked in ‘grip mode’ it’s secure, and having the option to mount the Volta is incredibly handy.

The main area the Volta dropped the ball for us was awkwardness. We’ve already mentioned the USB-C cable. It’s a coiled dangly thing that hangs off the grip body and can’t be removed. We would have preferred a removable USB-C cable rather than a fixed one, or another more elegant solution. 

The Volta is also relatively slow to charge, powering up in around two hours with a fast charger. Given some smartphones like the OnePlus Nord CE 2 with similar battery capacities power-up in just over 30 minutes, fully charging the Volta can make for frustrating waiting when in a rush.

Should you buy the GoPro Volta?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Insta360 has a launched a follow-up to the modular action camera it released at CES 2020 – and the impressive Insta360 One RS beats its GoPro rivals in two important ways. (Want to jump straight to our verdict? Check out our Insta360 One RS review). 

Like the previous Insta360 One R, the new model consists of three sections: a base block that holds the battery, a sensor/lens block, and the camera's processing engine. This time, the One RS can be bought with a new 4K Boost lens that has a 1/2in 48MP sensor, which you can swap out for the existing 5.7K 360-degree camera or the 5.3K 1-Inch Wide Angle Lens block.

It's this versatility, coupled with other improvements like a new battery base and a faster processor, that gives the One RS one key advantage over its GoPro rivals. GoPro's Hero range, led by the Hero 10 Black, remain slightly better single-purpose cameras, but the Insta360 One RS uniquely lets you take a 360-degree camera and standard wide-angle action cam out with you, while only needing one main body and battery.

The other advantage of the One RS, when you buy its standard package, is its value for money. You can buy that standard bundle, which includes the 4K Boost Lens, battery and main unit, for a pretty reasonable $299.99 / £279.99 / AU$569. That's significantly less than the GoPro Hero 10 Black ($399 / £379 / AU$599.95, when bought with a GoPro subscription) and DJI Action 2 ($399 / £349 / AU $609).

Naturally, the cost mounts up if you want more modules, with the Twin Edition (which adds a 360-degree lens to the standard package) costing $549.99 / £499.99 / AU$919.99. You can also get the Insta360 One R with the 1-inch Wide Angle lens for $549.99 / £499.99 / AU$919.99. But the benefit of the One RS' modular approach is that you can always start with that base bundle and add extra modules if needed. 

Like the DJI Action 2, there are also dome downsides to the Insta360 One RS' modular design. The main one is that it has a pretty tiny 1.5in screen, which makes it harder to see what you're filming. It also doesn't pack the same slo-mo powers as rivals like the Hero 10 Black, with no 4K/120p option. Instead, you can shoot 2.7K resolution at 100fps, or 1080p at 200/120fps.

Still, the Insta360 One RS does has fewer workflow headaches than its predecessor. Previously, you had to process videos through the Insta360 app to get image stabilization, but FlowState is now all done in-camera and produces impressively smooth results. Combine this with its high-quality 4K video and you have a strong rival to the GoPro Hero 10 Black for the title of best action camera.

Analysis: The bridge camera of action cams 

In many ways, the Insta360 One RS is like the bridge camera of action cams – it aims to pack maximum versatility into one, simple-to-use body, and it largely succeeds thanks to some extra polish that was absent from its predecessor.

It remains a more niche choice than a GoPro Hero 10 Black, because it only really makes sense if you're looking to take advantage of its modular design and swap in different cameras. But if that sounds like you, then it's a fine new option at a reasonable price.

Our Insta360 One RS review praises its good in-camera stabilization, sharp-looking 4K video and surprisingly intuitive interface, given its small 1.5in screen. We were also relieved to find that it fixes all the workflow issues we found with its predecessor, caused by the need to process footage through the app in order to get stabilized footage.

In fact, we even found the video from the Insta360 One RS' 4K module to be more engaging and detailed than its GoPro rivals, even if it does exhibit some issues like aliasing and shimmering. As our review states: "A GoPro nets you footage with fewer issues, and often a more pleasant warm color tone, but there’s an open and airy quality to the Insta360 One RS’s 4K video that we just don’t see from our Hero 9 Black".

If you can accept slightly less consistent footage than a GoPro, along with that tiny 1.5in screen, then the One RS is a very solid new action camera, particularly at that base price of $299.99 / £279.99 / AU$569.

• Check out our guide to the world's best action cams

GoPro could be building a modular, gimbal-stabilized camera system to take on the DJI Pocket 2 and DJI FPV, according to some fascinating new patents.

The patents, which were published on March 10, contain some detailed drawings and descriptions of a system that includes a GoPro Session-style camera module, a mechanically stabilized gimbal, and a connector that allows both to slot into a handheld grip or even a drone.

The "image capture module" described by the patents appears to be a new gimbal-stabilized camera, rather than an existing one like the Hero 10 Black. It looks smaller than the latter and could "track a user based on position data from a beacon module and/or based on computer vision tracking of the user in images from the image sensor". This could be the ActiveTrack-style autofocus we've seen on the likes of the DJI Pocket 2, which can turn to follow subjects thanks to its gimbal.

According to the patents, this camera would sit in a three-axis mechanical stabilization system which could allow up to 360-degrees of rotation. The gimbal could also have a handy "fold flat" mode to protect it when you turn it off, which would kick in after 10, 20 or 30 seconds to let you "easily slip the image capture module into a pocket carrying case or backpack".

The really interesting part of the patents, though, and one that chimes with GoPro's recent earnings call comments about plans to make new "types" of action camera, is its modular design. The patents say that the camera and gimbal include a "keyed connector" that is "configured to interchangeably connect the mechanical image stabilization system to an aerial vehicle (e.g a quadcopter drone)" and also a "handheld module".

It's the handheld grip, which would create a DJI Pocket 2-style vlogging camera, that's illustrated in some detail. The patents say that it'd include "a display, a record button, a status indicator light" and two fastening mechanisms, along with a battery release catch (which suggests its batteries will be swappable). The grip is also described as having a "rubbery grip texture" and a shape that's designed for handheld shooting, much like its discontinued GoPro Karma Grip from 2016.

The patents are ambiguous about whether or not this grip's display will be a touchscreen, but say that it might be possible to use it to change the gimbal angle. The description adds that you could also enter "selfie-mode or "HiLight Tag" by voice command and/or input received via the touch interface of the display". Apparently, disconnecting the camera module from this grip "may only take a few seconds for a user to complete".

The main issue with gimbals is that they're usually fragile, which wouldn't really fit GoPro's rugged style. But the patents suggest GoPro's device would be a bit tougher than the DJI Pocket 2, with the gimbal sitting flush with the grip or even hiding its roll motor inside the accessory, giving it a "low profile and protecting the gimbal to reduce risk of damage". GoPro says this setup, which would give it the appearance of a two-axis gimbal, "may provide advantages" over rivals that have "all of their gimbals exposed".

One other advantage GoPro could bring to the vlogging party is the combination of this mechanical image stabilization with its already excellent electronic stabilization. The patents include descriptions of a motion-tracking module and the use of electronic stabilization to further correct rotations of the camera sensor, which could all add up to an incredibly smooth filming experience – if the patents are indeed a sign of what's to come from the action cam giant.

Analysis: A peek at GoPro's 2022 plans?

Patents can never be taken as a concrete sign of what a company is working on, as many never see the light of day. But the level of detail in these documents, and the degree to which they chime with GoPro's comments last month about adding two more "distinct camera products" to its lineup "at the end of 2022", suggest there's certainly a good chance that we'll see it make something on these lines.

In some ways, the concept is a reprise of its earlier GoPro Karma drone and GoPro Karma Grip, which ultimately didn't fare very well. But there are also distinct differences, with GoPro this time seemingly content to make a drone camera (rather than a drone itself) and a handheld grip that has mechanical stabilization that could combine nicely with its electronic HyperSmooth tech.

If the patents are fully realized, it'd put GoPro on another collision course with DJI in 2022. DJI already makes the Pocket 2, which we rate as one of the best vlogging cameras, but one of its weaknesses has always been its fragility that means it can't be classed as an action cam. If GoPro can make a modular rival that adds some Hero toughness to the equation, that could be a compelling new option for YouTubers.

A modular system with a new GoPro camera would also make sense, given the existing GoPro Hero 10 Black is for some users, as GoPro CEO Nick Woodman recently described, "more than they need, or not enough of what they need”. In that same earnings call, he added that "we think it’s important to build very differentiated specialized solutions for different use cases to appeal to entirely new groups of users", and these patents would fit that billing.

While the system would be more niche than its current Hero lineup, it could also create a versatile GoPro range that'd provide a tailored option for most adventure sports scenarios, rather than shoehorning the Hero 10 Black into every use case. We're looking forward to seeing if GoPro does indeed build on the patents or if they are, as is sometimes the case with patents, an elaborate red herring.

• Check out our guide to the world's best action cameras

GoPro accessories are nothing new, but in November 2021 the action cam king launched an unusual one that we haven't seen before – a new Enduro battery for its GoPro Hero 9 Black and GoPro Hero 10 Black models.

The claims are that the Enduro "dramatically improves" your action cam's performance in cold temperatures, and also gives you extended recording times in normal temperatures, too.

For example, GoPro says that when shooting 4K/60p video in moderate temperatures you'll get 13% more battery life, and a massive 40% boost when recording 4K/120p slo-mo. Head somewhere cold (-10C and beyond) and you'll get similar recording times in each mode, with no major hit on your battery life.

That all sounds pretty useful, particularly as the Enduro costs $25 / £25 / AU$40, which is only $5 / AU$10 more than the standard GoPro battery for the Hero 10 Black and Hero 9 Black. In the UK, both batteries are even the same price.

So should you rush out and buy an Enduro for your GoPro? Or is it an upgrade that you should park until you really need a new battery? We put one to the test at various frame-rates, and in varying conditions, to find out.

The test results

To see how big an improvement the Enduro is over GoPro's standard 1,720mAh cell, we ran some tests over both type of batteries in a Hero 10 Black. 

These were somewhat complicated by the Hero 10 Black's tendency to overheat in static situations with no wind, but in those situations we totted up the total record times after giving each battery the same ten-minute cooling break.

For the freezer tests, we ran them after putting the GoPro into the freezer compartment (which was -15C) from room temperature, and also after leaving the batteries in there overnight. In the absence of a ski trip, the latter helped simulate what it'd be like to use the batteries on the slopes or on an extremely chilly camping trip. 

It was here that the Enduro produced the most marked difference in performance –whereas the standard battery only managed to start recording for a matter of seconds before going back to sleep, the Enduro battled through its frosty start and kept going largely as normal. Here are the full results. 

One other claim that GoPro makes about the Enduro battery is that it recharges about 13% faster than the standard battery (as long as you're charging the battery in-camera). This could be handy if you're in a rush or are hot-swapping them on a long shoot.

Again, we found this to be a fair claim, with our Enduro battery charging in 112 minutes, compared to the 125-minute wait for the standard battery to be replenished in-camera. 

Is the GoPro Enduro an essential upgrade?

From our tests, the only situation where the GoPro Enduro battery could be deemed an 'essential' buy is if you're either traveling to, or live in, somewhere with sub-zero temperatures. 

This is because it's much more reliable than GoPro's standard battery when it comes to starting up in extreme cold. For shooting snowsports, that peace of mind is likely worth the $25 / £25.

For everything else, the Enduro is a nice-to-have rather than a must-buy. It certainly does boost the battery life on the Hero 10 Black and Hero 9 Black in normal temperatures, with our tests backing up GoPro's claims for the 4K/60p mode (we got a 15% boost) and 4K/120p mode (where we found a 51% improvement). There's also a marginal improvement in charging times.

If your current battery has taken a battering and has lots some of its stamina, it's worth buying an Enduro and paying the premium over the standard battery. In the long-term, we expect it to become the action cam maker's default battery, but for now it's one of the more sensible GoPro accessories you can buy.

• Check out our guide to the best action cams you can buy

• GoPro is planning a modular DJI Pocket 2 rival for vloggers, according to patents

February isn't traditionally a big time for GoPro news, but this year's been an exception thanks to the action-cam king's recent earnings call. Unusually, GoPro made some big predictions about its plans for the year ahead – including a pledge to branch out into new "types" of action camera.

In a revealing earnings call, transcribed by financial website The Motley Fool, GoPro CEO Nick Woodman said that "at the end of 2022, we plan to increase our hardware offering from the two product types we have today, Hero and Max, to four distinct camera products". That won't be the end of the growth either, with Woodman adding that "we expect to expand that further by the end of 2023".

So which new GoPro cameras can we expect to see? Naturally, the company didn't reveal any specific details, but it did drop a few vague hints. Woodman contrasted GoPro's new approach with its previous one, which it called "good, better, best". The latter led to the creation of three variations on the same concept – the Hero 7 Black, Hero 7 Silver and Hero 7 White – which offered different price points but appealed to the same kind of user.

This year will be very different, it seems. Woodman explained in the earnings call that "we think it’s important to build very differentiated specialized solutions for different use cases to appeal to entirely new groups of users". This would help GoPro avoid the current Hero problem: Potential customers looking at the one-size-fits-all action cam find it's "more than they need, or not enough of what they need”.

As Woodman explained. GoPro already makes "a Swiss Army knife" that can be adapted for extreme sports, vlogging or scuba diving. But that versatility also means its Hero cameras come with "a lack of specialization that some tip-of-spear customers really need or desire". Alternatively "for other users, it doesn't do enough".

These honest assessments, and GoPro's conclusion that it "needs a broadened product offering, a broader portfolio, more tools for more people", have sparked lots of speculation about what it could have up its wingsuit sleeves for this year. So we've rounded up the most likely contenders for those "four distinct camera products", and added our thoughts on how likely they are.

(Note: All of the model names below are purely speculative and placeholders for products we think could materialize, based on GoPro's comments during its recent earnings call). 

GoPro Hero 10 Session

• Likelihood rating: 3/5

When GoPro talks about new form factors, it's hard not to immediately think about a revival of its Hero Session from 2015. The little cube-shaped camera came with the tagline 'GoPro Performance, Simplified' and was designed to fit into nooks and crannies that standard GoPros couldn't squeeze into.

