GoPro Hero 5 release date, specs rumors: Action camera's launch delayed for further improvements

GoPro Hero 5's predecessor, the GoPro Hero 4GoPro

The launch of the highly anticipated GoPro Hero 5 will be pushed back to late 2016, according to new reports. Changes in the offerings of the company will also be made for the simplification of its product line-ups.

GoPro will no longer be offering Hero, Hero Plus and Hero Plus LCD, which are the entry-level offerings of the company. Instead, the firm will now be simply refreshing its Hero4 Session, Silver and Black camera lines, which are the high-end and high-performance action cameras it has to offer.

The California-based company will also focus on improving the makings of their products. That being said, GoPro Hero 5 will be among the first of the firm's product with more stellar and bigger specs and features.

"In terms of doubling down in hardware, we are ensuring that any new and existing hardware products do a better job of connecting to smart phones and the cloud," GoPro Chief Executive Officer Nicholas Woodman said during the company's earnings call.

"Any advancement in software will be matched at the hardware level," Woodman went on to say, hinting that the GoPro Hero 5 will be their most powerful outing yet. "Later this year, we will introduce the most connected and convenient GoPro we have ever made, Hero 5," he added.

GoPro is also working on making the much-awaited action camera compatible with the new Karma drone, which it chose to release next month. To give way to the integration of these new features and more, GoPro Hero 5 will be delayed to late 2016.

At the moment, there remains no specific information on the camera's launch date. It is, however, heavily rumored that the device will finally be out and about by October at the earliest. Woodman also promised to give more information on the camera when the release date draws nearer.