The last year has been a tough row to hoe for GoPro. As Investopedia noted in an April 4th article:
The volatility in GoPro Inc. (GPRO) shares continued last week as the beleaguered action-camera maker not only saw a 5% decline in its shares, but the company also witnessed something of a “decoupling” between itself and Ambarella, Inc. (AMBA), the chipmaker that provides GoPro the technology for its cameras.
And now there is a new action camera is in the works, the Revl Arc. According to Eric Sanchez, CEO of Revl, “Today’s action cameras suck . . . So we’re creating the only action camera with physical and electronic stabilization AND auto-editing with your help! ” There is certainly no ambiguity there.
The only web presence Revl currently has is there Revl Indiegogo page which as of this morning has raised $120,335. This is on top of the $2 million they received in seed financing in a round led by Y Combinator.
The Revl Arc features include:
- Ability to Record 4K at 30fps, 1080p at 120, 60, 30fps and 720p at 240, 120, 60fps
- Live-stream at 1080p
- Shockproof and waterproof to 10 feet
- Stores to microSD cards (up to 128GB supported)
- User replaceable battery
- 90 minutes recording time at 4K
- Standard tripod mount as well as specialized mounts created for the camera
- One-button recording
- Revl mobile app for live preview and controlling the camera and its settings
- Revl says the components are similar to what you’d find in GoPro’s Hero4 Black including a Sony image sensor and Ambarella A9SE processor and it’s using a high-quality low-distortion lens.
If it delivers this functionality at a competitive price point it will be a threat. In addition, Revl confirmed in an email that the Arc will connect to a drone the same way a GoPro or other action camera would. So you can attach it to your 3DR Solo, Airdog etc.
GoPro is pinning a good amount of its long term strategy on its Korma drone which is expected sometime mid-year. The question that begs asking for both these companies is whether their offerings will come too late or at a price too high to catch DJI and its Phantom line.
Frank Schroth is editor in chief of DroneLife, the authoritative source for news and analysis on the drone industry: it’s people, products, trends, and events.
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