GoPro confirms launch date for two new Hero action cams – but still no sign of the Max 2
GoPro, we’ve been expecting you. The action cam giant traditionally launches its new action cameras every September, and right on time, it has just announced an event for two new Hero models. One of them will almost certainly be the GoPro Hero 13 Black, and the other will be a new base model called the GoPro Hero.
As an official GoPro X (formerly Twitter) account And home page Confirm, the date for your diary is September 4 at 6am PT / 9am ET / 2pm BST / 11pm AEST. GoPro promises “two new cameras” so you can “choose your adventure”.
The teaser image of those dual cameras lines up with a number of leaks we’ve seen recently, including a huge one on August 29 that revealed most of the Hero 13 Black’s specs. If the latest leak is accurate, we can expect a Hero 12 Black with a larger battery, a slightly taller design, magnetic accessories, and new Lens Mod attachments with auto-detection.
Those Lens Mod accessories will reportedly include new Macro and Anamorphic options, with the latter likely designed to help you take more cinematic videos with super-wide aspect ratios. On the other hand, it seems unlikely that the Hero 13 Black will get a larger sensor or the ability to shoot 8K video.
A new video leak of the Hero 13 Black, from the ever reliable @Quadro_News (below), gives us a peek at the design. It looks a lot like the Hero 12 Black, with a front-facing display for vlogging – the only notable design change being a grille on the front.
👉Live video from the GoPro Hero13.#gopro #GoProHero13 pic.twitter.com/2LPyur7YBWSeptember 1, 2024
Less is known about the new GoPro Hero base model, which a teaser shows will be considerably smaller than the Hero 13 Black. Some previous leaked images on August 16 suggested it could be a replacement for the Hero 11 Black Mini, which was released in 2022 as a cheaper, more compact action option for cyclists and mortorbikers.
The leaked product description described it as “our smallest 4K camera” with a “rugged, super-light design” that’s “a fraction of the size and weight of other GoPro cameras.” So it seems like a more affordable alternative to the Hero 13 Black, albeit without the vlogging-friendly front screen and long battery life.
Where is the GoPro Max 2?
GoPro is still the most famous name in the field of action cams, but the competition is fiercer than ever before, namely from the best action cams in the world. Moreover, we expect a successor to the DJI Osmo Action 4 soon.
A recent DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro leak suggested that it would likely launch this month, albeit with only relatively minor upgrades. Like the GoPro Hero 13 Black, it’s not expected to jump to a 1-inch sensor, instead sticking with a 1/1.3-inch CMOS chip with an f/2.8 aperture – though the sensor is apparently still “all new”.
For those looking for a simple action camera to capture vacation photos or double as a helmet-mounted dash cam, the basic GoPro Hero may be the more interesting of GoPro’s two new models.
The high-end action cam segment now includes the Insta360 One R 1-inch edition and the 8K-capable Insta360 Ace Pro, plus the best 360-degree cameras for those who want to reframe their footage after the fact.
What this invite does seem to confirm is that GoPro’s next 360 camera, the GoPro Max 2, won’t be released until later this year. Hopefully, the launch is still on track for the “late Q4” estimate GoPro set back in May.
