GoPro’s new AI gimbal works with action cameras, point-and-shoots, and phones

GoPro has announced a new handheld camera stabilizer that, unlike the Karma Grip stabilizer it debuted in 2016, can be used with more than just its action cameras. The new Fluid Pro AI is compatible with the company’s devices, like the Hero13 Black, but with a 400-gram payload capacity, it can also be used with smartphones and some compact point-and-shoot cameras. It’s more expensive than competitors’ products like the $159.99 Insta360 Flow 2 Pro and the $149 DJI Osmo Mobile 7 Pro, but its versatility and better battery life could justify its higher $229.99 price tag for some when it’s available on October 21st.

As with Insta360 and DJI’s most recent gimbals, GoPro’s Fluid Pro AI has an integrated AI-powered tracking module that it uses to recognize hand gestures that can control it from afar and to keep subjects automatically in frame by locking on to their face or body. To manually select who you want to track, the gimbal can be connected to a mobile app, which provides additional tools for capturing panoramic images or time-lapses.

The Fluid Pro AI is capable of panning a camera a full 360 degrees and tilting it up to 320 degrees. It also features a built-in LED fill light and uses swappable mounting brackets that include a clamping mechanism to accommodate smartphones of various sizes. In lieu of features like a telescoping arm or tripod legs that pop out of its handle, the Fluid Pro AI has a sizable battery that GoPro says is good for up to 18 hours of use, or up to six hours when the AI tracker is active and the LED light is on. Insta360’s and DJI’s only muster up to 10 hours with tracking disabled.