Technologies

The Best GoPro Alternative: Half the Price of the Hero 10

Half the price, but not half the camera.

GoPro makes some of the best action cameras, especially its flagship Hero10 Black. It has excellent image quality and supersmooth stabilization and the whole thing is waterproof without a case. But all those features don’t come cheap — the Hero 10 Black costs around $449. If you can’t quite stretch the budget to get the best GoPro, you can get a cheaper GoPro or look for a budget alternative.

There’s no shortage of contenders looking to take on the GoPro. I’ve chosen two cameras to compare with the current top-tier GoPro, at different prices to suit all budgets. First is the Akaso EK7000 Pro, at $75. The second is the Yi 4K Plus Action Camera, which is $199. I’ve chosen the Yi because an earlier Yi model scored high marks from CNET camera guru Josh Goldman.

I tested all three cameras while walking, riding a bicycle and scuba diving to see what they could do.

Check out the video above to see my full thoughts on how the Hero10 Black compares with these cheaper alternatives.

GoPro vs. cheap alternatives

	GoPro Hero 7 Black	Yi 4K Plus Action Camera	Akaso EK7000 Pro
Display	2-inch touchscreen	2.2-inch touchscreen	2-inch touchscreen
Max resolution	4K/60	4K/60	4K/25
Still image resolution	12MP	12MP	16MP
Lens	149.2-degree FOV	155-degree FOV	170-degree FOV
Stabilization	Yes (HyperSmooth)	Yes (EIS at 4K/30)	Yes (EIS at 1080/60)
Voice control	Yes	Yes	No
Waterproofing (without case)	Yes (33ft/10m)	No	No
Waterproofing (with case)	131ft/40m	131ft/40m	131ft/40m

See GoPro Hero 7 Black on Amazon

See Yi 4K Plus on Amazon

See Akaso EK7000 Pro on Amazon

These GoPro alternatives are all easy to use

Thankfully, the GoPro method has almost become the default way to operate action cameras. All three have a touchscreen at the back, as well as physical buttons that turn the camera on and off, start and stop recording or change settings like the Wi-Fi connection.

There are also companion apps on iOS or Android that let you view the live image, start recording, pull down footage to your phone or even livestream (GoPro and Yi only). I didn’t have any problems connecting, downloading footage or filming with any of the cameras when I tested on iOS.

Want mounts? Akaso has them all

Open the box that comes with the Akaso EK7000 Pro and you’ll be shocked at how much you get for your money. There are several mounts, a waterproof case, a remote control and a spare battery.

The Yi, on the other hand, comes with nothing but the camera, the battery and two cables. That’s it.

The GoPro falls in the middle, with a cage, buckle and some adhesive mounts.

Fortunately, all the cameras are compatible with the standard GoPro mounting system. It’s really easy to change them in and out as you need, as long as you have the right parts.

GoPro wins at image quality, but the Yi gets close

Hands down, the best image out of these cameras comes from the GoPro, which is our benchmark for all these comparisons. The other two cameras just can’t match it for dynamic range, especially underwater. But the Yi gets close and captures detail and color in bright, outdoor situations well. Motion at 60fps looks smooth and overall I think the image looks quite good.

The Akaso’s image, on the other hand, is far from perfect. There’s plenty of noise, even when filming in bright sunlight, as well as chromatic aberration (the technical term for purple fringing). The exposure also blew out some highlights and the colors didn’t look very accurate. I could tell that this was the cheapest camera of the bunch. But where this camera did perform well was underwater, thanks to a dedicated diving mode.

I went to the Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco to test out underwater image quality. Dive safety operator Chris Grace took all three cameras down to 16 feet in the Near Shore and Sharks of Alcatraz tunnels. Want to see sharks and fish up close? Watch the video at the top of the article.

Note that all the sample video and images were taken on default color settings, although you can use ProTune on the GoPro or a flat profile on the Yi so you have more flexibility to color correct footage.

Ready, steady, GoPro stabilization

Stabilization is so important on an action camera, otherwise that epic bike ride or skate trick will make you sick when watching the footage. GoPro has its own version of electronic image stabilization called HyperSmooth that makes everything look like it’s been filmed on a gimbal. And it works at most resolutions and frame rates, including 4K/60.

The Yi also offers its own electronic image stabilization but it’s nowhere near as nice as the GoPro and it’s only at 4K/30. And the Akaso … well, the less said about that the better. It’s only at 1080/60 and it doesn’t look particularly smooth at all, at least from the footage I took on a bike ride.

