POWERFUL STORYTELLING EXTENSION OF THE SMARTPHONE
One year after the launch of the GoPro HERO6 Black, it remains to be one of the most reliable and most powerful storytelling devices one could ever have. That in itself is a testament to how solid the action camera's specs are, and how seamless its performance is in the real world.
Let's quickly recap the most impressive among those aforementioned specs: The GoPro HERO6 Black is powered by the GP1 Processor, a stunning 4K60 and 1080p240 video, the most advanced video stabilization in a GoPro, as well as three times faster QuikStories performance.
"The HERO6 is a powerful storytelling extension of your smartphone," said Rick Loughery, GoPro vice president, global product communications. "While quality of smartphone cameras have gotten better over the years, there's still tons of shots that you could-or would-only capture using the HERO6."
For example, Loughery said, most people wouldn't want to risk breaking their smartphones just to be able to film rugged adventures like, say, bungee jumping or scuba diving.
In fact, he often hears people say that owning a GoPro encourages them to find something exciting and outdoorsy to do. This makes sense as one can only truly see the beauty of a GoPro in action.
While GoPro has steadily cemented itself as the leading action camera in the world, with the US getting the lion's share for years, Rick said it sees international growth as a huge opportunity.
"Around two years ago, our international sales eclipsed that of the US as a whole. The AsiaPacific region's share is really growing tremendously. Our first big sell was in Japan," said Loughery, who also happens to be the company's employee #13.
In Japan, sales have grown 100 percent year on year, most likely because of the nation's young culture, active social media users, and the rise of people who are becoming more outdoorsy.
South Africa is turning out to be a big market as well.
"What's cool about about GoPro is that it brings people together. It's all about capturing people's passions. Over the years, I've found that there are more likeness in people than there are differences," Loughery said.
It's what they do-GoPro builds cameras, software and accessories that help the world share itself in immersive and exciting ways.
"Doesn't matter where you're from, people with shared passions will connect. If we can help bring people together, that's what it's about for us," he said.
Developed from the ground up, the GP1 Processor enables twice the video frame rates, improved image quality, dynamic range, low-light performance and dramatically improved video stabilization over previous HERO camera generations. GP1 also advances GoPro's capabilities in computer vision and machine learning, enabling HERO6 to analyze visual scenes and sensor data for improved automated QuikStories.
QuikStories is an app feature that makes it easy to share short videos of your adventures. HERO6 is optimized for QuikStories with 3X faster WiFi. This means your footage will rapidly transfer from your GoPro to your phone where the GoPro App will automatically create QuikStory videos for you.
For Loughery, the advent of a plethora of action cameras in the market is good news for GoPro.
He said: "Competition is good because it keeps us motivated and there is more incentive for us to continue to innovate. But what sets owning a GoPro apart is that when you buy a GoPro, you're not just buying a camera, you're also getting into our superb ecosystem (of community, software, and apps)."
Here's GoPro HERO6 Black's other specs: All-New Touch Zoom, 3x Faster Offload Speeds via 5GHz Wi-Fi, Waterproof to 33 Feet (10m), Compatible with Karma and Existing GoPro Mounts, Improved Dynamic Range and Low-Light Performance, RAW and HDR Photo Modes, Voice Control in 10 Languages, GPS, Accelerometer and Gyroscope, and Wi-Fi + Bluetooth.