Apple has a new patent in its trove, and it refers to a waterproof action camera. Will the company compete with the likes of GoPro soon?
As of this week, Apple is the proud owner of a new patent for an action camera with a remote control, indicating that it may soon go head to head with GoPro in this segment of the market.
GoPro action cameras are widely popular and many users worldwide rely on them to capture some of their most daring moments, but some serious competition could affect their success. In fact, it seems that Apple's new patent has already affected GoPro, sending its shares down 12.7 percent.
Considering that GoPro shares dropped by more than a tenth in a single day, it seems apparent that investors are seriously worried about tough competition in the market.
GoPro currently rules the action camera market, but Apple is known for making a big splash when entering a market. The aforementioned 12.7 percent drop in GoPro's shares occurred after news surfaced regarding Apple's new action camera patent. If GoPro's shares took such a significant tumble simply because Apple patented similar technology, what will happen if or when Apple actually brings an action camera to market?
As for Apple's patent, here's the deal: back in 2012, Kodak made an application to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Since then, Apple has acquired much of Kodak's intellectual property, complete with this patent, which even includes Kodak logos on some diagrams. On Jan. 13, 2015, Apple was officially granted the patent for the action camera, and so it became public knowledge.
According to the patent in question, this Apple action camera could allow users to mount it on a surfboard, a scuba mask, or a bicycle helmet. Users would apparently be able to wear the remote control like a watch and use it to turn the camera on and off. In other words, Apple's action camera sounds like a direct competitor to GoPro's lineup of cameras.
To further illustrate the fierce competition with GoPro cameras, the patent even bashes GoPro for only allowing users to shoot video from the front, which makes it more susceptible to damage and vibration and creates "excessive wind resistance."
"In some situations, the digital capture device is mounted on a tripod or another type of camera mounting device, so that it does not need to be held by the user. In some situations, the digital camera capture device is controlled using a remote control, in order to initiate and terminate the capture of images," explains the patent.
"It is known to provide rugged digital capture devices that can be secured to various objects, such as a bicycle helmet or scuba mask or mounted to the handlebars of a motorcycle or the front of a surfboard. For example, the GoPro HD Hero2 digital cameras, sold by GoPro Inc, Half Moon Bay, Calif. are sold as part of an 'Outdoor edition' package which includes various straps, pivot arms, and adhesive mounts to enable the digital camera to capture images while performing activities such as biking, skiing, skating and kayaking. However, the HD Hero2 camera includes only a single image capture system, which captures images using an optical axis directed outward from the 'front' of the camera. This can cause excessive wind resistance and presents a high profile that is more susceptible to damage and image artifacts from vibrations in some situations."
Apple offered no official comment yet regarding whether it plans to bring an action camera to market this year. If it does, however, it would go head to head with GoPro.
