GoPro Karma Latest News and Features: No Follow Me and Obstacle Avoidance Feature, Great Usability, Price
The GoPro Karma was unveiled last September. Many fans were expecting the drone to have a "follow me" feature, which should allow the drone to follow the person controlling it as he/she moves. Unfortunately, the Karma didn't have this feature. Fans weren't expecting the GoPro Karma to include a hand-held stabilizer as well.
Advantages of the GoPro Karma
One of the pros of the GoPro Karma is its ease of use. It has pretty straight-forward controls and a touch screen menu with a simple and user-friendly interface. Setting up the Karma drone itself is easy as well.
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Another advantage is that Karma can be used to shoot videos both on air and on land. The controller also has a useful built-in display for easy navigation and better video control. The hand-held stabilizer, known as a gimbal, is also a positive addition to the Karma, allowing users to shoot stabilized videos on land.
Disadvantages of the GoPro Karma
There are cons to the GoPro Karma as well. First, the Karma doesn't have an obstacle avoidance feature, so you really have to be careful while navigating the drone. Another disadvantage is the absence of a follow me mode or other unique and smart features.
Another disadvantage is that the Karma doesn't have a great battery life. The absence of a downward positioning sensor is also unfortunate.
Most of the features of the GoPro Karma can be found in their competitors, but the battery life isn't as good. Karma does have the advantage when it comes to ease of use and its flexibility in general.
Price
The GoPro Karma is worth $799 without the camera and $999 or $1099 with the inclusion of a GoPro Hero 5 Session or a Hero 5 Black. The pricing is relatively cheap compared to many other rival drones, but other companies have also come up with equally priced devices with better specs and features.
Purchasing the GoPro Karma bundled with a GoPro Hero 5 actually saves you $100, which is a pretty good bargain. The bundle contains the Karma drone itself, 6 propellers, hand-held "Grip" stabilizer, and touch screen controller. GoPro also throws in a backpack where you can store all of these.
One example of this is DJI's Mavic Pro. According to Engadget, "The Karma might not have some of the smart features, but with its detachable rig, Karma Grip and all-in-one controller, shoppers will have to decide between the flexibility of a removable camera and bonus hand-held stabilizer or the ability to follow targets and well, potentially not hit things."
