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GoPro Quits the Drone Business (theverge.com)

Posted by msmash on from the thanks-for-all-the-fish dept.

GoPro has announced that it's exiting the drone business, citing the challenges of turning a profit in an "extremely competitive" market. From a report: The company revealed the news during its earnings report today, saying that its Karma drone would be the last it would make. The company is also laying off hundreds of staff and reducing the pay of CEO Nicholas Woodman to $1 as it struggles to manage its rocky financials. The $799 Karma drone was first unveiled in late 2016, but proved to be an unfinished and expensive product.

10 of 65 comments (clear)

  1. Alternate headlines: by SeaFox · · Score: 4, Funny

    "GoPro Drones to Go."

    "GoPro Goes No Mo to Drone Zone, Citing Foes"

    "Drones are 'No Go' at GoPro"

  2. Rather Predictable by nealric · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I never understood how GoPro ended up getting so hyped in the first place. As smartphone cameras get better and better, the universe of people who really care enough to buy a stand alone camera keeps getting smaller. I know their schtick was "action sports" where a smartphone camera is too bulky or difficult to use, but most people figure out after filming a ski run or two that they aren't Shane McConkey (RIP) and won't be filming much of interest. Then, the gopro goes in the drawer, never to be used again.

    I suppose branching out into drones was an attempt at recognition of the above, but the problem is then they had to extend outside their core competencies. There's a lot more to a good drone than a good camera.

    1. Re:Rather Predictable by WoodstockJeff · · Score: 2

      The true GoPro market is not about showing what it is like to do something, its showing YOU doing something to others. That's why selfie-oriented mounting hardware is so popular.

    2. Re:Rather Predictable by drinkypoo · · Score: 2

      I never understood how GoPro ended up getting so hyped in the first place. As smartphone cameras get better and better, the universe of people who really care enough to buy a stand alone camera keeps getting smaller. I know their schtick was "action sports" where a smartphone camera is too bulky or difficult to use, but most people figure out after filming a ski run or two that they aren't Shane McConkey (RIP) and won't be filming much of interest.

      It's not about whether it's of interest to anyone else, necessarily. It's that if you wipe out during a ski run while using your smartphone to record your run, you will probably obliterate it. The people who can afford to go skiing frequently enough to have use for a camera have expensive phones, and a couple hundred bucks for a GoPro is both a trivial expense, and also likely to save them hundreds more. It doesn't have to be a GoPro, and in fact it probably shouldn't be at this point, but one advantage of the GoPro is that if you do put them into your production workflow and you do manage to destroy one, you can get another one at any costco.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    3. Re:Rather Predictable by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      I have a GoPro. I do a decent amount (30-40 weekends/year) of cave exploration, mapping and cave diving, so it's nice for that. They have a good range of accessories and extremely durable and waterproof. I would never take a smartphone into a cave. Most of the filming I do is for my own documentation and I rarely share it.

      The problem with GoPro is once you've bought one, you don't really need another. Mine is a 3rd gen model and I have no intention of upgrading. Neither does anyone else I know. and I know a lot of people who regularly use their GoPro. Whatever is the current model is bought and then used for years.

    4. Re:Rather Predictable by Bobrick · · Score: 2

      I never understood how GoPro ended up getting so hyped in the first place. As smartphone cameras get better and better, the universe of people who really care enough to buy a stand alone camera keeps getting smaller. I know their schtick was "action sports" where a smartphone camera is too bulky or difficult to use, but most people figure out after filming a ski run or two that they aren't Shane McConkey (RIP) and won't be filming much of interest. Then, the gopro goes in the drawer, never to be used again.

      I suppose branching out into drones was an attempt at recognition of the above, but the problem is then they had to extend outside their core competencies. There's a lot more to a good drone than a good camera.

      Newsflash: there is such a thing as people needing cameras for professional use. We're not gonna use a smartphone except to look at the time, use an app to know at what angle the sun will be at a precise date/time and other tasks that professional cameras obviously can't do. Though even there, GoPros are, quite frankly, shit, and they're thankfully being overrun by cheaper, quality alternatives.

    5. Re:Rather Predictable by Baron_Yam · · Score: 2

      >The true GoPro market is not about showing what it is like to do something, its showing YOU doing something to others.

      Produce a drone that follows a beacon at a chosen distance and horizontal / vertical offset, and can handle obstacle avoidance. Make it crash-resistant, waterproof and buoyant, and able to keep up with a jet ski with a 15 minute flight time. If you want to get fancy, have it clever enough to be able to circle its target or occasionally pass overhead, or modify its relative position for best lighting.

      If you can build that, you'll sell it to all sorts of people who want to get video of themselves out on the water, and you'll have a lot less in the way of issues with people getting offended by them for privacy or safety reasons.

  3. Chinese by Tablizer · · Score: 3, Informative

    A Chinese company called DJI is clobbering every other competitor.

    Some say it grew suspiciously fast and suspect gov't-backed cheating & subsidizing. But at this point there's no solid evidence.

    --
    Table-ized A.I.
  4. Reason for failure by backslashdot · · Score: 2

    Hmm, I guess they had bad Karma.

    Thank you, thank you. No applause necessary.

  5. Thank Nick, take on for the team! by viperidaenz · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Drop your salary from about a million per year to $1
    Keep your hundred million in stock payments.

    That year, Woodman earned a staggering $77.4 million. His package included a base salary of $800,000 and stock awards of $74.6 million, as well as other compensation

    That was his 2016 package, 2017 was probably bigger.