GoPro Mission 1 Pro: One-Minute Review

The Mission 1 Pro is as rugged as you’d expect any GoPro action camera to be, with a highly water-resistant design — even without an additional casing — and a shock-resistant body that can survive tumble after tumble, but with 8K recording quality it enables you to capture footage with a real cinematic feel.

Thanks to impressive subject tracking and GoPro’s HyperSmooth stabilization tech, the Mission 1 Pro can capture the action smoothly whether you’re wearing it yourself, or following your subject along a trail or down a piste.

Plus, thanks to the new larger 1-inch sensor, low-light video quality is better than ever for a GoPro — letting you take advantage of the roughly two hours of 4K 60p recording time available to you on a single charge even as the sun starts to set.

Meanwhile, HLG HDR format and GP-Log2 support, control over ISO, EV, white balance and shutter speed, and the freedom to record in 8K/30p open gate — the full height and width of the versatile 4:3 aspect ratio sensor — will give you more artistic and post-processing options that make this action camera feel more like a professional piece of kit.

The downside of all this is that the Mission 1 Pro doesn’t come cheap. It’ll set you back $699 / £599.99 / AU$1,099.95 if you aren’t already a GoPro member, while members can take advantage of a healthy discount, with prices starting at $599 / £509.99 / AU$949.95. This sure is pricey even for one of the best action cameras when DJI rivals cost substantially less, but if you’re going to take full advantage of its cinematic capabilities, it’s certainly one to consider.

The only real disappointment is that its photography capabilities left me wanting. With its optional point-and-shoot camera-style grip I had hoped that the GoPro Mission 1 Pro might perform well as a stills snapper, but it did struggle at times. Hopefully, the ILS model with its Micro Four Thirds lens mount will deliver a more all-round performance when it debuts later this year.

The grip does at least help make the Mission 1 Pro much easier to handle when shooting video, and it feels like a useful upgrade for anyone who plans to use this GoPro as their new vacation camera, and take advantage of its improved video and audio quality, and durable design.

GoPro Mission 1 Pro: Price and release date

• $699 / £599.99 / AU$1,099.95 (non-member price)
• $599 / £509.99 / AU$949.95 (member price)
• Other models in the series are the Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro ILS

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro is available to buy now for $699 / £599.99 / AU$1,099.95 (non-member price, or $599 / £509.99 / AU$949.95 for members), while the more basic Mission 1 will cost you $599 / £529 /AU$949.95 (non-member price, or $499 / £439.99 / AU$799.95). The Mission 1 Pro ILS costs the same as the Pro, but it won’t launch until later in 2026.

Other bundles include one with a point-and-shoot camera-style grip, which I had for my review. This bundle feels quite pricey at $779.99 / £679.99 / AU$1,229.95, seemingly with no member discount at the time of writing.

The Mission 1 Pro and Mission 1 share a lot of the same features and hardware, but the Pro version unlocks 8K 60fps footage and 8K Open Gate 4:3 filming for greater editing flexibility. You’ll also unlock slow-mo 4K video at 240fps, and 1080p up to 960fps for more extreme slow-mo shots.

Meanwhile the ILS model is interesting as it takes away some features — such as built-in autofocus and the ultra-wide lens of the regular Pro — to give you more control, with manual focus control and a Micro Four Thirds (MFT) mount, enabling you to attach a wide variety of lenses for different cinematic effects. If you’re more of a cinematographer than a casual user, the ILS model could be what you’re after.

That said, even the base-model Mission 1 is a fair bit pricier than the GoPro Hero 13 Black — our current pick for the best overall action camera. If you care about low-light shots the Mission 1 could be worth the price premium, but for a lot of people who are just looking to capture fun clips of their action sports escapades even the basic model may be overkill.

• Value score: 3/5

GoPro Mission 1 Pro: Specs

GoPro Mission 1 Pro: Design

The ideal action camera is one that can handle just about anything you throw at it, and the GoPro Mission 1 Pro GoPro is a camera that’s designed to be pushed to its limits.

If you’re a fan of underwater video, the Mission 1 Pro boasts a design that’s waterproof to 66ft / 20m without the need for a housing — plus the hydrophobic lens cover should help keep water splashes and droplets from obstructing your view massively when you’re using the camera above the waves.

It’s also rated to work in temperatures between -20C and 45C, with its power and shoot buttons designed to make them easier to press while wearing the kind of thick gloves that are necessary in frigid climates.

The Mission 1 Pro’s shock-resistant body can also survive tumbles and drops, giving it an almost indestructible feel. While I never pushed the Mission 1 Pro too far, I never felt like I needed to be careful with it.

Moving on from the action-focused aspects, the 2.59-inch OLED rear touchscreen display offers enough real estate for you to easily manage and track your settings while also leaving plenty of room to clearly see your compositions.

Meanwhile, the 1.4-inch front LCD is a good size for vloggers to track what is/isn’t in frame as they talk to camera, with a convenient and concise readout of your shot settings letting you know that you haven’t, for example, accidentally swiped to a different mode while turning the camera 180 degrees.

Included in the box are a lens hood to help reduce glare — just note that it can fall off easily, so keep an eye on it, or be prepared to pick up replacements — a 2150mAh Enduro 2 battery, an adhesive mount, mounting buckle and a thumb screw.

You’ll need to provide your own microSD card, as there’s no internal storage. The Mission 1 Pro relies on V30 and Class A2-rated microSDs for the best performance; A1 cards will work, but will encode more slowly.

You can pick up a series of attachments for this camera, including ND filters; however, the bigger sensor size of this camera means the Hero 13 Black’s suite of lens attachments can’t be used here, and sadly there aren’t, as yet, equivalent accessories for the Mission Pro 1.

Other GoPro attachments, such as harnesses or helmet/bike mounts, should be compatible, as the Mission 1 Pro relies on the same bracket as models that came before.

Lastly I’ll mention the point-and-shoot camera-style grip attachment, which was supplied to me for testing alongside the Mission 1 Pro and can be purchased separately ($99.99 / £89.99 / AU$154.95) or as part of a bundle. The grip is incredibly simple, yet effective at transforming the Mission 1 into something that feels more like a regular point-and-shoot compact.

When it comes to capturing quick videos, such as clips at the beach or at a festival, the grip makes it easy to hold the camera without the risk that your hand will get in the way of the lens, although as mentioned, the Mission 1 Pro doesn’t perform as well as a stills camera — more on that below.

• Design score: 5/5

GoPro Mission 1 Pro: Performance

To make video capture easier than ever the Mission 1 Pro features a slew of preset capture modes that adjust settings based on your needs, with modes for Vlogging, SportPOV, TimeLapse, Open Gate, SlowMo, Low Light, Dive and plenty more.

You can tweak the settings for each mode to fine-tune your image quality needs, and also manage modes by hiding ones you never use, or adding custom settings that are your go-tos.

For most scenarios, I found the 4K open gate option to be the most versatile. The image quality is solid, and you have the option to reframe the footage to 16:9 or 9:16 later based on your needs — plus it’s less of a drain on the battery than shooting in 8K.

Vlog-style recording is made easy thanks to the front screen, and automatic subject tracking that centers you in the frame — ideal for casual vloggers who constantly find they steadily drift out of shot unless they pay close attention to the camera they’re holding.

The audio quality is decent too, picking up voices and essential sounds, but cutting out wind noise.

Slow mo is also a lot of fun, though as you’ll see in my example video above, raw untuned footage at resolutions lower than 4K can start to look grainier than is ideal — upscaling and/or sharpening the image with editing software is essential to get things to look better.

The larger sensor also helps in low-light conditions, especially with the new Low Light shooting mode. Unsurprisingly, in proper darkness the camera still struggles, but with some illumination remaining the camera performs well in this mode.

