Review: GoPro's Hero5 cameras bring upgrades like voice controls, touchscreen and waterproofing on Black, 4K video on Session, but battery life is lacking
James Trew / Engadget :
Context & Ripple Effects
The Hero5 Black and Session land as part of a coordinated October push: GoPro is pairing its first real camera refresh in years with the $799 foldable Karma quadcopter and GoPro Plus, a $5/month cloud storage and sharing service that turns the camera into the front end of a subscription. The review's verdict matters because these cameras are meant to be the content engines for both new businesses.
The critique that stands out is battery life — a complaint that recurs in later generations, including the Hero7 Black review, which again flags no improvement despite gains in stabilization and live streaming.
First-order effects
- Buyers of the Hero5 Black get voice controls, a touchscreen, and waterproofing without a case, while the smaller Session finally reaches 4K — but anyone shooting long sessions still carries spare batteries or a charger.
Second-order effects
- Karma's value proposition depends on Hero5 footage quality, so a lukewarm camera verdict pressures the drone bundle's appeal, and GoPro Plus adoption hinges on whether the cameras' output justifies paying monthly for cloud storage.
Third-order effects
- If battery life stays flat across successive flagships while features like stabilization and streaming improve, GoPro's differentiation shifts from raw hardware specs toward software and services — a path consistent with the company's later moves toward subscriptions and direct-to-consumer sales amid workforce cuts.
The trend: Action cameras are evolving from standalone spec upgrades into hubs of subscription and accessory ecosystems, with battery life as the persistent unresolved constraint.