GoPro is breaking with tradition this year and not releasing a direct follow-up to the Hero 13 Black. Instead of a single flagship action camera, GoPro is releasing three products to offer consumers more choices up and down the price spectrum.
Headlining the trio is the Max2, a 360-degree camera successor to the Max that was released in 2019. (Yes, the name is Max2, no spaces. Technically, it’s MAX2, but there’s just no need to yell.) The $500 360 camera is clearly targeting its sights at Insta360’s latest and greatest $550 X5, undercutting it by $50.
Max2
The name of the game with the Max2 is simple: more resolution, simpler operation, and more features carried over from the regular GoPro lineup.
While 360 cameras are typically marketed to athletes and creative professionals with the technology know-how to work with spherical video, the Max2 is more layman-friendly, like the Insta360 X5, thanks to hardware and software improvements under the hood of its square-shaped design.
First, the Max2 has replaceable lenses. This is something vital to expensive 360 cameras because their lenses are curved and prone to damage from contact. On the Max2, the lenses screw right off with a twist. The Insta360 X5 also has swappable lenses, though it requires using additional tools.
Second, the Max2 has the performance to deliver what GoPro’s calling “True 8K” 360 video, capturing footage with every single pixel from both its image sensors. This is also a clear shot at the Insta360 X5 and others, where those cameras technically capture at 8K resolution before encoding from their twin sensors, but the final footage output is lower. There has been some controversy surrounding Insta360’s 8K claims, so much so that the company had to publish a whole explainer about it.
And then, of course, the Max2 has all the foundational 360 camera features to really keep in step and even surpass the Insta360 X5 in some areas. For pros, the Max2 can record in 10-bit color for over 1 billion colors of dynamic range, shoot 29-megapixel 360-degree photos, and achieve 300Mbps bitrate recording with a “GoPro Labs” firmware update. The Max2 also has six built-in microphones, a larger 1,960mAh “Enduro” battery, and an onboard GPS, which the XM5 does not. Easier-to-use features aimed at non-camera geeks include in-camera POV and selfie video modes that capture exactly what their names claim without any additional editing or post-processing, and various slow-mo, timelapse, and night effects (star trails and light painting) modes lifted from the Hero 13 Black. GoPro’s also announcing 16 new mounts and accessories for the Max2 that are pretty self-explanatory.
We haven’t had enough time to fully pit the Max2 against the XM5, but from what we can tell, GoPro’s new 360 camera is a solid contender that should put up a fair fight. Preorders for the Max2 start today, with availability on Sept. 30.
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