Where I’m less convinced of the Mission 1 Pro’s abilities is when it comes to stills photography, which is a massive shame considering you have the option to add the point-and-shoot grip.

Whenever I tried to take photos I found myself fighting against its lack of autofocus — or even manual focus — and the less-than-ideal zoom quality. The camera has a fixed focus with a minimum focus distance around 60cm — which counts out close-up photography — and an optimal focal distance of about 1.5m. This also means it isn’t focused to infinity, so landscapes will appear a little soft in your shots, especially since the larger sensor has a shallower depth of field than previous GoPros.

In addition, as soon as you zoom in you’ll find the image quality drops a fair amount, although this is to be expected from the digital zoom this camera uses.

The overall quality isn’t terrible, though, and the point-and-shoot grip does offer some useful versatility for video recording beyond the more traditional action camera use-cases.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Testing Scorecard

Should I buy the GoPro Mission 1 Pro?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Also consider

How I tested the GoPro Mission 1 Pro

I spent just over a month with the Mission 1 Pro, taking it out on excursions to snap photos and videos to test its capabilities not just as an action camera, but as a point-and-shoot video capture tool — with that latter case aided by the point-and-shoot grip.

If you’re planning to use the GoPro Mission 1 Pro as your vacation camera — aided by its durable design and waterproofness — the grip is super helpful at helping to keep you hands out of frame, and as a pure action camera the GoPro fits the same mounts and accessories as previous models like the Hero 13 Black (save for the lens attachments).

Inspired by shows like Hunted and Jet Lag The Game, a lot of my testing focused on running and vlogging with the action camera to capture my fitness progress and to record personal cuts of games of hide-and-seek across London — passing the camera between my friends so they could record their stints too. They found the GoPro super easy to use, with the smoothing tech and subject tracking ensuring thaty vlogs and action shots look great without requiring constant focus on what the camera is doing — you just press go and it’ll come with you.

First reviewed: July 2026

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!

Black Friday is the perfect time to grab the best deal on a GoPro – I should know because I've been tracking prices for the last three years. This year, I've found price cuts on almost all of the models I'd actually recommend from personal experience, including the Hero 13 Black, brand new Max 2, plus older models such as the original Max. I've rounded up those deals below.

My top pick of all the GoPro deals right now is the Hero 13 Black Extended Power bundle for $349.99 at Amazon in the US (was $499.99) / or for just £299.99 at GoPro in the UK (was £469.99). You get a whole load of extra accessories in this bundle for very little markup from the standard camera-only bundle.

I’ve only included GoPro deals that I recommend, and I'm updating this page regularly throughout the Black Friday period with the latest prices and deals, because they are changeable and I want you to get the best deal. If you'd like to know what GoPro's competition is up to, I've also put together a best Black Friday DJI deals and a Black Friday 360 camera deal roundups, and be sure to swing by TechRadar's live Black Friday coverage for other tech bargains.

Today's best Black Friday GoPro deals in the US

• Amazon: Save $150 on Hero 13 Black bundles
• Best Buy: Grab the GoPro Max 2 for just $399
• GoPro: $110 off the Forest Green version of the Hero 13 Black
• Walmart: The Hero 12 Black for $299

Today's best Black Friday GoPro deals in the UK

• Amazon: Grab the original Max for just £149
• GoPro: Save £120 the Hero 13 Black, now just £279
• WEX: Save £100 on the new Max 2

More Black Friday deals in the US

• Amazon: 45% off TVs, AirPods, air fryers & vacuums
• Apple: iPads, AirPods & MacBooks from $119
• Best Buy: $1,000 off TVs, laptops & headphones
• Dell: laptop deals from $249.99
• Home Depot: 40% off appliances, furniture, grills & tools
• Lenovo: 45% off laptops & tablets
• Lowe's: up to 30% off appliances, holiday decor & tools
• Samsung: up to $2,000 off appliances, TVs & phones
• Target: 40% off Christmas decor, clothing & furniture
• T-Mobile: up to $1,100 off latest iPhone 17
• Walmart: furniture, cheap TVs & vacs from $69
• Wayfair: 54% off Christmas, furniture & decor

More Black Friday deals in the UK

• Amazon: up to 66% off tech & essentials
• AO: up to £500 off Dyson, Bosch & Hisense
• Argos: up to 50% off appliances, tech & toys
• Boots: save on 1,000s of beauty products
• Currys: deals on Ninja, Shark & Lenovo
• Dell: laptops from £279
• Dyson: up to £550 off vacuums
• EE: Switch 2 bundles from £20/month
• John Lewis: up to 50% off tech & fashion
• Lego: sets & accessories from £2.99
• Samsung: deals on appliances & phones
• Very: up to 40% off tech, toys & fashion

I’ve never seen a price cut of this magnitude for a 360 camera – the GoProMax for £149 at Amazon (was £349). That’s £200 off GoPro’s original 5.3K twin lens-shooter, which makes it the UK’s most affordable 360 camera.

That’s even cheaper than GoPro’s budget brand rival, the Akaso 360 for £169 at Amazon (was £199). Despite being six years old now, the Max for £149 is a steal, especially considering the twin sensor and stabilization tech inside.

But, is it a deal you should snap up? After all, the Max was recently supplanted by the Max 2 (which, by the way, is also on sale – grab the Max 2 for £349 from WEX). I’ve got into much greater depth about which 360 camera is best for you in my Black Friday 360 camera deals roundup if you’d like to find out more.

In addition to that roundup, you should check out my best 360 cameras guide which is packed with buying advice and which cameras I rank the highest. If you’re also on the hunt for other consumer tech deals, be sure to swing by TechRadar’s live Black Friday coverage. Happy shopping!

(Not in the US or UK? See today's best deals in your region below)

Today's best GoPro Max Black Friday deal

Should I buy the GoPro Max?

It might be six years old, but the GoPro Max was ahead of its time in 2019, delivering full 360–degree coverage in 5.3K resolution, supported GoPro’s incredible HyperSmooth stabilization, and a huge range of accessories for various shooting scenarios, including car mounts and selife sticks.

GoPro announced a 2025 version of the original Max with a couple of tweaks and a more competitive list price, but that has now been obliterated by this Max deal. Since then, the Max 2 has entered the fray, and it's a meaty upgrade with industry-leading 8K quality.

There’s no doubt that 360 camera tech has moved on since 2019, and this year has been a particularly busy one with the new GoPro Max 2 and DJI Osmo 360 challenging the Insta360 X5 to be the best of them all.

You won't get the best quality 360-degree video with the Max, for that you'll want one of the latest GoPro Max 2, DJI Osmo 360 or Insta360 X5 flagships. But, what you do now get with this huge price cut is the best value option available.

Other Black Friday 360 camera deals

Shop more of today's best Black Friday sales in the UK

• Amazon: up to 66% off tech & essentials
• AO: up to £500 off Dyson, Bosch & Hisense
• Argos: up to 50% off appliances, tech & toys
• Boots: save on 1,000s of beauty products
• Currys: deals on Ninja, Shark & Lenovo
• Dell: laptops from £279
• Dyson: up to £550 off vacuums
• EE: Switch 2 bundles from £20/month
• John Lewis: up to 50% off tech & fashion
• Lego: sets & accessories from £2.99
• Samsung: deals on appliances & phones
• Very: up to 40% off tech, toys & fashion

I've been searching for the best Black Friday camera bargains, and I must say that the tastiest deals are for the latest 360 cameras. I can't say that I'm surprised, now that DJI and GoPro are vying with Insta360 to be the top pick, while Akaso entered the fray as a budget alternative.

So which you 360 camera should buy? That decision is hardly any easier since all the cameras are on sale over Black Friday, although your wallet will be thanking you if you act this week rather than delaying. If we're purely talking price, it's a win for DJI right now – the DJI Osmo 360 costs $357.49 at Amazon (was $549.99), while it's £298 at Amazon in the UK (probably the best deal of all).