But we're not convinced this is the kind of camera GoPro has in mind when it talks about "specialized knives" to complement its Swiss Army knife flagship. First, the Hero Session range – which was discontinued in 2018 – was still aimed at the same non-specialist audience as the standard Hero series. Also, as our GoPro Hero 5 Session review remarked, it was "fiddly to use" with a "poor battery life".

Still, it's possible that GoPro might be able to overcome those issues and make a more premium DJI Action 2 rival. If so, we reckon it'd be tailored to a more specific use case, though, most likely FPV drone fliers, rather than the average action cam fan.

GoPro Cinema

• Likelihood rating: 4/5

A pro-level GoPro seems the most likely candidate for one of the four product categories that the action maker talked about in its earnings call. CEO Nick Woodman said "we're going after developing premium solutions" and that "I think it sometimes gets missed that GoPros are used by professionals the world over, whether it's for film, television, their own commercial purposes, their own research purposes".

Indeed, Ridley Scott used GoPros to make The Martian, with the director stating that the cameras “became a character in the movie; they were mounted on the astronauts; Matt’s character actually records all of his video logs on them in the habitat." But despite these occasional starring roles, there's no doubt that a more specialized GoPro in the vein of a Sony RX0 II would go down well with filmmakers.

That doesn't necessarily mean a 1-inch sensor, like the RX0 II, as GoPro would likely want to maintain its excellent electronic stabilization. But pro-friendly features like 10-bit video recording and time-code syncing would be, even if the GoPro Cinema (or whatever it's ultimately called) is twice as expensive as the GoPro Hero 10 Black.

GoPro Dash

• Likelihood rating: 3/5

On paper, GoPros seem like ideal dash cameras – they're small, have wide-angle lenses and take great stabilized video. But in practice, their limited battery lives, overheating tendencies and lack of tailored software means they can't quite compete with the best dash cams.

So could GoPro be prepping a car-friendly take on its Hero range? It's certainly possible; GoPro has talked about adding dash cam-like features to its GoPro Labs software, like adding start/stop capture when the camera detects USB power. And it would fit the CEO's observation that it needs to do things that "for years we just can't get done with a Hero camera due to certain physics constraints".

But GoPro would have some considerable ground to make up on the likes of Nextbase. And it may just be a leap too far, considering the company was previously burned by over-stretching into specialist sectors like drones that it had no heritage in.

GoPro Pilot

• Likelihood rating: 3/5

One of the more interesting action cam concepts we've seen lately is the Apeman Seeker R1 – it's effectively an all-in-one safety system for cyclists, including a camera for monitoring and recording the road behind. Could GoPro create something similar for your bike?

GoPro certainly has the camera tech already, but there aren't currently any accessories in its ecosystem that add a 50-lumen tail-light or an anti-collision laser bike lane, like Apeman's new creation. 

This tech certainly isn't beyond GoPro's reach, but the bigger question is how big the market is for an all-in-one system like this. We reckon it's slightly too niche for a dedicated GoPro camera, but perhaps the company has spotted a portable safety solution that'd also tie in nicely with the growing e-scooter boom.

GoPro Stream

• Likelihood rating: 4/5

The traditional camera giants are falling over themselves to become the default choice for streamers and vloggers, a market that already numbers 50 million people (and counting) according to data analysts SignalFire. And it's certainly not impossible that one of the "professional" use cases that GoPro has in mind is Twitch and YouTube streamers.

You can already live-stream directly to the likes of Twitch with any GoPro from the Hero 7 Black onwards, while those with a GoPro Subscription can also stream directly to their audience via a private link. But GoPro's current live-streaming limitations mean there could be a gap for a dedicated device.

There's currently no way to raise the low bit-rate of GoPro cameras when you're live-streaming, and they still lack the finesse and feature set of a dedicated choice like the Elgato Facecam, which offers an excellent 1080/60p output. But there could be a gap for a premium GoPro alternative, particularly for home-streamers who want something that's just as comfortable venturing outdoors. 

Analysis: GoPro prepares to spread its wings again

The rise of smartphones has forced all camera manufacturers to think outside the box of their traditional offerings, and GoPro is no different. The GoPro Hero 9 Black launch seemed like a big evolution for action cameras because its GoPro Labs software opened up new paths beyond the usual dirt trails. Now it seems GoPro is preparing to build on that newfound versatility with new forms of hardware "at the end of 2022".

While dreaming up next-gen GoPros is fun, the company doesn't have unlimited resources. It may have generated record year-end cash balances and revenues that were 30% up on 2020, according to its earnings call, but the distinct lack of action during the pandemic hasn't exactly helped its bottom line.

GoPro is also likely wary of what happened the last time it tried expanding into new territory. In the mid-2010s, it overextended itself with launches like the GoPro Karma drone, a costly decision that ultimately led it towards the more focused path that's produced today's streamlined product range: just the Hero and Max action cams.

Still, while it's unrealistic to expect GoPro to suddenly return to its boom days in the 2010s, there are new possibilities for its little, stabilized cameras. We reckon the most likely scenario for those "four distinct camera products" is the addition of a new premium, professional GoPro and a streaming-focused camera, to join the Hero and Max. But we're looking forward to seeing what it comes up with later this year.

• Check out our guide to the best action cameras you can buy

Cyclists often uses GoPros as their helmet-based dash cams, but Apeman's new camera takes safety to another level with a system that includes several useful features, including an electronic rearview mirror.

At the heart of the Apeman Seeker R1 system is a 4K action camera called the Seeker One, which you mount below your saddle to face backwards. This sits inside the Seeker Smart Tail Light, which turns on automatically when it gets dark and has a 50-lumen rapid flashing mode, alongside a 35-lumen mode to conserve battery.

But perhaps the neatest two features of the Seeker R1 are its anti-collision laser bike lane and ability to give you a rearview mirror for occasional checks behind you. The former uses lasers to project a virtual bike lane onto the road, to make sure drivers give you a wide berth. Early photos suggest this will project quite a narrow lane, but hopefully it'll be possible to make manual tweaks.

Thanks to the 'Go Ape' companion app (we wonder if that name may change, if the outdoor adventure company notices), you can also get a view of the road behind you, assuming your phone is mounted on the handlebars. Naturally, you'll want to keep your eyes on the road most of the time, but it could be useful for a quick glance if you're worried about an approaching truck.

This app also includes an 'SR Sense Mode', which Apeman says will serve up basic riding data like your speed, mileage and the incline of the road you're on. Apeman says the Seeker R1 mount also comes with its own 5,000mAh battery, which can be recharged concurrently with the camera inside.  

There's no pricing or availability info yet for the Apeman Seeker R1, but the company says it will be available on Kickstarter in late January.

Analysis: A neat all-in-one concept for cycling safety

Not many of the Apeman Seeker R1's individual safety features are brand new, but it's interesting to see an action camera combine them in one useful system.

The idea of laser bike lanes goes back a decade or so, and many rear lights from the likes of Lezyne include them as an option. A traditional, handlebar-mounted rear-view mirror also arguably makes more practical sense than using a combination of your phone and an action camera.

But Apeman has spotted a gap that isn't currently filled by any GoPro accessories, and if you're after a cycling-specific action cam whose main priority is safety rather than capturing epic downhill biking videos, it could be a Kickstarter campaign that's worth looking out for later this month.

We have previously been impressed by the value offered by Apeman action cameras; the now discontinued Apeman A100 previously topped our guide to the best cheap action cameras. And the company's new Seeker sub-brand will offer a series of options, including a Seeker F1 case with a 150-lumen light that also turns on automatically in the dark, plus the option of buying its dual-screen Seeker One camera on its own. 

• Check out our guide to the best dash cams you can buy

• Check out all of TechRadar's CES 2022 coverage. We're bringing you all the breaking tech news and launches, everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets.

GoPro Hero 10 Black owners have been given an end-of-year treat in the form of a big firmware update, which delivers three new features including a 24fps mode.

The firmware update, which you can download today via the Quik app, was released in beta form in early November, but has now been given a full rollout just in time for the holidays.

The biggest upgrade, at least for fans of a more 'cinematic' look, is the addition of a 24fps mode, which is now available in 5.3K, 5K, 4K and 1080p resolutions. While higher frame-rates are better for fast-action scenes, 24fps has long been a standard for movies – and fewer frames-per-second also allows more light to get to the sensor.

The impact of this will likely be relatively minor, but it should provide a boost to low-light performance in some situations. If you've been looking to cram more of the scene into your mountain biking videos instead, then the SuperView mode (also new with this firmware update) should be another welcome bonus.

This mode effectively stretches the sensor's 4:3 aspect ratio into a wider 16:9 view, using the whole of the sensor to maintain quality. It's particularly handy when you're shooting POV (point-of-view) videos with mounts like the Chesty, as the wide-angle view helps to get more of the scene in shot.

If that view still isn't wide enough, the Hero 10 Black's new firmware update also delivers support for GoPro's Max Lens Mod accessory. This optional accessory, which costs $99.99 / £89.99 / AU$159.95, gives you the widest possible GoPro field-of-view (155 degrees), and allows the Hero 10 Black to provide even stronger Max HyperSmooth stabilization.

It achieves this by cropping into the wider field of view, which means you can only film in a maximum of 2.7K resolution with the Max Lens Mod. But the considerable benefits are the improved stabilization and automatic horizon-leveling, which are both ideal for filming first-person action sports.

Analysis: Useful extras, but the new Enduro battery is a bigger deal

This firmware update follows the recent arrival of GoPro's new Enduro battery. Announced in early December, this battery is compatible with the Hero 10 Black and promises to bring improvements to recording times and better cold-weather performance.

We haven't had the chance to test out the Enduro battery yet, but if its claims are accurate, it'll likely be more useful than the latest firmware update for most people. GoPro says the Enduro, which you can buy now for $24.99 / £24.99 / AU$39.95, boosts record times by as much as 40% (in 4K/120p mode) and keeps going in temperatures of 14°F / -10°C.

That said, the Hero 10 Black's new firmware update is a welcome addition, particularly as the update prior to this one arrived to fix some overheating issues that mainly affected its 60fps mode.

We can see the 24fps mode being particularly popular with vloggers and filmmakers who use their GoPro as a rugged B-cam, while the new SuperView mode and Max Lens Mod compatibility are handy if you shoot a lot of POV action sports scenes.

• Read our in-depth GoPro Hero 10 Black review

The GoPro Hero 10 Black is one of the best action cameras you can currently buy, despite the arrival of the newer Hero 11 Black. But one of its closest rivals is the DJI Action 2, which arrived at a similar time in 2021.

DJI's follow-up to the original DJI Osmo Action – which was itself a top GoPro rival – didn't just take the easy route with an incremental update. Instead, DJI went leftfield, taking more cues from fellow GoPro rival Insta360 than its own cameras or even GoPro’s.

But are these new changes positives or negatives? We're here to break down how the DJI Action 2 compares to the GoPro Hero 10 Black, so you know which action camera to take on your adventures.

Price: the DJI Action 2 seems cheaper, but is it?

If you simply head to a store and buy the GoPro Hero 10 Black it will set you back $449/£479/AU$699 – that's more than if you bought the new DJI Action 2 instead, which costs $399/£349/AU$609.

That DJI Action 2 package gets you the main camera as well as the power brick add-on. Even if you choose the front screen module instead, you’ll pay less unless you live in Australia. It costs $519/£455/AU$799.

That isn't the end of the story though, as GoPro offers you an alternative way to purchase its top-of-the-range action camera. With a GoPro Subscription, the GoPro Hero 10 Black costs $349/£349/AU$549. GoPro’s subscription gets you cloud storage, discounts, and replacements of up to two damaged cameras a year (with a $99 charge for each Hero 10 Black replaced).

The initial purchase includes a year’s subscription and you can cancel after, so it’s a bit of a no-brainer. That all means that the two cameras are roughly the same in terms of price, giving no clear winner for the budget-conscious buyer.

Design: modular versus traditional

You can’t miss the primary difference between the DJI Action 2 and GoPro Hero 10: their designs. 

The GoPro is a fairly traditional action camera shape, the kind the company has sold for years, with the more recent addition of a secondary front display. It’s a comfortable kind of camera for those of us who have used the things for years. 

The DJI Action 2 is a modular camera. You have the main unit, and can attach a battery back or front display module should you need one. These connect using magnets and a clip, rather than just physical sockets. 

However, DJI hasn’t gone quite as far down the modular route as Insta360 has with its One R series cameras. You can use the Action 2's main unit on its own, because it has a battery. 

Some of you might consider the GoPro Hero 10 Black to be modular camera, too. This is because for recent models you can get the Display Mod with an extra screen, the Media Mod with a microphone, and a Light Mod with an LED array. However, these are accessories for optional features, whereas the DJI system relies on mods for fairly core elements.

Size and weight: tale of two halves

The DJI Action 2’s modular approach means the main camera body is much smaller than the GoPro Hero 10 Black. It measures just 39×39×22.3 mm and weighs 56g. 

The GoPro, on the other hand, is 71.8 x 50.8 x 33.6 mm and weighs 158g. It is almost three times as heavy, is 50% thicker and is about 85% longer. 

This seems to be intended to give the DJI Action 2 a new appeal for the content creator crowd. It can be magnetically mounted to a pendant you wear around your neck so you can wear this under a shirt, and the camera appears to stick to its surface.

The Action 2 is no spy camera – and you shouldn’t be filming people without them realizing anyway – but gives you a fancy way to store the camera when it's not in use.

Add the battery or power modules to the Action 2, though, and we get closer to the weight of the GoPro Hero 10 Black, even if the DJI is still lighter. The kit weighs 112g with the power module, 120g with the front screen one. That is up to 38g less than the GoPro.

Aside from making the controls more fiddly, there is a price to pay for this flexibility. The camera alone offers 10m water resistance, which is great, but you lose that if you plug in a module. You’ll need to get hold of the waterproof case for proper waterproofing in that case, as it provides 60M resistance for an Action 2 with one of its extra modules.

