GoPro Hero 9 Black Philippines Price, Specs, Reasons To Buy If You're a Vlogger or Youtube Content Creator

Last Thursday - September 17, 2020, American tech giant GoPro officially announced the latest iteration to the world's best-selling Hero action camera series.

The all-new GoPro Hero 9 Black is bigger and heavier than its predecessor - the Hero 8 - but more importantly, it's more powerful and it has more attractive features for today's vloggers and Youtube content creators.

In fact, on a personal note, it's the first GoPro action camera that I'm seriously thinking about buying since my Hero 4 Silver from 2015.

I'm planning to travel more and to document my adventures on video after this COVID-19 quarantine. Having seen all the key features of the GoPro Hero 9 Black, I am convinced that it can be an ideal vlogging camera for me, alongside my trusty DJI Osmo Pocket.

Let me give you my reasons why I think this model is great for everyone who's currently looking for a similar gadget companion moving forward.

Photo Credit: I would like to give credit to Engadget Youtube Channel for all photos that I used in this post. Please subscribe to their channel for useful and informative videos on gadgets and technology.

1. GoPro Hero 9 Black has a front-facing screen!

Like the bigger and pricier GoPro Hero Max 360 Action Cam from 2019, the GoPro Hero 9 Black has a front-facing display that lets you easily frame yourself correctly in talking-head videos.

Since many vloggers are actually one-man-teams, this front-facing LiveView screen will definitely come in handy when narrating sceneries or talking about events happening in the background -- even if it's just slightly larger than your typical postage stamp.

To be fair to DJI, though, they were the first to put this feature on an action camera -- and frankly, GoPro just followed suit. But while the DJI Osmo Action remains to be a solid option, I think that GoPro's color science as well as the improved imaging features make GoPro Hero 9 the more enticing offer at this point.

2. It's now more powerful as a video recording and imaging tool.

GoPro Hero 9 Black lets you record 5K videos at 30fps - something you can't do on previous GoPro releases - and 4K clips at up to 60fps with 100Mbps bitrate. You can also shoot FullHD 1080p videos at 240, 120, 60, 30, and 24 fps with Linear and Horizon Leveling turned on.

On top of that, this device is the first GoPro that can shoot 20 MegaPixel photos, which makes it a pretty reliable ultra-wide-angle point-and-shoot camera for capturing nature and architecture during your travels.

3. With it, you can record more stable videos while you're moving.

Great for travel vloggers, GoPro Hero 9 Black comes with HyperSmooth 3.0 with High and Boost options that apply high-level electronic stabilization to videos in real-time. Hence, even when you are running while recording a scene that begs to be captured, you can rest assured that the quality will still be visually appealing to your viewers instead of being nauseating.

4. GoPro Hero 9 Black's display at the back is rather big.

Fine. It's just slightly larger than what's on the GoPro Hero 8. However, the slight increase in screen real estate makes tapping on options using your finger a lot easier and watching videos less of a squint-fest. I hope GoPro would minimize the bezels even more on future models. It's possible. I mean, DJI has already done it on the Osmo Action.

5. Finally, the battery is also larger.

GoPro Hero 9 Black is bigger and heavier than the previous model and I believe it's largely because of the higher capacity battery. GoPro Hero 8 only has a 1,220 mAh Li-Ion pack while the one powering the new release comes in at 1,720 mAh. In comparison, GoPro Hero 8 can record a FullHD video for around 1 Hour and 45 Minutes straight while GoPro Hero 9 Black can shoot for up to 2 Hours and 10 Minutes. That's a big difference that I'm sure many vloggers - who are always out and about shooting - will definitely appreciate.

In the United States, GoPro Hero 9 Black has an official price of $449.99 USD but buyers can get it for less - at $349.99 - when they avail of 1-Year GoPro subscription. No word yet on the SRP here in the Philippines from GoPro's authorized local retailers. I'll definitely keep you posted and let you know when I finally get that information.

Update: The official price of GoPro Hero 9 Black in the Philippines is PHP 26,490 and it is now available at GoPro's official partner retailers nationwide, including Abenson, Electroworld, Camerahaus, Colours Foto, Infomax, Henry’s Cameras, iBook, TechPro Unlimited, Inbox Store, Mobilio, and Timeline. You may also purchase GoPro Hero 6 Black at the Official GoPro Store in LazMall and Shopee Mall.

I've said, I'm already considering buying this one because I'm loving everything that I've seen and heard about it so far. I really look forward to traveling more often as soon as the situation improves and I know that this device can help me share my adventures and passions better with all of you.

GoPro Hero 9 Black Specs
71 x 55 x 33 mm
158 grams
Waterproof up to 10 Meters
Front LCD LiveView Screen, Non-Touch
2.27-inch Rear Touchscreen LCD
20 MegaPixels Photos
5K 30fps, 4K 60fps Maximum Video Resolutions
FullHD 240, 120, 60, 30, 24 fps with Linear and Horizon Leveling
100Mbps Maximum Bitrate
HyperSmooth 3.0 with High and Boost Options
Livestreaming via GoPro App
SuperPhoto + Auto HDR
Raw Photo
Voice Control
Scheduled Capture
GPS
8x Slo-Mo
0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 30, 60 seconds : 2, 5, 30, 60 minutes Time Lapse
Auto, 4, 5, 10, 15, 20 seconds : 1, 2, 5, 30, 60 minutes Night Lapse
2x, 5x,10x 15x and 30x TimeWarp 3.0 Recording Speeds
3 Microphones
Removable Lens Cover
Accessories Support
Built-in Mount
Removable 1,720mAh Lithium-Ion Battery Pack

GoPro Hero 9 Black Price
Official Suggested Retail Price - $449.99 USD
With One-Year GoPro Subscription - $349.99 USD for the unit, $559.95 in Total
Official Price in the Philippines - PHP 26,490
Official Release Date in the Philippines - September 17, 2020