GoPro Unveils Hero 12 Black with AirPods Compatibility and Improved Battery Life
GoPro has introduced its newest camera, the Hero 12 Black, with a primary emphasis on enhancing the user experience, particularly for professional users and creators. One of the most noteworthy improvements for regular GoPro users is the extended battery life, which the company claims to be up to twice as long as previous models. Given that battery life has been a persistent issue, it will be interesting to witness the actual impact of this enhancement.
Some new shooting modes with 8:7 (full sensor) recording are now available across the board, including TimeWarp and Night Effect modes for the first time. In the 8:7 recording ratio, you can “pass” different aspect ratio content from the same source material while maintaining high resolution. The camera’s HDR mode has also been fine-tuned to handle varying lighting conditions. Hypersmooth, GoPro’s in-camera stabilization is now in its sixth iteration – but it’s been rock solid since the beginning, so we’re interested to see what difference it makes in practice.
For professionals (or aspiring ones), two new additions are of particular interest. First, there’s “GP-Log,” which is GoPro’s logarithmic shooting mode that makes color grading much more flexible. Second, Timecode Sync has been added, so if you’re recording with multiple GoPro Hero 12s, they can easily be synchronized for airtight editing.
As for content creators, there are again a bunch of updates that will be of interest. Interestingly, the Hero 12 Black now works with Bluetooth headphones for both playback and recording – including AirPods. Now videos can use Bluetooth headsets that can be connected to the camera’s internal microphone as you wish. You can even use your headphones to voice activate your GoPro, allowing you to take more creative shots without having to be near the camera or use an app/remote.
Another creator-friendly feature is vertical capture. You’ve always been able to hold the GoPro at a 90-degree angle, and in later models the menus also rotate for ease of use. This time, you can simply activate portrait mode even if the camera is mounted horizontally. It takes advantage of the new sensor included with the Hero 11, which is large enough for vertical 9:16 video at 4K/30FPS without having to mount or orient the camera.
If it’s important to you that others know you have the latest camera, it’s a little easier this year because the Hero 12 Black has a speckled faceplate that’s a departure from the usual monochrome design. But there’s one other physical change that will bring a little joy to longtime users: The camera now has a standard tripod mount (1/4-inch 20-thread) built into the base, nestled right between the fold-out mount. fingers. No more adapters for all the other camera accessories you might have.
The final change this time around is that GoPro seems to have done away with the need to sign up for a cloud subscription service to get a better price on the camera – the Hero 12 Black is simply $400 for everyone. Pre-orders open today and the camera will arrive at retail on September 13.