Battery life: GoPro goes for longer 

There’s also a predictable hit to battery life for DJI's action cam. DJI says the Action 2 will last up to 70 minutes when shooting at Full HD resolution (30fps) with the camera brick alone. 

The GoPro Hero 10 Black lasts up to 112 minutes in the same scenario. This drops to 76 minutes when shooting at 4K resolution (60fps). And if the DJI experiences a similar drop, it’s likely to last for 45-47 minutes when using the 4K mode. 

Is 45 minutes enough for casual shoots? A lot of the time it will be, sure. However, you also need to factor in the Action 2's tendency to overheat, which means it can only record short clips. For example, without any modules attached, our Action 2 stopped recording at 4K 60fps after 5m 45s (with the battery at 79%).

You also lose the easy-swap battery system that GoPro uses. It’s the cost of shrinking everything down to the level DJI has achieved. 

Battery life is much better with the Action 2’s Power Mod attached, though. Stamina increases to 180 minutes at 1080p – around 60% longer than the GoPro Hero 10 Black. You can treat these just like a GoPro Battery too, although at $75 a pop they are much more expensive than the $20 GoPro alternative. 

You also get only slightly worse figures if you use the Action 2’s front screen module instead of the Power Mod, at 160 minutes (1080p) instead of 180. That module has its own battery as well. 

Usability: GoPro has more screen estate

Buy a DJI Action 2 and you have to deal with the same issue we discovered using the Insta360 One R. The screen is pretty small, and not the ideal aspect ratio if you publish 16:9 video. 

This is a 1.76in screen with 446 x 424 pixels. It’s going to look very sharp, but the shape is almost square. The Front Touchscreen Module has an identical screen, too. Both look to be of great quality, aside from the size and shape issues.

They are OLED screens with Gorilla Glass protection, and are rated at 500-nit brightness. That is similar to the level of a lower-mid-range phone, and will appear at least reasonably clear outdoors. 

Composing a scene on the 2.27-inch widescreen display of the GoPro Hero 10 Black is going to feel more comfortable. You’re trading one form of convenience for another here.

Sensor: Larger sensor, lower resolution 

DJI made an interesting choice in the Action 2’s sensor. It’s a 1/1.7-inch sensor, which is around 35% larger than the GoPro’s 1/2.3-inch sensor, used to shoot stills and video at up to 12MP resolution. 

However, the GoPro has a much higher-resolution 23.6MP chip, which is what allows it to shoot at 5K resolution. The DJI Action 2 doesn’t have enough pixels to shoot at 5K. 

Of course, larger sensor pixels gives the DJI more of a chance at producing usable night-time footage. No GoPro to date has managed to shine in low light.

You could argue 12MP is the optimal sensor resolution for 4K video capture. Sony seems to agree, having used this resolution in the Sony A7S III. 

However, we have to consider the realities of shooting with an action camera. A lot of the time you actually use a significantly cropped view. When you use digital zoom in the Action 2, you end up upsampling sensor information to reach 4K resolution. 

Still, despite having a lower resolution sensor, the DJI Action 2 actually has a slightly higher maximum bit-rate than the GoPro. It offers up to 130Mbps, where 100Mbps is the GoPro Hero 10 Black’s max setting. 

Shooting modes: GoPro offers better maxed-out modes

As already mentioned, the GoPro Hero 10 Black’s maximum capture resolution is better than the DJI Action 2’s. It can shoot at up to 5.3k resolution. 

The DJI Action 2 can use 4K resolution, at either a 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratio. The latter is 4096×3072. This might be the native resolution of the sensor, but let’s hope it’s not or you won’t be able to use electronic stabilization in this mode.

GoPro also has the edge for slow-mo capture. It can shoot 4K resolution at 120fps or 2.7K at 240fps. While the DJI Action 2 can handle 4K at 120fps too, if you want to shoot at 240fps you have to use a lower resolution of 1080p. 

This is likely the effect of GoPro's more powerful, or more optimized, GP2 processor. Last year’s GoPro Hero 9 Black could only handle 240fps at 1080p, just like the Action 2, because it has the older GP1 processor.

Image stabilization: GoPro leads the way

We don’t think you are going to be disappointed by either of these cameras’ stabilization, particularly if you are new to higher-end action cameras. The GoPro Hero 10 Black uses a system called Hypersmooth 4.0. DJI’s Action 2 has Rocksteady 2.0. 

And, impressively, both offer horizon leveling. This keeps your footage looking 'upright' even if the camera tilts significantly, at up to 45 degrees in the case of the GoPro Hero 10 Black. 

Naturally, this only works with digitally cropped modes, as it uses the same techniques as normal electronic stabilization. Image data that’s out of the initial preview frame but is 'seen' by the sensor is used to smooth out the final footage. 

However, DJI’s HorizonSteady taps out far earlier than GoPro’s Horizon Levelling. You can only use Horizon Steady at resolutions below 4K. If you shoot at 100fps or above you don’t get stabilization at all. You do, though, get 180-degrees of tilt correction on the Action 2, compared to the GoPro's more limited 45-degrees. 

GoPro’s version works in the Hero 10 Black’s top modes including 5K and 2.7K at 240fps. Once again, this is the power of the GoPro GP2 showing what it can do. It’s pretty impressive.

DJI Action 2 vs GoPro Hero 10 Black: the verdict

The DJI Action 2 is a more niche camera than the GoPro Hero 10 Black. Whereas the original Osmo Action had a good stab at using the GoPro formula and upgrading it, the Action 2 goes in a different direction. 

Its modular approach is great if you want an ultra-small camera you can attach to clothing, or mount to things with even less bulk involved than with a GoPro. But you sacrifice low-cost, easy-swap batteries and a screen of a shape similar to the actual footage you’re looking to capture. The GoPro Hero 10 Black’s GP2 processor also gives it the edge for stabilization and high-frame-rate video. 

Still, if you’d like to capture a lot of vlogs where the camera is strapped to your head, or your shirt, the DJI Action 2 is a great solution. If you like to see yourself while filming, though, then the GoPro Hero 10 Black is the more convenient (and fully waterproof) option.

• These are the best GoPros you can buy right now

The DJI Action 2 is a dramatic overhaul of the drone giant's previous action camera, the DJI Osmo Action – and while its modular design is clever and versatile, the downsides mean it's a little too niche to worry the GoPro Hero 10 Black. (Want to jump to our in-depth verdict? Check out our full DJI Action 2 review).

The DJI Action 2 crosses the cube-like design of the now-discontinued GoPro Hero Session and the modular approach of the Insta360 One R. Measuring 39x39mm and weighing just 56g, the Action 2's main unit is incredibly dinky – but you'll need to add an extra module, and possibly some accessories, to unlock its full talents.

You get two main choices of base module. There's either the Power Combo (a $399 / £349 / AU$609 bundle that brings better battery life), or the vlogging-friendly Dual-Screen Combo, which is pretty pricey at $519 / £455 / AU $799. Either way, the DJI Action 2 has a 1/1.7-inch CMOS sensor, which is larger than the GoPro Hero 10 Black's 1/2.3-inch sensor chip – though DJI's action cam is limited to 4K resolution, rather than 5.3K.

• These are the best action cams you can buy right now
• Or check out out guide to the best cheap action cameras
• Read our in-depth DJI Action 2 review

One other unusual feature for an action cam is that the DJI Action 2 has 32GB of built-in storage. To boost that, though, you'll need to connect it one of the aforementioned modules, which take microSD cards up to 256GB.

So how does the DJI Action 2 actually perform? Our review found it to be a slightly mixed bag. The main drawback compared to rivals is battery life, with overheating limiting the lengths of clips you can record. In our tests, the Action 2 (without any modules attached) stopped recording 4K/60p video after just 5m 45s, with the 1080p mode only pushing it up to 7m 24s. DJI quotes its total battery life as 70 minutes (without any modules) or 180 minutes with the Power Module, but these are in a lab environment recording 1080p video with electronic stabilization disabled.

When it comes to image quality and stabilization, the Action 2 does certainly compete with the GoPro Hero 10 Black. This is impressive for such a small camera, although there are some drawbacks. GoPro's flagship offers better stabilization in low light, and DJI's Horizon Steady – its equivalent of GoPro's automatic horizon-leveling – doesn't work in 4K resolutions, topping out at 2.7K.

Still, that Horizon Steady mode does trump GoPro's by correcting virtually 180-degree tilts, compared to the 45-degree leveling on the Hero 10 Black. And the Action 2's overall image quality delivers more realistic hues than its rivals, with video editors potentially preferring its more neutral footage.

Our DJI Action 2 review also praised its modular design, stating that "one thing we absolutely love about the Action 2 is how easy it is to clamp it on and off its mounts". These work using a combination of magnets and clamps, and we added that "there’s no screwing a fiddly screw that can go missing, and no need to struggle with traditional GoPro mounts". 

In terms of pricing, the DJI Action 2 is available in either a Power Combo ($399 / £349 / AU $609, available end of November) or a pricier Dual-Screen Combo ($519 / £455 / AU $799, available now). You can also grab a range of accessories, including a magnetic Adapter Mount ($25 / £19 / AU $29), Remote-Control Extension Rod ($75 / £50 AU £89), waterproof case ($65 / £45 / AU $79), and the Magnetic Ball-Joint Adapter Mount ($39 / £25 / AU $49). 

You can also pick up the Front Touchscreen Module separately for $169 / £155 / AU$249, or add an additional Power Module for $75 / £50 / AU $89. The Action 2 also supports a Macro Lens that magnetically clips onto the Action 2, which you can pick up for $79 / $50 / AU $89.

Analysis: Charming, if a little too left-field

The DJI Action 2 has left us feeling a little torn. Like Insta360, DJI has innovated hard to deliver a very different action cam experience to the GoPro Hero 10 Black – and while we're fans of the design, it does come with some practical limitations.

On the plus side, the magnetic mounting experience is less fiddly than GoPro mounts, and the Action 2's main unit is considerably smaller than any of its current rivals (as you can see above). For gadget fans, it's a delight.

But it's also important to be aware of the Action 2's limitations. For example, the length of the clips you can shoot is generally limited to five minutes, due to overheating. Also, while the main unit is waterproof to 10m, neither the Power Module nor the Front Touchscreen Module are water-resistant without a case.

The Action 2 also offers no external audio options and, with its Touchscreen Module, is considerably pricier than the Hero 10 Black. This means that vloggers should definitely plump for the GoPro, as should anyone who needs an action camera that can shoot continuously for up to an hour in 4K. 

This means we can't help but feel that the DJI Action 2 has tried a little too hard to be different from its GoPro rival – but if you want a modular, modern-day incarnation of the smaller GoPro Session, then it could well still be worth considering.

• These are the best GoPros you can buy right now

The DJI Action 2, the rumored successor to the DJI Osmo Action, appears to have made its first public appearance in a YouTube video ahead of an imminent battle with the new GoPro Hero 10 Black.

The action camera's official box was spotted in a YouTube video by Twitter user Moe K and it appears to back up earlier speculation that the Action 2 will have a cube-like form factor in the vein of the now-discontinued GoPro Hero Session.

The accidental reveal has now been edited in the video at 2 minutes 45 seconds, but a screenshot (below) has spread across Twitter. The packaging certainly looks pretty final, so it seems likely that we can expect to see the DJI Action 2 land pretty soon. 

• These are the world's best action cameras
• Or check out our guide the best cheap action cameras
• Read our in-depth GoPro Hero 10 Black review

The video leak doesn't reveal anything other than a square form factor and screen, but earlier speculation has given us a taste of what the DJI Action 2's specs could be.

A Twitter post from DJI leaker Jasper Ellens (picked up by DroneDJ) last week claimed that the Action 2 will actually be modular, in a similar style to the Insta360 One R. This could allow you to attach an additional display to make it suitable for vlogging to camera.

The apparently leaked manual also suggests that the Action 2 will have a 1/1.7in sensor (larger than the 1/2.3in sensor in the DJI Osmo Action) and weigh just 56g. This would make it around a third of the weight of the GoPro Hero 10 Black, if still twice as heavy as the tiny Insta360 Go 2.

The other specs claim the Action 2 will be capable of shooting 4K/60p video with a 100Mbps bit-rate – this would be impressive for such a small camera, if slightly behind the resolution of the GoPro Hero 10 Black (5K/60p) and the sensor size of the Insta360 One R 1-Inch edition.

If the rumored specs are to be believed, we can also expect the Action 2 to have a 1.76in screen, a reasonably bright f/2.8 aperture and be waterproof down to 10m. But we'll have to wait for its surely imminent launch to find out for sure.

Analysis: A potentially affirmative new Action

These recent DJI Action 2 leaks suggest a big change of direction for DJI's action camera – and one that it'll see it attempt to carve its own niche, rather than directly take on the GoPro Hero 10 Black.

The original DJI Osmo Action delivered handy new features like a front-facing screen, which eventually made their way onto GoPro's action cameras. But that model is now a little dated, and the new cube-like design perhaps explains why there's been a two-and-a-half-year gap since that model.

The leaked packaging certainly looks legitimate, so it does seem likely that the DJI Action 2 (which follows DJI's recent strategy of dropping its 'Osmo' sub-brand) will have a similar form factor to the discontinued GoPro Hero Session.

We were fond of the latter when it first arrived in 2014, because its design meant it could be mounted pretty much anywhere and it was slightly more affordable than GoPro's flagships.

The downsides, though, were that it was a bit fiddly to use and lacked the modern stabilization we see on today's latest action cameras. It also didn't have a replaceable battery, which somewhat limited its longevity.

If the DJI Action 2 does indeed have the rumored cube-like form factor, it'll be interesting to see if it overcomes the shortcomings we saw in the GoPro Sessions. If it can, we could have an interesting new action camera option to add to our adventure backpacks. 

• These are the best GoPros you can buy right now

Our team of experts has tested every GoPro since the HD Hero2 back in 2012. Things have changed a lot since then: today's best GoPro action cameras shoot sharper, smarter, and steadier than ever. Because we’ve reviewed every GoPro along the way, we know exactly what sets the best apart from the rest, and we've distilled that know-how into this guide to help you find your ideal GoPro.

