GoPro Inc (NASDAQ:GPRO) seems to have missed the mark with its Karma drone because it has continued to receive negative reviews even after being reintroduced into the market.
GoPro issued a recall for the Karma drones on November last year but it was later reintroduced into the market this year in February. Unfortunately, it seems that the company failed to make a good impression with customers judging by the negative reviews about the device. The company was hoping that the drone would help boost sales but the recent earnings report from GoPro states that the drone will not be the saving grace that will help place the company back on a profitable trend.
A MarketWatch report stated that GoPro had hoped that the drone would inspire a turnaround but it failed to do so. Raymond James analyst Travis McCourt stated that the Karma drone will not be enough to facilitate profitable and sustainable growth. Customers have been giving the drone three out of five stars on Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN).
“There are no Pros with this drone. That is a shame on GoPro,” one person wrote in the review section on Amazon’s online retail website.
Some customers have complained that the batteries do not fit into the charging ports or that the stabilizer on the drone does not work. The GoPro Karma drone costs $799 and was supposed to compete with rivals such as the Mavic Pro from DJI. Customers are also shifting to smaller form factors when it comes to drones for reasons such as mobility. A drone that is easier to put in a backpack is thus more appealing. The Mavic Pro happens to be smaller and easily foldable compared to the Karma, thus making it a more appealing option.
It looks like GoPro will thus have to go back to the drawing board to come up with a more appealing option if it wants to redeem itself. It is not clear whether the company is already working on something new but that is the most likely course of action. The company has been shining when it comes to action cameras but drones have become more appealing, thus the need to shift towards that direction.
GoPro stock closed the latest trading session on Tuesday at $8.08.