GoPro HERO13 Black "Shipstern"

As in years past, this article is a quick and dirty rundown on the GoPro’s latest offering: the GoPro HERO13 Black. The article mainly focuses on the hardware, but touches on the firmware changes, and features that should be highlighted. I point out my opinions where they exist, but this article's purpose is to be a factual review on GoPro's latest offering. Top Level:

• $299.99usd with subscription
  $399.99usd full retail
• New Motherboard HW Version: 335-32185-000-4
• 71.8W x 50.8H x 33.6Dmm at 154 grams
  (Same dimensions as HERO[9-12] Note the protection lens has changed)
• Camera ID: 65 Model: H24.01 Codename: ShipStern
• FCCID: CNF-CPSS1 (NEW)
• GoPro HERO13 User Manual 

See all GoPro Cameras in our GoPro Camera Database 

Hardware Changes

• New Wifi Chipset via PCIe vs USB Faster downloads, hopefully fewer Qualcomm bugs, and better Bluetooth audio support. (Wifi 6E, BLE 5.3)
• New Motherboard designed for heat dissipation
• Exposed Metal Heatsink!
• Battery: New form factor Enduro HERO13 battery (1900mAh vs 1720mAh)
• GPS Is Back Refresh rate is 10hz. Supports GPS9 only.
• Lens Detection System Two hall effect sensors detect up to 63 lenses
• New protection lens cover It's a ~1mm bigger
• Possible buck power supply fix for overclocking DSP. This is how the GP2 can now encode 400FPS. I need to research if this was used on the HERO11-12.

Presets usability update rocks! 

This is the one feature that I feel was glossed over in many reviews. The presets are now extremely powerful! 

• Customizable naming. For example "Wide Comp." is 1080P60 Linear, low bitrate, wide, no shortcuts enabled, with screen locked, and beeps on for competition jumps. Boogies and ground shots will now have exact names vs “Air” and “Snow” as in past cameras.  
• Ability to setup "dashboard" settings with presets. This allows you to link beeps, locking of the screen, LEDs, and other dashboard settings within the preset itself.  

Overall this preset update makes the camera so much easier to use in professional settings. 

Firmware Features

Most of these features could run on the GoPro HERO10 and HERO11 but the super slow motion may go into thermal protection and/or does not have enough power to run the processor that quick. 

• Code Refactoring After spending sometime researching the binary, I can tell a ton of work has been done to make this camera more reliable. The complex mutex systems is mostly gone, asserts have been reworked, and it just appears overall cleaner. Nice work team!
• Bluetooth audio microphone support Hopefully they will roll this fix into the HERO12, as now the GoPro HERO13 supports Bluetooth microphones only, not just headsets. 
• SuperSlow Motion GoPro now boosts the power supplied and overclocks the GP2 to perform the superslow motion on the HERO13. It's not just from  thermal mitigations. 
• HDR HLG Video HDR is apparently better. "Broadcast-standard 10bit and Rec. 2100 color space and a wider color gamut than HDR alone."
• Completely revamped WiFi and Bluetooth code Supporting the new Wifi Chipset offers faster downloads and hopefully better reliability. The whole bluetooth "BSAServer" has been rewritten so hopefully we don't run into as many bugs as before. 
• Audio "Voice" Filtering
• Socionext Middleware Was not updated from the HERO12.

Disappointments

Besides the thermal mitigations, PCIe WiFi chip, and battery, this is a GoPro HERO11. The following is still the same:

• Still using GP2 Processor
• Still using Sony IMX677L Sensor
• Still using same power hungry displays

Hypersmooth Framing Issues

I will compare the stabilization today using a ringsight and see if formations still stick to edges on carves like they do on the HERO11 and 12. Hopefully they fixed these issues on the HERO13. 

UPDATE: It seems this is fixed or at least a lot better!

Lenses

The lenses now have a possible two magnets embedded into their body. Each of these locations can either have the magnet implanted north, south, or removed. This gives the possibility of 2^6 combinations or 63 lens combinations detected by the two hall effect sensors. The lack of detection is no lens. 

The two magnets on the lens are circled.

Protective Lens is wider but thinner!

The stock protective lens is different on this camera. 

About a millimeter wider as seen by the old protective lens on top of the new.

Yet slightly thinner. Old GoPro lens placed next to the new installed on the HERO13.

Luckily it fits in most mounts provided they have some flex and/or tolerance. You can see how it bows out slightly around the GoPro HERO13 on the Skydive Parts G35 dualmount.

Ultra Lens Mod $99.99 (MAX 2.5) 

This is the exact same lens as the MAX 2.0 but with the magnets. 

Macro Lens Mod $129.99

4x zoom with a manual focus ring from 4.33in (11cm) to 2.46ft (75cm)

ND filters $69.99 (ND4, ND8, ND16, ND32)

Camera will warn you if the ND filter is not correct for the lighting.

Anamorphic Lens Mod $129.99

Shoot with no wide angle lens curve distortion. Will add 21:9 aspect ratio.

New Accessories

Contacto Magnetic Door and Power Cable Kit $79.99

Has USB connectivity as well as charging.
Three cables 3.9ft (1.2m), 1.6ft (0.5m), & Volta adapter
Possible HEROBUS 2.0 connectivity for use with Volta.

Magnetic Latch Mount $24.99

GoPro HERO13 Black now has two recesses that this mount clasps into. Although a copy of a third party accessory, this will latch in stronger due to the finger and body modification.

E-Waste

In my opinion, GoPro again made it clear that they do not care about the environment with this product launch. Providing firmware updates to their existing products while keeping this product in R&D until the new sensor was completed would have hit the market better. I feel most people who don't encounter thermal issues, are going to wait for the GoPro HERO14 and the new sensor. 

Design Wins

Besides the battery, wifi, and hall effect sensors, this is the same as the GoPro HERO11! GoPro loves to sell the same camera year after year with only software changes. Check out our GoPro Camera Database if you like to see this for yourself. 

Purple is unconfirmed thus far, but likely

 
Additional Resources

GoPro HERO12 Teardown
GoPro HERO11/HERO11 Mini Teardown
GoPro Research GitHUB Repo

All we request is you link this article as a source! 
Thank you! - Hypoxic Team

LEGAL: This product and/or service is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or in any way associated with GoPro Inc. or its products and services. GoPro, HERO, and their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of GoPro, Inc. HEROBUS and BACPAC are trademarks of GoPro Inc.