The new GoPro Enduro battery is now available in France. More resistant to cold, more enduring and faster to recharge, we tested it and compared it to the classic battery in several scenarios. Here are the results !
The new GoPro Enduro battery for Hero 9 Black and Hero 10 Black // Source: Maxime Grosjean – Frandroid
Action cameras are anything but known for their autonomy. It is to respond to this problem that GoPro unveiled, at the end of October 2021, a new battery for its latest models, called Enduro. More enduring and more resistant to cold, this battery compatible with the Hero 9 Black and Hero 10 Black has been available in France since December 1, 2021. We have tested it for you in several conditions and you will see that we can only recommend it to you.
Same data sheet, different color
The Enduro battery shares the same technical sheet as the classic battery, namely a 1720mAh capacity. The shape has obviously not changed, which makes this new battery compatible with the Hero 9 Black and the Hero 10 Black. The only difference is in the color of the product and the GoPro logo, which changes from blue to white on the Enduro.
The classic battery in blue, the Enduro battery in white // Source: Maxime Grosjean – Frandroid
As we explained in our article on the announcement of the Enduro battery, GoPro puts forward a considerable improvement in range in cold weather. The brand also promises an increase in recording time of up to 40% in more classic conditions – at a temperature of 25°C to be more precise. GoPro does not, however, give any details on the changes made to the manufacturing of the battery to allow for such improvements. To top it off, the Enduro battery would recharge 13% faster than the conventional battery. It’s time to check it all out.
| Temperature | Test conditions | Video Settings | Classic Drums | Enduro battery | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -20°C | Static on a tripod | 4K 60fps | 53 mins | 78 mins | |
| -20°C | Static on a tripod Start of the test after 2 hours when stopped at – 20°C | 4K 60fps | 0 mins | 75 mins | |
| -18°C | Static on a tripod | 5.3K 60fps | 58 mins | 71 mins | |
| -18°C | Static on a tripod | 4K 120fps | 49 mins | 63 mins | |
| -8°C | Static on a tripod Start of the test after 30 min at a standstill at -8° | 4K 60fps | 55 mins | 62 mins | |
| -7°C | Walking | 4K 60fps | 59 mins | 73 mins |
As you have seen, the results are clearly in line with the new Enduro battery. After two hours spent turned off at -20°C, the GoPro Hero 10 Black was able to turn on and record 1 hour and 15 minutes in 4K 60 fps without flinching. The cold still had an impact on the behavior of the camera: on startup, a message told us that the battery temperature was below 0°C and that the screens would remain off during recording to preserve the autonomy. Under the same conditions, the conventional battery was unable to power on the camera for one hour at a temperature of 21°C. Once fully warmed up, the battery was almost empty.
Excluding this test, we calculate a 27% average increase in recording time by switching from the classic battery to the Enduro battery.
Source: Maxime Grosjean – Frandroid
Source: Maxime Grosjean – Frandroid
Beyond this gain in autonomy in cold weather, the Enduro battery above all makes it possible to reduce or eveneliminate some well-known GoPro bugs under such conditions: surprise shutdowns (the GoPro is too cold and switches itself off) and freezes (the GoPro is frozen and you have to remove and reinsert the battery to force a restart). We do not find any of these bugs after using the GoPro Hero 10 Black with the new Enduro battery for 4 days skiing. The camera turned on and off without any delay and we had no problems recording.
The GoPro Enduro battery is perfect for winter sports // Source: Maxime Grosjean – Frandroid
Note, however, that the classic battery also worked perfectly during half a day of skiing under the same conditions, namely between -4°C and 2°C – which are not extreme conditions – even if the autonomy remains better on the Enduro version. The difference is surely played with lower temperatures, like those visible in the table.
Noticeable improvement, even under typical temperatures
Apart from a few Canadians and Russians, we do not know how many readers will be delighted to see that the Enduro battery takes care of temperatures as low as -20 ° C. That said, the Enduro battery is an excellent choice for winter sports enthusiasts. For the others, here are new tests carried out under temperatures that are more usual for us French people.
| Temperature | Test conditions | Video Settings | Classic Drums | Enduro battery | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6°C | Static on a tripod | 4K 120fps | 45 mins | 53 mins | |
| 12°C | Static on a tripod | 4K 60fps | 66 mins | 70 mins | |
| 21°C | Static on a tripod Pause of 5 min at each overheating | 4K 60fps | 55 mins | 68 mins | |
| 21°C | Static on a tripod | 5.3K 24fps | 82 mins | 92 mins | |
| 21°C | Static on a tripod Pause of 5 min at each overheating | 4K 120fps | 36 mins | 52 mins |
Here too, the GoPro Enduro is doing much better. In the face of overheating, the camera shuts down the same number of times, but it records a few more minutes more before each shutdown with the Enduro battery. Above all, the latter holds up better over time: in 4K 60 fps, it displays for example 60% remaining autonomy after the first extinction, against 46% for the classic battery. The most glaring difference concerns the 4K 120 fps mode.
With this second battery of tests, theaverage increase in recording time this time is 21%.
Source: Maxime Grosjean – Frandroid
And charging?
According to our tests, the GoPro Enduro does not necessarily recharge faster than the conventional battery, unless you use a charger greater than 10 W. Count a time saving of 13% with a conventional charger, and 3% at best with a fast charger — it’s always taken.
| Charger type | Classic Drums | Enduro battery | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic loader | 126 mins | 109 mins | |
| fast charger | 91 mins | 88 mins | |
| fast charger | 85 mins | 85 mins |
Finally, know that, since an update, the GoPro Hero 10 Black now gives more indications to the user after its extinction. On restart, a message explains why the GoPro turned off: if it was too hot, too cold, or simply if it was out of battery.
Price and release date
Good news, the Enduro battery only costs 5 euros more than the classic battery — €24.99 compared to €19.99. GoPro subscribers get 20% off batteries, bringing the Enduro down to the price… of the classic. Available now on the official website, the Enduro battery will soon be offered at the usual retailers – at the start of 2022 according to GoPro.
You will have understood it through this article, we can only recommend the Enduro battery. We hope that the next GoPro will be delivered directly with this new type of battery.