The GoPro Karma drone was officially unveiled today, and the compact, foldable drone goes on sale October 23, 2016. The GoPro Karma drone costs $799 by itself, $1,099 with a Hero 5, or $999 with a Hero 5 Session.
The main selling point for the GoPro Karma drone is how easy it is to use. First off, the blades fold up and the drone fits in a small backpack GoPro includes with the purchase.
But it also features a flip-up touchscreen controller that GoPro says will making flying easy for all skill levels. For example, the GoPro Karma drone can be programmed to go from point A to point B, for any period of time within the battery life, with a couple taps on the controller’s screen.
There’s also two buttons on the controller: one that starts and stops Karma and one that makes it fly home to its take-off location.
The GoPro Karma drone can fly up to 35 MPH and has a maximum flight time of 20 minutes. The Karma drone, which works with the new Hero 5 Black, Hero 5 Session, and Hero 4 cameras, has a 3-axis gimbal that stabilizes the cameras for smooth footage. However, this gimbal can be removed from the drone for handheld use.
The GoPro Karma drone features four pre-programmed camera shots: dronie, cable cam, reveal, and orbit. GoPro is also offering a “passenger app” that allows another person to see the live video feed from the drone and even control the camera position.
GoPro CEO Nick Woodman said multiple times that Karma is “so much more than a drone.” We’ll see if the market agrees. Last week analysts predicted that GoPro could sell more than 100,000 Karma drones during the holiday season.
Drones that work with GoPro cameras are nothing new, of course. Drone manufacturers know how popular GoPro cameras are, so they’ve many drones with the GoPro in mind. Check out our roundup of the best GoPro drones not named Karma.