So which one is the best cheap GoPro alternative?

The Akaso EK7000 Pro is not my favorite when it comes to image quality. But it’s cheap for what it offers and if you don’t have any more wiggle room in the budget for mounts and accessories, it could fit the bill.

My pick is the Yi 4K Plus Action Cam because it does a lot more than the Akaso and offers comparable image quality to the GoPro — for half the price. That said, you get absolutely nothing apart from the camera in the box, so you’ll have to invest a little more in accessories to get the most out of it.

Don’t forget to watch the video at the top of the page for my full review, where I talk about battery life and audio quality and show you plenty of video samples!

Also, if you have your heart set on getting an actual GoPro but aren’t prepared to pay for the Hero 10 Black, then you’ll want to check out the Silver and White lines. Or look for discounts on earlier models like the Hero 9 or Hero 8.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for April 18, #1042

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for April 18, No. 1,042.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle features a fun purple category that’ll require you to spot certain beverage names. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Wow!

Green group hint: Plug it in.

Blue group hint: Cinderella team.

Purple group hint: Drink up.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Look at with awe.

Green group: Basic electricity terms.

Blue group: Unexpected winner.

Purple group: Starting with soda brands.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is look at with awe. The four answers are goggle, marvel, stare and wonder.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is basic electricity terms. The four answers are AC, DC, power and voltage.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is unexpected winner. The four answers are dark horse, long shot, sleeper and underdog.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is starting with soda brands. The four answers are crushworthy, Fantagraphics, frescade and pepsinogen.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for April 18, #572

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for April 18, No. 572.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Hockey fans, today’s Connections: Sports Edition is for you. All four categories are hockey-related. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Fire it into the net!

Green group hint: Lord Stanley’s hardware.

Blue group hint: Where hockey teams play.

Purple group hint: Put the biscuit in the basket.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Types of hockey goals.

Green group: Last four teams to win the Stanley Cup.

Blue group: NHL arena names.

Purple group: Hockey terms that are also food items.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is types of hockey goals. The four answers are empty net, even strength, power play and short-handed.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is last four teams to win the Stanley Cup. The four answers are Avalanche, Golden Knights, Lightning and Panthers.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is NHL arena names. The four answers are Ball, Canadian Tire, Capital One and TD.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is hockey terms that are also food items. The four answers are apple, biscuit, grinder and icing.

Technologies

One Rumored Color for the iPhone 18 Pro? A Rich Dark Cherry Red

A new leak hints this year’s boldest color for Apple’s flagship phones will be more wine than bright red.

Would you like some cheese with that iPhone? If a new rumor is true, the big new bold color for Apple’s next flagship phones will look more like red wine than bright orange.

The latest rumor comes from Macworld, which cites a leak from an unnamed source close to the supply chain. According to the leak, the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will have a dark cherry color option. The source also said that those new flagships, as well as Apple’s first foldable phone, will launch in September.

According to different reports over the past several months, the foldable might be named the Ultra, the Fold or even the iFlip.

Apple has not officially announced anything — not the iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max, nor the foldable. There have been tons of rumors about specs and release dates, but nothing has been verified.

A representative for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

CNET is keeping up with all the latest iPhone 18 Pro rumors, including release dates, design, colors, specs and Apple’s first foldable (and don’t always believe your eyes).

Apple is always changing colors for its top iPhone models. You can see all the colors over the years here.

The rumor about the iPhone 18 Pro coming in dark cherry doesn’t come out of the, ahem, blue. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported several weeks ago that Apple was considering red as its new vibrant color. Last year, for the iPhone 17 Pro, the new breakout color was cosmic orange.

Macworld’s source also said that Apple is toying with two other colors for the iPhone Pro roster — light blue and a dark shade of gray. The source said Apple is also considering a silver variation of the current iPhone 17 Pro.

Macworld’s source listed these Pantone color codes as being used internally by Apple: Light Blue (Pantone 2121), Dark Cherry (Pantone 6076), Dark Gray (Pantone 426C) and Silver (Pantone 427C). Note the absence of a solid black hue, as a previous rumor suggested.

Foldable, not so colorful?

The Macworld source said the foldable might have fewer color options than the iPhone Pro 18 and Pro Max. Macworld said Apple engineers are experimenting with a classic silver-and-white model and indigo, like that of the deep blue of the iPhone 17 Pro.

Take it with a grain of salt, but Macworld’s source last year did confirm the cosmic orange that eventually was the iPhone 17 Pro color splash.