9 ms·

GoPro quits the drone business

135 points by ar7hur 9y ago

payne92 9y ago
Disappointing, but not surprising. I've looked at quite a few drone startup projects (as investments). I'm not sure everyone fully understands how formidable DJI is right now. They are the Apple/Amazon AWS of the drone market.
- at-fates-hands 9y ago
  I had the same reaction. I used to be a loyal 3DR customer and owned both the Iris+ and Solo. Both were very capable and had some outstanding features, but DJI pushed them out of the market pretty quickly. They did so by flooding the market with a broader range of models, and then reduced the price of their mid tier models which killed 3DR sales. The day I read that 3DR had sold their mapping software (Site Scan) to DJI, the writing was on the wall. I unloaded all my 3DR stuff that weekend and now own a Mavic Pro and a Spark. Having been following the industry for about 5 years now, I'm not sure there are any viable competitors to DJI. There are some smaller players like Yuneec, but the technology and price points can't compare to DJI. It's the same thing GoPro found out the hard way. Stumble once, and DJI just sweeps up the crumbs and forces you out of the market.
  - totalZero 9y ago
    I thought the Solo was killed by a random flyaway malfunction...at least, that's what I read when I was trying to figure out why it was available for like 400 bucks. Is that not the case? I ended up buying a Mavic Pro. Never even so much as saw a Solo in person. In your experience, how do they compare?
    - at-fates-hands 9y ago
      The Solo was rushed into production in order to try and compete with DJI's new Phantom 3 line. The Phantom 3 was way ahead of the Solo in nearly every spec. Better camera (4K vs. 1080p), longer battery, longer range and better GPS. Many users I know attribute the controller issues with the fact 3DR used some proprietary GPS instead of the more common one the DJI models used. The nail in the coffin though was the gimbal. The P3 came with a three axis gimbal, even on their entry model. The Solo, because it was rushed, at first didn't even ship with a gimbal and they said they would sell it separately as an add-on. Then it shipped with one that didn't move at all (http://macnn.mnmcdn.com/article_images/128157-md-26378-Solo_Social_5.jpg http://macnn.mnmcdn.com/article_images/128157-md-26378-Solo_...), and when they finally got the three axis one on there, it was already too late. I also found out later a lot of the demo's they did the Solo's they were using had souped up GPS and other software they didn't have on the retail models people were getting. My Solo had a lot of the common issues. It would take off fine, but only go about 75ft and then hover, then the gps would cut in and out and I'd panic and have to land it. Sent it back a few times and nothing was ever resolved. After my third replacement, I threw in the towel. My Iris+ was far more dependable and I only ever had really minor issues with it. A simple re-calibration always fixed any issues. I had a three axis gimbal on it with a gopro Hero 5 and it was always dependable. I ended up selling it because I could go from hauling around a huge Pelican 1650 case to my backpack with the Mavic. After having both, I finally came to the conclusion DJI has a far superior product. They're innovating faster, and packing way more tech into their drones than any other company. Add in the fact they're making these things smaller and smaller. It makes it WAY easier to transport. Like I said, I can toss my chrome bag over my shoulder, walk into the city, unpack and get my Spark up in a matter of minutes, get some footage and get out before the cops show up. No way I could do that with either the Solo or the Iris. The startup time for both was several minutes (anywhere from 2-5 mins) to get a GPS lock. With the Spark and Mavic its almost instantaneous. Hope this helps. My advice is to stick with DJI, even their entry models are better than most mid range drone models from other companies.
matte_black 9y ago
Ah shit, it's over. GoPro stock is finished. I knew I should have sold.
- coldtea 9y ago
  Haven't sold already? They've been going from blunder to ho-hum product introduction for 3 years or more. There are so many things that they could have added to GoPro 5 or 6, and so little they did add, that it's embarrassing. Plus their drone fiasco.
  - matte_black 9y ago
    I was hoping GoPro 6 would change things. I haven't been holding it for years, I only bought when it was around 10.
nolok 9y ago
I have a GoPro, and I love it. But for a pet project I also bought a cheap sub-80 euros clone off of alibaba (found the same on amazon.fr a few euros more expensive), and I have to say the quality of it was good enough for most usage I actually have, and it came with equipment to attach it, take it underwater, ... To the point I realized, if I had neither now for my need that cheap one with a good sd card would be enough. There is obviously a place for GoPro as a brand but given how the bazillion smartphone camera optics produced every years helped improve the field immensely in price/quality, their attempt to capture the market while having decent margins was doomed. Most people will prefer "good enough, third of the price". At least that's how I view it.
