GoPro has announced a firmware update for the Hero 10 Black that it says enables longer video recording times and extends the battery life. Additionally, the company has announced a more rugged battery for more extreme use cases.
While overheating was not an issue found in PetaPixel’s review of the new Hero 10, it was an issue that had been raised by other users. In late September, the company addressed a concern raised by YouTuber GagetsBoy who found that it overheated and shut down after 20 minutes of continuous recording.
In a statement, GoPro said that if the camera was subjected to “natural airflow,” the overheating issue wouldn’t be a problem. But still, the company appears to have listened to concerns and has chosen to address the problem head-on.
Firstly, GoPro has announced a new battery it calls the Enduro. It is a $25 upgrade and features what the company calls “revolutionary” technology that will improve the Hero 10 and Hero 9 camera performance in cold temperatures while also significantly extending recording times in “moderate” temperatures.
At a battery temperature — the battery, not the ambient temperature which GoPro says can be even colder — of 14 degrees Fahrenheit, with Hero 10 Black the Enduro battery enables, on average, 56 minutes of 5.3K60 video, 50 minutes of 4K120 video, 76 minutes of 4K60 video and 115 minutes of 1080p30 video recording.
When used in moderate temperatures of 77 degrees Fahrenheit (about 25 degrees Celcius) the Enduro was able to average 60 minutes of 5.3K60 video (a 28% improvement over the standard battery), a total of 51 minutes of 4K120 video (a 40% improvement over the standard battery), a total of 71 minutes of 4K60 video (a 13% improvement over the standard battery) and a total of 120 minutes of 1080p30 video recording per charge.
For those who aren’t interested in a paid battery upgrade, GoPro’s firmware update that will come by the end of October will introduce three Video Performance Modes that allow users to maximize the Hero 10’s performance depending on use case.
- Maximum Video Performance – Maximum resolution and frame rates for the very best image quality and ultra-slow-motion video.
- Extended Battery – Optimal resolutions and frame rates for the longest possible video recording times and maximum battery life.
- Tripod / Stationary Video — Optimized for recording long video clips at the highest resolutions and frame rates when the camera is stationary without motion or airflow to cool the camera. GPS and HyperSmooth video stabilization are turned OFF in this mode.
Users can expect the last mode (Tripod / Stationary) to significantly improve recording times at the “moderate” temperature of 77 degrees Fahrenheit (about 25 degrees Celcius) as follows:
- 5.3Kp60 – 47% more runtime than previous for an average of 29 minute-long clips
- 5.3Kp30 – 11% more runtime than previous for an average of 44 minute-long clips
- 4Kp120 – 52% more runtime than previous for an average of 26 minute-long clips
- 4Kp60 – 154% more runtime than previous for an average of 63 minute-long clips
- 4Kp30 – 35% more runtime than previous for an average of 50 minute-long clips
GoPro says that it is working on yet another future firmware update to enable even longer recording times thatn above, but did not specify an expected timeframe for its release. The app is coming “by the end of October” and users can update the cameras via the Quik app.
