Is this the end of the once-mighty GoPro? • Hacker News Board

Re: Is this the end of the once-mighty GoPro?

#301

Post by Mawr » Sat, Jul 18, 2026, 8:53 PM UTC

skippyfish wrote: post #141

crote wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The GoPro has always been explicitly marketed as an action camera - to the point that people for a long time called any action camera "a GoPro". Comparing them to smartphones or mirrorless cameras is completely missing their point: nobody would buy them for regular point-and-shoot activity. You buy a GoPro to mount onto a dirt bike, or on your helmet during caving, or on a chest harness during a skydive, or on the fr…

No, that's precisely my point. It's only an action camera, and you assert that the market is massive, but I don't see it. Just how many millions of units can you sell to YouTuber spelunkers, YouTuber mountain bikers, YouTuber paragliders, YouTuber divers, and so on? The reality is that even in "action" situations - the situations where normal people want to capture memories of hiking, biking, boating, etc - normal ca…

I use it as a dashcam.

Re: Is this the end of the once-mighty GoPro?

#302

Post by zzzbra » Sat, Jul 18, 2026, 8:54 PM UTC

lostlogin wrote: post #261

adrianN wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If your country’s industrial and defense policy relies on individual consumers making choices that are worse for them on almost all metrics, it’s time to think about on worse payroll your politicians are.

> who’s payroll your politicians are on It doesn’t even have to be foreign - it can just be corrupt self interest. What other explanation is there for attacking Venezuela and Iran?

You’re getting downvoted for this which is crazy.

Re: Is this the end of the once-mighty GoPro?

#303

Post by doctorpangloss » Sat, Jul 18, 2026, 8:59 PM UTC

bogwog wrote: post #110

doctorpangloss wrote: post #67

They could spur a lot of innovation by open sourcing their firmware or introducing plugins. They don't really have a channel to take asks like "ring buffer style recording" but I would do it myself.

They already have Open GoPro: https://gopro.com/en/us/info/open-gopro Idk if the firmware is open source, but there's a whole SDK you can use to implement stuff like that

I would want to put stuff on the camera, which this SDK doesn't do. But it's good it is part of their DNA.

Re: Is this the end of the once-mighty GoPro?

#304

Post by faitswulff » Sat, Jul 18, 2026, 9:10 PM UTC

coldtea wrote: post #288

mlsu wrote: post #174

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Absolutely true. But China’s industrial dominance is also the government immiserating its people, just in a different way. Domestic consumption in China is famously low, work culture is famously bad (996,etc). And this is because of what their government, not the people of China, have chosen to do.

> But China’s industrial dominance is also the government immiserating its people Didn't they bring hundreds of millions out of poverty, and built amazing cities and facilities in the past 30 years? > Domestic consumption in China is famously low Compared to what, the US? Compared to China is at a historical high, isn't it? And they're doing quite well even compared to like 70% of the world and rising.

> Didn't they bring hundreds of millions out of poverty, and built amazing cities and facilities in the past 30 years?

Yes, but China-bad ideology demands that we ask ”at what cost?”

Re: Is this the end of the once-mighty GoPro?

#305

Post by jitl » Sat, Jul 18, 2026, 9:10 PM UTC

bsder wrote: post #284

jitl wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

it’s very much like iRobot vacuums - more expensive and less performant than the chinese competitors that have totally overtaken the market. iRobot sad story, but so behind. i have a chinese robot from 3i that fills its mop water tank from humidity in the air . and my action camera is an Insta360 that does great 360 video underwater without a case.

> i have a chinese robot from 3i that fills its mop water tank from humidity in the air. Okay, I definitely want a link for that one. That's either the most awesome hack or the biggest marketing lie ever.

every time i post an amazon link people downvote me but i'll do it for you. this is not a referral link, just copied straight from my order history https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DGXRQQ3H "3i S10 Ultra Robot Vacuum and Mop with WaterRecycle System"

it would be pretty impressive if its a marketing lie, as i've had the robot running for about a year and haven't had to refill the water tank. it's "just" a dehumidifier. i live in miami so plenty of moisture to go around.

Re: Is this the end of the once-mighty GoPro?

