For years, camera maker GoPro has drawn from a core user base of daredevils and thrill-seekers whose passion for the company's products have driven new device sales and the vast sharing of video content. On Tuesday, the company obtained a newly issued patent, which reveals that it might be developing product for squares as well.
That patent for the San Mateo, Calif.-based firm reveals that it might be pursuing a new "square-profile" camera that is similar in shape and design to a competing product that was released by Polaroid last year. The patent could point to a new, possibly cheaper GoPro product line aimed as casual consumers, especially as competitors from
"We are always looking at new innovations and new designs to help consumers to capture important moments," said GoPro spokesperson Lara Sasken, who also noted that the company had been working on the design since 2011. She said that the company had no new product announcements at this time.
The patent, which GoPro said was filed in Jan. 2014, is titled "Camera housing for a square-profile camera" and details the protective body and mounting system. That housing would surround a hypothetical cube-like camera with a "small form factor" with height, length and width dimensions anywhere from two to nine centimeters. The patent is not, however, for the actual camera itself, though diagrams (like the one featured in the image above) point to what a square device could look like.
Those drawings show a design that is quite similar to Polaroid's "Cube," a 3.5 cm-by-3.5 cm camera that was launched in August of last year that was aimed at consumers looking for a slightly lower price point. At $99, it was $300 cheaper than GoPro's Hero 4 Silver edition, which was introduced in September of last year.
A spokesperson for Polaroid did not immediately return an emailed request for comment.
While GoPro's 2014 sales of nearly $1.4 billion, represented a 41.5% increase over 2013, the company has made no secret of its desire to boost revenue by positioning its cameras to be used by everyday people instead of just niche sports enthusiasts. GoPro is about capturing "meaningful life experiences," read the company's most recent earnings report, with GoPro shipping 5.18 million cameras in 2014, up from 3.85 million the previous year.
A new camera line would also allow for product diversification beyond the rectangular, boxy Hero cameras that have defined much of GoPro's existence. While the company also make's various accessories and mounts for its Hero cameras, it has not had a device with a different form factor since CEO Nick Woodman transitioned from selling 35-mm devices to hawking video cameras in 2006.
Early reviews of Polaroid's Cube praised its playful design, simplicity and size, though publications criticized its mounting ability, which was controlled by a magnet. GoPro--which has made a name for itself not only with its cameras, but also in how users could stick those cameras onto helmets, cars and surfboards--may be looking to improve on how a square-like camera can be secured. Still there is no indication if the company will be producing those devices and, as past examples have shown, plenty of companies file for patents without manufacturing goods.
"We file patents to protect our technology and our [intellectual property]," said Sasken. "We always have a number of ideas."
