GoPros have become a worldwide phenomenon. In just a few short years, they’ve leap frogged all other camera companies as the go-to in action sports – and in doing so, they’ve managed to change the way the ravenous consumers view them. From barrel shots to aerial views, GoPro has changed the world of surfing.
Hundreds (if not thousands) of accessory companies have sprung up around the versatile little cameras, riding the money-fattened coattails of the Mad Billionaire’s business. And in the last few years, drones have made their way increasingly into lineups, onto slopes, and anywhere else that an aerial shot equals a money shot.
But GoPro isn’t taking it sitting down. Far from it, in fact. While they’ve created an entire line of their own accessories, they haven’t yet stepped into the drone pool. Yet.
According to the Wall Street Journal, GoPro plans on releasing a line of multirotor, unmanned aircraft at the back end of next year. As advances in technology make drones easier for anyone to fly, the camera company is taking their first steps into the hobbyist world.
With a price tag between $500 and $1,000, GoPro’s drones are surprisingly affordable. As the tech battle rages on, the action-sports camera company is finding itself on a constant search for the next big thing. With tested rivals like Sony, GoPro has been investing heavily into research and development, and for a business only 10-years-old, they’re doing a bang-up job of cornering the camera market – at least in the world of sports. Just last year, they sold almost 3 million units in the first nine months, an increase of 15% from the same time period the year previous. Since they went public on the Nasdaq Stock Market, the company’s shares have more than doubled.
But GoPro’s relatively quick success may lead to an over-inflated ego – its move into the drone business comes with a very large opponent. The world’s largest consumer drone manufacturer, SZ DJI Tech Co, has recently moved into GoPro’s territory, selling devices with their own cameras already installed. As it stands right now, other drone makers have given GoPro support in a symbiotic relationship. But when GoPro makes its foray into the drone world, that support could grind to a halt.
“I’m happy to let GoPro keep making great cameras and we’ll keep making great copters,” said Colin Guinn to the Wall Street Journal. Guinn is the senior vice president of sales at 3D Robotics Inc., a drone company that sells GoPros and drones as a package deal. Guinn went on to say that GoPro’s move was a surprising one, since many of 3D Robotics’ customers are already GoPro owners.
GoPro, though, has a well-proven track record of creating some of the most resilient, high-powered, easy to use devices on the market. If they put as much effort into their drones, then the sky’s the limit.