- pookeh 9y ago
  Do you have a link/make-model for the alibaba alternative?
  - petre 9y ago
    I have the Eken H9 Action Cam. 46$ on AliExpress. Works just fine, battery lasts for about an hour and 20 min on a full charge at room temperature. I believe the GoPro lens has better distorsion correction and image stabilization for 7x the price, but otherwise the Chinese camera is good. It splits the recordings into 30 min files. I use it as a dash cam and to record Kendo training sessions from a fixed point. There's a video review of this camera and other cheap cams on Youtube by a user named redskull.
  - nolok 9y ago
    Tried searching by name and can't find the one I bought specifically but there seems to be even more clones than before in the 30-60 range (euros)
  - mattlondon 9y ago
    Many are rebrands of SJCAM models (I think at least). I call them "GoFaux" or "FauxPro" :-) A year or two ago I got a 1080p one from Hobbyking for about £40 and used it when snorkelling (the waterproof case came for free). It has been great and my only complaint are the buttons on the waterproof case are a bit stiff to press. Video quality is excellent. I dont have a GoPro to compare it against, but from what I've seen on YouTube et al, it certainly seems competitive (sorry I dont have any clips online). There are many, many, many on amazon - prices vary a lot though so with 10 minutes you can usually filter out the optimistically priced items and find the sensible zone. I'd not expect to pay more than about £50 for a 4K + Wifi one
sumoboy 9y ago
The DJI Mavic introduced right after the GoPro Karma pretty much ended its future. You would have thought gopro would have been partnered with so many drone makers years ago instead of going at it alone. That company needs a new leader.
ng-user 9y ago
Is this the precursor to GoPro's inevitable demise? e: if you feel the need to down vote, please let me know why you disagree
- DarronWyke 9y ago
  Possibly. Given the number of competitors in the "adventure camera" business like Contour and a variety of Chinese manufacturers, they're going to end up taking hits on it. Their cameras are already very pricey -- part of the reason why I went with a Contour.
flyinglizard 9y ago
Another DJI victim. As an industry insider, if there ever was a company I'm impressed with is DJI. Their technical depth and ability to evolve their product and get it to shelves on short cycles is unmatched. Note drone entrepreneurs - if there's money to be made in drones, DJI will take it to itself. The thing is that you simply can't compete with the vertical integration of DJI. Taking images and videos is still by far and large the reason to fly drones in the first place, and once you own the vertical stack and can integrate your imagers with the electromechanics (gimbal) you get to a very small and efficienct package. Think about that: for every gram of camera, you need two grams of stabilizer, then you need four grams of drone and battery to carry that. While DJI just stabilize their optics and sensor, GoPro stabilizes an entire 80g, bulky camera. This is mainly why the Karma is so big and heavy compared to the DJI Mavic (there are some advantages to DJI in propulsion and batteries but those are pretty small; not a lot of proprietary tech in those fields).
- derwiki 9y ago
  Is it possible to buy stock in DJI? (as an American)
  - Brass 9y ago
    Looks like they are private. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJI_(company) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJI_(company)
    - toomuchtodo 9y ago
      Smart move on their part.
      - bigredhdl 9y ago
        Yeah, that probably has something to do with their ability to execute referenced above.
      - 0x4rk0 9y ago
        That's where GoPro fucked itself ha
reacweb 9y ago
IMHO, they are wrong. GoPro has build a very good reputation. If the margins are too small, they could increase their prices and slightly erode their reputation. If they quit, they lose what they have build. A long time ago, I have heard the story of a sotfware company that was on the verge of bankruptcy because of their small margin. They decided to triple their prices and update the packaging. They have lost half their clients and saved the company that became very profitable. When Oracle bought Sun, they almost double the prices of many services. If Sun did it, maybe it would last longer.
- caio1982 9y ago
  The reputation they built has been spilling on the floor for a couple of years I'm afraid.
  - ktta 9y ago
    To investors, but I feel it maintains its repute as an established brand with the average consumer.
    - EpicEng 9y ago
      I purchased one of their panoramic cameras a while back for eval. The thing was ok, but under-specced and overpriced in the market, and their support was _awful_. Never again.
    - totalZero 9y ago