In the US, there's $100 off for the GoPro Max 2 which is now $399 (was $499) - while it sinks to a record low in the UK: $349 at WEX (was $449). Meanwhile, the Insta360 X5 drops to $464.99 in the US (was $549.99) and to just £409.99 in the UK (was £519.99) – both of those are record-low prices, and it's available for that price in black or white colorways. Oh, and there are even bigger price cuts on older models.

I've rounded up the very best 360 camera deals below, together with price tracking so you can get a feel for the deals. And if you're not sure where to start, do check out the Which 360 camera should you buy? section below. And for more tech deals, be sure to check out TechRadar's live Black Friday coverage.

(Not in the US or UK? You can find the best prices for the best 360 cameras via the links at the end of this roundup.)

Today's best 360 camera deals in the US

Today's best 360 camera deals in the UK

Which 360 camera should you buy?

DJI and GoPro revealed stunning 360 cameras this year – the Osmo 360 and Max 2 respectively – that both shoot 8K video with full 360-degree coverage. They present a serious challenge to the Insta360 X5 – the top pick in my best 360 camera guide, and while I reckon the X5 remains the best camera of its kind overall, DJI's Osmo 360 and GoPro's Max 2 have certain advantages of their own.

So should you be looking for the best deal or the best value? Based on the deals above, surely DJI is the option to go for? Not exactly – prices only tell one side of the story (and they do regularly change).

The Insta360 X5 and GoPro Max 2 both have a trick up their sleeves that DJI's Osmo 360 wishes it had – and that's cost-effective replacement lenses. Should either of the lenses get damaged, say in a nasty tumble – which is quite likely depending on what kind of use the camera gets and the bulbous design of those optics – you can swap them out with a low-cost replacement. Not so with the Osmo 360.

On this basis and with the slight price differences in the UK and US over Black Friday, I'm tempted to recommend the GoPro and Insta360 cameras over DJI's right now.

That's one feature covered, but you should also consider when and where you are likely to use each camera. In our in-depth reviews, we said the Insta360 X5 is the best overall package, that the Max 2 excels in bright daylight with its 'true' 8K image quality, while the Osmo 360 is a low-light champion. As you can see, the choice also comes down to how you'll use a 360 camera – thankfully we've reviewed each model and distilled that advice into our best 360 cameras guide.

Here's how each of the latest flagship 360 camera's key specs square up:

One more thing – do you actually need the latest gear at all? I'm asking because there are even bigger savings on older models, such as the Insta360 X4 and Go Pro Max (I've also included those deals above too), plus budget brand Akaso. For example, UK shoppers can now take advantage of a £200 saving on the GoPro Max now just £149 at Amazon.

However you look at it, it's a great time to be shopping for a 360 camera. For years, there was only one choice – Insta360 – but now we are spoiled with alternatives from GoPro, DJI, and Akaso.

Prices change regularly over Black Friday, so I've included live prices below for the best deals for all of these 360 cameras at the end of this article, for wherever you live.

Shop more of today's best US Black Friday sales

• Amazon: 45% off TVs, AirPods, air fryers & vacuums
• Apple: iPads, AirPods & MacBooks from $119
• Best Buy: $1,000 off TVs, laptops & headphones
• Dell: laptop deals from $249.99
• Home Depot: 40% off appliances, furniture, grills & tools
• Lenovo: 45% off laptops & tablets
• Lowe's: up to 30% off appliances, holiday decor & tools
• Samsung: up to $2,000 off appliances, TVs & phones
• Target: 40% off Christmas decor, clothing & furniture
• T-Mobile: up to $1,100 off latest iPhone 17
• Walmart: furniture, cheap TVs & vacs from $69
• Wayfair: 54% off Christmas, furniture & decor

Shop more of today's best UK Black Friday sales

• Amazon: up to 66% off tech & essentials
• AO: up to £500 off Dyson, Bosch & Hisense
• Argos: up to 50% off appliances, tech & toys
• Boots: save on 1,000s of beauty products
• Currys: deals on Ninja, Shark & Lenovo
• Dell: laptops from £279
• Dyson: up to £550 off vacuums
• EE: Switch 2 bundles from £20/month
• John Lewis: up to 50% off tech & fashion
• Lego: sets & accessories from £2.99
• Samsung: deals on appliances & phones
• Very: up to 40% off tech, toys & fashion

DJI and GoPro delivered stunning 360 cameras this year that both shoot 8K video with full 360-degree coverage and present a serious challenge to the Insta360 X5 – the top pick in our best 360 camera guide. While the X5 remains the best camera of its kind overall, DJI's Osmo 360 and GoPro's Max 2 have certain advantages of their own, and now they are arguably better picks given that they just received huge price cuts (depending on where you live).

There are currently no deals on the Insta360 X5, which means it is considerably pricier than rivals. But which of the two excellent value 360 camera alternatives would I pick? If we're purely talking price, it's a win for DJI right now – the DJI Osmo 360 costs $410 at Amazon (was $549.99), while it's £298 at Amazon in the UK (probably the best deal of all).

• Shop all early Amazon US Black Friday deals
• Shop all early Amazon UK Black Friday deals

The GoPro Max 2 remains at full price in the US – $499 - while it sinks to a record low in the UK: $349 at WEX (was $449). I'm keeping an eye on prices, which could change at any point over Black Friday.

So surely it's a home run for DJI then? Not precisely, because prices only tell one side of the story and they do regularly change...

Best deal or best value?

GoPro's Max 2 has a trick up its sleeve that DJI's Osmo 360 wishes it had – cost-effective replacement lenses. Yes, should you damage either of the bulbous lenses in the Osmo 360 – which is quite likely depending on what kind of use it gets – it'll need to go in for repair or get replaced.

Not so with the Max 2, because you can easily remove a damaged lens should your camera take a particularly nasty tumble and swap it out with a low-cost replacement. The Insta360 X5 has this feature too, by the way.

On this basis and with the slight price difference in the UK, I'm tempted to recommend the Max 2 to UK shoppers right now. There's a bigger price difference in the US currently, so it's a closer call.

And then there's the matter of when you are likely to use each camera. In our in-depth reviews, we said the Max 2 offers the best 'true' 8K image quality in bright daylight, but that the Osmo 360 is a low-light champion. So again, the choice comes down to how you'll use a 360 camera.

Here are how each camera's key specs square up:

Either way, it's a great time to be shopping for a 360 camera. For years, there was only one choice – Insta360 – but now we are spoiled with alternatives from GoPro, DJI, and even budget brand Akaso with the Akaso 360 (just $199 / £199, plus there has been deals for it every seasonal sale so far, so I expect a price cut is coming).

Prices change regularly, so I've included live prices below for the best deals for all of these 360 cameras, wherever you live.

Today's best DJI Osmo 360 and GoPro Max 2 in the US

Today's best DJI Osmo 360 and GoPro Max 2 deals in the UK

Shop more of today's best US Black Friday sales

• Amazon: 45% off TVs, AirPods, air fryers & vacuums
• Apple: iPads, AirPods & MacBooks from $119
• Best Buy: $1,000 off TVs, laptops & headphones
• Dell: laptop deals from $249.99
• Home Depot: 40% off appliances, furniture, grills & tools
• Lenovo: 45% off laptops & tablets
• Lowe's: up to 30% off appliances, holiday decor & tools
• Samsung: up to $2,000 off appliances, TVs & phones
• Target: 40% off Christmas decor, clothing & furniture
• T-Mobile: up to $1,100 off latest iPhone 17
• Walmart: furniture, cheap TVs & vacs from $69
• Wayfair: 54% off Christmas, furniture & decor

Shop more of today's best UK Black Friday sales

• Amazon: up to 66% off tech & essentials
• AO: up to £500 off Dyson, Bosch & Hisense
• Argos: up to 50% off appliances, tech & toys
• Boots: save on 1,000s of beauty products
• Currys: deals on Ninja, Shark & Lenovo
• Dell: laptops from £279
• Dyson: up to £550 off vacuums
• EE: Switch 2 bundles from £20/month
• John Lewis: up to 50% off tech & fashion
• Lego: sets & accessories from £2.99
• Samsung: deals on appliances & phones
• Very: up to 40% off tech, toys & fashion

My absolute favorite action camera just got a huge price cut for Black Friday 2025, especially where I live in the UK. You can buy the GoPro Hero 13 Black + Accessories Bundle for £244.99 at Amazon (was £449.99) – that's an incredible £205 off!

