(Image courtesy of Kodak)
While it may not be the first company that comes to mind when most people think about smartphones, Kodak is releasing a new phone that has a distinctive old-school, camera-focused look.
The company hopes to produce plenty of Kodak moments with the release of the Ektra Smartphone, an Android device that is as much a high-tech camera as it is a smartphone.
Kodak first introduced its Ektra camera to the masses in 1941. The new Ektra smartphone features several nods to past incarnations, complete with a textured finish and leather accessories for carrying the device. In addition, the device nods to its predecessors via a Super-8 app, which allows users to add touches that are akin to finishes seen on Super-8 videos of yesteryear.
However, the inner workings of the device are decidedly modern.
A HELIO X20 Decacore processor runs Android Marshmallow software. The device’s 21-megapixel camera sensor has f2.0 aperture and a 13-megapixel front-facing camera with phase detection autofocus and f2.2 aperture. Ektra’s camera app is controlled by a SLR-style scene selection dial, allowing users to adjust settings including landscape, sport, and night-time. The camera also has a smart auto mode, which auto-selects the condition.
Kodak added that advanced users can put the Manual mode through its paces by adjusting exposure, ISO, focus, white balance and shutter speed.
In a press release on Kodak’s website, Chief Executive Jeff Clarke said, “the launch of the KODAK Smartphone today demonstrates our ongoing commitment to bringing the latest advances in photography to consumers. [The EKTRA Smartphone] opens up a world of creative opportunities to all who care about photography.”
The device will be available in Europe and retails for around $550, according to Kodak.
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