GoPro has announced its next flagship action camera. Actually, there are two: the Hero 5 Black and Hero 5 Session.

GoPro's new devices have been the subject of rumours for several months. They've both finally been unveiled though, putting all the speculation to rest. Here's everything you need to know about GoPro's Hero 5 cameras, including their release dates, specs, and pricing.

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GoPro

GoPro Hero 5: Design

Like their predecessors, the Hero 5 Black and Hero 5 Session are small and easy to mount.

The Hero 5 Black is the high-end device in the new range, so to distinguish itself from the Session, it has a touchscreen on the back, which can be used as a small monitor and as a control system to change video- and photo-shooting settings. It also has a larger form factor. Otherwise, the two action cameras are pretty similar. Both versions of the Hero 5 also feature a built-in waterproof casing.

GoPro Hero 5: Features

Camera

Both cameras can shoot 4K video at 30 frames.

The Hero 5 Black can take 12-megapixel stills, while the Hero 5 Session can do 10-megapixel stills, though both support auto-upload when the camera charging. They can also capture wide-angle photos and videos, with the Hero 5 Black able to shoot in RAW. Other features shared between the two include a simple one-button control system, electronic stabilisation during video capture, and a new linear view setting.

Touchscreen

The Hero 5 Black has a two-inch touchscreen on the back for navigation purposes.

Voice control

There’s built-in voice control with support for seven languages (English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Chinese) at launch and more to follow. With this feature, these cameras should be able to react to your voice commands (such as "GoPro take photo").

Waterproof

Both cameras feature a built-in waterproof casing. They can withstand water pressure up to 10 meters without the need for a separate housing. The company is also calling the Hero 5 Session its “most rugged GoPro yet".

GPS

Another thing that makes the Hero 5 Black stand out from the Session is GPS for automatic location tracking. It can also record stereo audio, and it has active noise cancellation built in, thanks to three on-board microphones, for “audio that’s as good as the video quality.”

GoPro Plus + editing

There's a new cloud connection feature that will see your GoPro Hero 5 auto-uploading footage to your GoPro+ account over Wi-Fi while the camera is charging. You can then use the new GoPro+ mobile app to edit your footage. GoPro has also introduced a Quick Key fob that features a built-in SD card slot, so you can quickly transfer footage from your camera to your smartphone.

Once your footage is loaded into GoPro+, it will create edits for you, saving you precious time.

Karma

Both cameras are compatible with existing GoPro mounts, including the newly announced GoPro Karma drone.

GoPro Hero 5: Price

The Hero 5 Black costs $399, while and Hero 5 Session costs $299.

GoPro Hero 5: Release date

They'll be available to buy from 2 October. 

Want to know more?

Watch these promo videos from GoPro:

You can also check out Pocket-lint's guide that compares all the cameras available from GoPro: