Hype went to another level this week as rumors have surfaced that the GoPro Hero 5’s release date was just around the corner.
The massive excitement for the new camera comes as no surprise, as the GoPro is considered the top-of-the-line and go-to camera not only for sports enthusiasts and action videographers, but pretty much anyone who wants to capture their most exciting moments in digital format.
GoPro Hero 5 and Karma Drone bundle?
After keeping quiet for quite some time, GoPro executives are again creating buzz among video fans by teasing a possibility that the new, next-generation Hero action camera will be launched simultaneously with their upcoming drone product, dubbed the Karma.
In an interview with Verge, Nick Woodman, GoPro’s CEO, stated that the company is planning to unveil three new devices this year. Although he did not specifically mention the GoPro Hero 5 as one of these devices or any specific release date, it is highly probably that the next model of the action camera is one of the three.
In the same interview, Woodman was candid enough to mention that the company’s revenues had slipped substantially in 2015, which in turn send its stock price plummeting and caused for concern among the company’s investors.
Woodman did, however, remain optimistic that the company would be able to regain its lost ground with the launch of these three new products this year.
“Our growth rate has slowed, and some analysts have attributed this to the competitive threats and our ability to address a market beyond our core customer,” the CEO explained.
Rumors boost GoPro stock price
Rumors that the release date of the Hero 5 camera might come sooner than expected have resulted in a boosting of the company’s stock by 13%. GoPro shares have been on the up and up over the past several weeks, as it recently closed at $12.43 per share on Monday.
An unconfirmed report from earlier in the year stating that GoPro’s upcoming devices are to be sold as a bundle was taken with a grain of salt by techies and gadget fanatics alike. Just when many thought that this wasn’t to be the case, GoPro’s announcement in its 2016 Q1 report unconsciously resurrected these rumors. Many recent rumors are stating that the GoPro Hero 5 and Karma Drone may, indeed, come out as a bundle.
“And while we had to make the difficult decision to delay our drone, Karma, the upside is that Karma’s launch should now benefit from the holidays,” said Woodman in the company’s Q1 report released last May.
Next-generation specifications
Meanwhile, there are reports that suggest that the new GoPro Hero 5 will feature significant upgrades compared to its predecessor, the Hero 4. One of the speculated improvements to the next-generation action camera is the ability to shoot video at 8K resolution. There are additional speculations that mention that the camera will be able to shoot 4K videos at 60fps and 1080p. Additionally, the GoPro Hero 5 is expected to be handier and more streamlined as compared to previous GoPro Hero iterations.
Nonetheless, GoPro has not yet confirmed any of these reports. Action camera fans and video enthusiasts should, of course, take these rumors and speculations as just that, rumors, until the company decides to officially announce the device.
