GoPro forecasts modest recovery to 2 million units in 2025 as market value has been wiped out by roughly 98% — Chinese AI imaging players enter the fray

Forecast and fallout

GoPro said it expects to sell about 2 million units in 2025, a modest recovery for the action‑camera pioneer. It has been reported that the company’s market value has been wiped out by roughly 98% from its peak — a collapse that underscores how much the competitive and technological landscape has shifted since GoPro’s heyday. Once a darling of adventure seekers and investors alike, GoPro now faces the twin pressures of slowing hardware demand and the need to monetize software and services.

New competition from China and technology shifts

Why has value evaporated? Smartphones got dramatically better. AI imaging and computational photography have reduced the need for a separate action camera for many users. Adding pressure, it has been reported that several Chinese AI imaging players — from startups building on generative and edge AI to established device makers — are pushing into the same space with cheaper hardware and advanced software features. For Western readers: these entrants are not just hardware knockoffs; many are integrating cloud and on‑device AI to automate editing, stabilization and tagging, eroding one of GoPro’s traditional differentiators.

Geopolitics and the path ahead

Geopolitical dynamics matter too. U.S.-China trade frictions and export controls on advanced chips complicate supply chains for both U.S. and Chinese firms, while also accelerating China’s push to develop domestic AI stacks. Reportedly, that dynamic is encouraging local players to double down on imaging AI as a route to global competitiveness. Can GoPro respond with compelling software subscriptions, tighter integration with smartphones, or niche prosumer hardware? Investors and consumers will be watching 2025 product plans and margin metrics closely to see whether the company can translate a unit recovery into sustainable growth.