Editors' Note: This review was updated to reflect improvements made via a firmware update. The rating was changed from 3 to 4 stars. GoPro changed its pricing structure on May 9, 2023. Buyers no longer receive a discount when they purchase the Hero9 Black with a GoPro subscription. The Hero9 Black now starts at $249.99 without a subscription. Going forward, the GoPro service costs $24.99 for the first year and $49.99 every year thereafter.

For the first time in years, GoPro has changed the design of its flagship action camera. The Hero9 Black ($249.99) is a little bit bigger all around than last year's still-on-sale Hero8 Black. It utilizes the extra space well—pumping a bit of extra life into the battery, swapping the dated monochrome information panel for a full-color front display, and including support for add-on lenses. If those upgrades are compelling to you, it's another worthy offering from GoPro, but it has to compete with last year's fantastic Hero8 Black, priced $50 lower.

A Bigger Hero

The Hero9 sports a new chassis that's a bit larger than the previous generation, but it's still one of the smallest 4K cameras out there, and certainly the tiniest we've seen with support for 5K recording, at just 2.8 by 2.2 by 1.3 inches (HWD) and 5.6 ounces.

The larger frame holds a bigger battery, a bigger rear touch LCD (2.3 inches), and, just like the rival DJI Osmo Action, a color display on the front so you can keep your framing set when recording selfie shots for vlogs and the like.

Mounting clips are integrated into the frame, and fold into the body for storage—the Hero9 sits upright on a flat surface when they're folded in. Small cameras like this are best used when mounted—whether it to be to the front of your surfboard or on a selfie stick.

The camera is tough and waterproof. It can be submerged to 33 feet without a protective case, and its exterior is rugged enough to survive falls and tumbles without (too much) worry.

The rear is all screen, with the expected bit of bezel. The view is a little larger than you get with the Hero8, but it's not an earth-shattering improvement—just an appropriate use of space. The interface isn't changed from the Hero8—you get easy access to a number of customizable video presets, a plus given the vast resolution and frame rate options.

The slightly larger display nets slightly larger icons and buttons, good if your fingers are a little clumsy. Early Hero9 adopters were met with a rather lackluster touch experience, but GoPro has worked to improve the screen via firmware.

With firmware updated, the Hero9's display responded to almost all of my touches, only missing glancing taps. In short, it operates with expected accuracy. There's still a very slight lag in the user interface response, just enough to be noticeable, but it's not a deal breaker—it's just not quite as snappy as the Hero8.

The front screen doesn't support touch, and it's not a wide-screen view, but it's fine to help you gauge your frame. It makes the process of mounting the camera and setting up a frame a bit easier, especially if you're trying to put yourself in the shot. You can add letterbox bars if you want to see accurate framing, but the image is notably smaller. You can also set it to act as an information display, just as on the Hero8 and earlier models.

Voice commands are available, too. You can say things like, "GoPro, record," and the camera will follow your commands. It's a feature I tend to turn off—it works, but it can be a bit too eager to listen. I've had audio from the TV, near my camera charging station, start a GoPro recording with other models on more than one occasion. The Hero9 lets you toggle the Wake on Voice feature though, so you can limit voice control to when the camera is already turned on.

Accessories and Connectivity

Add-on accessories—GoPro calls them Mods—continue from the Hero8, but the change in form factor means you'll need to get new ones. You can add a Media Mod frame for better audio and a couple of accessory mounting shoes for $79.99. There's also a bigger 2-inch front-facing LCD add-on and an on-camera light available.

The Hero9 also supports a new add-on lens, the Max Lens Mod ($99.99). The conversion lens widens the angle of view, capturing 155 degrees at most, and adds horizon lock support in all stabilization modes. With it on, you can keep your horizon set, even if the camera is mounted in a plane doing a barrel roll, as GoPro demonstrated in some sample footage. We've not had a chance to test out the lens.

There's also the Hero9 Black Bundle, priced $50 higher than the standard GoPro. It adds a second battery, a 32GB memory card, and a handhold grip, among a few other small items. If you're already thinking about buying additional batteries, it's a good value. You get a carrying case with it, but that's also included with the camera—GoPro has moved to plastic-free, reusable packaging with this release.

The camera includes Bluetooth, GPS, and Wi-Fi, as well as a microSD slot and a USB-C port for charging and offloading video to a PC. Sending clips to a tablet or phone for editing has to be done over the Wi-Fi connection.

GoPro promises that the largest battery will keep the Hero9 recording for longer, and that's true, but how much longer depends on your video settings. At 5K 30fps, the Hero9 Black nets about 80 minutes of recording time before powering down with a low-battery warning, a good 10 minutes longer than the Hero8 gets at 4K 60fps.

The camera does run a little hot, a concern if you're using it for long-form clips. I was able to run about 65 minutes of 4K60 footage before it shut itself down—pretty typical for an action cam. The battery is a big source of heat, though—if you're able to power the camera via an external USB source, you'll be able to record longer before it overheats.

