GoPro Max 2 image leaks - upgraded cooling solution and redesign on the cards for new 360° camera

Insta360 recently launched the X4, prompting many to wonder whether GoPro would respond to the launch with a new 360° camera of its own. Apparently, according to a recent leak by @Quadro_News on X, GoPro indeed seems to be planning a response, although not much is known about the Max 2 at present.

The cryptic new leak, which is nothing more than an image of the upcoming new action camera, pictures just the lens and body of a camera with GoPro branding. The design, however, provides some fuel for speculation. For starters, the round lens housing is unique to the current GoPro Max 360-degree camera, with the rest of GoPro's cameras featuring square of rectangular lens housings, suggesting that this is indeed the GoPro Max 2 pictured. 

While there is no display to be seen in the leaked image, the part of the body below the lens looks more than adequate to house a display on the other side of the camera body. The camera housing also has a ribbed design, suggesting that perhaps GoPro has engineered an upgraded cooling solution for the new Max 2 camera.

The last we heard about a potential GoPro "Max 2.0" was in a post on X last September, although GoPro was tight-lipped about details that early in the development process.

The current GoPro Max (curr. $514.95 on Amazon) was the brand's most recent effort in the 360° camera space, and it put up an impressive fight against the likes of the Insta360 X2 with 6K, 360-degree video and a compact form factor, although it earned a reputation for overheating somewhat on hot days or during long recording sessions.

For GoPro to be at all competitive in the current 360-degree action camera space, it will need to at least match the Insta360 X4 (curr. $499.99 on Amazon) and its 8K 60 fps 360° video. There's also no indication about a launch date for the GoPro Max 2, but, given the first-gen Max was launched in October 2019, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the new 360-degree camera launch towards the end of 2024 or start of 2025.