GoPro’s Hero 9 Black to include big changes, report suggests

By Trevor Mogg Published April 25, 2023

The leak of apparent packaging for GoPro’s Hero 9 Black suggests that a slew of exciting changes are coming to the next iteration of the popular action camera.

With DJI’s Osmo Action and Insta360’s recently released One R system now on the market, GoPro has some serious competitors snapping at its heels, so it needs to get it right with the Hero9 Black.

WinFuture

German tech site WinFuture, which got hold of the packaging, is confident it’s the real deal. The labeling suggests the Hero9 Black will be the first GoPro in the series to have a front-facing color display, placing it alongside the Osmo Action and making it an even friendlier vlogging camera.

The image sensor will reportedly get a bump from 12 megapixels to 20 megapixels, with rumors also suggesting the device may be able to shoot 5K video, up from the current 4K. There’s no word, however, on whether GoPro will be enhancing image quality by boosting the size of the sensor to one inch to match one of the mods available with the Insta360 One R.

A decent upgrade to the battery also looks like it’s on its way, pushing it from 1,220mAh with the Hero8 Black to 1,720mAh, giving users some extra leeway before they have to start worrying about recharging or swapping — assuming the new front-facing display doesn’t gobble up all that extra power.

The GoPro Hero 9 Black is also expected to come with improved HyperSmooth electronic stabilization, a popular feature that launched with the Hero 7 Black to offer “gimbal-like” footage.

There’s no word on when GoPro will be announcing the Hero9 Black, but its habit of releasing an update every year in the fall suggests an imminent unveiling.

Digital Trends has reached out to GoPro in the vain hope of obtaining a tidbit about the expected forthcoming release and we will update this piece if we hear back.

If you’re in the market for an action camera, you’ll probably want to see what the Hero 9 Black has to offer. But if you can’t wait, then take a moment to check out Digital Trends’ current compilation of the best action cameras currently available.

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Contributing Editor

Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…

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GoPro Hero 10 Black: 7 things I love and 2 that I don’t

The GoPro Hero 10 placed in an outdoor environment.

The GoPro Hero 10 Black is the company's most recent addition to its action camera lineup. I've had a chance to spend almost eight weeks with the camera to find out if the on-page specs translate to real-world usage? Here's what I loved about the Hero 10 while using it in my day-to-day life and short travels.
Seven things I loved
More responsive
The GoPro Hero 10 is much more responsive than the previous iterations of the camera. When I reviewed the Hero 8 and Hero 9, one of my biggest concerns was usability. While the functionality was amazing, the usability was not. Well, no more.

Thanks to the new processor, the GoPro Hero 10's usability is as good as its functionality. GoPro has finally done justice to its camera. Navigating through the interface feels on par with my iPhone's camera app. The new camera was a joy to use, thanks to a more responsive interface.
Amazing photos and slow-mo

Photography

The 5 best new GoPro Hero 10 Black features I love to use

GoPro Hero 10 Firmware V1.2.

When I reviewed the GoPro Hero 10 Black in September, I couldn’t help but heap praise on it. Though it’s clearly an evolutionary update to the Hero 9, the Hero 10 goes far enough to offer very real advantages over its predecessor. Between its 5.3K 60 frames per second, upgraded image stabilization, and impressive cloud storage integration, it’s certainly the most powerful action camera available right now.

However, GoPro hasn’t rested on its laurels over the past several months. Over that time, they’ve offered major firmware upgrades and even a post-launch hardware upgrade. With the Hero 10 so dramatically changed since its original launch, it’s worth taking a look at to see what else you can expect from the camera here at the tail end of 2021.
Max Superview
The GoPro Hero 10 features a 4:3 format sensor, but most video these days is displayed in a 16:9 aspect ratio. That typically means either cropping the image or putting up with black bars on the side of the display. GoPro’s Superview mode stretches the edges of the image so that you can take advantage of the entire 4:3 sensor area, but display it on a 16:9 screen at the cost of a fisheye effect.

Photography

GoPro boosts Hero 10 performance with new firmware and Enduro battery

GoPro Hero 10 Front Screen.

One of my few complaints when reviewing the GoPro Hero 10 Black was its somewhat fleeting battery life, and though I haven’t personally encountered the issue, many users have reported problems limiting recording times due to overheating. GoPro seems to have heard that message loud and clear, as they have announced a major firmware update for the camera that aims to solve the problems as well as a brand new Enduro battery.

The firmware (which will be available by the end of October) introduces three new video performance modes designed to maximize the Hero 10’s performance in different scenarios. Maximum video performance mode prioritizes high resolution, frame rate, and image quality. Extended battery mode limits resolution and frame rate to maximize recording times and battery life, while tripod/stationary video mode provides high performance when the camera is stationary, and there isn’t any airflow to cool the camera.