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!

GoPro's business model is fantastic. For the quality of camera, this price cannot be beaten. Despite my limited knowledge of photography, I can take extremely professional looking action shots and crystal clear panoramas. I have used this GoPro for snorkeling, rock climbing, kayaking, mountain biking, surfing, and hiking. I don't often shoot video because I find them laborious to watch later, so instead I take a lot of pictures in motion. They are hardly ever blurry.

Ok so if you want a good waterproof camera and don't need any audio this is great without the waterproof case audio is ok great for YouTube the best mic I've found is the ETM 001 but you need an adapter I got a couple mounts for 20 bucks and enjoy using this I just made a new Chanel I haven't made a GoPro vid yet but my Chanel is Nosepluggedgamer

I have only used this once in our pool to see how the video was and it was sooo clear! Even under water! The picture was so good! The sound seemed to be good too, though it will be put to the test when snorkeling. The only thing that I'm a little disappointed in is that when using the app you can't control it with your phone while playing back on your TV. The app is great for control in taking pictures/videos, but when connected to the TV with the hdmi cord, you can only control playback with the camera itself. I know I'm asking a lot, but that would be so much better :-). Just my opinion. If I'm missing something or doing something wrong, please let me know! Time will tell, but for now, I really love this camera!!

works great for a helmet cam or a dash cam. GoPro owns the action Camera arena for a reason. super easy to use. I done have a problem with the usb port i can charge it but and cant get the videos or pictures off of it that way

We bought this for our son and for the family vacation. It worked great. We used it to snorkel, swimming, deep sea fishing and more. The GoPro is easy to set up and use. Next step is we will use it for sporting events.

I bought the gopro hero 3+ silver with the chrger and extra battery pack and when I got the gopro it only was the gopro on a tripod mount and two batterys. There was no wire to charge it and there was no charger. But otherwise I am happy with this small camera

My Dad always complained of how bad drivers are especially on the 91 freeway in California. So I got him this really nice camera not only can he take high quality pictures and video of bad drivers and potential accidents. He can also use in on fishing trips, rocket launches and other types of indoor and outdoor activities.