      I agree. Investors tend to group GoPro in with FitBit and several other niche personal technologies. There are some nuances that get lost in translation from consumer to investor. I have owned a number of their products, and have (twice) sent in a Hero4 for a free replacement after it stopped working. I use these cameras during long distance trips on my motorcycle, so I don't think the failures of those two cameras were entirely due to a manufacturer's defect. Still, no questions asked, they took care of me and even sent me a free gift after the second time one of my store-bought Hero4's malfunctioned. I like the product and the connectivity has gotten a lot better with the Hero6.
caio1982 9y ago
I understand where GoPro came from and all but I just can't get how they think they will survive with Nick Woodman.
baybal2 9y ago
There is a lot of space left in drone industry, but mostly in niches. 1. Serious UAV for serious aerial photography. DJI still suck there, but the distance from their best offer and the nearest competitor is around $180k USD 2. Serious UAV for remote sensing. DJI simply has no offers there other than a consumer handheld ir camera screwed on to a quad 3. High performance. DJI still can't approach mid-tier amateur aerobatic brands 4. Agricultural use, chemical sprayer. DJI has something for Chinese internal market, but they get steamrolled by domestic competition. 5. High payload. DJI have nothing made specially for this niche
- jinushaun 9y ago
  GoPro is exiting the consumer space and decided it couldn't compete with the professional space, which DJI completely dominates. I personally think it's a smart move by GoPro because I don't see any growth potential in the consumer space with flights being banned anywhere interesting.
- icebraining 9y ago
  For $55k you can get a fixed-wing VTOL UAV which can cover much more ground: https://www.quantum-systems.com/tron/ https://www.quantum-systems.com/tron/
IanDrake 9y ago
The biggest problem I have with GoPro is price. I've lost a few cameras surfing and I'd be willing to give up quality for a concession on price. Alternatively, if they made their product more find-able through some sort of tracking/recovery feature, I'd be happy to spend $600 on their camera. Same type of problem with their drone, not enough features that protect the investment to make it worth the money. For instance, it isn't waterproof. That would at least give me a reason to buy it over a DJI model.
- totalZero 9y ago
  I've almost lost a camera kayaking a couple or three times, when the glue on the mounting base comes loose. I usually use one of those orange floaty things on it. I suppose you could also tie a tether between the camera and your board.
  - biggc 9y ago
    I lost a camera while whitewater kayaking. Flipped, hit something upside down, and the housing latch popped open letting the camera fall out. Amazingly, GoPro support sent me a free replacement.
- collias 9y ago
  I surf with mine all the time. Are you using the mount that came with the camera, or the actual surf mount that they sell? The actual surf mount comes with a leash that you can tie to the camera. You can also attach one of those orange floaty blocks to your camera to make it easier to find.
  - IanDrake 9y ago
    Using GoPro-branded surf camera mount, tether, and float. One time the tether broke, the other time the tether pulled the plastic bit off the board. Neither time did the float help me. Both times were in pretty heavy 2’ overhead surf and my body made contact with the cam while trying to pigdog through a pinching barrel but not making it.
afinlayson 9y ago
The issue is they have been doing me too mentality for the last 3 years. Cheap GoPro eroded their margins, and ignored the fact that for most people their cell phone is good enough for video. Karma, and their gimbal is great, but products like Rylo saw the future as being motor-less. And after using it, I agree. If the karma had built a battery-less Fusion, they would have had something that was new, instead of trying to play catch up and gerry-rigging a GoPro to a drone. I still have hope, but they got take more risks and build their future not someone else's.
- vosper 9y ago
  The Rylo camera looks amazing. If GoPro doesn't get something equivalent or better out in the next 6 months I think the Rylo camera will destroy them in the consumer market. It appears to take everything that's annoying about casually using a GoPro (aiming it, capturing steady video, tracking a subject) and make it go away, or be fixable in their app. And you can buy it today.
  - mynameisvlad 9y ago
    Isn't their Fusion (https://shop.gopro.com/cameras/fusion/CHDHZ-101.html https://shop.gopro.com/cameras/fusion/CHDHZ-101.html) camera supposed to be the equivalent of the Rylo? I see nothing the Rylo can do that it can't, although the Rylo looks far nicer doing it.
perlgeek 9y ago
Do they have any other business areas than drones? I never heard their name in another context.
- khedoros1 9y ago
  Who, GoPro? They're just about synonymous with what I guess are called "action cameras" (small, rugged cameras used to record sports, often from the perspective of the athlete).
ggg9990 9y ago
This is what happens when American companies offshored all of their production to China. Eventually the Chinese companies figure out that they can do the whole thing themselves, and do it better.

