After moving to Taiwan and taking up scuba diving, I recently started shopping for an underwater camera. What began as a simple search quickly turned into an exploration of the rapidly shifting geography of consumer technology.
There was a time when the answer would have been obvious: buy a GoPro.
The California company basically invented the action-camera category when it first launched in 2002. Twenty years later in 2022, GoPro still controlled an estimated 75% of the global market.
But that has flipped quickly. Today, the company is fighting for survival. In early June, GoPro disclosed in a regulatory filing that there is substantial doubt about its ability to continue operating. Its global market share has fallen to roughly 18% in just 3 years.
Nearly every diver I met, every travel creator I watched, and every outdoor enthusiast I spoke to recommended one of two Chinese brands: DJI or Insta360.
