GoPro Hero (2024) vs Hero 11 Black Mini: 15 Differences & 3 Similarities Only

By Naila Syifa
Updated September 2024

GoPro launched a new mini action camera, the GoPro Hero (2024), following the GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini in 2022. Despite sharing a similarity in compactness and lightweight design, both seem to have more differences than similarities in their overall features and capabilities. What are these things that set them apart?

Key Takeaways

GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini caters to professional needs with features like Protune, 10-bit color, and external audio support. Meanwhile, GoPro Hero (2024)'s main advantages over the Hero 11 Black Mini lie in its display, photo capture capability, and long-lasting battery. It appeals more to casual users who emphasize affordability, convenience, and simplicity.

On our list

#1 Price

#2 Design & Durability

#3 Video & Photo Quality

#4 Audio Quality

#5 Features

#6 Battery Life

GoPro Hero (2024)

Small & Simple

✓ 4K/30 Video + 12 MP Photo
✓ 2x Slo-Mo
✓ Voice Control
✓ Lightweight at 86g

Buy on Amazon

GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini

Small & Professional

✓ 5.3K/60 Video + 24.7 MP Frame Grabs
✓ 0.55” Status Only Display
✓ 10-bit Color
✓ External Microphone Support

Buy on Amazon

#1 Price

GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini

GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini was originally priced at US$299.99 when it was first released in 2022. However, as of September 2024, we can now find it at a discounted price of US$249.99 or even lower during sales or promotions.

Meanwhile, the new GoPro Hero (2024) is priced at US$199.99, which is 20% lower than the current price of the GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini.

Therefore, despite being the newer release, the Hero (2024) is more affordable, catering to a wider range of consumers.

#2 Design & Durability

GoPro Hero (2024)

Differences

GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini is more square-shaped, measuring 52.4 x 51.2 x 38 mm and weighing 133 g. Such a small body doesn't allow for a large full screen, so the camera features a very small 0.55" status-only display on top of its body instead of a full-fledged touchscreen display.

This means we can't frame and preview the footage directly from the camera and have to rely on the Quik app on our phones to control and review the camera's footage. I find this quite frustrating and not very practical, so I'm glad to know that the new GoPro Hero (2024) brings back the full-fledged touchscreen display typical of larger GoPro Hero cameras.

The touchscreen on the Hero (2024) is quite small at 1.76" and there is only a single display in contrast to the dual displays found on the larger GoPro Hero models. However, compared to the Hero 11 Black Mini with no touchscreen at all, this is a significant advantage.

Weighing only 86g, the GoPro Hero (2024) also weighs less than the Hero 11 Black Mini's 133g weight. The addition of a display perhaps makes it rectangular in shape rather than square, but it is still tiny at 56.6 x 47.7 x 29.4 mm.

GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini

One aspect that the Hero (2024) is losing compared to the Hero 11 Black Mini is the waterproofing capability. The Hero 11 Black Mini is waterproof to 33ft (10m), while the Hero (2024) can only withstand water depths up to 16ft (5m).

Another design aspect relates to their mounting options. Both cameras have a built-in mounting finger on their bottom to allow them to be easily attached to various GoPro mounts and accessories.

The difference is that the rear body of the Hero 11 Black Mini adds another mounting finger – instead of a display featured on the Hero (2024). Therefore, the Hero 11 Black Mini has a dual mounting system for more positioning options compared to the single mounting finger on the GoPro Hero (2024).

Similarities

The only similarity between the Hero 11 Black Mini and Hero (2024) seems to be their ruggedness. Both cameras are designed to be durable and withstand the elements, making them suitable for outdoor and adventure activities.

They both have a removable cover glass with a hydrophobic coating, which protects the lens from scratches while also repelling water to achieve clear footage even in wet conditions.

#3 Video & Photo Quality

GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini

Differences

While the Hero 11 Black Mini offers a 5.3K/60 fps maximum video resolution – which is the same as the latest flagship GoPro Hero 13 model – the Hero (2024) tops out at 4K/30 fps.

4K is still a very great quality, but I personally think the maximum 30 fps refresh rate is the potential problem. 30 fps may not be enough to deliver smooth and crisp footage for fast-paced activities. In that case, 60 fps is more preferable, but 60 fps is only supported for 2.7K in the Hero (2024), so there is a trade-off between resolution and frame rate.

Slow motion capability is also better in the Hero 11 Black Mini, supporting up to 8x Slo-Mo for 2.7K or 4x Slow-Mo for 4K, compared to only 2x Slo-Mo for 2.7K in the Hero (2024).