135 points by ar7hur 9y ago

Disappointing, but not surprising. I've looked at quite a few drone startup projects (as investments). I'm not sure everyone fully understands how formidable DJI is right now. They are the Apple/Amazon AWS of the drone market.

at-fates-hands 9y ago
I had the same reaction. I used to be a loyal 3DR customer and owned both the Iris+ and Solo. Both were very capable and had some outstanding features, but DJI pushed them out of the market pretty quickly. They did so by flooding the market with a broader range of models, and then reduced the price of their mid tier models which killed 3DR sales. The day I read that 3DR had sold their mapping software (Site Scan) to DJI, the writing was on the wall. I unloaded all my 3DR stuff that weekend and now own a Mavic Pro and a Spark. Having been following the industry for about 5 years now, I'm not sure there are any viable competitors to DJI. There are some smaller players like Yuneec, but the technology and price points can't compare to DJI. It's the same thing GoPro found out the hard way. Stumble once, and DJI just sweeps up the crumbs and forces you out of the market.
- totalZero 9y ago
  I thought the Solo was killed by a random flyaway malfunction...at least, that's what I read when I was trying to figure out why it was available for like 400 bucks. Is that not the case? I ended up buying a Mavic Pro. Never even so much as saw a Solo in person. In your experience, how do they compare?
  - at-fates-hands 9y ago
    The Solo was rushed into production in order to try and compete with DJI's new Phantom 3 line. The Phantom 3 was way ahead of the Solo in nearly every spec. Better camera (4K vs. 1080p), longer battery, longer range and better GPS. Many users I know attribute the controller issues with the fact 3DR used some proprietary GPS instead of the more common one the DJI models used. The nail in the coffin though was the gimbal. The P3 came with a three axis gimbal, even on their entry model. The Solo, because it was rushed, at first didn't even ship with a gimbal and they said they would sell it separately as an add-on. Then it shipped with one that didn't move at all (http://macnn.mnmcdn.com/article_images/128157-md-26378-Solo_Social_5.jpg http://macnn.mnmcdn.com/article_images/128157-md-26378-Solo_...), and when they finally got the three axis one on there, it was already too late. I also found out later a lot of the demo's they did the Solo's they were using had souped up GPS and other software they didn't have on the retail models people were getting. My Solo had a lot of the common issues. It would take off fine, but only go about 75ft and then hover, then the gps would cut in and out and I'd panic and have to land it. Sent it back a few times and nothing was ever resolved. After my third replacement, I threw in the towel. My Iris+ was far more dependable and I only ever had really minor issues with it. A simple re-calibration always fixed any issues. I had a three axis gimbal on it with a gopro Hero 5 and it was always dependable. I ended up selling it because I could go from hauling around a huge Pelican 1650 case to my backpack with the Mavic. After having both, I finally came to the conclusion DJI has a far superior product. They're innovating faster, and packing way more tech into their drones than any other company. Add in the fact they're making these things smaller and smaller. It makes it WAY easier to transport. Like I said, I can toss my chrome bag over my shoulder, walk into the city, unpack and get my Spark up in a matter of minutes, get some footage and get out before the cops show up. No way I could do that with either the Solo or the Iris. The startup time for both was several minutes (anywhere from 2-5 mins) to get a GPS lock. With the Spark and Mavic its almost instantaneous. Hope this helps. My advice is to stick with DJI, even their entry models are better than most mid range drone models from other companies.

matte_black 9y ago

Ah shit, it's over. GoPro stock is finished. I knew I should have sold.

coldtea 9y ago
Haven't sold already? They've been going from blunder to ho-hum product introduction for 3 years or more. There are so many things that they could have added to GoPro 5 or 6, and so little they did add, that it's embarrassing. Plus their drone fiasco.
- matte_black 9y ago
  I was hoping GoPro 6 would change things. I haven't been holding it for years, I only bought when it was around 10.

nolok 9y ago

I have a GoPro, and I love it. But for a pet project I also bought a cheap sub-80 euros clone off of alibaba (found the same on amazon.fr a few euros more expensive), and I have to say the quality of it was good enough for most usage I actually have, and it came with equipment to attach it, take it underwater, ... To the point I realized, if I had neither now for my need that cheap one with a good sd card would be enough. There is obviously a place for GoPro as a brand but given how the bazillion smartphone camera optics produced every years helped improve the field immensely in price/quality, their attempt to capture the market while having decent margins was doomed. Most people will prefer "good enough, third of the price". At least that's how I view it.

