GoPro goes budget with the $199 Hero+ action camera [update]

Update: South African pricing figures have finally arrived, with the Hero coming in at R2250, and the Hero+ sitting at R3900. The Hero4 Session is now R5300.

Have a look at the complete lineup with pricing details below:

– Hero4 Black: R8500
– Hero4 Silver: R6900
– Hero4 Session: R5300
– Hero+ LCD: R5300
– Hero+: R3900
– Hero: R2250

The Hero+ will be available in South Africa from 5 October.

GoPro isn’t exactly a company known to craft budget devices, but even the big shots need to humble down a little to cover the entire market. With TomTom creeping down its neck, and the likes of Drift slowly inching towards it, GoPro has announced plans to offer users a cheaper range of extreme cameras.

How cheap? Well, the new GoPro Hero+ will retail for just US$199 while the slightly more expensive Hero+ LCD, will cost US$100 more. And if that’s not cheap enough, there’s the basement Hero for US$129.

It’s not a bad deal either, frankly. The Hero+ features WiFi connectivity as well as Bluetooth which is a nice touch for a budget camera. It also houses an 8MP sensor which can snap 8MP stills (rather obviously) and record both 1080p and 720p at 60 frames per second — upped from the Hero’s 30 frames per second. The GoPro staples of Time Lapse mode and Burst mode also feature.

Thanks to WiFi connectivity, the camera can make uses of the GoPro smartphone app, which allows users to quickly review recorded footage, edit it on site and share it to various social media channels.

Read more: GoPro Hero4 Session launched: smaller, lighter, more extreme

It seems that GoPro is committed to pushing camera technologies at both ends of the market too, according to CEO Nicholas Woodman.

“Even as we continue to raise the bar for our highest performing cameras like HERO4 Black, Silver and Session, we remain committed to developing simplified products like Hero+ that make GoPro life-capture accessible to everyone.”

Speaking of the Hero4 Session, the tiniest camera in the lineup also gets a price drop, and now retails for US$299.

The HERO+ will be available to purchase come 4 October, just in time for the holiday rush.

No South African availability details have been announced as yet.