It had to happen, didn’t it? Just a few days after the GoPro Hero 9’s specs were leaked we have a full unboxing on YouTube. This unboxing confirms the leaked specs and gives us further insight into what’s new.
New packaging
This unboxing confirms what had been reported earlier. The GoPro Hero 9 comes in a nice little carrying case. Considering that this version will cost more than previous GoPros you might expect a nicer packaging and the GoPro Hero 9 delivers on that front.
However you still get the same amount of mounts included with the action camera and only a USB A to USB C cable with no charger.
The front screen won’t always work
The video sheds some more light on the selfie screen which will be the GoPro Hero 9’s main selling point. Not only do we now know how it works, we know when it won’t work. The front facing screen will be disabled during 5K and slow motion recording. I guess the processor ends up being taxed too much in those modes. But who needs 5K anyway?
On a positive note it does look like the front facing screen isn’t plagued by the lagginess that held back the DJI Osmo Action. The front facing screen on the GoPro Hero 9, as with the Osmo Action, will not be a touchscreen.
Replaceable Lens cover
I speculated that this was the case in my video and this video confirms it: The lens cover is once again replaceable. What we don’t know yet is whether GoPro has been able to deal with the lens getting fogged up in humid and wet conditions.
From a further leak it appears that the replaceable lens will also be used for a new mod launching with the GoPro Hero 9. Read on for more details.
A kick in the teeth for those who bought mods
When GoPro launched the Hero 8 and the mod ecosystem many expected these mods to work with their future upgrades too. Unfortunately that isn’t the case. The GoPro Hero 9 is bigger in size when compared to the Hero 8 so there’s no way the mods will be compatible.
I really think GoPro should give us, the consumers, a guarantee that mods will work for a set number of years. I’m sure many owners of the GoPro Hero 8 will be very frustrated hearing this new.
Other tidbits
A post on reddit gives us some further information on the unannounced GoPro Hero 9. I can’t say whether this information can be trusted or not but it does read like a PR text that has once again been leaked. To me everything sounds very plausible.
30% longer battery life
It’s a well known fact by now that the GoPro Hero 9 will have a larger battery than its predecessors. However, battery capacity and battery life are two different things. The 41% larger battery will deliver a 30% longer battery life. And that makes sense considering that the GoPro Hero 9 comes with two screens and not only one.
New mods
As noted earlier, the GoPro Hero 9 won’t be compatible with GoPro Hero 8 mods. The Hero 9 will be getting a few new mods to go with it. These include the interesting sounding Max Lens Mod, which will be some sort of lens attachment that can keep the horizon level.
With the Hero 9 GoPro will also give the Media Mod another go. Let’s hope they put an actual shotgun microphone in it this time.
HyperSmooth 3.0
According to the post on reddit the GoPro Hero 9 will offer in-camera horizon leveling and boost in all settings. Why the need for a Max Lens Mod then? I don’t know either. How well this new system performs remains to be seen. If however HyperSmooth 2.0 is anything to go by, it will be absolutely amazing.
TimeWarp 3.0
TimeWarp will finally support audio recording when switching to real time. A new Speed Ramp option lets you select Real Speed or Half Speed.
When will the GoPro Hero 9 be announced?
Tomorrow is the answer to that question. GoPro themselves confirmed it in a tweet. The GoPro Hero 9 will be announced on the 16ᵗʰ September 2020.