#306

Post by rasz » Sat, Jul 18, 2026, 9:10 PM UTC

dismalaf wrote: post #293

rasz wrote: post #240

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is of course beyond stupid considering the pace of 3d printer vs one PET bottle blow molding machine that can produce same shape shells at thousand units /hour.

Is it? With a 3d printer you can print any piece on demand, change design without changing tooling and make pieces that are semi-hollow inside for lightness. Edit - should add, early in the war Ukraine was crowd-sourcing drone parts from citizens with 3D printers at home. This likely grew from that.

This isnt endurance contest, interceptor drones are half battery half explosive with miniscule weight taken by motors electronics and packaging. We are talking 10KW power draw for around a minute.

You can rapid manufacture moulds too, cnc alu is good for 1K shots easily.

Re: Is this the end of the once-mighty GoPro?

#307

Post by jodrellblank » Sat, Jul 18, 2026, 9:11 PM UTC

bsder wrote: post #284

jitl wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

it’s very much like iRobot vacuums - more expensive and less performant than the chinese competitors that have totally overtaken the market. iRobot sad story, but so behind. i have a chinese robot from 3i that fills its mop water tank from humidity in the air . and my action camera is an Insta360 that does great 360 video underwater without a case.

> i have a chinese robot from 3i that fills its mop water tank from humidity in the air. Okay, I definitely want a link for that one. That's either the most awesome hack or the biggest marketing lie ever.

Why is a dehumidifier either a hack or a lie?

smartvacuums.co.uk says a dehumidifier collects 10 - 20 litres of water a day. dehumidifier-rentals.co.uk says 8 - 20 litres a day for a domestic compressor type, or 0.5 - 10 litres per day for a small domestic type. upgradedhome.com says about 4 litres a day.

Sounds plausible for a mop water bucket to fill usefully full between, say, twice-weekly moppings.

Re: Is this the end of the once-mighty GoPro?

#308

Post by bob778 » Sat, Jul 18, 2026, 9:11 PM UTC

vitaflo wrote: post #213

Robotbeat wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

GoPro is a US company designed in U.S. with manufacturing in Thailand, China, and Mexico. Insta360 is a Chinese company designed in Shenzhen and built there, too. People think this doesn’t matter, but GoPros are used all over in aerospace. If we replaced the brand with Insta360, that puts a big attack vector all over the place. A similar pattern happened with drones with DJI, intentionally killing all non-Chinese dro…

Also on Avinox motors on e-mtn bikes. Originally made by DJI, then spun off into their own company, and they are starting to eat the competition on all e-mtn bikes at this point. Bosch, TQ, Shimano, et al just can't compete, especially because Avinox is iterating at startup pace and all the rest are iterating at bike pace (slowly).

This is the key though: it’s not just supposed subsidies, because the Chinese companies are fundamentally just faster and more efficient

Re: Is this the end of the once-mighty GoPro?

#309

Post by tejtm » Sat, Jul 18, 2026, 9:12 PM UTC

jaapz wrote: post #160

gchamonlive wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Reads to me like it's free market doing its job, if you think of countries as companies. US just needs to step up its game.

It's not really a free market when one country is heavily subsidizing it's industries

It is not as though other countries could not choose do the same.

It seem to me that China choosing to subsidize industry it is not so different than the US choosing to subsidize Roads, Autos and OIL.

In both cases it does seem to work splendidly as intended.

Other than political inertia (or economic reasons far beyond my ability to fathom) there is nothing to stop the US from following suit.

I accept "free market" is a term of art probably from before global trade reality and could be narrowly redefined to mean whatever one wants (or wanted when it was coined) but in my ignorance I see it simply as free to choose actions and responses.

But I am far far away from opinions I am qualified to hold, think I will shut up now.

Re: Is this the end of the once-mighty GoPro?

#310

Post by inigyou » Sat, Jul 18, 2026, 9:12 PM UTC

sarchertech wrote: post #204

greyb wrote: post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If a country hands out enormous subsidies but yet isn't leading in anything, then maybe it's time to consider what structural reasons are causing these subsidies to be squandered and whose bottom lines are being padded.

What US industries get anywhere near Chinese level subsidies.

Agriculture?