GoPro Max 2 hit by further delays – 2025 is the earliest we'll see the 360-degree action cam

Image of the front of a GoPro Max 360-degree action camera

The GoPro Max, which launched in 2019 (Image credit: TechRadar)

The GoPro Max 2 is now expected in 2025
GoPro execs announced the news in an earnings call
We were hoping to see it before the end of 2024

We've been waiting a long time for the GoPro Max 2, and it seems we're going to have to wait some more: in the company's latest quarterly earnings call, CEO Nicholas Woodman announced the 360-degree camera would be arriving in 2025.

GoPro originally told us the Max 2 device was "in the works" way back in September 2023, and then in May 2024 we got the estimate of a Q4 2024 launch window – which pointed towards an appearance in October, November, or December.

Now the GoPro Max 2 launch date has slipped again, though we haven't got much information over what's happened. Last time the "development process" was blamed, so presumably it's taking much longer to get this camera finished than GoPro first estimated.

Let's not forget that the first GoPro Max launched in October 2019 – and our GoPro Max review will tell you we were impressed with what it had to offer – and that means it's now been a wait of over five years for a successor.

What to expect

Insta360 X4 360 degree camera on a selfie stick recording video — The excellent Insta360 X4 (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)

To put this delay in perspective, since the GoPro Max first showed up, Insta360 has launched four iterations of its own 360-degree camera. The most recent is this year's Insta360 X4, and as you can see from our Insta360 X4 review, it's a great camera.

Being able to match Insta360 is going to be a serious challenge for GoPro. We've not heard too much about the GoPro Max 2 so far – apart from its launch date being pushed back and back – but it will apparently come with an upgraded cooling solution.

There should also be some upgrades in terms of video capture quality: the GoPro Max can shoot video at resolutions up to 5.6k. The price should be interesting too, as the first model launched at a cost of $499.99 / £479.99 / AU$799.95.

We're holding on to older comments from Nicholas Woodman that the 360-degree camera is going to be "worth the wait". Perhaps when it eventually does appear, it'll be fantastic enough to make us forget the delays we had along the way.

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.