Intended to reinvigorate the market position of GoPro, the GoPro Hero 5 has already been described as the “most connected and convenient” action camera yet to be conceived. It seems that the corporation will place a much greater emphasis on the athletic community with the GoPro Hero 5, and that it will be the most advanced action camera that the company has produced thus far.
CEO of the company, Nick Woodman, has already indicated that the GoPro Hero 5 will deliver a more refined user experience, while the action camera is also mooted to “do a better job of connecting to smartphones and the cloud”. This will be a robust, high specification and thoroughly contemporary action camera which delivers the sort of feature set that all consumers will desire in the modern age.
With GoPro phasing out several of its older product lines in favor of the GoPro Hero5, there is pressure on the corporation to deliver an absolutely outstanding action camera this time round. So what are the latest rumors and whiskers on the GoPro Hero 5, and what can we ultimately expect from this next generation action camera? Here is a rundown on everything we know about the GoPro Hero 5 thus far.
GoPro Hero 5 design
Woodman has already indicated that the GoPro Hero 5 will be easier to use and more efficient than previous action camera releases from the company. Woodman told Engadget that “future GoPros will be increasingly simpler, with fewer parts. Our goal is to make it very easy for our customers to make the decision to pick up a GoPro and use it. That’s all about simplicity, efficiency, and making the user experience as seamless and invisible as possible.”
Reports have also indicated that the action camera will be significantly lighter than previous releases in the series, ensuring that this is an extremely convenient device regardless of what people want to do with it. It is generally believed that the GoPro Hero 5 will be the lightest action camera that the company has ever released, meaning that it would need to weigh in at less than the Session’s 74g
Models available
GoPro hasn’t given too much insight into what models will be included in the GoPro Hero 5 range, but it is expected that multiple versions of the action camera will ultimately go onto the market. A touchscreen-enabled Hero 5 Silver has been particularly anticipated, alongside a state of the art GoPro Hero 5 black. Ultimately, the manufacturer will want to capture both the affordable and premium end of the marketplace.
Battery life
Battery lifecycle is a major factor for any item of mobile consumer electronics, with even the mighty Apple having been criticized for the battery life delivered by its products. So there will be pressure on GoPro to ensure that the GoPro Hero 5 delivers in this department.
Early murmurings related to the action camera suggest that it may feature a 2,800 mAh battery, capable of powering the device for two hours on a single charge. This two-hour figure would only apply to the most detailed resolution, which according to reports will be the brand new 8K technology.
This would represent an improvement over previous GoPro models, and would also be a strong selling point for the camera.
Specs and features
The meat of any consumer electronics products are the specs and features included in the device, and this is where the GoPro Hero 5 will really be made or broken.
As mentioned previously, many analysts believe that the GoPro Hero 5 will feature the ability to shoot in 8K resolution at 60 frames per second. But at the very least, it will feature this resolution at 30 frames per second, and double the 4K resolution capabilities of the GoPro Hero4.
Considering the emphasis on simplicity, it seems likely that the GoPro Hero 5 will be focused on delivering a refined user experience rather than featuring tonnes of unnecessary bells and whistles. This could rule out functionality such as GPS and altimeters; both of which will significantly impact on battery life if included.
A dual-lens feature has also been linked with the GoPro Hero 5, with the intention of enabling users to capture 3D footage. Waterproofing at up to 60 meters is also anticipated, as GoPro intends to ensure that the action camera is attractive to divers, professional filmmakers and amateur underwater filming enthusiasts. This figure vastly exceeds the underwater capabilities of previous GoPro releases, indicating a real emphasis on this aspect on the action camera.
Reports have indicated that the GoPro Hero 5 will feature two microphones in order to support surround sound, while an integrated analogue-to-digital system will ensure full compatibility with a wide range of professional external microphones.
As stated by the CEO of the company, the GoPro Hero 5 will also be an extremely collectible device, with cloud connectivity expected to be central to the ethos of the action camera. Many analysts believe that the camera will also feature a Bluetooth 4.0 connection, in order to enable super-fast wireless transfers. This would also drain the battery significantly less than a Wi-Fi chip.
Release date
Although this action camera has already been significantly delayed, the wait seems to be nearly over for the GoPro Hero 5. The latest reports suggest that this action camera will arrive in the stores in October, and will possibly be accompanied by the release of a compatible drone at the same time.
Pricing
The price of the GoPro Hero 5 is expected to be between $450 and $550, but considering the commercial recent travails of the manufacturer, the final price tag could be closer to the lower of these two parameters. Even at $450 it would be retailing at a higher price point than the GoPro Hero 4 Black and Silver.
All in all, this does look to be an extremely attractive action camera. But it remains to be seen whether GoPro can produce a GoPro Hero 5 at a price tag which is attractive to the mass market.
