Again in January 2024, we informed you that GoPro had introduced plans to accumulate Australian sensible helmet maker Forcite Helmets. Naturally, hypothesis in regards to the mega motion digicam maker’s plans started virtually instantly.
On the time that it made the preliminary announcement, GoPro additionally slid a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it little bit of forward-looking data into place. Additional dialogue of its upcoming Forcite Helmets plans, it mentioned, would come throughout its upcoming 2024 This fall earnings name.
With out additional ado, listed here are 5 key takeaways that we have now realized about GoPro’s plans for Forcite Helmets.
GoPro Plans To Launch Its First Tech-Enabled Motorbike Helmet In 2025
Forcite MK1S Helmet – Using
This piece of knowledge appears much less like a query of if it could ever occur, and extra when it could ever occur. The psychological math to get to GoPro launching a helmet absolutely turned a lot simpler as soon as it made the Forcite acquisition announcement, in any case.
The reason why GoPro desires to get into bike helmets aren’t shocking, however precise and particular particulars about its helmet(s) will not be introduced till nearer to the deliberate 2025 launch date.
GoPro Motorbike Helmets Will Seemingly Be Offered To Riders By way of Present GoPro Motorsport-Associated Retailers
This tidbit additionally comes as no nice shock. GoPro, as a long-running and internationally acknowledged motion digicam model, has steadily been constructing relationships with organizers of assorted motorsports, together with within the type of sponsorships.
What follows after that? GoPro digicam and accent gross sales, in addition to future GoPro bike helmets bought by way of the identical channels. Whereas different technology-centered retailers are good locations to search out common GoPro motion cameras and equipment, that is not sometimes the place riders go once they need to purchase a brand new bike helmet, so clearly a special retail community is named for. The mathematics is clearly mathing right here, as properly.
GoPro Plans To Present Motorbike Helmet Tech Growth Help To Different Premium Helmet Producers
Forcite MK1S – Rear Proper Angle View
It’s totally very like the idea of buyer engines, solely as utilized to barely totally different expertise.
Use the tech to energy your individual bike helmets, then provide a tried-and-tested, plug-and-play resolution on the market to different OEMs. It is labored for combustion engine makers in each the previous and the current, and Energica is at present doing one thing very comparable with its Energica Inside program.
What sorts of tech-enabled bike helmets can we anticipate to see from each GoPro and the OEMs that come to it for tech helmet options? Keep tuned.
GoPro Plans To Prolong Its Present Subscription Plan Buildings To Its Future Tech-Enabled Motorbike Helmet Line
GoPro Subscription Screenshot – screencapped February 9, 2024
Previous to saying the Forcite Helmet information, GoPro famous that it had over 2.5 million subscribers in 2023. That represents about 12 p.c progress over its subscriber numbers on the finish of 2022, and is a pattern that it sees persevering with as subscriber retention charges over a number of years additionally stay excessive.
It is also a pattern that may possible proceed if GoPro bike helmets show to be one thing that riders discover fascinating. Those that dislike tech-as-a-service subscription plans will not be on board, after all. However relying on how good the implementation is in real-world testing, it isn’t obscure GoPro’s reasoning right here.
GoPro’s Present Forcite Helmets Acquisition Timeline Is Q1 Of 2024
The entire above plans are contingent upon this one. As soon as the acquisition is full, GoPro will be capable to additional its growth of helmets that embody comms, navigation, security alerts, and naturally motion digicam expertise for each itself and the OEMs it plans to produce.
We’ll proceed to observe this story because it develops, so make sure you hold a watch out for future GoPro tech-enabled bike helmet information.