Shoppers in the US can grab a fab deal too – that same GoPro Hero 13 Black + Accessories Bundle costs $369.99 (was $479.99) at Amazon and GoPro.

• Shop all early Amazon US Black Friday deals
• Shop all early Amazon UK Black Friday deals

This is the lowest-ever price by a long way in the UK for a Hero 13 Black bundle, which includes 2x Enduro batteries, 'The Handler' handle, 64GB SanDisk MicroSD card, and a camera case. General prices for the Hero 13 Black increased in the US in June this year, and so this isn't a record-low price, but the deal price below is the lowest I've seen this year and is still very much worth your attention.

Today's best GoPro Hero 13 Black deal (US)

Today's best GoPro Hero 13 Black deal (UK)

Should you buy the GoPro Hero 13 Black?

Absolutely, especially at these sale prices for the Accessories Bundle, which are particularly good in the UK! And the Hero 13 Black remains in the top spot of my best action cameras guide, which says it all, really.

Yes, it is an iterative update of the Hero 12 Black – you can learn more about how the two flagship action cams compare in my Hero 13 Black vs Hero 12 Black article – but the new auto-detected Lens Mods feature takes GoPro's line of action cams in an exciting direction.

We still get 5.3K video with a versatile 8:7 aspect ratio sensor, plus incredible stabilization and a mature range of accessories. But the Hero 13 Black is a more polished effort than its predecessor, and it will remain the current model for some time yet, given that 2025 is officially the first year in a decade with no new Hero Black flagship.

Put simply, you won't get better action camera bang for buck than the Hero 13 Black right now.

Shop more of today's best US Black Friday sales

• Amazon: 45% off TVs, AirPods, air fryers & vacuums
• Apple: iPads, AirPods & MacBooks from $119
• Best Buy: $1,000 off TVs, laptops & headphones
• Dell: laptop deals from $249.99
• Home Depot: 40% off appliances, furniture, grills & tools
• Lenovo: 45% off laptops & tablets
• Lowe's: up to 30% off appliances, holiday decor & tools
• Samsung: up to $2,000 off appliances, TVs & phones
• Target: 40% off Christmas decor, clothing & furniture
• T-Mobile: up to $1,100 off latest iPhone 17
• Walmart: furniture, cheap TVs & vacs from $69
• Wayfair: 54% off Christmas, furniture & decor

Shop more of today's best UK Black Friday sales

• Amazon: up to 66% off tech & essentials
• AO: up to £500 off Dyson, Bosch & Hisense
• Argos: up to 50% off appliances, tech & toys
• Boots: save on 1,000s of beauty products
• Currys: deals on Ninja, Shark & Lenovo
• Dell: laptops from £279
• Dyson: up to £550 off vacuums
• EE: Switch 2 bundles from £20/month
• John Lewis: up to 50% off tech & fashion
• Lego: sets & accessories from £2.99
• Samsung: deals on appliances & phones
• Very: up to 40% off tech, toys & fashion

Cyber Monday is here, and many of the same GoPro deals from Black Friday are still floating around. These include savings on the new Hero 13 Black and Hero (2024), which are getting their first ever discounts this sales season, while savings on previous generations continue too.

Of all the current GoPro deals, my personal favorite is the Hero 13 Black + Accessories bundle for $349.99 at Best Buy (was $449.99), or £349.99 at Currys (was £449.99) in the UK – chiefly because the Accessories Bundle represents such great value. I had a blast reviewing the flagship model earlier in the year, and the new Lens Mod accessories only elevate its standing in the action cam scene.

But really, I'd be happy to plumb for any of the GoPro deals listed below – with older models coming in even cheaper, with their prices fluctuating, so keep your eyes peeled on this page for the best deals on previous Hero models. FAQs related to this year's sale can be found further down too. I've also put together a Cyber Monday camera deals hub featuring a wider variety of products, and if you want to see all kinds of tech deals live today, head over to our main Cyber Monday deals page.

Today's best GoPro deals in the US

• Amazon: $20 off the GoPro Hero (2024)
• Best Buy: Hero 13 Black Accessories bundle – $100 off
• GoPro: Save 15% for the Hero 13 Black
• Walmart: Hero 12 Black for $299 – save $50.99

Today's best GoPro deals in the UK

• Amazon: Hero 13 Black for just £329
• GoPro: 15% off the Hero 13 Black, now just £339
• Currys: Save £100 on the Hero 13 Black + Accessories Bundle

Cyber Monday GoPro deals: FAQs

Why trust TechRadar this Cyber Monday

We've covered Black Friday and Cyber Monday for over decade here at TechRadar, so we've learnt a thing or two when it comes to finding all of the best deals. We also monitor sales throughout the year and track the lowest prices of dozens of the most popular products, so we know a bargain when we see it.

All the GoPro action cams and accessories listed in this Cyber Monday deals guide have been rigorously tested by our experts and we only include gear that we personally recommend and would buy with our own money. We lean on our vast experience testing GoPro gear and tracking deal patterns.

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.

Retailers in both the US and UK saw fit to discount the best GoPro cameras by a healthy margin over Black Friday weekend, and although we're now well into December, the likes of Amazon and Best Buy continue to offer the GoPro Hero 11 Black and GoPro Hero 12 Black for their lowest-ever prices.

Indeed, the Hero 11 Black is still available for $299.99 (down from $349.99) at Best Buy in the US, or £299 (down from £399.99) at Jessops in the UK. The newer Hero 12 Black is also on sale for $349.99 (down from $449.99) at Best Buy in the US, or £339 (down from £399.99) at Amazon in the UK.

So, which model to choose? All four prices represent record-lows for GoPro’s latest and greatest action cams, but their differences are more granular than game-changing. For the $50 / £40 premium of the Hero 12 Black, you’ll get a new 1/4-inch thread mount, 10-bit log capture, HDR video capture, and new external and dual-channel audio tools. If you don't consider any of those new features critical, though, then the still-excellent (and cheaper) Hero 11 Black is the better value option.

Incidentally, Amazon alone has sold over 4,000 Hero 11 Black cameras and over 5,000 Hero 12 Black cameras in the past 30 days, so we suggest you get a move on if you're keen to bag a GoPro bargain while stocks last.

Today's best GoPro deals

For more holiday and Christmas gift ideas, check out our guides to the best Christmas sales in the US and Boxing Day sales in the UK. Oh, and be sure to follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings, and unmissable deals!

More holiday sales in the US

• Amazon: 70% off Kindle, TVs, tablets & clothing
• Apple: AirPods, Apple Watch & iPads from $79
• Adidas: 40% off running shoes & clothing
• Beauty: 51% off makeup, skincare & hair tools
• Best Buy: $800 off TVs, laptops & headphones
• Cheap TVs: big-screen 4K TVs from $269.99
• Christmas: 40% off decor, pajamas & trees
• Dell: cheap laptops and desktops from $259
• DreamCloud: 40% off all mattresses
• Gaming: console bundles from $289.99
• Lenovo: 76% off laptops, desktops & printers
• Lululemon: up to 30% off sitewide
• Nectar: mattress deals starting at $359
• Nordstrom: 40% off Nike, Levi's & UGGs
• Patagonia: pullovers starting at $64.99
• Saatva: $400 off mattresses over $1,000
• Samsung: $2,000 off TVs, $800 off Galaxy S23
• Target: 40% off Christmas decor, TVs & toys 
• Toys: Disney, Barbie & Lego from $14.99
• Walmart: cheap TVs, air fryers, PS5 & toys

Today's best GoPro deals (US)

Today's best GoPro deals (UK)

The November shopping season is now well and truly underway, with Black Friday deals available on everything from cell phones and TVs to air fryers and robot vacuums. 

