6 things to expect from the upcoming GoPro

The GoPro Hero 12 Black will be celebrating its one-year anniversary in just a few weeks, which means anticipation is building for the action camera giant’s latest release. But ahead of its supposed launch, a major leak has revealed more details about what to expect from the new action camera. In a lengthy thread on the topic, GoPro and DJI leaker Igor Bogdanov, better known colloquially as @Quadro_News, revealed a slew of photos of the Hero 13 Black, as well as some details on its new specs and features.

GoPro Hero 12 Black

Sensor size

1/1.9 inch 8:7

Video resolution

5.3K 60fps

Photo resolution

27MP

battery

1720mAh Enduro

size

71x55x34 mm

Weight

154g

water resistance

Waterproof up to 10m

lens

Interchangeable hydrophobic lens protectors

Enlarge

1 Slightly modified design

New grille and slightly taller body

Leaked photos of the new camera show that the device has a new grille on the front, giving it a slightly taller design. But other than that, the camera has a very familiar look. GoPro appears to have ditched the blue speckled finish from the Hero 12, which would be a shame to see go. The leaked photos also show that, as expected, the various bundle kits that have been available for a while now will still be available.

2 Larger capacity battery

The longer the battery life the better

According to the leak, the GoPro Hero 13 Black will have a larger battery, which may be the reason for its slightly larger size. If the leak is true, the battery will increase from 1,720mAh to 1,900mAh. This will allow the Hero 13 Black to shoot 1080/30p video for over 3 hours, or 4K30p and 5.3K/30p video for over 90 minutes.

Longer battery life is always a good thing, especially for devices like action cameras that are often used in situations where charging is difficult or impossible. Improved battery life would definitely be a welcome change, and we hope this comes to fruition.

3 New Lens Mod Accessories for GoPro Hero 13 Black

Macro content from a GoPro?

Alongside the new camera, there could be some new lens mod accessories coming, including a macro lens, which according to the leak will allow for manual focusing that gets four times closer to your subject. Close-up content is one area where action cameras haven’t traditionally been successful, so if this is true, it could make the camera more versatile and allow for even more creative content.

There also appears to be a new ultra-wide lens mod for the Hero 13 with a field of view of up to 177 degrees. It’s not clear how this differs from the existing Max Lens Mod, which also offers a 177-degree field of view. Additionally, the leaked packaging hints at an anamorphic lens option, which is useful for shooting in cinematic aspect ratios such as 1.40:1 and adds halo and lens flare effects. Currently, you can buy third-party anamorphic lenses, but having an official GoPro lens would be nice.

4 Lens Mod Auto-Detection

Automatic configuration based on your mods

One reason why GoPro’s exclusive anamorphic lens could be advantageous is if the details on the leaked product packaging are correct: if you look closely, there is a mention of “Lens Mod Auto-Detection.” The name suggests that the new camera will select the aspect ratio or settings based on the mod installed, facilitating the use of mods to obtain high-quality content.

5 GoPro Hero 13 Black Video Specs Upgrade

Unfortunately there are no sensor upgrades available

The only specs we have are from leaked GoPro Hero 13 Black box photos. Unfortunately, the box suggests the latest action camera won’t have an upgraded sensor, which is pretty disappointing. It does hint, however, that it will have HLG HDR video, which should help capture more natural footage on HDR displays. There’s also mention of “enhanced audio,” but it’s unclear if this refers to an updated built-in microphone or the ability to connect an external microphone.

6 New affordable GoPro models

Two models may be available at once

GoPro

Finally, it looks like GoPro may launch not one but two new models. Another leak, which also confirms the rumor, suggests that the more affordable entry-level option will simply be called the GoPro Hero. The leaked description of the camera states that “compact and easy to use, our smallest 4K camera features a rugged, ultra-light design, simplified controls, and more.”

The last time GoPro released a compact, affordable model was the Hero 11 Black Mini back in 2022, so it’s nice to see another version being added. After all, not everyone needs a professional flagship model, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want an action camera in general.