GoPro’s action cameras created, defined and then dominated the action camera market. If you think of buying an action camera, GoPro was the name you thought of, like Hoover is the name people use for vacuum cleaners, despite it being a brand name. But is this still the case?
Things however, have changed, and as GoPro released model after model that looked the same as the previous model, have they lost the edge? Or simply got too much competition?
- GoPro Stock Plummets 65% in the past year: Yahoo! Finance
Here’s the four ways I think GoPro have been attacked on all fronts…
Competition – directly in the GoPro space:
Other competitors will offer you an almost identical looking action camera, with big brands like DJI offering the Osmo Action series, and at the bottom end of the market, unbranded models cost up to 10x less than GoPro cameras and often come with a full array of bundled accessories.
Competition from innovators, market disrupters and more…
There are so many innovators in this space, such as the Insta360 Go 3 camera which is an action camera small enough to strap to a cat’s collar. Something GoPro don’t seem too interested in. Alternatively you can buy a DJI Osmo Pocket 3 designed to be an ultra-compact vlogging video camera with impressive built-in gimbal, or a 360 camera like the Insta360 X4. For those more interested in photography, there’s the OM System Tough TG-7, with raw shooting, and advanced controls.
Competition from smartphones…
Of course, in all markets for all camera types, the speed of being able to photograph, video, and then share instantly on a smartphone affects all cameras, and is a significant factor in ease of use. Less steps to publishing and sharing your work, multiplied over 365 days a year can be a huge time saver, especially when it comes to making video. Add in all the times when the Wi-Fi link from the camera doesn’t work, and it’s another reason to reach for your phone. You’ll also get a bigger screen, higher resolution video (up to 8K depending on the model), more lenses (from ultra-wide to telephoto), dust and waterproofing, and significantly better connection options from a smartphone.
Stagnation and device problems
The amount of comments on the internet about GoPro’s crashing, wiping video files, and people losing data are something that should have been fixed a LONG time ago. Yet, even when the AP team went to review the new GoPro Hero (an entry level model) the device was so unreliable we had to get a second unit before we could complete the review.
So what’s next for GoPro?
After all this, and with so many other options available, it really does make you wonder why anyone would choose a GoPro, and why GoPro seem to have done so little to compete with the clear and obvious threats to their business. What is going on there, are they so risk averse, or do they truly believe that they still own the “action camera” market?
It’s somewhat ironic, that the company that invented the action camera market, may also be the company that kills the action camera market, as they fail to notice the world changing around them.
As a consumer it makes sense to think about the vast variety of options available, and with so much choice, it really does mean you can find the right action camera, vlogging camera, or smartphone for you. Chances are though, that it probably won’t be a GoPro.
The views expressed in this column are not necessarily those of Amateur Photographer magazine or Kelsey Media Limited. If you have an opinion you’d like to share on this topic, or any other photography related subject, email: ap.ed@kelsey.co.uk