The Hero 13 Black shows just what the latest GoPro cameras are capable of. The flagship model builds on a proven formula, shooting clear 5.3K footage. When we tested it, it was the addition of auto-detected Lens Mods and ND filters that stood out among all action cams, plus better battery life and GPS. We think it’s the most complete GoPro you can buy.

That said, there’s an option in the GoPro lineup for every buyer and budget. We've put each of them to the test, and you'll find our in-depth insights and sample footage (shot by our team) below to give you a feel for the quality you can expect from each camera. All of our testing is done in-house, based on real-world insights, so you can rest assured our recommendations are trustworthy.

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Why you can trust TechRadar

TechRadar has reviewed every major GoPro action camera since the first model hit the market in 2012. Each model in this guide has been tested individually and extensively by one of TechRadar’s experts, and we test rival action cams from the likes of DJI and Insta360, too.

We factor our combined years of experience testing cameras and our knowledge of previous models into every review. Each camera is tested in real-world conditions, too, and we focus on action videos and photography – which is where GoPros really excel. We'll also consider the usability, ruggedness, battery life, record times (including any overheating), and image quality.

Then, we compare our shortlisted GoPros against rivals in the same price range to give you a clear idea of what's available on the market.

All of our advice is based on our first-hand findings, not just the technical specs, and whether you're buying your first GoPro or upgrading, every pick here has earned its place.

Meet the team

Best GoPro specs compared

Running the numbers in your head can be difficult. To help you make sense of what the best GoPro action cameras offer on paper, we’ve set out the specs for our top three models side-by-side in the table below. Specs only tell half the story, though, so be sure to read our in-depth review of each GoPro to get the full picture.

Today's best GoPro cameras

Below you'll find full write-ups for each of the best GoPros in our list. We've tested each one extensively, so you can be sure that our recommendations can be trusted.

Best GoPro overall

GoPro Hero 13 Black sample video

GoPro's latest flagship, the Hero 13 Black, is a minor upgrade from its predecessor, the Hero 12 Black. It features the same 8:7 aspect ratio, 1/1.9-inch sensor, 5.3K video resolution, superb HyperSmooth stabilization to smooth out your clips, and pretty much the same design, including the same 33ft / 10m waterproofing specs. In fact, you'll find all of this in the Hero 11 Black, too. So, according to the specs, it's probably not worth upgrading if you're happy with your Hero 11 Black or Hero 12 Black – though we don't think you should write off the Hero 13 Black just yet. The few tweaks that have been made are pretty nifty.

Updates include improved Slo-Mo video modes, with options ranging from 5.3K / 120fps to 720p / 400fps. Our in-depth testing found these modes a little niche – record times are limited while processing time of those sequences. Then there's the much-needed improved battery life and heat dissipation that extend record times, the introduction of magnetic mounting (finally), and the return of GPS with performance sticker overlays – a welcome addition compatible with devices from the likes of Garmin.

However, it's the new auto-detected HB-series of Lens Mods and ND filters that really stands out. Unique to the Hero 13 Black, the camera optimizes camera settings when it detects a new mod is attached and includes a handy Macro Lens Mod plus an Anamorphic Lens Mod in the pipeline for 2025. These are costly extras, but they open the Hero 13 Black up to a host of new users. DJI and Insta360 might be making up more ground than GoPro with action cameras, but the Hero 13 Black is a polished flagship that remains our top pick for now.

Read our in-depth GoPro Hero 13 Black review

Best beginner GoPro

Launched alongside the Hero 13 Black, the all-new Hero (2024) is a cheap and cheerful entry-level model. It's GoPro's smallest and lightest action camera, tipping the scales at just 86g. The little GoPro is stripped back to basics for beginners, too, with just three shooting modes to choose from: photo, video and slow-mo.

You don't get nearly the same degree of function and features as the flagship Hero Black-series, which is kind of the point, but is also a limiting factor in real-world use. For one, you don't get GoPro's incredible Hypersmooth Stabilization, just electronic stabilization. To be fair, this simpler stabilization does a decent job of smoothing out your footage, while the tiny 1,225mAh battery provides surprisingly lengthy record times. We were able to get around 80 minutes of video footage during our in-depth testing.

If you're hoping for the best bang for buck, the older Hero 10 Black is better value. However, many users will not make the most of the flagship series arsenal of features, and beginners should be well served by the Hero (2024). We would prefer its 4K image quality to be a little better, while slow motion video is limited to just 2.7K up to 60fps. Handling-wise, there's no front screen for selfies, while waterproofing is just 5m, half that of the Hero Black series models. All that being said, the Hero fulfills its brief as a small and simple action cam.

Read our in-depth GoPro Hero (2024) review

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Best value GoPro

Rather than suggesting the Hero 12 Black as the best Hero 13 Black alternative, there's a case for the Hero 11 Black being a wiser choice. After all, all three models have the sensor with an 8:7 aspect ratio and 5.3K-resolution video, which makes it easier to export videos in different formats – such as 9:16 for TikTok and Instagram – without losing any quality or resolution. The other headline feature is support for 10-bit video, something usually found only in the best video cameras. This makes it easier for video editors to fine-tune footage and avoid issues like color banding in skies, particularly when shooting in GoPro's 'flat' color profile.

The Hero 12 Black was a disappointing update of the Hero 11 Black, and most of its tweaks were for pro-users and audiofiles. GoPro inexplicably removed the GPS function from the latter model, too. Add to that the fact that the Hero 11 Black can be purchased for much less than the Hero 12 Black, while being the same user-friendly action camera with all of the GoPro hallmarks, including excellent image stabilization, and it gets our nod as the best Hero 13 Black alternative, and most affordable option for some of GoPro's best-ever action cam features.

Read our Hero 11 Black hands-on review

Best 360-degree GoPro

GoPro Max 2 sample video

The GoPro Max 2 upgraded the original Max from 2019 with a string of improvements: 360 video in 8K with 10-bit color depth, which, in our tests, looked like the best quality video of any 360 camera, provided the light is good. It also introduced tool-free swappable lenses, should the originals get damaged, which is much more cost-effective than buying a new camera!

Overall, the Max 2 is a sizable upgrade from the Max, but its core remains the same; both use two 180-degree fisheye lenses to capture anything in the direct line of sight, and these two hemispherical video files are then stitched together automatically, which is a massive timesaver, and the GoPro smartphone app lets you edit and publish spherical media from start to finish on your phone. This shooting process expands the types of shots you can create, especially when recording action. It saves you from worrying about getting everything in shot and lets you focus on what you’re actually doing.

The Max 2 also benefits from decent 16ft / 5m water resistance, in-built retractable mounting fingers and is compact enough to be compatible with GoPro’s entire range of mounting solutions. To round out the top-line features, the Max 2 has a solid internal microphone audio array that captures a truly three-dimensional soundscape. Don't need 8K shooting? The original Max shoots 5.6K and has come down massively in price since the Max 2 release.

Read our in-depth GoPro Max 2 review

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How to choose the best GoPro

How we test GoPro cameras

GoPros are among the toughest cameras around, so we properly put them through their paces to make sure they live up to their rugged billing – and can shoot excellent video and stills, too.

We take each one through a range of real-world tests, including cycling, swimming, and, if possible, an experience like an adventure course. These not only give us a good idea of each model's ability to withstand the elements, but also how easy they are to operate in difficult conditions.

When it comes to footage, we record in a variety of resolutions and frame rates to help gauge each action camera's strengths and review these clips on a calibrated monitor. We look at default color reproduction and noise levels in shadows and highlights, and look out for any common image quality issues, including clipping, softness, barrel distortion, and over-zealous processing.

We go through a similar process to analyze each GoPro's image stabilization (called HyperSmooth in its most recent models), which is crucial to maintaining image quality during movement, and look at the quality of any special shooting modes too, including slo-mo and timelapses.

For battery life tests, we continuously record at different resolutions and frame-rates. We note down both how long the action cams lasts and when it has to shut down due to overheating. Lastly, we evaluate how user-friendly each GoPro is, by testing both their touchscreen interfaces and companion apps.

Shooting and sharing video has never been easier, with pros and enthusiasts alike treated to a vast array of tools to help suit their needs. However there's always a catch...

The problem with high-performance video recording, especially if you want to create longer clips, is that camera bodies can overheat and shut down altogether. 

While we might expect that from larger-sensor cameras, such as full-frame mirrorless options, it seems that even action cameras like the new GoPro Hero 10 Black can also suffer from the same fate in some rare cases.

After YouTuber GadgetsBoy noted that his Hero 10 Black shut down after 20 minutes of recording at the new 5.3K 60p mode, Digital Camera World contacted GoPro for more information. 

• Read our GoPro Hero 10 Black review
• Discover the best action cameras you can buy
• What are the differences between the Hero 10 Black and the Hero 9 Black?

According to the action camera manufacturer, the issue is entirely to be expected and won’t hinder the creativity of the average Hero 10 owner. It said, “The HERO10 is engineered to support what we know a majority of HERO owners use the camera for: to shoot shorter clips in environments with natural airflow.”

It went on to suggest that its own research has shown that 75% of the videos captured on a GoPro are less than a minute and 10 seconds. To that end, being able to record 5.3K at 60fps for 20 minutes shouldn’t present a problem for the average user. You can also record 4K at 60fps for 25 minutes if you need a little longer. 

Recording for longer is also possible in scenarios where there’s greater airflow, which will apparently improve the camera’s thermal performance beyond the 20 minute cut-off. 

Analysis: Will a larger sensor cause more overheating problems?

The ability to record at the new 5.3K at 60fps is one of the new features which distinguishes the Hero 10 Black from its predecessor, the Hero 9 Black, so it’s interesting to see that there are some design limitations – even if it’s unlikely to be a problem for the majority of its owners. 

It’s also interesting to note that GoPro is sticking with a smaller sensor - compared to some of its rivals - and yet still faces this problem. How the company tackles the overheating issue if it decides to step up to a larger sensor in the future will be interesting to see. While it’s true that most people don’t record long clips, if someone else can solve the problem it’ll likely be used in marketing warfare. 

• These are the best video cameras you can buy right now 

It’s been a biggest week of the year, and possibly last few years, for pocket video cameras. On Tuesday Apple announced the iPhone 13’s promising ‘Cinematic mode’ feature – and, two days later, the GoPro Hero 10 Black skydived into our lives with its powerful new GP2 chip.

But with Apple’s new feature, which we haven't yet tried in the real world, potentially bringing shallow depth-of-field video to the mainstream, is GoPro about to look out of step with the kind of movies we’ll be able to create with our phones?

After all, despite its powerful new GP2 processor, the single-lens GoPro Hero 10 Black isn’t able to produce the kind of depth maps and computational wizardry seen in Apple’s keynote.

Yet the tough, waterproof GoPro Hero line has already weathered the storms of 4K camera phones – and as we discovered in our GoPro Hero 10 Black review, it’s still the undisputed master of action videos where background blur is usually a disadvantage, and stabilization is everything.

There’s no doubt, though, that while we’ve seen pro video modes on phones before, the iPhone’s 'Cinematic mode' feature and ability to shoot in Apple ProRes are the starting whistle for GoPro's biggest challenge so far…

• Read our in-depth GoPro Hero 10 Black review

Cinéma vérité

The GoPro Hero 10 Black and Apple iPhone 13 Pro are two very different pocket cameras, but they have the same overarching aim – to help people (mainly amateurs, but increasingly professionals) shoot high-quality video and stills with little fuss.

The Hero 10 Black will always be able to go to places (and be mounted in unusual spots) that smartphones will never reach. But the issue it could increasingly face is the style of video we become accustomed to shooting on our phones – namely, video with shallow, adjustable depth-of-field.

The name of Apple's 'Cinematic mode' has riled many videographers, who see it as hyperbole to rank alongside its 'Retina' displays and 'Lightning' ports. This is because there's a lot more to being 'cinematic' than blurring out backgrounds to bring something to the viewer's attention. Filmmakers agonize over color palettes to build an overall mood (follow Cinema Palettes on Twitter for a good insight), and that's before you even get into lighting, location scouting, storyboarding and audio.

But despite the name, there's no doubt 'Cinematic mode' has huge promise for everyday filmmaking and vlogging. Convincing shallow depth-of-field for video hasn't been a story-telling tool we've had on our phones, because their small sensors and lenses don't produce the kind of 'natural' bokeh you'd get from combining a full-frame camera with a bright prime lens.

Phones began solving this issue for photos with the HTC One M8 back in 2014, which led to the compelling simulated bokeh we see in today's Portrait modes. We've also already seen some phones (the Huawei Mate 20 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S10) attempt to do the same for video. But Apple's keynote revealed that there is likely more going on under the hood of 'Cinematic mode' than we've seen in any comparable tech before.  

For one, it has a predictive focusing system that attempts to automatically choose what kind of 'focus rack' you need for your scene – for example, focusing on someone's face as they enter the scene, or as switching focus as they look over to another person in the background. But arguably the bigger news is its ability to create depth maps for video.

These are created using the varying viewpoints of the iPhone 13 series' lenses, rather than LiDAR tech, because 'Cinematic mode' is available on the iPhone 13 Mini and iPhone 13, which lack LiDAR scanners. The result is that editing software like the Photos and iMovie apps, and soon desktop apps, will let you change the focus point (or at least simulate this happening) after you've shot a video. Interestingly, an Apple software engineer also said the mode will let you do the same for photos.

• What is Cinematic mode? The iPhone 13’s new video focusing trick explained

Smooth operator

This kind of computational video tech, which we've also seen previously on apps like Focos, is simply well beyond the GoPro Hero 10 Black. 

The closest thing GoPro has to it is the GoPro Max, which instead lets you decide where to point the camera in the spherical, 360-degree video it shoots in post. Its two lenses could also theoretically create depth maps. But the Hero 10 Black is a more traditional action camera – and it feels distinctly old-school compared to the depth-of-field trickery that's about to explode on phones.

Small cameras that can shoot pro-looking video are a booming market – that's why Sony launched the Sony ZV-1 (above) last year, which we reckon is currently the best vlogging camera. But the clock is surely ticking on its time at the top. One of the ZV-1's YouTuber-friendly tricks, called 'Product Showcase' mode, lets the camera quickly pull focus from a person's face to a product held up to the camera, then back to the presenter's face. 'Cinematic mode', far from helping us become home-based Tarantinos, looks perfect for these more everyday purposes.

