GoPro Hero11 Black Mini: price, specs, release date revealed

Every year I get overly excited about the release of the latest GoPro, and this year there’s not just one but three, well, really two, if you discount the Creator kit, but then that still leaves you with the main event, the GoPro Hero11 Black and this the GoPro Hero11 Mini.

The triple release of cameras is somewhat different to the old Black, Silver and White GoPro approach of old, as each of the three cameras has been released with a similar list of specifications, video resolution and framerate; it’s just the physical design in the case of the GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini and the accessories in the case of the Creator Kit that differentiate each. 

The GoPro Hero11 Black Mini is a completely different camera from the larger GoPro Hero11 Black and is more akin to the sadly missed GoPro session. In fact, for all intense and purposes, this is the all-new GoPro Hero11 Session with a new name and highlighting that GoPro has put the entire Session Camera range or at least name to bed. If it were the end of the Session line, then that would be sad indeed, but honestly, look at the specifications and design of the GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini, it is essentially the GoPro Hero11 Session, and that should make Session fans very happy.

This small GoPro is stripped down, a bit like the GoPro Hero10 Bare Bones released earlier in the year in the US Only, just smaller and a lot more elegant in design. 

Take a look at the image above that shows the back of the small camera. If you look carefully just below the fold-out mount, you’ll see the heat symbol. This confirms that the gill design of the back panel is not just for looks, but GoPro has thought carefully about the heat dissipation when running a camera of this size recording 4K + video. That is a very good thing as the GoPro Hero 10 Black did have a few heat issues. When the camera was released last September the UK weather and temperature balanced any overheating issues, however in the bake of Summer 2022 those issue did arise.

The size is small at just 52.4x38x51.2mm, and weighs in at 133g. It also has a few interesting features, such as dual mounts. These mounts are, of course, the same fold-out type you see on the larger GoPro, but there’s one on the base and another on the back. These mounts use magnets to hold themselves in place, making them nice and easy to use. GoPro state that the Mini has been optimised in design for helmet mounting, which makes sense.

The small form of the GoPro Hero11 Black Mini has been extremely stripped down, so there’s no screen on the front or back, but there is a small mono display next to the shutter button. Using these buttons in set sequences will enable you to switch some settings, such as resolution and framerate, which could be handy. But it might well be a case that it far easier to adjust everything through the App except the start and stop recording.

To operate the camera, GoPro has gone for a one-button approach, with the power button on the front side and the shutter button on top. As with the previous GoPro, Voice control is still a major part of the make-up and will give you a few more options than that single button.

As with the Hero11 Black, the GoPro Hero11 Black Mini can record 5.3K at 60p, 4K at 120p, 2.7k at 240p and 1080 at 240p.

It is also waterproof to 10m or 33ft. An interesting addition to the camera is that it features the same lens assembly as the larger model, which means that it will be compatible with the GoPro Max lens mod when that becomes available later in the year. 

GoPro Hero11Black Price and availability

The GoPro Hero11 Black Mini price tag will be $299.98 for GoPro Subscribers and $399.99 MSRP. The GoPro Hero11 Black Mini release date will be October 25 for subscribers and then rolling out to retailers globally after that.