GoPro Max 2 Prototype Leaks as 360° Camera War Heats Up
A first look at GoPro’s long-awaited new 360-degree action camera has emerged via leaked prototype images, just as competition in the 360-cam market reaches a fever pitch. Late last month, photos of an apparent GoPro Max 2 engineering prototype surfaced on a Chinese online marketplace, offering tantalizing clues about the device’s design and features.
The listing – discovered by tech enthusiasts on Reddit – shows a rugged dual-lens camera closely resembling GoPro’s own recent teaser images, lending credibility to the leak. Notably, this early unit lacks a rear display (a telltale sign of a prototype), even though the final Max 2 is expected to include a built-in screen.
Design Clues from the Leaked Unit
Despite its unfinished state, the leaked GoPro Max 2 prototype reveals several hallmarks and some new twists.
The device features GoPro’s signature “folding fingers” mounting system on its base – the flip-down prongs that allow it to clip into standard GoPro mounts – along with a standard 1/4-inch threaded socket for tripod use. The camera’s two fisheye lenses are positioned on each side of the squat, rectangular body, consistent with GoPro’s official teaser photos from a skydiving shoot earlier in July. Images of the prototype’s internal hardware are also shown, including sizable heat sinks and a sealed battery compartment.
The generous cooling elements suggest the GoPro Max 2’s internals run hot – likely due to the heavy processing demands of 360° video – and align with GoPro’s efforts to improve heat dissipation in recent models (the teaser images even showed added cooling fins on the camera’s front).
Interestingly, the prototype appears to be using GoPro’s older Enduro battery (identifiable by its white base) rather than the newer all-black Enduro introduced with the HERO11/12 generation. This could simply be because the test unit was built during Max 2’s prolonged development cycle, possibly before GoPro’s latest batteries were adopted.
It’s unclear whether the retail Max 2 will stick with the legacy battery for compatibility or debut a new battery of its own – a point of speculation among observers. The leaked photos also confirm side-by-side USB-C and microSD ports on the Max 2, similar to its predecessor, and the overall form factor appears rugged and waterproof, as expected from GoPro’s 360-camera lineage
GoPro Go Max 2 Prototype Images
GoPro Teases a Key Advantage – “Twist-Off” Lenses
While GoPro has yet to officially reveal the GoPro Max 2’s full specifications, the company itself has started dropping hints about at least one standout feature. In the wake of the leak, GoPro released a brief social media teaser highlighting that the Max 2 will support quickly replaceable lenses – “just twist a new lens into place” if one gets damaged – an apparent dig at rival DJI’s design. (DJI’s newly launched Osmo 360 camera requires tools and calibration to swap out its lens covers, whereas GoPro is emphasizing a simple, user-friendly solution.)
This detail is significant: 360° action cameras have bulbous lenses that are vulnerable to scratches or cracks, and the ability to easily replace a lens (or its protective cover) in the field will be a major boon for adventurers. Past GoPro models like the original Max required sending the camera in for repair if a lens was damaged, so a DIY twist-off lens system would be a welcome innovation for GoPro’s ecosystem.
The fact that GoPro is touting this feature now – before the GoPro Max 2’s official launch – suggests the company is confident in this improvement and eager to differentiate itself from competitors on durability and ease of use.
GoPro Max2 Leak Timing and the 360‑Camera Showdown
The prototype leak arrives at an auspicious moment in the 360-camera arena.
In fact, the trove of Max 2 images hit the internet on virtually the same day DJI unveiled its first 360° action camera, the Osmo 360. Industry analysts couldn’t help noting the timing: GoPro’s long-anticipated device broke cover just as DJI’s entered the ring, fueling speculation that the leak may not have been entirely coincidental. Regardless, it throws fuel on what some are calling a 360-camera “arms race” this year.
GoPro has been absent from the 360° market since 2019’s original GoPro Max, while newcomer DJI and especially Insta360 have been aggressively advancing the technology in the interim.
Insta360’s latest flagship, the X5, currently leads the category with 5.7K to 8K video capabilities and a polished editing suite, and DJI’s Osmo 360 is launching globally with dual 1/1.1-inch sensors capable of 8K/30fps footage and 120MP still panoramas.
GoPro’s CEO Nick Woodman has repeatedly insisted that the next Max would be “worth the wait,” and now the company is on the cusp of proving it. While official specs remain under wraps, veteran GoPro watchers fully expect the GoPro Max 2 to at least match its rivals’ high-end video resolutions (rumors point to 5.6K or higher, possibly even an 8K mode) and to leverage GoPro’s renowned stabilization and image quality to reclaim ground.
Indeed, one prominent leaker has hinted that both the GoPro Max 2 and DJI Osmo 360 will “leave the Insta360 X5 in the dust” on image quality – a bold claim that will soon be put to the test.
Launch Imminent After Years of Delays
All signs now point to an official GoPro Max 2 launch in the very near future.
GoPro has largely been silent since its initial July teaser posts (which showed the Max 2 in a skydiving scenario with the tagline “Dropping…”), but behind the scenes, the company appears to be gearing up for a big reveal. In recent days, several action camera influencers have published sneak-peek images and comments about testing the Max 2, suggesting GoPro has seeded units to trusted partners under NDA.
These posts – coordinated enough that they only show certain angles of the camera and GoPro-branded accessories – indicate a tightly managed pre-launch campaign, likely orchestrated to build hype while keeping finer details under wraps.
According to multiple reports, GoPro is expected to formally announce the Max 2 in September 2025, aligning with the company’s typical fall product cycle and just in time for the holiday shopping season. That would mark roughly six years since the original Max debuted in late 2019, and it follows a turbulent development cycle in which GoPro even released a stop-gap “Max 2025” (a lightly updated original Max) to appease fans during the delay.
Enthusiasts are understandably eager: if the Max 2 delivers the generational leaps in resolution, battery life, and software that GoPro has hinted at, it could instantly position GoPro back at the forefront of 360-degree adventure cameras.
For now, GoPro is staying mum on pricing or exact specs, and the leaked prototype didn’t divulge performance numbers. But with GoPro now actively teasing features and allowing leaks to spread, the Max 2’s official debut is imminent – likely a matter of weeks.
The coming launch will finally answer whether GoPro’s lengthy gamble to perfect its next 360 cam pays off. Action camera fans worldwide are watching closely to see if the GoPro Max 2 can indeed live up to years of pent-up expectations and take on the best that DJI and Insta360 have to offer.
If the early clues are any indication, the 360° camera wars are about to get a lot more interesting.
Featured image by Quadro News.