So where does that leave the GoPro Hero 10 Black? It lives in a world removed from true computational video, but it's very likely that its world will continue to co-exist with 'cinematic' smartphone trickery. After all, not every still photo we take is in 'portrait' mode. Also, early attempts at portrait-style video, including Apple's, will continue to have practical limitations – Cinematic mode is, for example, limited to a maximum resolution of 1080/30p. Apple's demo conveniently lacked speech, too.

The Hero 10 Black might only have one lens, but that super wide-angle lens (plus a lot of software trickery) is the key to what is still GoPro's best trick – HyperSmooth stabilization. This is able to reduce judder in virtually any situation, and thanks to the Hero 10 Black's GP2 processor its strongest forms now work in its highest video settings (for example 5K/30p and 4K/60p).

HyperSmooth has recently been joined by an increasingly useful 'horizon leveling' tool. This keeps your horizon steady, even if your camera's turned from side-to-side – and on the Hero 10 Black it can now correct turns of up to 45 degrees. It works really well and, along with HyperSmooth, lets you capture video that simply isn't possible with a phone.

The Hero 10 Black's advantages over phones are also strengthened by the limitations of the latter. Phones are simply too fragile and important to risk in dangerous situations, too awkward to fit in tight spots, and your video shoots can be interrupted by phone calls and notifications. Still, the question remains – if GoPros want to be our phones' waterproof stunt doubles, do they need to learn new video tricks like 'Cinematic mode' to stay relevant?

• What is Apple ProRes? The iPhone 13 Pro's new video format explained

Focus group

For GoPro's traditional shooting diet, probably not. In sports videos, you generally want to keep everything in focus, because it's hard to predict exactly where the action will be at any given second, or who will be the right person to focus on.

This is partly why GoPro's have a fixed-focus lens with deep, non-adjustable focus that stretches off into the distance. While Apple's 'Cinematic mode' can apparently predict where the focus needs to head next, it's unlikely to be able to cope with a fast-moving action scene.

Interestingly, though, we have started to see an equivalent to Apple's new mode start to sweep across live sports coverage. If you've watched the NFL or La Liga game recently, you'll probably have seen an on-pitch camera with movie-like bokeh infiltrate the players' celebrations after a touchdown or goal (like the one below). This comes from a gimbal-stabilized mirrorless camera that naturally produces the effect that Apple's 'Cinematic mode' is striving for.

Still, while that's a relatively niche use case, the GoPro Hero 10 Black (or perhaps its successors) are in more of a bind when it comes to an area they've increasingly been flirting with: vlogging. The Hero 9 Black introduced a front LCD screen for this purpose, which dramatically improved its appeal among YouTubers looking for a tough b-cam to use out in the field.

If smartphone modes like 'Cinematic mode' let you shoot videos with convincingly rendered bokeh, and also create the effect of letting you tweak focus afterwards, then GoPros could become less appealing in these less action-based scenarios. Unless, of course, the Hero 10 Black's successors learn to create their own video depth maps using additional lenses or sensors, with a setup like the 360-degree Max.

• GoPro Hero 10 Black vs Hero 9 Black: 7 key differences you need to know

Pocket rockets

For now, the reality is the video powers of the GoPro Hero 10 Black and phones like the Apple iPhone 13 will dovetail quite nicely. Both offer powerful software modes, whether that's HyperSmooth 4.0 or 'Cinematic mode', to help us create pro-looking videos in situations that would have previously required expensive, back-breaking camera setups.

We also don't yet know how good 'Cinematic mode' is going to be. Apple's demo was far from perfect, and that was with professional lighting, actors and directors behind the phone. It'll likely be flawed and limited to specific situations to begin with. But the kernel of promise is there and, given the rising importance of video as a camera feature, it'll no doubt be refined very quickly over the next couple of years.

The days of GoPros striving to be our generalist cameras were over well before the Hero 10 Black arrived, but it has the features and power to continue being everyone's favorite b-cam and a handy tool for professionals who need to get a specific shot in demanding conditions.

Ultimately, the winners of all of this fierce competition are us. Over the next few years, we’ll all have the chance to have a hugely versatile camera rig in our pockets for virtually any shooting situation or video style. The exciting question is what everyone will do with that power.

• These are the best action cameras you can buy right now

The GoPro Hero 10 Black is the action cam king's flagship model – and with its double-digit name, you might expect it to be a big upgrade on its Hero 9 Black predecessor, which remains on sale. 

As our GoPro Hero 10 Black review found, though, that's not necessarily the case. This generation doesn’t have big design changes like those introduced in the GoPro Hero 9 Black, which may come as a relief to most users, since accessories and Media Mod add-ons won’t suddenly become obsolete. 

Instead, the GoPro Hero 10 Black is more of a quality-of-life upgrade. Its GP2 processor, for instance, makes this action camera much more responsive and fun to use than the Hero 9 and its predecessors. That was one of the main criticisms raised by our GoPro Hero 9 Black review.

This new brain also allows for higher frame-rates in one specific area, more advanced image processing, tweaked stabilization and better live streaming features. However, GoPro Hero 9 Black owners (or prospective owners) should consider the upgrade only if they're particularly keen for a more slick and immediate feel. 

There's no dramatic shift in image quality on the Hero 10 Black, even if a new outer lens coating and processing algorithms do offer at least marginally improved footage most of the time. But as you'd expect for the higher price, it does improve on the Hero 9 in a few select ways. We've rounded them all up here to help you decide you resolve your 'Hero 9 Black vs Hero 10 Black' buying conundrum.

1. GoPro Hero 9 Black vs Hero 10 Black: processor

The GoPro Hero 10 Black received the first new processor since the Hero 6 Black from 2017. It’s called the GP2. 

This SoC – or system on chip – enables most of the changes we’ll talk about in this article. However, it also provides a more direct improvement, one we’ve wanted for years. 

The GoPro Hero 10 Black feels faster than its predecessors. It brings faster boot-ups, a more responsive touch interface and quicker captures. This may not sound all that exciting, but we think it’s one of the most glaring shortcomings on earlier models that GoPro needed to address. 

These cameras are some of the most expensive consumer action cams around, but zipping around their interfaces always felt a little labored. GoPro’s GP2 has changed that for the better, and also introduced a new wired transfer mode.

2. GoPro Hero 9 Black vs Hero 10 Black: image quality

Most action cameras have poor low-light video. The same is true of GoPros, and we don’t think the GoPro Hero 10 Black has changed that radically.

Low-light shooting is improved in the new camera, but it’s thanks to better processing rather than a larger sensor or a dramatically improved lens. 

The GoPro Hero 10 Black’s GP2 processor introduces what GoPro calls “3D noise reduction”. This is not a 3D camera, though, so instead you're getting greater cross-referencing of frames to improve the final footage. 

This is most effective in lower, rather than ultra-low, lighting – scenes like sunset, dusk, or when shooting under a dense canopy of trees. That last one is probably the most important, given how often hikers, trail runners and cyclists will use a GoPro in forests. 

GoPro cameras already do much better than almost all the competition in wooded areas, judging by our testing, so this is is a handy image quality boost over the cameras from Insta360 and DJI. 

3. GoPro Hero 9 Black vs Hero 10 Black: Stabilization

Long-term GoPro fans will have guessed that a new version of HyperSmooth was coming. There’s always some form of improvement to GoPro’s fantastic motion smoothing stabilization with each leading Hero camera. 

The GoPro Hero 10 Black introduces Hypersmooth 4.0.  This increases the effectiveness of horizon-leveling from 27 degrees to 45 degrees. 

Horizon leveling keeps your footage upright even if the actual angle of the camera is tilting all over the place. An extra 18 degrees means you can move more aggressively without breaking the illusion of a fully-stabilized upright camera, which is useful for off-road biking and snowboarders. 

This is a feature of software stabilization, so will only apply to cropped views, not the 'digital lens' that offers the widest field of view. GoPro achieves this without a change in the lens’ view of the world, which is quite impressive. The GoPro Hero 9 Black and 10 Black both have 132-degree lenses.  

4. GoPro Hero 9 Black vs Hero 10 Black: Lenses

The GoPro Hero 10 Black gets some lens improvements, but these all relate to the outer lens covering rather than the inner lens itself. There are three aspects here. 

GoPro has improved the kind of glass used, for greater scratch resistance. It’s still a removable outer lens housing, but you’re less likely to need to replace it. There’s a hydrophobic coating, which does genuinely make water bead off more efficiently – a big improvement for the water sports fans. 

Reduced ghosting is perhaps the most interesting change, mostly because there’s a lot of scope for this to be misinterpreted. The first form of ghosting that comes to mind relates to HDR photography, where there are changes in scene between the multiple exposures used to make a HDR photo (or video frame). It also isn't related to when higher frame rate content is downsampled to, say, 30fps. 

Instead, the reduced ghosting comes from a lens coating that improves image contrast when dealing with high levels of light contrast in a scene, which can cause a sort of ghostly bleed into the shadow areas. 

5. GoPro Hero 9 Black vs Hero 10 Black: frame-rates

The GoPro Hero 10 Black’s GP2 processor unlocks a higher-quality shooting mode. There’s no 8K capture here, but the 5.3k resolution mode seen in the GoPro Hero 9 Black is now capped at 60 frames per second rather than 30. 

That’s neat, as you no longer need to choose between a smoother frame rate or above-4K resolution. 

There’s a 'but' coming. For the best Hypersmooth 4.0 stabilization results you’ll want to stick to 5.3k at 30 frames per second or 4K at 60 frames per second. In practice, it’s not quite as dramatic an upgrade, then, but certainly useful if you won’t need the extreme sports-ready maxed-out stabilization mode all the time. 

The GoPro Hero 10 Black’s stills are slightly different, too. They can now be recorded at the sensor’s native resolution, 23MP, rather than the 20MP of the Hero 9 Black. Both cameras share the same image sensor, so this is a small upgrade.

6. GoPro Hero 9 Black vs Hero 10 Black: displays

GoPro has changed both the front and rear displays of the GoPro Hero 10 Black. But there’s some unpacking to do here. 

The front screen has a 1.4-inch LCD, like last time, but has smoother live preview. This likely does not mean the screen itself is better, but that the GoPro Hero 10 Black is able to comfortably drive a secondary display at a higher frame-rate more comfortably when using high-quality modes like 5K capture. That is a result of the new GP2 processor.

However, the rear screen, still a 2.27-inch LCD like last time, also has improved touch sensitivity. There's no major hardware change here, though. In June 2021, GoPro released an update for the Hero 9 Black that significantly improved touchscreen performance. 

The GoPro Hero 10 Black takes these changes and then simply makes the experience a bit better thanks to the improved performance of the GP2 CPU. 

7. GoPro Hero 9 Black vs Hero 10 Black: weight and webcam powers

The GoPro Hero 10 Black looks very similar to the Hero 9 Black. However, it weighs 5g less, at 153g instead of 158g. 

We’d probably never have noticed if we hadn’t spent some time poring over GoPro’s spec sheets. 

There is a fairly major change to using your GoPro for live streaming or as a webcam over USB-C, a feature that was available in GoPro’s Labs beta library before being released fully alongside the Hero 9 Black. You can use the Hero 10 Black as a webcam/streamer with Hypersmooth 4.0 stabilization. 

However, the resolution ceiling remains 1080p, not 4K. 

GoPro Hero 9 Black vs Hero 10 Black: verdict

At the time of writing, the GoPro Hero 10 Black and Hero 9 Black cost the same ($349 / £329 / AU$529), as long as you buy them with a one-year GoPro Subscription. Given the latter can be cancelled at any time, we reckon that's a good idea – which means the Hero 10 Black is the no-brainer choice.

It isn't a huge leap forward on the Hero 9 Black, but does bring a higher frame-rate 5K video mode, improved HyperSmooth stabilization, slo-mo when shooting in 2.7K resolution (rather than 1080p on the Hero 9 Black), and a host of usability improvements thanks to that GP2 processor.

If the $100 / £100 / AU$150 price difference between the two action cams returns, then that decision is a little harder. If you'll make good use of the 5K/60p mode and improved stabilization, then the Hero 10 Black is the best action camera you can buy. But if not, the Hero 9 Black remains a fine choice that's good enough for most people and situations.

• These are the world's best action cameras

Editor's Note

• Original review date: September 2021
• Succeeded by the GoPro Hero 11 Black and Hero 12 Black
• Launch price: $499 / £479.99 / AU$749.95
• Official price now: $249.99 / £249.99 / AU$429.95

Update: March 2024. Formerly GoPro’s flagship action camera, the Hero 10 Black has been succeeded not once, but twice since its launch in 2021. In terms of overall features and image quality, both the Hero 11 Black and Hero 12 Black eclipse it. But if it’s outright value you’re looking for, the Hero 10 Black is still well worth considering. Significantly reduced over the last few years, it can now be purchased directly from GoPro for a fraction of its launch price. For your money, you’re still getting a fantastic action camera with effective Hypersmooth 4.0 image stabilization, a smooth interface with useful shooting features and a maximum video resolution of 5.3K/60p, all wrapped up in a shell that’s waterproof to 10m without a case. What’s more, in our experience, the GoPro Hero 10 Black is often the target of additional discounts in seasonal sales. We’d expect to see further reductions as GoPro’s customary September release date approaches, when we predict that the Hero 13 Black will break cover. The rest of this review remains as previously published.

Two-minute review

The GoPro Hero 10 Black is now the middle child in GoPro's action cam family, following the launch of the Hero 11 Black. While this means it's missing a few features compared to GoPro's flagship – most notably an 8:7 sensor that's ideal for shooting vertical, TikTok-friendly videos – it's arguably now the sweet spot for value. The GoPro Hero 9 Black is cheaper still, but this model's GP2 processor means it offers a more polished overall experience.

Despite its momentous name, the Hero 10 Black wasn't one of those GoPros that represented a big leap forward for the series. For example, we saw bigger step changes when the GoPro Hero 5 Black arrived with case-free waterproofing,  or when the GoPro Hero 7 Black introduced HyperSmooth stabilization.

