While looking at this new camera, I'm also going to focus on my comparison between the GoPro Hero3 Silver and the new Hero3+ Silver. What's different, how does it work on its own, is it worth an upgrade? Let's find out.

OUT OF THE BOX

First out is the camera, as it's nicely mounted in the glass container at the top of the box. It's already obvious the new housing for the Hero3+ is noticeably smaller and more compact than the older one. The housing buttons are larger and easier to press, but everything else was downsized. The latch no longer requires an extra tab to slide over, yet still feels very secure and tight when closed. The front covering over the lens has become simplified as there are no longer rivets or a large bezel adding to bulk.

There is some concern this could reduce durability, but short of throwing it into a wall, I'm going to just base this on look and feel. Which is to say it appear to be just a solid and durable as the old one. Otherwise the camera itself is identical in size to the old one, so everything is interchangeable. Extra batteries and cables will work just fine with both. You can check the product description to see what exactly is included, but it's just the basics. A few basic mounting brackets, stickers, mini-USB cable, etc. No charger is included.

CAMERA SETUP

After charging, the first step will be to supply a micro-sd card. I did run into an issue where my 32GB Sandisk Class 10 card wouldn't work. I just got an Error on the display. Despite manually cleaning and formatting the card to the specific exFat file system the camera required, it was never happy. At least not until I found the menu option within the camera itself to format the card for me (trash can icon). After that, it's been working great.

Speaking of the menu, going through the initial setup via the on-board controls is still as annoying as it was in the previous version. In other words, we have the same basic menu layout and 2 buttons to change menus and make your selections. If you've used them before, you're all set. If not, I do suggest going over the user's guide which has a menu layout that'll help you find what you want and avoid getting lost. As this camera has wireless functionality, it's usually best to get this part setup and use your smartphone to connect and make changes.

The GoPro Android app, which I'm using on 2 separate phones, worked great. I used my LG G2 and Note 2 so we could test them out separately. There was virtually no difference between the two, other than the additional video modes the Hero3+ added in the drop-down menus. The preview still has a 1-2 second delay, but more than enough as a basic view-finder. Once again, really no change on the software side of things. At least nothing cosmetic.

VIDEO QUALITY

This is of course the important part. So for this test I've basically got them mounted side-by-side on the windshield of the car. Both phones were wirelessly connected to the android phones as well we could easily make identical changes on the fly. Testing was done in daylight and in multiple different video modes. You can check Amazon or GoPro's website to see an exact list of video mode changes going to the plus model, but the important ones are some things that have trickled down from the older Black Series.

This includes 1080p @ 60hz, 960p @ 60hz, and 720p @ 120hz which is basically double the frame-rate of older GoPro Silver. Whether I was taking advantage of the higher frame rate of the new model, the video quality was noticeable improved. The image was brighter, more vibrant, and seemed to have more detail than the older non-plus model. And once you take advantage of the higher FPS, action shots look considerably smoother.

The camera's megapixels have dropped from 11MP to 10MP, although I didn't notice any change in still photo quality. It's also not something I use all that much with the GoPro. Even though it of course has plenty of features such as burst shot mode.

AUDIO

While playing both videos back to back, it's very obvious there is an improvement in audio quality. We're using the same backing (with 2 openings) while it was in the car. With the older model, our voices and other audio were quiet and muffled. But with the plus, our voice was very clear and easy to understand. The audio was simply more crisp and detailed. Really a night and day difference.

PROS:

+ More compact housing
+ Increased battery capacity
+ Improved High resolution video quality
+ Noticable audio quality improvement
+ Higher FPS video recording at all HD resolutions
+ Durable and Waterproof (in housing)
+ Wireless smartphone connectivity
+ Has most important features of older Black series

CONS:

- Battery life could always be better
- Menu controls can still be confusing
- Slightly expensive
- Camera gets very warm
- Picky with SD card formatting

CONCLUSION:

Overall there wasn't much to dislike about the new camera. Considering its intended purpose, I don't think you can really find anything better for the money. The GoPro Hero3+ Silver basically offers many of the improved video quality/FPS of the older Black series, for less money. And other than 4K recording of the new Black series, the Silver series fits into a nice "mid-range" providing everything most folks are looking for. All while making several minor but very welcome design improvements.

Bottom line, spend a little more for the new plus model and you won't be disappointed.

UPDATED 1/14/15:

I've been meaning to update this review regarding the horizontal flip issue. Basically, when used up-side-down, the image would be flipped horizontally as well as vertically. Just a software glitch that took some time to get fixed. A software update from GoPro has resolved that issue and it works perfectly now. I've updated the review above and removed that particular section.

Otherwise the camera is still working great and no other significant changes since I wrote this review. Enjoy!

Great bundle, even better price! I bought this as a replacement for a GoPro Hero 3 that unfortunately is no longer with us RIP.

The first thing you'll notice is that the housing this comes in is sturdy, and you won't want to throw it away. It has a heavy base plate with a clip that will allow for storage or other long-exposure shots.

Quality wise, this thing is great! Testing it in daylight conditions yielded the best results, with crisp photos and video with every shot. Night conditions are a bit more uncertain and can end up blurry at times. There are a number of different video and photo settings that can be changed within the menu on the camera itself, or you can hook it up via WIFI to your phone and make the changes that way. The audio is very good, and seems to be more crisp and clear than the previous model I had been using.

I think this is the best GoPro out there on the market right now in terms of the trade-off between cost and quality. The bundle includes goodies and extra batteries to keep you active and without worry.

This camera takes very smooth video and is very easy to use. However I have run into some issues probably relating to the factory installed firmware. That is my biggest gripe, that you have to have an SD card reader to updating the firmware. That is very inconvenient and I have found only one case (the one I am using for my new system) that has an SD card reader built into it.

This camera also gets extremely hot after use for about an hour. Sometimes so hot that it cannot be handled for a while after you stop recording with it.

Another issue I have had is with the battery. It does not appear to be charging fully as it will drain really quickly though I have managed to extend it a bit. Be sure you turn off ALL of the LED indicators as these drain a ton of power for some reason. Also be aware that if you turn on the WiFi that it WILL NOT turn off automatically when you turn off the camera. In fact it will stay on and eat your battery. A major design flaw if you ask me though this may be fixed in the firmware upgrades I cannot do yet.

Finally I have had issues transferring footage from the camera to my system. Every once in a while the GoPro Studio software will crap out and take the camera with it, it may actually be the other way around. It will say there was an error detected while accessing the footage and then lock up while converting the footage. This also causes the camera to freeze and I have to take the battery out to restore it to working order.