Rumors indicate that GoPro is getting ready for the release of two new devices this year. They are specifically the Karma Drone and the GoPro Hero 5. The former will be releasing in the first half of the year, which should be around May or June followed by the latter which is speculated to release in the latter half of 2016, around the month of October.
It was speculated last year that GoPro Hero 5 will be released in early 2016. According to the present reports, the company will focus on the Karma Drone first, followed by the GoPro Hero 5.
GoPro Hero 5 should come in time for Thanksgiving and holiday season. There are many features which should be present in the upcoming outdoor action camera. These include connectivity, portability and more seamless usage.
It should also be 50 percent smaller and 40 percent lighter than the predecessor, GoPro Hero 4. With the help of cloud-based storage and increased Bluetooth functionality, this device will focus on connectivity.
Meanwhile, with increased connectivity to the Karma Drone, this device will further enhance the overall user experience. Besides this, the other rumored improvements include a dual lens camera for better photo outputs, 8K video quality and also the capability of shooting 60 frames per second.
The GoPro Hero 5 will also have better waterproof features and will be able to withstand a depth of 60 meters. In order to keep up with the enhancements, the GoPro Hero 5 will have a more powerful chipset along with a longer battery life which will last up to 24 hours on a single charge.
Meanwhile, it is being predicted that with the Karma Drone and GoPro Hero 5, the company wishes to get back on their excellent track record and sales figures. Over last year, the company’s sales dipped by 80 percent due to poor product launch and lower sales figures. All the features mentioned so far are simply speculations and the public will need to wait for the actual features once the device is confirmed.
While the company has delayed the release of their upcoming action camera, it could turn out to be a smart thing to do for the company. Due to their problems regarding sales and poor product releases, further disappointing devices could turn out to be the final nail in their coffin.
Hence, if GoPro wishes to play it safe and work a lot on the development of a device before finally releasing it, they should do so. At the same time, the company needs to stay in the competition. Therefore, releasing a device too late will result in rivals taking their place, no matter how difficult it is.
On the other hand, GoPro also decided to shift their focus on the Karma drone and that took some time and resources as well. The rollout of GoPro Hero 5 was actually pushed back due to this.
It was further announced by the company that the first three versions of the GoPro will be discontinued by next month. Hero 4 will be the current flagship compatible with the upcoming drone. Karma drone will be on store shelves in the first half of 2016.
This actually puts the release date sometime in May or June and the industry believes that Hero 5 will be launched in October this year. Due to the upcoming holidays, this would be the perfect time to launch the device. One of the greatest features of the device would be drone compatibility.
The Karma Drone is also believed to be compatible with older versions of the GoPro. Moreover, waterproofing and great display along with higher-resolution images and videos are also said to be experienced with the new Hero 5.