Instead, the Hero 10 Black refines (and fixes) most of the new features we saw on the Hero 9 Black, while adding a sprinkling of new shooting modes and better usability. This makes it the best action camera you can buy right now, as well as one of the best video cameras you can buy.

The Hero 10 Black is built around the same 23MP 1/2.3-inch sensor as its predecessor and is waterproof down to 10 meters. But it's that new GP2 processor that unlocks most its new talents. Chief among these are some new shooting modes, including new 5K/60p, 4K/120p and 2.7K/240p options. 

As we discovered during our GoPro Hero 10 Black review, the latter two are fun, slow-mo affairs that are perfect for social media cut-scenes or b-cam footage, particularly as GoPro's revamped Quik app will happily do some of the editing for you.

Other improvements include a much more responsive touchscreen interface (the Hero 9 Black fell down here), a handy new wired data transfer mode for phones, and some under-the-hood image quality boosts, including local tone mapping and improved low-light noise reduction. There are certainly some small improvements to video quality as a result, but the Hero 10 Black can still only do so much with its relatively small image sensor.

More significant for most people will be the fact that, despite the arrival of HyperSmooth 5.0 on the Hero 11 Black, this model's HyperSmooth 4.0 remains some of the best action camera video stabilization tech around. Watersports fan will also enjoy the effective new hydrophobic coating on its toughened-up lens cover.

It's a shame the Hero 10 Black didn't move up to a larger sensor like the Insta360 One R 1-Inch edition, while GoPro's recent moves into webcam and livestreaming continue to come with limitations on resolutions (still only 1080p) and platform support (although it is now possible to livestream with HyperSmooth stabilization).

Despite its relatively conservative upgrades, though, the GoPro Hero 10 Black does nicely refine the image-quality strides made by the Hero 9 Black, and alongside GoPro's new flagship it's the most user-friendly, powerful action camera you can buy. Its feature set also makes it one of the best YouTube cameras available right now, and for adventurers, it's also one of the best travel cameras you can buy.

GoPro Hero 10 Black price and release date

The GoPro Hero 10 Black has now dropped slightly in price since the arrival of the Hero 11 Black. You can now buy it for $349 / £349 / AU$549 with a GoPro Subscription, which you can cancel at any time, or for $450 / £449 / 699 on its own. That means it's $50 / £30 / AU$50 cheaper than its original launch price in September 2021.

The GoPro Subscription, formerly known as GoPro Plus, costs $49.99 / £49.99 / AU$69.99 per year when bought separately. If you buy the Hero 10 Black with a Subscription, you will be set up to auto-renew annually. But you can avoid this by cancelling the subscription at any time during the first year.

Given that you're not obligated to renew the subscription, it's likely the best way for most people to buy the Hero 10 Black. Included in the GoPro Subscription is unlimited cloud storage for videos and photos at full quality, automatic uploads, full access to the Quik app's editing tools, 50% off all accessories (up to 10 per year), live-streaming support, and replacements for broken cameras (for a fee, depending on the camera).

The Hero 10 Black is now the middle model in GoPro's official range of three Hero action cameras. The Hero 9 Black ($299 / £299 / AU$499, with a Subscription) sits below, while the Hero 11 Black ($399 / £399 / AU$649.95) is the range's flagship.

GoPro Hero 10 Black: Design

• New hardier lens cover with water-repellant coating
• Rear touchscreen and menus are far more responsive
• Otherwise physically identical to the Hero 9 Black

The GoPro Hero 10 Black is, physically, nigh-on identical to its predecessor and its Hero 11 Black successor. The only external difference from the Hero 9 Black is the new model's fancy blue logos on the front and side. 

GoPro made a couple of subtle tweaks, though, and the big one for watersports fans is the new lens cover. This now has a water-repelling hydrophobic coating, and it really works – we ran the Hero 10 Black and its predecessor under a tap, and the new lens cover was significantly better at repelling water, leaving no droplets to obscure your view.

This lens cover also apparently has greater scratch resistance, which was trickier to try out on our loan sample – although an unplanned test when our head-mounted GoPro flew off after a heavy zip-line landing and came to rest in some jagged wood chips resulted in no obvious marks on the lens.

Like the Hero 9 Black, this lens cover is also removable and replaceable if it does suffer serious damage, like a direct hit from an Airsoft pellet, or if you want to add ND (neutral density) filters.

The Hero 10 Black is actually 5g lighter than its predecessor, although we can't tell exactly where GoPro has made this weight saving, and it brings no practical advantages anyway. Like before, the camera has folding 'fingers' in its base for mounting it directly onto accessories. These first appeared on the Hero 8 Black, and mean you don't need to fiddle around with an extra housing to bolt the camera onto your helmet.

If you're not familiar with the Hero 9 Black, here's a quick refresh of the other design features the Hero 10 Black has inherited. There's a 1.4-inch front LCD for vloggers, which GoPro says is now a little smoother when showing movement than before, thanks to higher frame rates enabled by its GP2 processor (more on that later). although this screen is so small that we honestly couldn't tell the difference from its predecessor.

Far more noticeable is the improved 2.27-inch rear touchscreen. Again, GoPro says this has "improved touch sensitivity", but the real difference comes from the power of the GP2 processor. The Hero 9 Black's sluggish, unresponsive rear screen was one of our biggest criticisms of that model, and while it did improve with a recent firmware fix, it's still nowhere near as snappy as the Hero 10's touchscreen.

Let's be clear – this is how the Hero 9 Black should have performed from the outset, so it's hardly a win for its successor. But the faster startup times (it's typically ready to go in under five seconds, compared to eight seconds for the Hero 9 Black) and smartphone-like snappiness do make it far more enjoyable to use than last year's often frustrating experience.

Open the Hero 10 Black's side door and you'll find the same 1,720mAh battery as the one used by its predecessor. Like the 1.4-inch front LCD, this was another change that was introduced on the Hero 9 Black, so it's something to be wary of if you're upgrading from an older GoPro – your older 1,220mAh batteries won't work here.

Flanking the battery cover are a microSD card slot and USB-C port. The latter is used for charging, but it can also be used to directly transfer footage to your Hero 10 Black via wired transfer (this is about 50% faster than wireless transfers). It's a simple enough process with Android phones, which just need a USB-C to USB-C cable, but iPhone users will need the Apple Lightning-to-USB camera adapter, plus a standard USB-A to USB-C cable.

Overall, then, the Hero 10 Black is a hardy pocket camera that's waterproof down to 10 meters, and which feels a little more polished than its predecessor.

GoPro Hero 10 Black: Features

• Same 23.6MP, 1/2.3-inch sensor as the Hero 9 Black
• GP2 processor unlocks significant boosts to shooting modes
• Now possible to livestream with HyperSmooth stabilization

Back in 2020, the GoPro Hero 9 Black introduced a new image sensor. It was the same-sized sensor as those in previous GoPros (1/2.3-inch), but had a higher resolution that enabled that camera to be the first GoPro to shoot 5K video. The Hero 10 Black has this same image sensor, but pairs it with a new GP2 processor that unlocks some handy new talents.

The GP2 chip (now also in the Hero 11 Black) was the first big processing upgrade we'd seen in GoPros for four years, and was long overdue. The GP1 struggled to cope with the increased demands placed on it by the Hero 9 Black's dual screens and higher-resolution sensor, and its successor is behind pretty much all of the improvements you'll find in the Hero 10.

What are these improvements? Alongside the aforementioned boosts to start-up times and touchscreen performance, there are also some useful new frame-rate modes that make it a more versatile action camera. You can see a summary of the new modes in the table below, but the particularly fun ones are the slow-motion options – including a long-awaited 4K/120p mode.

The headline video improvements are those high frame-rate modes, but there are also some more enhancements. GoPro has been doing some algorithmic tinkering, and its GP2 chip brings local tone-mapping – an HDR processing technique for improving dynamic range – from its photo mode to video as well. 

In theory, this enhances contrast in specific areas of the video (rather than globally, across the whole frame) to bring out more detailed textures. In a similar vein, GoPro says it's improved its '3D noise reduction' to boost the Hero 10 Black's low-light performance in dimly-lit scenes (think woodlands, dusk or your home).

Do these work? In a side-by-side comparison with the Hero 9 Black using the same settings, we did see a noticeable improvement in the definition of fine details (trees and grass, for example) on the Hero 10 Black. Look closely, and footage from its predecessor looked a little smudgy by comparison. This may only be noticeable to pixel-peepers though, and the noise reduction improvements were less obvious. It's a subtle rather than a dramatic difference.

Probably more useful to most people are the final GP2-related improvements: better in-camera horizon leveling and HyperSmooth 4.0. The option of automatic horizon leveling, which keeps your footage level even if you're rocking from from side to side, used to only be available in GoPro's app. The Hero 9 Black introduced an in-camera version, but the Hero 10 Black's horizon-leveling skills are much more powerful, with the ability to correct footage that's been skewed by 45 degrees, rather than just 27 degrees.

This is a handy feature for mountain bikers or skiers who want smooth footage that won't give viewers motion sickness. Another bonus on this front is HyperSmooth 4.0, which brings the stabilization's powerful 'High' mode to the Hero 10 Black's most demanding modes (5.3K/30p, 4K/60p and 2.7K/120p). Rivals like the Insta360 One R 1-Inch edition might have trumped GoPro with their larger 1-inch sensors, but in our experience HyperSmooth (now boosted to HyperSmooth 5.0 on the Hero 11 Black) remains the best form of stabilization on any action cam.

Finally, if you've been thinking of using a GoPro as your livestreaming camera, the Hero 10 Black brings one other upgrade here – you can now stream with HyperSmooth 4.0 stabilization.

Unfortunately, there are still all sorts of restrictions on live-streaming with a GoPro, depending on your preferred platform – for example, Twitch is iOS-only, while YouTube requires you to have a channel with 1,000 subscribers, and you can also only create a private livestreaming link to send to friends if you're a GoPro subscriber. But the addition of HyperSmooth certainly makes it a much more useful tool for those who want to create action-packed streams with lots of movement. 

Naturally, the GoPro Hero 10 Black also inherits all of the special shooting modes we saw on the Hero 9 Black. These include TimeWarp 3.0 (one of our favorite modes, which creates a stabilized timelapse film) and 'Power Tools', which were first teased in GoPro Labs. This group of features, which still feel a little 'beta', bring some specific modes that are collectively very useful. 

One of our favorites, 'Hindsight', constantly buffers video so that when you press the shutter button you can record the previous 15 or 30 seconds of video; no longer will your dog's impromptu japes go unrecorded. Another 'Power Tool' includes 'scheduled capture', which enables you, for example, to leave your GoPro set up to capture the sunrise; it's not exactly earth-shattering, but it all boosts the Hero 10 Black's versatility. We'd note, though, that many of these features are also available on the older Hero 8 Black once you've loaded the GoPro Labs firmware onto the camera.

GoPro Hero 10 Black: Performance

• Unchanged battery life means it's worth carrying spares
• Built-in microphones are the same as on the Hero 9 Black
• New slo-mo modes are a bonus for cut scenes

While the Hero 10 Black's GP2 processor does make it a more polished, fun camera to use than its predecessor, some aspects of its performance are still typical GoPro.

One of these, unfortunately, is battery life and overheating. The 10 Black has the same battery as the Hero 9 Black, which at 1,720mAh is larger than the batteries in all previous GoPros. But much of that capacity is drained by the Hero 10 Black's more demanding dual screens and high frame-rate modes.

In our battery test, with the camera shooting a continuous 4K/30p clip with HyperSmooth on and the screen brightness at 50%, we managed to get 72 minutes of recording from the Hero 10, which included two breaks for overheating, when the camera shut down under the strain.

This is actually a little less than we got from the Hero 9 Black, and similar to the result for the Hero 8 Black, so it's clear that the old GoPro adage is true: make sure you carry a spare battery or two with you. 

In a real-world test, during a visit to an adventure park, our fully-charged Hero 10 Black gave us three and a half hours before conking out. That was a taxing afternoon for the camera, with lots of menu swiping and changing of frame-rates, but this is also a typical day out for a GoPro. Because it was exposed to moving air, we also didn't experience any overheating problems.

Another traditional GoPro weakness, audio, also hasn't improved from the Hero 9 Black. The microphones do produce acceptable sound quality in quieter environments, while voice isolation and the handling of wind noise are certainly superior to older GoPros. But if you want to guarantee audio that matches your video quality, then we'd recommend getting the Media Mod accessory, and either plugging in a lavalier mic, or getting a wireless option like the Rode Wireless Go II.

On the plus side, though, the Hero 10 Black's new slow-mo modes (4K/120p and 2.7K/240p) are a lot of fun, and a great way to bring a change of pace to your social media videos. 

As always, there is a noticeable quality drop when shooting in these modes, particularly if you find yourself in anything other than bright sunlight, but the versatility these modes give you, particularly when combined with horizon-leveling and HyperSmooth stabilization, makes them one of the main reasons to upgrade from an older GoPro.

GoPro Hero 10 Black: Video and image quality

GoPro made some changes to the default video settings on the Hero 10 Black. The action cam maker has seemingly outgrown the signature saturated look it's leaned towards previously, instead going for a more natural style out of the box.

There are actually now three color settings to choose from. Previously you either had the option of a 'GoPro' color profile (which produced punchy, bold colors) and a 'flat' one that you could grade afterwards. But now there's an additional 'Natural' profile, which is the new default, and we're pretty big fans of it.

GoPro has also dialed down the 'sharpness' to medium by default (another good move), but we tended to shoot with it on 'low', and with the bit-rate set to 'high' (or 100Mbps) for maximum image quality. When compared to footage shot on the Hero 9 Black with the same settings, the results were similar, but with subtle improvements that are likely down to that new local tone mapping.

Still, the Hero 9 Black had already made the big advances in areas like detail over older GoPros with that new sensor, and you're unlikely to notice a huge difference here unless you're really pixel-peeping. The 5K/60p mode is a nice-to-have, if not ideally suited to action scenes due to the more limited stabilization that's available, but it's the new slow-mo modes that are the most fun.

