The ill-fated GoPro Karma drone is finally back on sale after being recalled late last year over safety issues.
GoPro started selling its fancy new Karma drone in October 2016, but it soon emerged that some units were losing power during operation. The design gaffe led to the announcement of a global recall on November 8, affecting customers who hadn’t even had any issues with their drone. GoPro stood by its recall on the grounds that heavy objects falling from the sky is dangerous – and we’d agree.
But finally, nearly three months after the recall began, GoPro has started selling its first-ever drone to the public once again. You can buy it at the US online store and select US retailers, although it’s still listed as “Coming Soon” in the UK. GoPro says we’ll see the Karma arriving in international markets “in the spring”.
In a press release, GoPro wrote: “GoPro voluntarily withdrew Karma in November 2016 after a small number of cases where batteries disconnected during flight, resulting in a loss of power. GoPro identified the issue as related to the latch mechanism which secured the drone’s battery. A redesigned battery latch has been incorporated into the updated Karma drone to solve the issue.”
The Karma drone is a compact(-ish) drone that fits in a backpack for ease of transport. It features a game-style controller with an integrated touch display, a 3-axis camera stabiliser, and preset flight patterns for “Hollywood-calibre aerial shots”.
“Karma is the ultimate aerial, handheld and wearable stabilisation solution for the GoPro community,” said Nick Woodman, CEO and founder of GoPro, as the recall was announced. “As the consumer drone market continues to grow, Karma delivers the most versatile solution at a very accessible price.”
In the US, you’ll have to fork out a hefty sum to own one however, with the Karma retailing at $799.99 as a standalone product, or $1,099.99 when bundled with a GoPro Hero5 Black camera.
Related: GoPro Karma vs DJI Mavic Pro
Watch: GoPro Hero 5 review
Do you own a drone? Tell us why or why not in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
