GoPro Hero 12 Black Review: Refined Excellence in a Familiar Package

By Tom Smyth last updated: May 30, 2025

The GoPro Hero 12 Black has some big shoes to fill! It follows the revolutionary Hero 11 with its larger sensor and 8:7 recording capabilities. So, rather than pursuing another hardware revolution, it seems that GoPro has focused on refinement, optimization, and enhanced content creation features this release cycle. The Hero 12 represents the philosophy that sometimes the best improvements come from perfecting what already works well.

Having tested the Hero 12 across diverse scenarios - from high-action motorcycle rides to low-light indoor content creation, the Hero 12 action camera embodies mature engineering. But this release is not about flashy new specs, intstead, it sets about making the exceptional Hero 11 foundation even better. But in an increasingly competitive action camera market, is refinement enough to justify the upgrade?

For an overview of the Hero 12’s enhancements and real-world performance, this video provides comprehensive insights:

Launch Price and Availability

Launch Details: The Hero 12 Black launched September 13, 2023, priced at $399.99 / £399.99 / AU$649.95 for the standard bundle.

Creator Edition: At $579.99 / £579.99 / AU$949.95, includes Media Mod, Light Mod, and Volta grip - maintaining GoPro’s excellent value proposition for serious creators.

Subscription Pricing: GoPro+ subscribers get the camera for $299.99, making it the most accessible flagship model in GoPro’s history.

Hero 12 Technical Specifications: Refinement Over Revolution

Hero 12 vs Hero 11: Evolution Through Software

GoPro release cameras every year, around the 2nd week of September, or there abouts. The Hero 12’s changes and improvements are primarily software-based, so the hardware remains the same as the Hero 11, save for the blue speckled casing. GoPro’s focus has thus been on optimizing the excellent Hero 11 foundation for this release.

Enhanced Processing Power

While using the same GP2 processor, it seems that firmware So, rptimizations deliver up to 2x faster performance in specific scenarios this release cycle, particularly evident in menu navigation, WiFi transfers, and startup times.

HyperSmooth 6.0 Introduction

The evolution to HyperSmooth 6.0 provides more natural-looking stabilization with reduced crop penalties. The algorithm better maintains image quality while delivering cinema-smooth footage.

Improved HDR Video

Enhanced HDR processing delivers better dynamic range in challenging lighting conditions.

The GPS Controversy

The most significant change is undoubtedly the removal of GPS functionality. GoPro has clearly weighed the trade-offs: a GPS module that drains battery life against what may be limited feature use. Several users, myself included, routinely disable GPS to preserve battery anyway, perhaps indicating that the feature wasn’t essential for many. The real question is whether the new features GoPro has introduced justify this notable omission.

Bluetooth Enhancement

The controversial-to-some move away from GPS support could be explained by a new feature - enhanced support for Bluetooth external microphones. It is for this single feature that I jumped at the Hero 12. Motorcyclists are among those who’ve long used Bluetooth communications headsets like the Cardo Packtalk Edge, to communicate with one another while on the road.

So we’ve already got a bluetooth microphone and speakers installed in our helmets, but connecting these to a Bluetooth device to record audio thru has never been possible - until the Hero 12 that is!!

Video and Photo Capabilities: Familiar Excellence

Image quality remains identical to the Hero 11 in most scenarios, with subtle improvements in HDR processing and low-light performance. The 8:7 format continues to be the camera’s standout feature for content creators, providing unmatched flexibility for multi-platform publishing.

HyperSmooth 6.0: Natural Perfection

HyperSmooth 6.0 represents the evolution of already-excellent stabilization. The key improvements include:

More Natural Motion: The algorithm better preserves intentional camera movements while eliminating unwanted shake, resulting in more cinematic footage.

Reduced Crop Factor: Enhanced processing allows for improved stabilization with less image cropping, maximizing the sensor’s available resolution.

AutoBoost: The automatic stabilization adjustment now works more seamlessly across different movement types, from subtle pans to high-action sequences.

Horizon Lock Enhancement: More reliable horizon leveling across various mounting positions and orientations.

Enhancements like reduced crop factor and more natural motion are claimed software enhancements, but in practise, I can’t tell the difference in GoPro 12 footage from GoPro 11 footage with Hypersmooth engaged.

