GoPro Inc, the maker of miniature cameras used by thrill seekers such as extreme snowboarders and cliff divers, refreshed its Hero camera lineup on Monday, offering a significantly improved and pricier top-end model, while lowering the price tag of its baseline camera.
GoPros three refreshed models – the Hero, the Hero4 Silver and the Hero4 Black, will roll out on October 5th and range between $130 and $500. Despite their different features and video capture quality, all of the new products live up to their predecessors reputation for robustness and can withstand depths of over 130 feet when used in their protective shells, which are included in the package.
The top of the line GoPro Hero4 Black Edition camera will offer twice the video resolution of the preceding Hero3+ model, being able to shoot 4K video at 30 frames per second (fps), full hd video (1080p) at 120 fps and photos at 12 megapixels. The Hero3 was also able to do 4K, but only at 15 fps, and the Hero3+ didnt improve on that. However, the Hero4 Blacks significant improvement of shooting performance relative to its top-end predecessor comes at the highest cost a GoPro enthusiast has ever paid – $500.
The Hero4 Black Edition, unlike the mid-range Hero4 Silver model, lacks a touch screen because, as GoPro said, the higher performing 4K footage would heat up the camera and make it inoperable. Instead, the top-end model will rely on the same physical button operation that has been used before. However, the top-end model will receive two considerable hardware additions – Bluetooth and WiFi for additional connectivity options.
The mid-range Hero4 Silver, priced at $400, will be able to shoot at faster frame rates compared to the previous model and will introduce touch-screen controls for the first time on a GoPro camera. The Hero4 Silver will shoot 4K video, but only at 15 fps, 1080p video at 60 fps and 720p video at 120 frames per second. Like the Hero4 Black, the Silver can also capture 12-megapixel photos.
The baseline model, dubbed simply the Hero, is mostly the same as what GoPro owners have seen from previous models with a price tag of around $200, but it will cost you only $130. It can shoot 1080p video at 30 fps and 720p video at 60 fps, while photos can be captured at up to 5 megapixels.
GoPro said the low-end model can go on recording for up to 2.5 hours, while the Hero4 Silver and Hero4 Blacks recording time was not revealed, but the company said it will mostly match the one of their predecessors.
GoPro also updated its Protune feature, which allows more comprehensive control over settings and said that its application for Android and iOS that allows you to connect the camera to your smartphone and tinker with the videos will be updated to work with the new models in a few weeks.
GoPro Inc rose by 4.20% by 14:06 GMT to $85.55 per share on the NASDAQ. The company settled at 0.97% higher on Friday at $82.10, giving it a market value of $10.35 billion. According to the Financial Times, the 8 analysts offering 12 month price targets for GoPro Inc have a median target of $60.00, with a high estimate of $78.00 and a low estimate of $45.00. The median estimate represents a -26.92% decrease from the previous close of of $82.10.
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