Many of the best action cameras are on sale, too, and although we’re tracking the best Black Friday GoPro deals on a dedicated page, we thought it prudent to highlight the current savings available on two of the best GoPro cameras money can buy in 2023: the GoPro Hero 11 Black and GoPro Hero 12 Black.

The Hero 11 Black is barely a year old, and the Hero 12 Black is even younger (it hit shelves as recently as September), but that hasn’t stopped retailers on both sides of the pond from heavily discounting both action cams for Black Friday. Indeed, the Hero 11 Black is now available for $299.99 (down $349.99) at Best Buy in the US, or £299 (down from £349.99) at Jessops in the UK. The newer Hero 12 Black is also on sale for $349.99 (down from $449.99) at Best Buy in the US, or £339 (down from £399.99) at Amazon in the UK.

So, which model to choose? All four prices represent new record lows for GoPro’s latest and greatest action cams, but their differences are more granular than game-changing. For the $50 / £40 premium of the Hero 12 Black, you’ll get a new 1/4-inch thread mount, 10-bit log capture, HDR video capture, and new external and dual-channel audio tools. If you don't consider any of those new features critical, then the still-excellent (and cheaper) Hero 11 Black is the better value option this Black Friday.

Today's best GoPro deals (US)

Today's best GoPro deals (UK)

Follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings, and hot Black Friday deals!

More Black Friday deals (US) 

• Amazon: 50% off TVs, air fryers, AirPods & clothing
• Apple: AirPods Pro, Apple Watch 8 & iPads from $99
• Adidas: 40% off running shoes, sweatshirts & leggings
• Beauty: 51% off viral makeup, skincare & hair tools
• Best Buy: up to $800 off 4K TVs, laptops & headphones
• Bed Bath & Beyond: 65% off sitewide + free shipping 
• Cheap TVs: big-screen 4K TVs from $269.99
• Christmas: 40% off decor, pajamas & trees
• Dell: save on best-selling Inspiron and XPS laptops
• DreamCloud: 40% off all mattresses
• Family pajamas: matching Christmas PJs from $12.99
• Lowe's: up to $800 off major appliances
• Macy's: 60% off clothing, jewelry, boots & gift ideas 
• Nectar: mattress deals starting at $359
• Nordstrom: 30% off Nike, Levi's, Skims, Adidas & more 
• Samsung: up to $2,000 of TVs, phones and appliances
• Target: 40% off furniture, TVs, clothing & appliances 
• Toys: Disney, Barbie, Lego & board games from $14.99
• Walmart: Apple Watch 9, cheap TVs, air fryers & toys
• Wayfair: 70% off furniture, rugs, & Christmas decor

More Black Friday deals (UK) 

• Amazon: up to 62% off TVs, smart home and clothing
• AO: up to 40% off appliances, TVs and tech
• Argos: up to 50% off toys, tools and tech
• Boots: up to 40% off 1,000s of beauty products
• Currys: up to 40% off TVs, appliances and laptops
• Ebuyer: up to 45% off laptops and PC components
• Emma: up to 65% off mattresses, frames and pillows
• John Lewis: up to 40% off appliances, TVs, laptops
• Jessops: up to £550 off Sony, Canon, Nikon, and Fujifilm
• Ninja: up to 25% off air fryers and cookware
• O2: up to £600 off iPhone, Samsung and Google
• Samsung: up to £600 off TVs, phones and appliances
• Shark: up to £100 off vacuums
• Simba: up to 55% off mattresses
• Superdrug: 60% off beauty, fragrances and makeup
• Toolstation: up to 30% off smart home, tools and DIY
• Very: save on tech, decor, appliances and furniture
• Vodafone: six months half-price SIMs from £11.50

The GoPro Hero10 Black may have been superseded by both the 11 and 12 but at only $249, a saving of $200, it's hard to find a better action camera for the price.  

The Hero11 Black and Hero12 Black both include the ability to shoot vertical video and offer 10-bit recording but these features aren't for everyone. If they're not high up on your wish list the the Hero 10 Black delivers incredible performance and most of the same features for less money. 

It offers great image quality and in good light, the images are crisp and colorful, It also benefits from SuperPhoto technology which can help you regain some highlight details from areas like sky.

Our GoPro Hero10 review found it to be a really enjoyable waterproof companion for adventures and b-roll footage. We also pitted the Hero10 Black vs the Hero11 Black where you can see the 9 key differences between the models and see if the latter model really is worth the extra money.

Early Black Friday deal (US)

Early Black Friday deal (UK)

The Hero10 Black includes a 2.27-inch rear touchscreen which has excellent touch sensitivity. Alongside this there's the GP2 processor which contains enough power to make the screen lovely and responsive. 

This action camera also has great in-camera horizon leveling and HyperSmooth 4.0 making it possible to correct footage that's been skewed by 45 degrees. This is a handy feature for mountain bikers or skiers who want smooth footage that won't give viewers motion sickness. 

The Hero10 Black can obviously be purchased as is but if you want a bundle of additional accessories then grab the Hero 10 Black Bundle for only £399 on Amazon. The bundle includes a Magnetic Swivel Clip, a Rechargeable Battery (2), Shorty (Tripod + Grip), and a Carrying Case.

GoPro continues to sell the Hero10 Black on its website because it is still an incredibly capable and popular action camera. The fact that it has dropped to $249 / £249.99 makes this a very tempting deal indeed.

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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• Best action camera

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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I've been covering Black Friday's GoPro sales for several years and the unexpected 15% off sitewide sale that's just landed, which applies to all of its action cameras, is the best I've seen for some time. 

There are a few caveats to be aware of, but if you've been thinking of buying one of its action cams, it's a good time to pick one up. Many models, like the Hero 9 Black, have hit their lowest-ever price with the discount. And I certainly didn't expect GoPro to be offering such a big discount in the Hero 11 Black Mini, which has only been out for a few weeks.

So what are the drawbacks? There are a few asterisks, but nothing I'd consider a deal-breaker. Firstly, you can only use the 15% discount on one camera (or up to ten items in total), so that unfortunately rules out buying a batch of multiple discounted Hero action cams for your paintballing team.

Also, the 15% discount only applies to the camera itself rather than the optional GoPro Subscription that you can choose to bundle with most models. Still, this doesn't stop most of GoPro's entire current range from dropping to their lowest-ever prices in these discounted bundles, which is generally a good idea as the Subscription can be canceled at any time.

Lastly, there are also a couple of exceptions where the discount also doesn't necessarily beat deals we've seen in the run-up to Black Friday. One of those is the GoPro Hero 11 Black Accessories Bundle, which had been available for $399 / £399 recently, but has jumped back up to $449 / £449 during Black Friday. The previous deal (with a 10% off first-time buyer discount) would have slightly undercut the new 15% offer.

But in general, these GoPro deals are some of the best Black Friday camera deals we've seen this year. And given they still dominate our guide to the best action cameras you can buy, they've well worth checking out. (Not in the US or UK? Scroll down for deals in your region).

Today's best Black Friday GoPro deals (US)

GoPro's "15% off sitewide sale" takes its entire current range down to their lowest-ever prices, if you buy them with a GoPro Subscription. This Subscription can be cancelled at any time, so it's something we generally recommend, given the additional savings it provides. Note: the 15% discount for the below will only appear once you've added the product to your cart.