GoPro as a Service

In addition to excellent hardware, GoPro has separated itself from a number of budget action cams with its software. The GoPro smartphone app (for Android and iOS) is decidedly functional, with automated edits available if you're looking to share a quick clip, and more advanced timeline and trimming support for serious editors who aren't already in the Adobe or Final Cut ecosystem.

There are some features built into the camera to speed up wireless transfers for mobile editors. It can record short clips of preset lengths, anywhere from 15 seconds to three hours, and a new Hindsight mode buffers 30 seconds continuously, saving the video only when you tell the camera. If you're trying to set up a Rube Goldberg contraption and capture it perfectly, Hindsight will make it so you don't have to cull through all of your failed attempts at YouTube glory.

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Speaking of, a GoPro subscription also lets you use the Hero9 as a webcam for live streaming, with support for services like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch; even without a subscription, you can use the Hero9 as a USB webcam for macOS and Windows systems, though GoPro still bills Windows support as beta.

Apps and cloud services go hand in hand these days, though. GoPro has followed in Adobe's Creative Cloud footsteps with its own paid subscription, up until recently known as GoPro Plus. The company is dropping the Plus from the name, and bundling a one-year subscription with the purchase of a Hero9 Black.

After that, it costs about $50 per year. For your money, you get an unlimited cloud storage bucket for video footage, up to two replacements if you manage to break the Hero9, and a steep 50 percent discount on mounts and accessories from GoPro's online storefront. By bundling the service, GoPro is hoping that you'll find it useful enough to keep paying for it.

You can still buy the camera without the bundled subscription, but you'll pay more—$449.99—and get less.

More Pixels for 5K

The Hero9's image sensor enjoys its first big upgrade in some time, bumping still resolution from 12MP to 20MP and video from 4K to 5K—though we think most folks will stick to 4K and lesser resolutions for more versatile frame rate options.

At 5K you're limited to 24p or 30p capture—great for vlogs, or mixing in some action cam footage into a cinema project. At 4K and lesser resolution, it just about matches the feature set of the Hero8—up to 60fps at 4K, 120fps at 2.7K, and 240fps at 1080p.

You can opt for ready-to-edit GoPro Color or use a Flat profile with more freedom to fine-tune color on your own. The angle of view is also adjustable—you can opt for the ultra-wide view, with some curved distortion, for work in tight spaces and big views, or switch to a Linear look that straightens lines, while still providing plenty of wide coverage.

Stabilization is available in every mode. GoPro calls its digital system HyperSmooth, and it lives up to its name. The camera removes bumps and jostles from handheld footage with aplomb. There's a stronger mode, HyperSmooth Boost, included too—you can turn it on if you're recording an especially intense activity with loads of camera movement, but the Boost does introduce a slight crop.

The camera also does time lapses and shoots still photos. GoPro's Time Warp system compresses time in interesting ways—you can set it to work in intervals, or to leverage speed ramping on its own, as I did for our test footage. HyperSmooth works with Time Warp just as it does with regular video.

Stills are available at 20MP—if you record 5K footage, you can also extract a 14.8MP photo out of any frame. I wouldn't suggest anyone buy a GoPro as a stills-only or stills-first camera, but there's no shame in snapping some images with the Hero9. The HDR Photo mode is especially good—it overcomes some of the downsides of using a small sensor camera to net images that retain detail in both highlights and shadows, without the need for editing.

The lens is sharp and you can set the camera to work in Raw format if you want. It's especially appealing if you want ultra-wide shots and don't want to invest in an interchangeable lens camera or upgrade your smartphone to a model with an ultra-wide lens.

The in-camera mic is pretty good, especially if you've got it facing your direction. It did a good job picking up my voice in an area with some background noise, but loses a step when you try to narrate from behind the camera rather than in front of it. To date, the GoPro Max still has the company's best in-camera mic, but its 360-degree design limits resolution and slow-motion options.

The Premium GoPro Option

The Hero9 Black is GoPro's expected yearly update to its marquee action cam, and as far as imaging prowess goes, it's as good as you'd expect. Its video toolkit is extensive, with all of the 4K and lesser options found in the Hero8, plus 5K recording if you want more pixels. Still quality is also improved, up to 20MP, and there are Raw and HDR options available in addition to normal JPG capture.

Video, even slow-motion and time-lapse footage, is stabilized. GoPro's digital HyperSmooth 3.0 is excellent, and has been extended to help level horizons. Mount the Hero9 to a pistol grip and enjoy video that's as smooth and stable as you'd get with a gimbal system, without the added bulk or setup.

The front-facing screen adds appeal for vloggers, as does the ability to use the higher-quality mic included in the Media Mod add-on. Smartphone editing tools, a sturdy, waterproof build, and longer record times (versus the Hero8) round out the package.

It's especially appealing when bought along with the GoPro subscription at $349. Not all retailers offer the bundle, however. You absolutely shouldn't be paying $450 for this camera, especially not when you can get a Hero8 Black for around $300.

For the GoPro customer who wants it all, the Hero9 Black is the whole-hog experience, and worth spending a bit more on if you're in love with the front LCD or crave the fantastically wide view you can get in conjunction with the Max lens add-on. For the rest of us, the Hero8 Black gets most of the way there for a bit less, and remains our Editors' Choice.