pookeh 9y ago
Do you have a link/make-model for the alibaba alternative?
- petre 9y ago
  I have the Eken H9 Action Cam. 46$ on AliExpress. Works just fine, battery lasts for about an hour and 20 min on a full charge at room temperature. I believe the GoPro lens has better distorsion correction and image stabilization for 7x the price, but otherwise the Chinese camera is good. It splits the recordings into 30 min files. I use it as a dash cam and to record Kendo training sessions from a fixed point. There's a video review of this camera and other cheap cams on Youtube by a user named redskull.
- nolok 9y ago
  Tried searching by name and can't find the one I bought specifically but there seems to be even more clones than before in the 30-60 range (euros)
- mattlondon 9y ago
  Many are rebrands of SJCAM models (I think at least). I call them "GoFaux" or "FauxPro" :-) A year or two ago I got a 1080p one from Hobbyking for about £40 and used it when snorkelling (the waterproof case came for free). It has been great and my only complaint are the buttons on the waterproof case are a bit stiff to press. Video quality is excellent. I dont have a GoPro to compare it against, but from what I've seen on YouTube et al, it certainly seems competitive (sorry I dont have any clips online). There are many, many, many on amazon - prices vary a lot though so with 10 minutes you can usually filter out the optimistically priced items and find the sensible zone. I'd not expect to pay more than about £50 for a 4K + Wifi one

sumoboy 9y ago

The DJI Mavic introduced right after the GoPro Karma pretty much ended its future. You would have thought gopro would have been partnered with so many drone makers years ago instead of going at it alone. That company needs a new leader.

ng-user 9y ago

Is this the precursor to GoPro's inevitable demise? e: if you feel the need to down vote, please let me know why you disagree

DarronWyke 9y ago
Possibly. Given the number of competitors in the "adventure camera" business like Contour and a variety of Chinese manufacturers, they're going to end up taking hits on it. Their cameras are already very pricey -- part of the reason why I went with a Contour.

flyinglizard 9y ago

Another DJI victim. As an industry insider, if there ever was a company I'm impressed with is DJI. Their technical depth and ability to evolve their product and get it to shelves on short cycles is unmatched. Note drone entrepreneurs - if there's money to be made in drones, DJI will take it to itself. The thing is that you simply can't compete with the vertical integration of DJI. Taking images and videos is still by far and large the reason to fly drones in the first place, and once you own the vertical stack and can integrate your imagers with the electromechanics (gimbal) you get to a very small and efficienct package. Think about that: for every gram of camera, you need two grams of stabilizer, then you need four grams of drone and battery to carry that. While DJI just stabilize their optics and sensor, GoPro stabilizes an entire 80g, bulky camera. This is mainly why the Karma is so big and heavy compared to the DJI Mavic (there are some advantages to DJI in propulsion and batteries but those are pretty small; not a lot of proprietary tech in those fields).

derwiki 9y ago
Is it possible to buy stock in DJI? (as an American)
- Brass 9y ago
  Looks like they are private. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJI_(company) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJI_(company)
  - toomuchtodo 9y ago
    Smart move on their part.
    - bigredhdl 9y ago
      Yeah, that probably has something to do with their ability to execute referenced above.
    - 0x4rk0 9y ago
      That's where GoPro fucked itself ha

reacweb 9y ago

IMHO, they are wrong. GoPro has build a very good reputation. If the margins are too small, they could increase their prices and slightly erode their reputation. If they quit, they lose what they have build. A long time ago, I have heard the story of a sotfware company that was on the verge of bankruptcy because of their small margin. They decided to triple their prices and update the packaging. They have lost half their clients and saved the company that became very profitable. When Oracle bought Sun, they almost double the prices of many services. If Sun did it, maybe it would last longer.

caio1982 9y ago
The reputation they built has been spilling on the floor for a couple of years I'm afraid.
- ktta 9y ago
  To investors, but I feel it maintains its repute as an established brand with the average consumer.
  - EpicEng 9y ago
    I purchased one of their panoramic cameras a while back for eval. The thing was ok, but under-specced and overpriced in the market, and their support was _awful_. Never again.
  - totalZero 9y ago
    I agree. Investors tend to group GoPro in with FitBit and several other niche personal technologies. There are some nuances that get lost in translation from consumer to investor. I have owned a number of their products, and have (twice) sent in a Hero4 for a free replacement after it stopped working. I use these cameras during long distance trips on my motorcycle, so I don't think the failures of those two cameras were entirely due to a manufacturer's defect. Still, no questions asked, they took care of me and even sent me a free gift after the second time one of my store-bought Hero4's malfunctioned. I like the product and the connectivity has gotten a lot better with the Hero6.