Today's best Black Friday GoPro deals (UK)

Despite increased competition from the likes of DJI and Insta360, GoPros is still the king of action cams – and its models dominate our guide to the best action cams you can buy.

If you want the absolute best action camera it's made, then that's the GoPro Hero 11 Black. That model is particularly strong at shooting vertical videos for the likes of TikTok and Instagram, but if that isn't important to you, then you could save some money by going for one of its cheaper models.

We reckon the GoPro Hero 9 Black offers fantastic value in this 15% off deal, which takes it down to only $262.48 / £262.48 with a one-year GoPro Subscription. Considering it can shoot 5K video and still has that useful front display for framing your shots, we think it's more than enough action cam for most people.

If you want an action camera that'll mostly stay mounted to a helmet, and don't mind using an app rather than a screen to change settings, then the new GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini is also well worth considering at its new discounted price. You can see how it compares to its larger sibling in our GoPro Hero 11 Black vs Hero 11 Black Mini comparison.

Our in-depth guide to the GoPro Subscription will also answer any questions you might have about that service. The short answer? As our article concludes, "there’s really no question: a GoPro subscription is worth it if you’re planning to buy a new GoPro action camera", and that's particularly the case with these 15% discounts.

More Black Friday GoPro deals

No matter where you live, you'll find all the lowest prices for GoPro action cams from around the web right here, with offers available in your region.

More US Black Friday deals

• Amazon: 50% off TVs, AirPods, clothing & toys
• Apple AirPods Pro 2: down to $199 at Amazon
• Best Buy: up to $700 off TVs, laptops & iPads
• Cheap TVs: $79.99 smart TVs from Best Buy 
• Christmas trees: prices starting at $38.99
• Dell: laptops from $299.99
• Gifts ideas: 40% off  holiday gifts from Amazon
• Home Depot: 50% off tools & appliances
• Lowe's: $750 off appliances, decor & tools
• Macy's: coats, sweaters & boots from $10
• Overstock: 70% off decor and furniture
• Nectar: up to $500 off mattresses + free gifts 
• Nordstrom: 50% off UGG, Nike & North Face
• Samsung: $2,500 off TVs & appliances
• Sephora: 50% off makeup, perfume & gifts
• Target: 45% off toys, TVs, Keurig & more
• Toys: 50% off best-selling toys at Walmart
• Ulta: up to 50% off makeup, hair & perfume
• Verizon: get the iPhone 14 Pro for free
• Walmart: 60% off toys, TVs, vacuums & laptops
• Wayfair: up to 80% off sitewide, + free shipping

More Uk Black Friday deals

• Amazon: up to 60% off TVs, laptops, and more
• Adidas: up to 50% off trainers and clothing
• AO: deals on appliances, headphones and TVs
• Argos: up to 1/3 off toys and big TV deals
• Boots: half-price fragrances and make-up
• Box: up to £1,000 off TVs, laptops and PCs
• Currys: 40% off TVs, laptops and vacuums
• Dell: up to 45% off laptops and desktops
• Dyson: save £100 on the Dyson Cyclone V10
• EE: up to £300 gift card with select phones
• Game: PlayStation and Xbox games from £4.99
• John Lewis: up to £400 off TVs and appliances
• Ninja: save up to £90 on air fryers and pans
• Peloton: £250 off accessories with purchase
• Reebok: up to 50% off sitewide
• Samsung: up to £250 off phones and tablets
• Shark: up to £220 off cordless vacuum cleaners
• Very: offers on TVs, Lego and fashion
• Virgin: broadband deals from £25 per month
• Wayfair: furniture, lighting and mattress deals

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.

If you’re in the market for a discounted action camera, there’s a good chance you’re wondering which GoPro to buy during Black Friday deals season. And that’s a very fair question because, judging by previous Black Friday sales, the best deals won’t be limited to the latest GoPro models. 

In fact, when the discounts start rolling in around Friday November 25 (the official date of Black Friday in 2022), we’d expect to see savings offered across GoPro’s current range of action cameras, including the top-spec Hero 11 Black, as well as the 360 Max and previous generations of its flagship Hero models.

To help direct your Black Friday bargain hunting, we’ve picked out the GoPro models we think will offer the best value this year's sales. In the midst of multiple discounts, it can be difficult to decide which option genuinely represents the best deal for your budget. That’s why we’ve set out the key factors to consider for each GoPro model, based on our reviews of each camera, as well as our experience of Black Friday GoPro discounts from previous years.

We think the best GoPro deals this Black Friday are likely to be found either by shopping at Amazon or buying direct with a GoPro Subscription. That said, we wouldn’t rule out finding bargains elsewhere. If you’re not sure what to expect or where to look for GoPro discounts, we’ve also put together a dedicated feature, packed with tips to help you find the best Black Friday GoPro deals.

Which GoPro cameras are available right now?

There are currently six GoPro cameras in the official line-up. Top of the range is the GoPro Hero 11 Black, GoPro’s most advanced action camera to date. GoPro also stocks the two previous generations of its flagship model, the GoPro Hero 10 Black and the GoPro Hero 9 Black.

New for 2022 is the GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini (below), a pared-back version of the main edition, with compact proportions that make for easier mounting. That's due to go on sale from November 18. GoPro also ships the Hero 11 Black in a Creator Edition bundle, which includes a battery grip, directional microphone and LED light, among other accessories.

Completing the range are the GoPro Hero 10 Black Bones, a lightweight, US-only model that's designed for drone videography, and the GoPro Max, which can capture immersive 360 video.

Older models are no longer officially available directly from GoPro. But there are still many to be found from reputable retailers online, including the GoPro Hero 8 Black and GoPro Hero 7 Black. In fact, those models could well be the sweet spot for value in this year's sales. Here are our top pick to target during this year’s GoPro Black Friday deals.

Which GoPro should you buy during Black Friday?

 1. GoPro Hero 8 Black 

• 4K/60p video
• Built-in mounting fingers
• HyperSmooth 2.0 stabilization

We reckon the GoPro Hero 8 Black is likely to represent the best outright value during Black Friday. Historically, retailers have offered big bundle discounts on cameras which have recently left GoPro’s official line-up. This year, that camera is the Hero 8 Black – and we think the former flagship still represents a whole lot of action camera, even three years after its release.

It doesn’t haven’t a front display and can’t record 5K video, but it is the model which introduced Mods and built-in mounting fingers. Its 4K/60p footage is as impressive as the video produced by the newer Hero 9 Black, plus it offers near-identical HyperSmooth stabilization across all frame rates. 

Paired with the GoPro app, it remains a fantastic all-rounder for capturing adventurous video. We think it hits the real sweet spot between price and performance, especially if a Black Friday deal brings its standalone price below $250 / £250.

 2. GoPro Hero 9 Black 

• 5K/30p video
• Handy front display
• HyperSmooth 3.0 stabilization

The GoPro Hero 9 Black is the oldest model that's still officially sold by GoPro. At $300 / £300 with a year’s free GoPro Subscription, it’s also the joint cheapest together with the Hero 11 Black Mini. Unveiled in 2020, we’d expect it to become the most affordable model offered during GoPro’s Black Friday sale when bought with all the benefits of that GoPro Subscription. Which, it’s worth noting, can be canceled before it renews.

The Hero 9 Black wasn’t without its niggles at launch, as issues with auto exposure and an unresponsive touchscreen interface were apparent during our first review. Subsequent updates alleviated the worst of those snags, leaving the GoPro Hero 9 Black a versatile, pocket-friendly action camera. 