Battery Life and Thermal Management

The Hero 12 maintains similar but improved battery life figures to the Hero 11 while improving thermal management. The implementation details of these claims are opaque to the end-user, but user reports on Reddit do seem to indicate battery life improvements, which may come down to data processing efficiency on the G2 processor.

Competition Analysis: Holding the Line

vs. DJI Action 4

The DJI Action 4 camera has got traditional GoPro enthusiasts turning their heads, and the reason is its larger-than-GoPro’s camera sensor, which inevitably delivers superior low-light performance. While not a GoPro beater (yet - at least in my humble opinion), DJI has got GoPro squarely in its sights with the DJI Action 4.

vs. Insta360 Ace Pro

The Ace Pro offered innovative features like AI-powered editing, but GoPro’s refined user experience and comprehensive ecosystem maintained its appeal to traditional action camera users.

vs. Previous GoPro Models

The Hero 12 positioned itself as the refined choice - not revolutionary like the Hero 11, but offering optimized performance for users wanting the latest improvements without dramatic changes.

A Motorcyclists Perspective

Testing of the GoPro 12 Black on my motorcycle testing reveals the Hero 12’s practical strengths:

Audio Improvements: Enhanced Bluetooth connectivity makes wireless microphone setups a breeze - motorcycle vlogging wired connections are impractical, but is this the right solution? Read my Hero 12 vs Hero 11 head-to-head review for more information.

Missing GPS: The removal of GPS eliminated speed and location overlays - a controversial decision among motorcyclists who valued this telemetry data. But has the GPS drop led to the battery life improvement?

Software and User Experience: Polished Refinement

The Hero 12 continues the Easy/Pro control scheme with refinements:

Interface Responsiveness: Noticeable improvements in menu navigation speed and overall UI responsiveness make operation more fluid.

WiFi 6 Support: Enhanced wireless connectivity provides faster transfer speeds.

GoPro Quik Integration: Improved cloud processing and automatic editing features, though full functionality requires GoPro+ subscription.

Voice Control: Enhanced voice command recognition with better noise cancellation for use in challenging environments.

Real-World Value Proposition

At launch, the Hero 12 represented excellent value at $399 ($299 with subscription):

Pros and Cons of the GoPro Hero 12 Black Action Camera

FAQ

Is the Hero 12 worth upgrading from Hero 11? Core image quality remains nearly identical, so unless bluetooth mic connectivity is on your must-have list of features, then no.

Why did GoPro remove GPS? As a former software engineer, I suspect GPS was eliminated (turned off) primarily to preserve battery life. The introduction of Bluetooth mic support likely created additional power demands, and GoPro may have determined that running GPS, high res/framerate recording, and Bluetooth recording simultaneously would drain the battery too quickly.

How much better is HyperSmooth 6.0? Improved in terms of natural motion preservation and reduced crop factor, though the difference is, to me at least, undetectable. That is to say that both HyperSmooth 5.0 and 6.0 are both excellent.

Are Hero 11 accessories fully compatible? Yes, identical form factor ensures 100% compatibility with all Hero 11 accessories and mounts.

Does the Hero 12 overheat less than Hero 11? Field reports suggest yes, but as a motorcyclist, I’ve never experienced the overheating issue; relative wind while riding on the bike serves as a cooling mechanism for the GoPro.

Conclusion: Excellence Through Refinement

This release cycle, GoPro focused on optimizing and refining an already excellent foundation. The result is a camera that does everything the Hero 11 did, but with greater polish and reliability;

The removal of GPS remains controversial, eliminating useful telemetry features that many action camera users valued. But the two camera revisions are identical hardware. So could the GPS functionality be unofficially turned back on, by say, a firmware update ?

Bottom Line: The Hero 12 Black release sought to perfect the platform rather than reinvent it. While not groundbreaking, it represents mature engineering focused on user experience rather than spec sheet bragging rights. If you need GPS, go for the 11. If you must-have the bluetooth mic connectivity support, go for the 12. But you must choose between these features.

Meanwhile, the competition is stiffening up, with DJI Osmo Action camera range hot on the heels of the once unchallenged GoPro series of cameras. Look out GoPro!