GoPro Karma release date: Drone to drop in May or June 2016

(YouTube/GoPro)A screengrab of the GoPro Karma Drone teaser video

With more and more people opting to buy a drone these days, it comes as no surprise that GoPro would push its own version—Karma—into the spotlight.

According to reports, GoPro is pouring more attention to its drone offering instead of the GoPro Hero 5. This resulted in a delay in GoPro Hero 5's release date. Although the news may be disappointing to some fans, others excitedly await the release of Karma.

But when exactly will it hit the shelves?

According to GoPro Chief Executive Officer Nicholas Woodman, the intended release date is coming soon.

"I want to update you on hardware. As impressive as GoPro technology is today, we are passionate about making our devices smaller, lighter, and easier to use -- and soon they will fly. GoPro's drone, Karma, will be on store shelves in the first half of 2016," Woodman said in a transcript found on Yahoo Finance.

Karma is apparently also going to be backward compatible, which serves as good news to fans of GoPro. The move to focus more attention on Karma came out of the company's desire to launch the two devices together in order to create more sales. It remains to be seen if the move will prove to be fruitful.

As for what features will come onboard the Karma drone, one thing is for sure: the device will not come with a built-in camera. A camera will be sold separately as an accessory, which is a common marketing strategy.

As for the GoPro Hero 5, its release date has not been made known yet, but rumors say that it might drop in October.

Since there are only two months left in the first half of 2016, GoPro Karma might be released in either May or June.

Of course, since nothing has been officially confirmed by the company, it's best to take this news with a grain of salt.

Stay tuned for the latest news and updates.

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