Physically identical to the Hero 10 Black, it lacks that camera’s polished GP2 processor but ticks the boxes in most core respects. It has the same sensor as its successor, shoots sharp 5K/30p footage and offers impressive HyperSmooth Boost stabilization in all shooting modes. You also get a suite of software tricks and useful front display. If you can do without 5K/60p and 4K/120p options, Black Friday discounts should make it an even better value alternative to the Hero 10 Black.

 3. GoPro Hero 10 Black 

• 5.3K/60p and 4K/120p video
• Powerful GP2 processor
• HyperSmooth 4.0 stabilization

Despite its updated sensor, the GoPro Hero 11 Black represents only an incremental upgrade from the GoPro Hero 10 Black. If you don’t need the option of 10-bit video or exporting from footage shot at an 8:7 aspect ratio, there’s every chance that the Hero 10 Black will offer better value for you when discounted during the Black Friday sales.

The GoPro Hero 11 Black does introduce a handful of features not found on its predecessor, including new Timelapse tricks, ‘Easy’ and ‘Pro’ menu modes, and 360-degree Horizon Lock without a Max Lens Mod. But the Hero 10 Black remains a very capable action camera in 2022. For starters, it maxes out at exactly the same resolution and frame rates as the Hero 11 Black: 5K/60p and 4K/120p. 

If you’re shooting at those settings, both the 11 and 10 Black will apply the same Horizon Levelling smarts to keep footage level. And while you get HyperSmooth 5.0 on the 11 Black, our recent testing found that HyperSmooth 4.0 is still “some of the best action camera video stabilization tech around.”

In short, if you don’t need the absolute latest GoPro, but still want one that can shoot sharp, stable footage in all kinds of conditions, the Hero 10 Black is definitely one to watch during Black Friday. Intriguingly, it currently costs exactly the same as the Hero 11 Black on the GoPro website ($350 / £350). We would expect that to change as part of the Black Friday GoPro sales.

 4. GoPro Max 

• 5.6K 360-degree video
• Max HyperSmooth
• Only waterproof to 5m

As the only 360 camera in the GoPro line-up, the GoPro Max is the one to watch if you’re looking for a capable action camera that can record 5.6K footage in 360 degrees. Released in 2019, subsequent software updates have introduced new shooting abilities, including 360-degree Time Lapse functionality, to complement a feature set that was already comprehensive.

After three years, a sequel is certainly overdue, especially when compared to more recent rivals. Even GoPro’s own Hero models embarrass the Max when it comes to 2D shooting. But if you want a GoPro that can shoot 360 video for cropping and editing after the fact, the Max still gets plenty right. 

During Black Friday last year, GoPro dropped the price of the Max to $400 / £380 with a GoPro Subscription. That’s now the standard cost of the model if you buy it directly from GoPro with a Subscription. We would expect it to be discounted further during Black Friday, especially with Insta360’s rival X2 and newer X3 offering sterling 360 competition at competitive prices.

 5. GoPro Hero 11 Black 

• New 1/1.9-inch sensor (5.3K/60p video)
• 10-bit color depth
• HyperSmooth 5.0 and Horizon Lock

As the current head of the GoPro family, there are good reasons why the GoPro Hero 11 Black could be top of your shopping list ahead of Black Friday this year. Our review found the Hero 11 Black to be an ideal action cam for shooting social footage, courtesy of a versatile new sensor which allows you to export a range of video formats from its 8:7 aspect ratio. It also introduces 10-bit video support for color grading, and bundles the beefier Enduro battery as standard. In short, it’s GoPro’s most complete action cam package to date.

Besides low-light performance, one of the biggest drawbacks we highlighted after testing the Hero 11 Black was its price. Even with various improvements, we felt that more affordable rivals offered better value. But that could change with the right Black Friday deal.

Ahead of Black Friday, GoPro has already reduced the price of the Hero 11 Black to $350 / £350 with a year’s free GoPro Subscription. At that price, it’s cheaper than the Hero 10 Black was last year, making it a very tempting proposition, especially with all the benefits of a Subscription included. 

Last year, GoPro reduced the price of its then flagship Hero 10 Black with a Subscription by an additional $50 / £49 for Black Friday. If GoPro offers a similar reduction this year, that would price the Hero 11 Black at a very competitive $300 / £300. If you’re shopping for the very best action camera on the market right now, that would be a difficult deal to beat.

Should you wait for the GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini?

At $50 / £50 cheaper than the full version, the GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini objectively represents better value. But while it’s lighter and tougher than the standard edition, it sacrifices both the front and rear screens, in favor of a small readout. Unless it’s discounted by a larger margin than the Hero 11 Black on Black Friday, we’d focus our attention on the full-size version.

As for the Creator Edition, it already represents decent value for those who would make use of the included accessories, transforming the shooting experience for an additional outlay of $230 / £230. GoPro has historically offered generous discounts on its bundles for Black Friday, especially when bought with a GoPro Subscription, and we’d expect to see similar savings this Black Friday. 

That said, it’s still worth considering whether your style of shooting will benefit from all of the peripherals included in the kit. If not, you’re likely to find better value by buying a standalone GoPro during Black Friday, then purchasing only the individual add-ons that you actually need.

Should you buy a GoPro Hero 7 Black during Black Friday?

Released in 2018, the GoPro Hero 7 Black requires some digging to find online. Yet if you want to bag a genuine GoPro bargain during Black Friday, it could be your best chance. Officially discontinued, we think some retailers could cut its price to clear the last of their stock. 

Pick one up and you won’t be getting a cut-price action camera. Smaller than GoPro’s latest models, it’s waterproof without a case and sports a 1.95-inch touchscreen. Admittedly, it doesn’t sport the mod cons associated with newer editions. There’s no front display, no Mod support and the interface isn’t the slickest. 

But if you want a cheap, rugged GoPro that shoots great 4K video, stabilized effectively by the first version of HyperSmooth, it’s arguably the best value GoPro you can buy today. If online stores do dig out their last remaining units for a Black Friday deal, we’d pay attention.

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. 

Black Friday has arrived, and it's the perfect time to grab some excellent GoPro deals. The latest models are getting discounts for the very first time, such as the Hero 13 Black and the Hero (2024) – while previous generations are in the running with some great offers too.

My personal favorite of all the GoPro deals right now is the Hero 13 Black + Accessories bundle for $349.99 at Best Buy (was $449.99), while in the UK it can be had for £349.99 at Currys (was £449.99). Even though the standard Hero 13 Black bundle is getting a £30 discount at Amazon UK, the Accessories Bundle is still my preferred choice, since it represents much better value. I thoroughly enjoyed reviewing the flagship model earlier this year and its new Lens Mod accessories bode well for its future prospects.

I’ve only included GoPro deals that are worth your time and money, with FAQs related to this year's sale further down. This page will be updated regularly throughout the Black Friday period, so keep checking in for the best GoPro deals, as they’re bound to change frequently. If you’re after more camera-related offers, I've compiled a Black Friday camera deals hub too, while our main Black Friday deals page has you covered for every great tech bargain out there right now.

Today's best GoPro deals in the US

• Amazon: $20 off the GoPro Hero (2024)
• Best Buy: Hero 13 Black Accessories bundle – $100 off
• GoPro: Save 15% for the Hero 13 Black
• Walmart: Hero 12 Black for $294.99 – save $55

Today's best GoPro deals in the UK

• Amazon: Hero 13 Black for just £329
• GoPro: 15% off the Hero 13 Black, now just £339
• Currys: Save £100 on the Hero 13 Black + Accessories Bundle

Black Friday GoPro deals: FAQs

Why trust TechRadar this Black Friday

We've covered Black Friday for over decade here at TechRadar and we've learnt when all the best sales start and how to uncover all of the top deals. We also monitor sales throughout the year and track the lowest prices of dozens of the most popular products as so we know a bargain when we see it.