One apparent drawback with the Hero 11 Black Mini is that it can't capture photos, while the Hero (2024) can take 12 MP photos. The only option to get still images from the Hero 11 Black Mini is to frame grabs from videos. From a 5.3K footage, we can extract 24.7 MP stills, which is quite impressive.

The GoPro Hero (2024) also supports frame grabs if you prefer it more than the dedicated photo capture feature, but the resolution for those frame grabs is significantly lower. From 4K, we can only extract 8 MP stills while from 2.7K, the frame grabs are limited to 4 MP resolution.

GoPro Hero (2024)

Hero (2024) has an edge over the Hero 11 Black Mini with its wider field of view of 165° at 16:9, compared to the Hero 11 Black Mini's 151° at 16:9 aspect ratio.

However, the aspect ratio for the Hero (2024) is limited to only 16:9 for videos, while the Hero 11 Black Mini supports 16:9, 4:3, and 8:7 aspect ratios. This gives the Hero 11 Black Mini more flexibility in framing and composing shots, as well as purposing them for different social media platforms. Meanwhile, the Hero (2024) is more optimized for a standard widescreen video format like YouTube.

GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini is also more well-equipped in terms of professional-level settings. It features Protune, which unlocks manual control of advanced settings to fine-tune the image quality for professional use, including color, white balance, and shutter speed. Meanwhile, the GoPro Hero (2024) lacks the Protune.

The Hero 11 Black Mini also supports 10-bit color that provides more color depth and dynamic range for enhanced post-processing capabilities, whereas the GoPro Hero (2024) is limited to 8-bit color depth.

Lastly, the Hero 11 Black Mini offers timelapse features that the Hero (2024) does not have, such as TimeWarp, Star Trails, Light Painting, and more.

Similarities

Both the GoPro Hero (2024) and Hero 11 Black Mini offer no HindSight, scheduled capture, duration capture, and looping video – all of which are commonly available in the larger flagship Hero models.

#4 Audio Quality

GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini

Differences

GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini is better equipped with 3 microphones, advanced noise reduction, and RAW audio capture capability. In comparison, the GoPro Hero (2024) only features 2 microphones without the other two features.

Both cameras originally don't support external microphone connection, but firmware update v2.10 for the Hero 11 Black Mini has added support for Pro 3.5mm Mic Adapter, a separately sold accessory that allows the camera to connect to high-quality external mics for professional-level audio recording.

The GoPro Hero (2024) currently does not offer any support for external microphone connectivity, but it has a USB-C port that could potentially enable this functionality in the future through firmware updates.

Similarities

None.

#5 Features

GoPro Hero (2024)

Differences

Action cameras normally offer image stabilization features to smooth out shaky footage, and both the GoPro Hero (2024) and Hero 11 Black offer this, though in different ways.

The GoPro Hero (2024) offers in-app HyperSmooth stabilization as opposed to the in-camera HyperSmooth 5.0 stabilization of the Hero 11 Black Mini. In-app stabilization means that the footage is stabilized only when viewed and exported from the Quik app, not when played back on the camera.

In contrast, the in-camera HyperSmooth 5.0 stabilization in the Hero 11 Black Mini automatically stabilizes the footage as you record, so there's no need for a post-processing step to achieve a stabilized result. In addition, the Hero 11 Black Mini also offers Horizon Lock, which keeps the horizon level even when the camera is rotated a full 360°, perfect for extreme sports like skiing.

Another difference between the two is the live streaming support, which the Hero 11 Black Mini offers and the Hero (2024) doesn't.

Similarities

Both the Hero (2024) and Hero 11 Black Mini support hands-free control with voice commands, which is convenient for action-packed activities where we may not have free hands to operate the camera.

Both cameras offer a GoPro subscription plan to unlock extra features like automatic highlight videos, cloud storage, and premium editing tools.

#6 Battery Life

GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini

Differences

GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini is powered by a larger 1500mAh battery compared to the 1255mAh in the Hero (2024), but it surprisingly has a shorter runtime of 78 minutes at 4K/30 fps, compared to 100 minutes for the GoPro Hero (2024) at the same 4K/30 fps video setting.

Therefore, the Hero (2024) is the more power-efficient option between the two, offering longer battery life despite having a smaller battery capacity.

Similarities

Both cameras have Enduro batteries, which are known for their improved cold-weather performance and extended battery life compared to standard GoPro batteries.