There's undoubtedly still a softness to the video in the Hero 10's slower frame rates of 120p and 240p (particularly the latter), but the option of shooting 4K/120p and 2.7K/240p lifts them from novelty status to something genuinely usable. GoPro's HyperSmooth also remains the best you'll find on an action cam, while the boosts to horizon leveling are another welcome bonus.

On the other hand, not many people buy a GoPro to shoot stills – and while the Hero 10 is a passable, waterproof stand-in for your smartphone, it has been left a little behind on this front by rivals.

In good light, the results are pretty crisp and colorful, while SuperPhoto can help you regain some highlight details from areas like sky. But the 3MP resolution boost from the Hero 9 Black won't be noticeable to most, and in tough scenes – including low light ones – it simply can't compete with the computational pipelines of Apple, Google and Samsung.

You do get the option to shoot in raw, but this is only available in the 'wide' fisheye view and shadow recovery is limited with a 1/2.3-inch sensor.

Perhaps the more sensible approach to GoPro snapping is to simply accept the sub-smartphone quality, and embrace the convenience of 'frame grabs', which now let you grab slightly improved 15.8MP stills from 5.3K video (or 19.6MP from 5K 4:3 footage). The kind of shots you get from doing this are unlikely to be found in your phone's camera roll, and the GoPro's ability to venture into dangerous territory remains one of the main reasons to buy one.

Should I buy the GoPro Hero 10 Black?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider...

If our GoPro Hero 10 Black review has you considering other options, here are three more action cams to consider...  

First reviewed: September 2021

The GoPro Hero 10 Black has just been announced and it squeezes 5.3K60fps video, 23MP photos and a brand new processor into an easier-to-use action camera than last year’s Hero 9. GoPro is already offering deals, too – if you opt for its cloud service subscription.

Our GoPro Hero 10 Black review dives into what it’s like to capture pixel-dense 5.3K video at 60fps (up from 30fps), 4K video at 120fps (up from 60fps), 2.7K video at a maximum slow-mo speed of 240fps (up from 120fps). The result? Cleaner footage at smoother frame rates.

Packing 15.8 million pixels into a video frame, the Hero 10 Black allows you to walk away with larger useable screengrabs if you can’t decide between taking video and stills: up to 15.8MP grabs when recording in the 16:9 aspect ratio, or 19.5MP if you’re a monster and record in a 4:3 aspect ratio. Dedicated photos are 23MP with this action camera, up from last year’s 20MP.

The GoPro Hero 10 Black look hasn’t changed year-over-year aside from blue accents on the GoPro name on the front and ‘10 Black’ insignia on the right side.

It has does have a new lens cover with hydrophobic-watershedding glass that GoPro says reduces ghosting and is more scratch-resistant (a much-needed upgrade, but too late for this editor’s original Hero 9 Black lens cover, which endured a tiny scratch immediately when his GoPro, mounted to an RC card tumbled off a small ridge).

GP2 gets its gee-wow moment

Behind the scenes, the Hero 9 Black is using a brand new processor: the GP2, finally replacing the G1 System-on-a-Chip that debuted in the GoPro Hero 6 way back in 2017. This is what allows the camera to double last year’s frame rates, but there are a lot of other perks.

The GP2 chip uses more complicated algorithms to apply advanced local tone mapping and 3D noise reduction. So even when you’re capturing video in low-light situations, it looks cleaner out of the camera and that calls for less time editing video in post.

GP2 is also the brains behind the Hero 10 Black’s HyperSmooth 4.0, the next generation of GoPro’s in-camera electronic stabilization that keeps everything steady at 5.3K30fps, 4K30fps, and 2.7K120fps. Going along with that, the handy Horizon Leveling feature has seen its tilt limit increase from 27 degrees to 45 degrees when recording off-angle video up to 4K60fps.

Then there are the little things that fix big problems: the front LCD has higher frame rates for more fluid live previews, boot times are quicker and the familiar rear 2.27-inch LCD touchscreen is more responsive (an issue that dogged the Hero 9 Black until just recently).

WiFi speed is 30% faster, but what may be the best small GP2 quality of life bonus: there’s a new wired offload option that allows you to transfer media directly to your phone at 50% faster speeds than wireless. No need to pop out the tiny SD card and risk losing it to get the fastest transfer rates.

Analysis: Should you buy the Hero 10 Black with a subscription?

GoPro really wants you to join its subscription service, and that makes the actual Hero Black 10 price a bit complicated – bear with us. Luckily, that can be a good thing if you want to take advantage of its perks like unlimited cloud backups at original quality, damage replacement services and 50% off GoPro-made accessories. 

Let’s figure out how much it’ll cost for this year’s action camera in the US and UK. We’ll update the pricing for other regions once we have that information.

In the US, the Hero 10 Black retails for $499, but you shouldn’t pay that much because it goes for a more reasonable $399 if you opt for a GoPro.com subscription, which costs $49.99 a year. That’s a total of $349, and seems like a no-brainer.

In the UK, there’s a similar pricing structure: the Hero 10 Black costs £479.99 at retail, but £379.98 with the subscription. GoPro’s subscription service in the UK costs £49.99, bringing the true total to £429.97. 

Why stop there? Both regions are also incentivizing accessory bundles: it’s $449 / £429.98 with the accessories and subscription, and $549 / £529.99 with the accessories but without the subscription. In the US, existing GoPro subscribers can upgrade to the bundle at $399, a $150 savings.

In Australia it's pretty much the same deal, AU$599.95 for the Hero 10 Black with the included 1 year GoPro subscription, or $749.95 for those that are adamant about not signing up. Seeing as you can cancel the AU$70 per annum subscription at any time, it seems like a no brainer. 

If your head is spinning and in need of HyperSmooth 4.0, you’re not alone. Of course, you can read our GoPro Hero 10 Black review and watch samples video of the camera to see if it’s worth your money and time figuring out the complex pricing structure.

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We've not heard all that much about the GoPro Hero 10 Black ahead of its expected launch – but the only leak of note was so comprehensive that it told us just about everything we needed to know. Now a new leak fills in one key detail that was missing: the price.

According to WinFuture, the GoPro Hero 10 Black is going to retail for €540. A straight currency conversion gives us $640 / £460 / AU$865, but GoPro won't use a straight currency conversion – it's perhaps more helpful to say that the Hero 9 Black originally went on sale for almost €480, so it sounds like this year's model will be more expensive.

You can get the current Hero 9 Black from GoPro for $450 / £430 / AU$670, so expect those prices to go up when the GoPro Hero 10 Black is officially unveiled – something that should be happening within the next couple of weeks.

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Specs and upgrades

The latest WinFuture article also reveals some more about the features that the GoPro Hero 10 Black is bringing with it, powered by a new chipset called GP2. It's apparently twice as powerful as the one in the Hero 9 Black.

That will translate into better video in low lighting conditions, as well as improved image stabilization, according to WinFuture's sources. There's also a new lens cover with a hydrophobic (water-repellent) coating that minimizes reflections too, which should further improve the quality of the photos and videos you can grab with the camera.

As for the display on the front, WinFuture says it will run at a faster refresh rate than the one on the Hero 9 Black, for a viewing experience that's more fluid. In addition, expect touch controls and a shutter release button that operate faster.

Analysis: the GoPro Hero 10 Black sounds like an action camera beast

It doesn't sound as though the GoPro Hero 10 is going to add a huge number of improvements over the current model – and the design is staying more or less identical – but the upgrades that are rumored make us think that this is going to be an action camera well worth looking into.

It looks likely that the GoPro Hero 10 Black will offer a maximum 5.3K video resolution, with faster frame rates available at lower resolutions – the 2.7K resolution is said to support up to 240 frames per second, which is perfect for those slow motion clips.

Meanwhile, although the GP2 chip isn't necessarily going to do anything revolutionary, it should improve the quality of videos and photos captured by the GoPro Hero 10 Black across the board – everything will still just work, but at a faster speed.

With GoPro rumored to be focusing on low-light performance and video stabilization smoothing technologies in the marketing material for the GoPro 10 Hero Black, it sounds like this will very much be a premium-level action camera – perfect for those who have the budget to afford it.

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We haven't heard much about the GoPro Hero 10 Black to date, but a major new leak reveals some of the upgrades that could be in store when the next version of the iconic action camera gets an official launch.

WinFuture has got hold of images and specs of the GoPro Hero 10 Black, showing a design that more or less sticks to what we saw with the GoPro Hero 9 Black – save for some blue highlights on the GoPro lettering – and naming the new GP2 processor that's going to be running inside the next model.

That processor upgrade should lead to a boost in picture and video quality – expect higher resolutions and frame rates to be supported by the incoming action camera. In addition, the video stabilization technology will once again be improved.

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Coming soon

According to WinFuture's sources, the GoPro Hero 10 Black will be capable of recording 5.3K video at 60 frames per second, while the 4K resolution is going to support a maximum of 120 frames per second, and the 2.7K resolution goes up to 240 frames per second.

The photo resolution is apparently going to get an upgrade from 20 megapixels to 23 megapixels, while it sounds like all of the other existing features are going to be retained too – including waterproofing up to 10 meters or 33 feet.

What we don't know yet is how much the GoPro Hero 10 Black is going to cost, or when it might be made official. The GoPro Hero 9 was announced in September 2020, so its successor could well arrive in September as well.

Analysis: GoPro continues to refine a classic

There's a reason that the brand GoPro has become synonymous with action cameras: its devices are powerful, compact, reliable and very well put together, which gives the GoPro design team a tough challenge when it comes to improving the camera each year.

With LCD displays front and back now, and full waterproofing without a case, there doesn't seem to be much else that GoPro can do in terms of changing the looks of the camera – not unless it's going to start again from scratch and forget all the years of heritage that have been earned up to this point.

On the inside, the changes are pretty much as we would expect, and what we tend to see each year: upgrades to both resolutions and frame rates, with faster image and video processing and an improved camera sensor as well. The GoPro Hero 10 Black will be the best GoPro ever, but it won't make the 2020 edition redundant.

With future action cameras, GoPro may well follow the lead set by Google and its Pixel phones by improving the software processing and enhancements as well as the hardware. In the meantime, we're looking forward to seeing what the 2021 model has to offer.

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A GoPro Hero 9 Black firmware update has finally improved the action camera's frustratingly sluggish touchscreen – and also delivers some new open source tools that should see it play nice with other tech.

The Hero 9 Black's v1.6 update, which is available to download now via the Quik app, delivers several tweaks, but the main one is that it "improves touchscreen performance in menus and settings".

So does it actually fix the action camera's annoyingly unresponsive screen? Kind of, but not completely. We've updated our camera's firmware, and it's definitely easier to pull down the settings menu. Scrolling through preferences also feels much snappier. But compared to the Hero 8 Black there's still some slight lag in places.

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• Read our in-depth GoPro Hero 9 Black review

For example, hitting the 'capture settings' box results in a slight hesitation, which can lead you to tap the screen again, when you feel your first prod hasn't registered.

This certainly isn't a deal-breaker, and we did promote the Hero 9 Black to the number one spot in our best action cameras and best GoPros guides after a previous fix made some decent improvements; it's just slightly frustrating that the Hero 8 Black still offers a slightly snappier experience.

Arguably the bigger feature of the Hero 9 Black's firmware update, though, is its compatibility with the new 'Open GoPro' platform, which is a new API (Application Programming Interface) for developers to get their teeth into.

This allows anyone with some coding knowledge to write software that interacts with or controls certain aspects of the GoPro Hero 9 Black. Not everything is available to developers – for example, there's no access to the action cam's video feed – but tinkerers will be able to access the camera's wireless connectivity, video preview, status and SD card transfer.

Right now, this will only be available to the Hero 9 Black, and it's obviously early days for the API. But it does mean that you can expect to see much better integration with other hardware, like smartwatches and bike computers, along with other software.

Analysis: a quietly big deal for GoPro's action cams

This isn't the first time GoPro has flung open the software doors to its action cameras – just over five years ago it announced the GoPro Developer Program, which aimed to let companies create "a seamless user experience between their products and GoPro products".

This led to a few integrations with the likes of BMW, Fisher Price and Polar. But the program slowly fizzled out, so now GoPro has launched Open GoPro to be more, well, open than the previous API, which should mean a lot more creative integrations.

Rather than requiring an official partnership to be set up with GoPro, there is "no application or approval process", and you can see demos or sample code at the Open GoPro site.

The move is the latest step in a strategic shift by GoPro that started with GoPro Labs, which is a platform that lets you try out unreleased beta tools that massively increase the versatility of GoPro's flagship camera.

Back when the Hero 9 Black launched, we argued that it was secretly a big evolution for action cameras, because this new openness could help turn it into a surprisingly versatile Swiss Army Knife of a camera. For example, it could potentially become your webcam, body cam, dash cam or security cam, thanks to new features like wake-up timers for remote start capture.

The new Open GoPro platform should only boost this versatility. GoPro says that Amazfit smartwatches have used it to let you wirelessly control your Hero 9 Black with your smartwatch, while Orqa FPV goggles now let you wirelessly control a GoPro mounted on a drone. We're looking to see more creative tie-ins appear soon, once developers have got their teeth into the new GoPro API.

• GoPro Hero 9 Black vs Hero 8 Black: 9 key differences you need to know

GoPro has launched a new Quik app that brings its automated editing skills to all of your videos, whether they've been shot on your smartphone, DSLR or action camera.

The app, which replaces the existing GoPro app for iOS and Android, is aiming to solve what GoPro calls the "black hole" problem of your phone's camera roll, where your favorite videos and photos get lost in a sea of screengrabs and duds.

GoPro actually merged the previous incarnation of Quik – an app it bought in 2016 – with its own GoPro app in 2019. But now the latter is being rebranded as Quik and given some new editing tools that GoPro hopes will broaden its popularity beyond owners of its action cams.

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• Or check out our guide to the best GoPros
• Read our in-depth GoPro Hero 9 Black review

So what's new in GoPro's revamped one-stop shop? On the plus side, there are some new automatic video creations tools, which add things like royalty-free music that's beat-synced to your videos.