caio1982 9y ago

I understand where GoPro came from and all but I just can't get how they think they will survive with Nick Woodman.

baybal2 9y ago

There is a lot of space left in drone industry, but mostly in niches. 1. Serious UAV for serious aerial photography. DJI still suck there, but the distance from their best offer and the nearest competitor is around $180k USD 2. Serious UAV for remote sensing. DJI simply has no offers there other than a consumer handheld ir camera screwed on to a quad 3. High performance. DJI still can't approach mid-tier amateur aerobatic brands 4. Agricultural use, chemical sprayer. DJI has something for Chinese internal market, but they get steamrolled by domestic competition. 5. High payload. DJI have nothing made specially for this niche

jinushaun 9y ago
GoPro is exiting the consumer space and decided it couldn't compete with the professional space, which DJI completely dominates. I personally think it's a smart move by GoPro because I don't see any growth potential in the consumer space with flights being banned anywhere interesting.
icebraining 9y ago
For $55k you can get a fixed-wing VTOL UAV which can cover much more ground: https://www.quantum-systems.com/tron/ https://www.quantum-systems.com/tron/

IanDrake 9y ago

The biggest problem I have with GoPro is price. I've lost a few cameras surfing and I'd be willing to give up quality for a concession on price. Alternatively, if they made their product more find-able through some sort of tracking/recovery feature, I'd be happy to spend $600 on their camera. Same type of problem with their drone, not enough features that protect the investment to make it worth the money. For instance, it isn't waterproof. That would at least give me a reason to buy it over a DJI model.

totalZero 9y ago
I've almost lost a camera kayaking a couple or three times, when the glue on the mounting base comes loose. I usually use one of those orange floaty things on it. I suppose you could also tie a tether between the camera and your board.
- biggc 9y ago
  I lost a camera while whitewater kayaking. Flipped, hit something upside down, and the housing latch popped open letting the camera fall out. Amazingly, GoPro support sent me a free replacement.
collias 9y ago
I surf with mine all the time. Are you using the mount that came with the camera, or the actual surf mount that they sell? The actual surf mount comes with a leash that you can tie to the camera. You can also attach one of those orange floaty blocks to your camera to make it easier to find.
- IanDrake 9y ago
  Using GoPro-branded surf camera mount, tether, and float. One time the tether broke, the other time the tether pulled the plastic bit off the board. Neither time did the float help me. Both times were in pretty heavy 2’ overhead surf and my body made contact with the cam while trying to pigdog through a pinching barrel but not making it.

afinlayson 9y ago

The issue is they have been doing me too mentality for the last 3 years. Cheap GoPro eroded their margins, and ignored the fact that for most people their cell phone is good enough for video. Karma, and their gimbal is great, but products like Rylo saw the future as being motor-less. And after using it, I agree. If the karma had built a battery-less Fusion, they would have had something that was new, instead of trying to play catch up and gerry-rigging a GoPro to a drone. I still have hope, but they got take more risks and build their future not someone else's.

vosper 9y ago
The Rylo camera looks amazing. If GoPro doesn't get something equivalent or better out in the next 6 months I think the Rylo camera will destroy them in the consumer market. It appears to take everything that's annoying about casually using a GoPro (aiming it, capturing steady video, tracking a subject) and make it go away, or be fixable in their app. And you can buy it today.
- mynameisvlad 9y ago
  Isn't their Fusion (https://shop.gopro.com/cameras/fusion/CHDHZ-101.html https://shop.gopro.com/cameras/fusion/CHDHZ-101.html) camera supposed to be the equivalent of the Rylo? I see nothing the Rylo can do that it can't, although the Rylo looks far nicer doing it.

perlgeek 9y ago

Do they have any other business areas than drones? I never heard their name in another context.

khedoros1 9y ago
Who, GoPro? They're just about synonymous with what I guess are called "action cameras" (small, rugged cameras used to record sports, often from the perspective of the athlete).

ggg9990 9y ago

This is what happens when American companies offshored all of their production to China. Eventually the Chinese companies figure out that they can do the whole thing themselves, and do it better.