All the GoPro action cams and accessories listed in this Black Friday deals guide have been rigorously tested by our experts and we only include gear that we personally recommend and would choose to buy with our own money. We lean on vast experience testing GoPro gear down the years and tracking deal patterns and history.

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. 

Despite increasingly hot competition from waterproof smartphones and the likes of Insta360, GoPros are still a byword for action cameras. But should you still buy one in 2022, and are there likely to be any big discounts during this week's Amazon Prime Day deals?

We've crunched together our in-depth testing of GoPro's Hero range with some historical pricing data from previous Amazon Prime Days to help you decide. The short answer? It depends on which GoPro model you're looking to buy. But GoPro deals have been a regular feature in Amazon's shopping event, so if you have a Prime subscription and are looking to buy an action camera, it's definitely worth waiting to see what happens during this year's Prime Day from July 12-13.

GoPro deals have become slightly more complex in the past couple of years thanks to the arrival of the GoPro Subscription. Signing up for this membership service, which generally isn't available via retailers like Amazon, often nets you a pretty big discount on current GoPro models. This means that even if Prime Day does bring some GoPro discounts, it's possible these prices will still be beaten on GoPro's official site by the ones that include a one-year GoPro Subscription.

For example, the GoPro Hero 10 Black is currently available on GoPro's site for $349 / £329 / AU$529, if you sign up for a one-year GoPro Subscription. This currently undercuts the prices on Amazon and may continue to do so with a Prime Day discount. That said, Amazon's deals could still offer good value if you don't fancy signing up to an auto-renewing service that you may forget to cancel.

Amazon Prime Day also tends to come into its own with discounts on GoPro bundles, which include mounts and other useful accessories, and deals on older or discontinued GoPro models.

Are GoPros still the best action cameras?

GoPros have been around since 2005, so are they still relevant in this age of hugely impressive smartphone cameras? We still think there's very much a place for these rugged, waterproof companions – and GoPro largely dominates our guide to the best action cameras. 

Why? While there is certainly good value to be found in cheaper models like the Akaso Brave 7 LE, the benefits of GoPros are their impressive HyperSmooth stabilization, point-and-shoot simplicity and polished companion apps.

There's no doubt that premium rivals like the Insta360 One R 1-Inch Edition have also closed the gap in terms of image quality, with that model even beating GoPro's flagship Hero 10 Black for dynamic range. 

But we still find GoPros that bit more fun and simple to use than any other action cams, and that polish is also available further down the price chain on older models like the Hero 8 Black. If you need a stunt double for your camera phone, then GoPros remain fine choices with a wide range of accessories. 

Will there be a GoPro Hero 11 Black soon?

So far, there have been very few rumors about a new GoPro Hero 11 Black flagship, but we still think the chances are high that one will arrive in September.

GoPro has maintained a consistent launch schedule for its action cameras over the years. Aside from the GoPro Hero 8 Black, all GoPros in the last five years have been announced in September.

So while the Hero 10 Black is only ten months old, we are expecting to see a Hero 11 Black arrive in 2-3 months. 

That said, it's unlikely to bring any dramatic changes, given we're expecting it to use the same Sony IMX677 sensor as before. If you need an action camera right now, then the Hero 10 Black is certainly worth buying, even with a potential successor on the horizon.

Which GoPros should you look out for during Amazon Prime Day 2022?

Amazon Prime Day traditionally reserves its best deals for GoPros that sit just below its flagship Hero and for bundles on older models that include handy accessories like spare batteries and mounts.

That seems likely to be the case again – and with GoPro's comments earlier this year potentially suggesting that a successor to its GoPro Max 360 camera is in the pipeline, we may well see some discounts on that model too.

We've picked out a few GoPro models to watch during Amazon Prime Day, giving you historical low prices so you can check to see how good the deals are.

GoPro Hero 9 Black

• Lowest recent price: $329 / £297
• Record-low price:  $329 / £297 

During last year's Prime Day, the Hero 9 Black was GoPro's flagship action camera, so we didn't see any major discounts on it. That could change this year though, as it's now the deputy model to the newer Hero 10 Black.

We've recently seen the Hero 9 Black's price on Amazon fall below the GoPro's own Subscription offer on its site, so it's possible that could happen again during Prime Day. 

And given there isn't a vast difference between the Hero 9 and Hero 10, with the latter bringing a higher frame-rate 5K mode, improved stabilization and usability improvements, it's one to keep an eye on during Amazon's shopping event.

• Read our in-depth GoPro Hero 9 Black review

GoPro Hero 8 Black

• Lowest recent price: $299 / £258
• Record-low price: $279 / £258

We reckon the Hero 8 Black is the GoPro to watch during this year's Amazon Prime Day deals. It's still a current model, but is now the entry-level model in the Hero lineup – and that's traditionally been a popular one for discounts.

The most likely scenario is a Prime Day discount or Lightning deal on one of the many Hero 8 Black bundles, which is usually some mixture of extra batteries, mounts, and accessories. 

While these are pricier than the camera-only bundles, they're still well worth considering – the Hero 8 Black's battery lasts for about 45 minutes of filming, so extra batteries are always welcome, while grips like the Handler do significantly boost its versatility.

• Read our in-depth GoPro Hero 8 Black review

GoPro Max

• Lowest recent price: $425 / £376
• Record-low price: $425 / £376

The GoPro Max may have launched back in 2019, but we still think it's one of the best 360 cameras you can buy. If it receives a sizable Prime Day discount, which is possible given its age, then it could be a good buy for those who want the flexibility of being able to reframe their action sports videos after they've been shot.

A word of warning: based on some GoPro comments earlier this year during an earnings call, we think it's possible that a successor (perhaps called the GoPro Max 2) will launch later this year. 

This means the current Max would need to receive a pretty big discount for us to consider it a good deal, but it's certainly one to look out for. It shoots 5K 360-degree videos, which you can reframe using GoPro's Player software, and originally cost $499 / £479 / AU$799 at launch.  

• Read our in-depth GoPro Max review

What about older GoPros?

It's possible that we'll see some older, discontinued GoPro models get discounts in the Amazon Prime Day sales. While they could offer good value, the oldest Hero model we'd now consider is the Hero 7 Black.

This 2018 model was a pretty big step up from the Hero 6 Black, particularly when it came to stabilization. That's because it debuted GoPro's HyperSmooth stabilization, which is still found (in updated forms) in all of today's current Hero models.

Recent models like the Hero 10 Black have HyperSmooth 3.0 and offer it in a wider variety of frame rates than the Hero 7 Black, which only has standard stabilization in its slo-mo modes. 

But the Hero 7 Black marked the start of GoPro's modern action cams, so could offer good value if you see a discount. Older models like the Hero 6 Black, though, are likely now trumped for value by today's best cheap action cameras, like the Akaso Brave 7 LE.

Should you buy a GoPro on Amazon Prime Day?

If you need a polished action camera to film your travel adventures or shoot videos for a YouTube channel, then Prime Day could certainly be a good time to buy a GoPro. The shopping event has previously delivered some solid action camera discounts, particularly on GoPro models that are 1-2 years old, and we think the Hero 9 Black and Hero 8 Black are still among the best action cameras you can buy.

We think it's highly likely that a GoPro Hero 11 Black will arrive in September, and it's possible that we'll also see a GoPro Max 2 later this year, too. While this is worth factoring into your buying decision, they would both likely be premium models – and a healthy discount on an older GoPro could definitely offer better value.

It's also worth comparing any deals to the GoPro Subscription offers on its own site, as these frequently give you discounts of at least $100 / £100 on current models, as long as you sign up for a one-year subscription (which will auto-renew for $49.99 / £49.99). We'll be on hand throughout Amazon Prime Day to pick out the best GoPro deals, so make sure to keep an eye on TechRadar and our guide to the best Prime Day deals throughout the event.

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?

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

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 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