Another nice touch is a video speed tool, which lets you speed ramp your videos to make them faster or slower and add super slo-mo segments at various points throughout a clip.

Like before, you also get access to GoPro's video editing themes and filters for a social media-friendly look, plus the Mural feature (which arrived in December 2020) for a personalized 'wall' of your favorite photos and videos.

On the downside, though, the Quik is only free to use on a trial basis. If you want to unlock its full powers, you'll need to subscribe for a cost of $1.99 / £1.79 / AU$2.99 per month or $9.99 / £9.49 / AU$14.99 annually. 

This subscription will eventually give you unlimited cloud backup for all your photos and videos at their original quality, though this feature won't be released until "later this year", according to GoPro.

Automatic pilot

The revamped Quik app, which replaces the existing GoPro app, represents another move by GoPro to get into subscription services to help supplement its action cam sales.

It already offers a GoPro subscription ($49.99 / £49.99 / AU$69.99), which gives owners of action cams like the GoPro Hero 9 Black unlimited cloud storage of videos and photos at original quality, live-streaming, and replacements for damaged cameras.

If you already have that subscription, you'll automatically get full access to the Quik app's skills for no extra cost. 

But for those who don't already subscribe to GoPro, the standalone Quik subscription might be a tougher sell – particularly considering the number of alternative apps and the fact that unlimited cloud backups won't be available until later in 2021.

There's no doubt Quik has its charms, particularly if you don't want to get into the weeds of video editing and need a quick, automated edit with music and social-media friendly effects.

But with the likes of iMovie and Clips, not to mention powerful paid-for options like LumaFusion, already widely used, the new app's subscription option might struggle to gain traction before those cloud backups arrive, despite the snazzy beat-timing skills and stylish themes.

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The DJI FPV drone darted into our lives this week like a slightly friendlier Sentinel from The Matrix. But one of the most intriguing things about it, other than those otherworldly looks, is how much its launch felt like a GoPro event. 

With vertiginous videos of wingsuit fliers, drifting cars and motocross riders, it was all a little more extreme than your average DJI drone event. In fact, it was barely distinguishable from GoPro's crowd-sourced highlights reels.

There are a few good reasons for this. Firstly, the DJI FPV is a bold new step from the drone king onto GoPro's home turf of capturing hi-octane events at close quarters. But it's also an attempt to turn drones into a kind of extreme sports simulator, and hints at a shared history with GoPro that could have turned out very differently.

Before we fly back to the early days of drones, what exactly is the DJI FPV? A speedy 'first-person view' drone that comes with a pair of video goggles that give you a live video feed from the sky, the DJI FPV is inspired by racing drones – but isn't designed to compete directly with them.

Instead, this $1,299 / £1,249 / AU$2,099 flying machine wants to bring the FPV experience – which, like VR headsets, comes with all sorts of practical downsides – to complete beginners. And also help them capture aerial 4K footage that's of a similar quality to the likes of the DJI Mini 2.

In this sense, the DJI FPV feels like the drone that the ill-fated GoPro Karma, which launched back in 2016, could have been. FPV drones have been around since way before then, and GoPro has always marketed action cams like the GoPro Hero 9 Black as the perfect accessory for extreme sports – even if most us are more likely to fly economy that pull on a wingsuit.

Strangely, if discussions between the action cam giant and a fledgling DJI had gone differently a few years ago, the DJI FPV could well have arrived sporting a GoPro logo, too...

• Read our hands-on DJI FPV review

Bad Karma

Back in the early 2010s, GoPro was flying in a very different way – its action cam sales were going through the roof and it had very little competition. DJI, on the other hand, was an unknown drone manufacturer with a promising UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) called the DJI Phantom.

That first-gen drone didn't have its own camera, but it was compatible with GoPros, so it made sense for DJI and GoPro to discuss collaborating on a drone. As DJI founder and current CEO Frank Wang revealed in a 2015 interview with Forbes, the two companies "wanted to make a product together for GoPro to sell, but the negotiation never came to fruition".

The problem, according to DJI's Wang, was that GoPro "treated us like the original equipment manufacturers". So, with DJI "not willing to be someone else's accessory", the two companies went their separate ways – before colliding head-on when GoPro launched the ill-fated GoPro Karma in late 2016.

Leaving aside the delicious irony of that product name, at least from DJI's perspective, GoPro's decision to make a drone certainly made sense (and arguably, still does). After all, these flying cameras were increasingly being used at the same action sports events as ground-based cams like its then-flagship GoPro Hero 4.

Sadly, the Karma was a disaster. Soon after its launch, GoPro was forced to issue a recall after battery issues caused power failures during the flight of some models. Inevitably, this meant that GoPro's attempt to give its cameras an aerial platform ending up bombing harder than Wile E. Coyote.

Of course, we don't yet know what problems could yet befall the DJI FPV. Many early reviewers on YouTube have crashed the drone (albeit largely thanks to pilot error) and does come with practical complications that mean it's very unlikely to match the popularity of all-rounder drones like the DJI Mavic Air 2. 

For example, you're legally required to have an observer or 'spotter' with you when flying FPV drones – this is because the video goggles mean you can't maintain a line of sight with the drone, which somewhat dampens the new model's pick-up-and-play appeal. 

Still, there's no doubt that the concept of an affordable, 87mph drone that shoots 4K/60p video and gives you the sensation of being a fearless paraglider has got GoPro written all over it – and feels like the natural evolution of the company's somewhat plateauing action cams.

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Fly hard

FPV drones have been around since way before the GoPro Karma launched, but they've largely been a hobbyist niche for tinkerers and solderers – until now.

The DJI FPV is unique because, in theory, it combines the speed and agility of a racing drone with the filmmaking powers and user-friendliness of models like DJI Mini 2 and DJI Mavic Air 2. It's also attempting to bring extreme aerial sports to a new audience – which is again why it feels like a GoPro-style play.

The early Hero action cams sprang from hobbyist beginnings to create a brand-new camera niche for themselves. But as GoPro found when it made the Karma, drones are on another level of complexity – and the DJI FPV is far from a guaranteed home run. 

Aside from that prospect of high-speed crashes (DJI sells lots of replacement parts), the DJI FPV also faces the potential danger of truly satisfying no one. 

Yes, it has a top speed of 87mph and can accelerate from 0-62mph in just two seconds, but it can't hit the 120mph top speeds of the homemade flying machines seen in pro racing leagues; and at 795g, it's way too heavy for hardcore drone racers.

And yet the DJI FPV also can't match some of the company's Mavic models when it comes to capturing high-quality aerial footage. Its relatively small 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor is more in the realm of smaller fliers like the DJI Mini 2, rather than the DJI Mavic 2 Pro, and you also don't get any of the intelligent flight modes, like QuickShots or subject tracking, that have made DJI's drones such user-friendly aerial filmmaking companions.

What you do get, however, is the RockSteady image stabilization from the DJI Osmo Action to help keep your videos smooth. Would GoPro's HyperSmooth stabilization be ideal for an FPV drone? Most definitely – in fact, many of today's affordable FPV drones, like the Shendrones Squirt, are designed to be fronted by GoPros for that very reason.

What this all means is that, rather than truly satisfying drone racers or aerial filmmakers, the DJI FPV is instead a bold attempt to spark mainstream demand for a new hobby – one that involves simply flying a drone for the fun of it. 

Whether or not DJI will be able to give 'ready-to-fly' FPV drones their GoPro Hero moment is up for debate, but one thing's for sure: it's now too late for GoPro to play catchup.

Land vs air

GoPro's history may be closely linked with those of both DJI and FPV drones – it's frequently been the choice of camera for FPV hobbyists' kits – but once it decided to go it alone with the development of the Karma, there was never any real chance of a future drone like a GoPro FPV.

In a pretty frank interview with Mashable back in 2018, GoPro CEO Nick Woodman admitted that the action cam giant simply underestimated how much time and money is needed to produce drones – and that it was better off putting that energy into the GoPro Hero series.

To be fair, that decision certainly bore fruit, as from the GoPro Hero 7 Black onwards the action cams rediscovered their mojo and, propelled by excellent features like GoPro's HyperSmooth stabilization, got a second lease of life that's ultimately led to the impressive GoPro Hero 9 Black. In the process, GoPro even saw off the threat from the DJI Osmo Action.

But despite all this, it's hard not to imagine an alternate timeline where GoPro collaborated with DJI in those early days, or managed to develop its own FPV system, which could have given us a serious alternative to the DJI FPV – or at least given first-person view drones more mainstream appeal.

Instead, the DJI FPV will be taking to the skies without any real competition – and while the so-far lukewarm reception to VR headsets suggests it might face a challenge to become anything more than a niche and somewhat pricey toy, we're certainly looking forward to strapping on those goggles, and escaping the pandemic by flying like an eagle.  

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GoPro Labs is a new platform that lets you test-drive unreleased software features –and a fresh update has just unlocked some extra tricks for the GoPro Hero 9 Black, along with the GoPro Hero 8 Black, GoPro Hero 7 Black and GoPro Max.

The firmware update, which you can load into your compatible camera via a microSD card using the process below, adds some extra features to the dozen or so tricks that GoPro Labs delivered when it launched for the Hero 8 Black in June 2020.

These include enhancements to the motion detection function, which is now supported in all video modes, including the 360-degree one on the GoPro Max.

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• These are the best action cameras you can buy right now

Another couple of new features could help you, for example, turn your GoPro into a dash cam. 'USB power triggers' mean you can get your supported GoPro to start/stop when it's plugged into USB power, while 'camera motion triggers' can do the same when the camera's accelerometer or gyroscope detect that it's moving.

While some of these features may seem quite minor, the benefit is that they let you get creative with your GoPro in ways that haven't been possible before. For example, a new live streaming feature lets you program your GoPro to start live streaming within seconds of being connected to a designated Wi-Fi network, which could be handy for YouTubers or Twitch streamers.

Alternatively, a new 'one-button mode' lets you simplify your GoPro Hero 9 Black (or other supported GoPro) and avoid accidentally changing modes. Enable that feature, and you'll only be able to start/stop capture on the action cam, with all other features disabled.

How to get the GoPro Labs update

GoPro Labs is an optional platform for those who fancy tinkering with experimental features before they're fully released. That means you need to use the old-school method of updating your firmware, rather than doing it via the GoPro app.

Fortunately, it's pretty straightforward. Just download the Zip file for your compatible action camera from the GoPro Labs page – again, only the GoPro Hero 9 Black, GoPro Hero 8 Black, GoPro Hero 7 Black and GoPro Max are supported right now.

From there, it's just a case of inserting your microSD card into your laptop or computer (using an adaptor if needed), opening the Zip file and dragging the 'update' folder onto your card. When you plug the card into your GoPro (with the power off), it'll automatically start the update and give you a check mark to confirm the update was successful.

GoPro says you won't lose any pre-existing modes or features. This new update's features join the previously released Lab tricks that included handy modes like a wake-up timer for remote recording, which is particularly useful for shooting timelapses.

Collectively, these bring some pretty useful versatility to the Hero 9 Black, which we've argued is secretly a big evolution for action cameras. With the ability to create custom QR code triggers and more, it's becoming something of a Swiss Army knife for action cams, and garnering appeal that elevates it above the best cheap action cameras.

• Why the GoPro Hero 9 Black is secretly a big evolution for action cameras

The GoPro Hero 9 Black has just been given two last-minute Christmas gifts in the form of a much-needed firmware update and an accessory called The Remote.

While the pre-Christmas timing might sound festive, the two arrivals are actually long-awaited updates that help fix some of the GoPro Hero 9 Black's early teething problems.

GoPro's current Smart Remote isn't actually compatible with the Hero 9 Black, so its successor – simply called The Remote – is here to fix that. Like before, it's a waterproof, smartwatch-sized accessory that can be strapped to your wrist, handlebar or gear, and helps you control your GoPro from up to 200 feet away.

The Remote brings a slightly different design to its predecessor, with one big raised record button in the center, and the mode and settings buttons pushed to the side of the device. But the concept is the same – it lets you change most functions from afar, including the shooting mode, so you can safely record the action without being in the thick of it.

Right now, The Remote is only available in North America for $79.99 (around £59 / AU$105), but will get a worldwide release in February 2021. It's only compatible with the GoPro Hero 9 Black, GoPro Hero 8 Black and GoPro Max.

While The Remote certainly looks like a handy accessory, the bigger news for Hero 9 Black owners may well be that v1.5 firmware update, which is available to download from today. Rather than bringing lots of brand-new treats, it delivers fixes to some of the frustrations that have been raised in GoPro's forums – including the return of support for the Pro 3.5mm Mic Adaptor.

• These are the best action cameras you can buy right now
• Read our in-depth GoPro Hero 9 Black review
• Or check out our guide to the best cheap action cameras in the world

Festive polish

The Hero 9 Black mysteriously lost support for GoPro's Pro 3.5mm Mic Adaptor, which lets you connect an external mic to your action cam for superior audio. But that has now returned in the v1.5 firmware update, alongside a list of other much-needed improvements.

GoPro says the update brings "improved GPS accuracy", up to 30% faster wireless transfer speeds of content between the Hero 9 Black and GoPro app, and better HyperSmooth 3.0 performance in cold temperatures. The latter has previously been unavailable in particularly chilly conditions, because it's a power-hungry mode that can demand too much of the camera's lithium ion battery in the cold.

Elsewhere, the Hero 9 Black has been given a new slo-mo shortcut slider button and support for live streaming with the new Max Lens Mod. Vloggers can also now get in-camera horizon lock when live streaming.

Along with the previous firmware update on October 20, which promised to improve the Hero 9 Black's laggy touchscreen and over-sharpening in 4K video mode, these improvements should finally give GoPro's flagship the polish it deserves. 

It's a shame some Hero 9 Black owners have had to wait a few months for the addition of functionality that arguably should have been there from the start, but we'll now be revisiting our review to see if the camera deserves to jump ahead of the GoPro Hero 8 Black as the best action cam for most people.

Not that the Hero 8 Black or Max have been entirely left out of the firmware updates party – both cameras will also today receive updates that will apparently improve transfer speeds by up to 15% and 20%, along with support for The Remote.

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