“2026 will be the year of GP3”: GoPro CEO teases new flagship cameras, AI ambitions and a major comeback year

GoPro’s third-quarter earnings call might have been light on profit, but it was heavy on promise.

Founder and CEO Nicholas Woodman described 2026 as “the year of GP3,” the long-awaited successor to GoPro’s GP2 chip (which came out in 2021), signalling what could be the brand’s most important technology leap in half a decade.

Speaking to investors, Woodman confirmed the new GP3 processor will debut next year across several new action cameras, marking “the debut of our line of GP3-based processors that’ll take GoPro and the industry to the next level of performance.”

CFO and COO Brian McGee called it a “market-leading” system-on-chip that will underpin GoPro’s next generation of imaging products, hinting at improved computational photography and on-device AI features.

“What we’re able to do with that from an imaging and innovation perspective is another area where we’re leading,” he said.

A strategic pause before the storm

If 2025 felt quiet, that was by design. GoPro didn’t release a new flagship HERO camera this year, a deliberate move that Woodman called “strategic in preparation for 2026 launches.”

The CEO explained that patience now would deliver “a significant upside in 2026,” describing the decision as a necessary breather before a wave of product diversification hits next year.

“We’ve got something special planned,” he told investors. “We appreciate market patience, and we think that this decision is going to significantly help us grow units, revenue, and profits in the first half of 2026. Pleasure delayed.”

More cameras, not fewer

The company is preparing to expand its range beyond a single “do-it-all” camera. “Traditionally, the Hero [see also: GoPro HERO 13 Black review] camera was a bit of a Swiss Army knife that did it all for everybody,” Woodman said.

“That was terrific for a time, but as consumer and professional demands have grown, we’ve seen the end customer want multiple tools, multiple cameras that help them achieve more specific capture scenarios.”

That shift will shape GoPro’s 2026 roadmap. The brand plans to introduce several new models across distinct categories, from next-gen flagships to 360 and lifestyle cameras, with new launches “steadily throughout the year,” rather than clustered around the holiday season.

McGee added that the company expects to grow revenue and units every quarter in 2026, forecasting adjusted EBITDA above $40 million as tariffs and costs stabilise.

A glimpse beyond action cameras

GoPro’s diversification push also extends outside the camera category. Its collaboration with AGV on tech-enabled motorcycle helmets remains underway, with Woodman describing it as part of the company’s “next wave of TAM expansion.”

Combined with the launch of the GoPro MAX 2, LIT HERO, and Fluid Pro AI Gimbal, this marks a significant broadening of GoPro’s hardware ambitions.

At the same time, its AI content-licensing initiative is gaining traction, with subscribers uploading over 270,000 hours of footage to train GoPro’s video models.

“We’re in discussion with several AI data licensees to address their demand for authentic real-world video content,” Woodman said, describing the program as a “meaningful opportunity over time for both our subscribers and GoPro.”

A comeback narrative in the making

For a company that’s spent the past few years shrinking to survive, the message from Woodman and McGee was clear: 2026 is the comeback year.

“We expect to build on this momentum in 2026 with the launch of several new, innovative, and differentiated products and services that we believe will lead to consistent quarterly camera unit and revenue growth,” Woodman said. “2026 will be the year of GP3.”

If it all goes to plan, next year could see GoPro shift from retrenchment to reinvention, finally giving its long-time fans a reason to upgrade again.