GoPro Is Selling Itself, Insta360 Is Growing and New DJI Cameras Skip the US

For most of the 2010s, “action camera” meant GoPro. In 2026 the category looks different. GoPro is shrinking and has agreed to a merger that points it toward optics for data centers and defense, Insta360 has become the growth company in the category, and DJI’s newest cameras are not being sold in the United States.

Each change affects what a US shopper can buy and how long it will be supported. Here is what the filings, earnings reports and regulatory record show.

Trend Signal

72/100 Strong momentum

1. Emerging
2. Rising
3. Mainstream
4. Peaking
5. Cooling

Growth has moved from GoPro to Insta360 and 360 cameras

Insta360 revenue rose 50.3% to 5.52 billion yuan in the first half of 2026, while GoPro’s second-quarter 2026 revenue fell 31% to $105 million and its camera sell-through fell 38%.

Our editorial reading of the cited data, not a forecast. How it is scored

By the numbers

• 31%GoPro revenue change in Q2 2026, to $105 million, year over yearGoPro via SEC
• 291KGoPro cameras sold through to customers in Q2 2026, down 38% year over yearGoPro via SEC
• +50.3%Insta360 revenue growth in the first half of 2026, to 5.52 billion yuanEBRUN
• $285MCash to GoPro shareholders in the Starman Optical merger agreed September 1, 2026GoPro via SEC

GoPro’s shrinking sales and the Starman deal

GoPro’s filings show a steady decline. Revenue fell 19% in 2025 to $652 million, and camera sell-through fell 20% to about 2 million units. In the second quarter of 2026 revenue dropped 31% to $105 million, sell-through fell 38% to about 291,000 cameras, and revenue from the retail channel fell 48%. Subscriptions were the bright spot at $29 million, 28% of revenue, with a record 69% subscription attach rate.

In May 2026 GoPro’s board authorized a review of a possible sale. TechCrunch reported that GoPro warned in June 2026 it might not survive without new funding and that founder Nick Woodman put in $20 million of his own money in July. On September 1, 2026 the company agreed to merge with Starman Optical, a privately held maker of optical transceivers. Shareholders are to receive $285 million in cash, or $1.14 a share, and keep about 10% of the company; GoPro’s roughly $92 million of debt is to be repaid; and the combined company plans to expand into AI data center, government, defense and aerospace markets.

For camera owners, the key line is GoPro’s statement that it will “continue to fully support its existing consumer products and its subscription and cloud platform.” Woodman repeated the commitment to cameras in a September 3, 2026 letter to customers, and GoPro began shipping its MISSION 1 compact cinema cameras in May 2026. The deal needs shareholder and regulatory approval and is expected to close by the end of 2026.

Insta360 took the growth

Insta360, the Chinese camera maker, reported 2025 revenue of 9.74 billion yuan, up 74.8%, according to 36Kr’s summary of its annual report. Consumer imaging products made up 88% of its main business revenue, and 69% came from outside China. Citing IDC data, the company said its shipment share of 360-degree cameras exceeded 65% in 2025 and its share of detachable action cameras exceeded 50%.

Growth continued in 2026 at a slower pace and much lower profit. First-half revenue rose 50.3% to 5.52 billion yuan, but net profit fell 94% to 30.4 million yuan. The company blamed rising memory chip prices and spending on new businesses such as a panoramic drone; it also spent nearly 2 billion yuan stockpiling memory chips. Research and development spending rose 79% to about 1 billion yuan, and new products include the 8K X6 360 camera and the Luna Pro 4K gimbal camera, according to EBRUN.

Overseas markets, concentrated in the US, Japan and Europe, supplied more than 63% of Insta360’s core revenue in the first half of 2026.

The 360 camera, once a side product, is where the category’s growth now sits.

Why new DJI cameras are missing from US shelves

On December 22, 2025, the FCC added foreign-made drones and drone components to its Covered List, along with the communications and video surveillance equipment named in section 1709 of the 2025 defense authorization act, which covers DJI. Items on the list cannot receive the FCC authorization needed to import and sell new wireless devices, according to a Goodwin client alert, while products authorized earlier keep their authorization.

DJI was already holding back before the listing. Its Osmo 360 camera launched globally on July 31, 2025 without official US sales, which Digital Camera World linked to tariffs, customs detentions and the approaching deadline; retailers such as B&H and Adorama still listed it. After the listing, DJI said its Osmo Pocket 4, announced April 16, 2026, “will not be available in the US market as the application for authorization is still pending,” PetaPixel reported, and TechTimes reported on August 13, 2026 that the Osmo 360 II had no US price or release date, even though the FCC authorized it on December 21, 2025, the day before the listing.

DJI filed a petition in the Ninth Circuit on February 20, 2026 asking the court to set aside the ruling, arguing the FCC never identified a threat tied to DJI. Older models authorized before the listing, such as the Osmo Pocket 3, remained on sale at US retailers, PetaPixel reported in April 2026.

What it means if you are buying an action camera

For a US buyer in late 2026, the realistic options for new models are GoPro’s current lineup and Insta360’s, plus DJI products that were authorized before the December 2025 listing. If a seller offers a DJI model that DJI does not sell in the US, ask who handles warranty service before you buy.

Choose the format before the brand. A 360 camera records everything around it and lets you pick the framing afterward, which suits riding, skiing and walk-and-talk vlogs where you cannot aim the camera. A single-lens action camera is simpler to shoot and edit. GoPro’s subscription, now taken by a record 69% of its camera buyers, adds cloud services, so price the plan into the camera’s cost.

Two cautions apply. Insta360’s profit collapse shows that even the growth leader is squeezed by memory costs, which could reach prices. And the GoPro merger is not closed; it needs shareholder and regulatory approval.

What to watch next

• The GoPro shareholder vote on the Starman merger, and any change to its consumer camera plans after the deal closes, expected by the end of 2026.
• The Ninth Circuit case over DJI’s Covered List entry, which decides whether new DJI cameras can reach US stores.
• Insta360’s next quarterly results, for whether memory costs lead to higher prices on its cameras.

Where to start

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More: Creators and Content trends and how the Trend Signal is scored.

Questions readers ask

Is GoPro going out of business?

Not under its current plan. After warning in June 2026 that it might not survive without new funding, GoPro agreed on September 1, 2026 to merge with Starman Optical; shareholders get $285 million in cash, the company stays listed on Nasdaq, and it says it will continue to fully support its consumer products and subscription platform. The deal still needs shareholder and regulatory approval.

Can you buy new DJI cameras in the US?

Models authorized by the FCC before December 22, 2025 can still be sold, and PetaPixel found the Osmo Pocket 3 at US retailers in April 2026. Newer models such as the Osmo Pocket 4 and Osmo 360 II have not launched in the US; DJI cited pending FCC authorization for the Pocket 4.

Is Insta360 growing faster than GoPro?

Yes. Insta360 reported 2025 revenue of 9.74 billion yuan, up 74.8%, and first-half 2026 revenue up 50.3%, while GoPro’s 2025 revenue fell 19% to $652 million and its second-quarter 2026 revenue fell 31%.

Should I buy a 360 camera or a regular action camera?

A 360 camera suits situations where you cannot aim the camera, because you choose the framing afterward; a single-lens action camera is simpler to shoot and edit. Insta360 says it holds more than 65% of the 360-camera market.