The GoPro Hero4 will be capable of 4K video, it is thought.

Many leaks and rumours have speculated about the possible specs inside of GoPro's next compact camera, called the GoPro Hero4, but the latest hint comes from a legit source: system-on-chip manufacturer Ambarella. The company, which has exclusively provided SOCs for GoPro, has just released details on its latest system on chip, the A9.

The A9 of course supports video recording and a wide range of resolutions and frame rates. Specifically, it supports 4K Ultra HD video recording at 30 fps using H.264 video codec. It also supports 1080p Full HD video recording at 120 fps. And finally, it supports 720p HD video recording at 240 fps. The latter is useful for high-speed or slow-mo video.

Ambarella's spec sheet for the A9 includes many advanced imaging features, too. The 1 GHz dual-core Cortex-A9 features multi-exposure HDR, WDR tone mapping, Electronic Image Stabilisation, NEON and FPU extensions, and Wi-Fi connections, among other things.

READ: GoPro HD Hero3+ Black Edition review

The Ambarella A9 is definitely a powerful SoC, but it's not definite that the next GoPro will even feature the chip. It is also possible that Go Pro could disable some A9 features for certain Hero4 variants. Although we've contacted GoPro for a comment, don't expect to get a confirmation until the upcoming video camera unveils sometime this summer.