Kodak released Thursday its first smartphone to a highly competitive market. But this company, which doesn’t give up, has something very distinctive to offer.
The Kodak Ektra has the appearance of an old Kodak camera and the technical features of a powerful, sophisticated device designed to take amazing photos. It is already available in the United Kingdom and is coming soon to the United States. For $550, photography enthusiasts will be able to enjoy the experience of a gadget that features a big f/2.0 aperture lens and an HELIO X20 Decacore processor running Android Marshmallow software. Kodak Ektra has a 21-megapixel camera sensor, compared to just 12 megapixels on the iPhone 7.
Kodak’s smartphone comes leather wrapped around its surface and curved edge. It also features a 13-megapixel front-facing camera with f2.2 aperture and phase detection autofocus. A physical button placed on the frame allows users to take photos just like they would with a regular, old-fashioned Kodak camera.
The first Ektra camera hit the market in 1941 and the new smartphone named after it has a Super-8 app that lets users add touches and make editing on the device. The company also partnered with apps like Snapseed to offer these features.
A wheel placed near the button to take pictures has been designed to change the settings and enthusiasts can get a leather case to carry their smartphone for $70.
Users can control Ektra’s camera app with s SLR-style scene selection dial to adjust landscape, sport, and night-time, among others. While a smart auto mode can be set to auto-select the condition of the scene, more advanced users can put the Manual mode in case they want to adjust ISO, shutter speed, exposure, and white balance.
Owners of the unique Kodak Ektra will also be able to port photos onto their computers through a USB type-C port on the side of the phone. An internal 32GB memory will be enough to store the photos for a while before users have to port them to a PC or a cloud.
“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,” said Chief Executive Jeff Clarke, as reported by Fox News.
Drawbacks
CNN Money had the chance to try it out and reported that although it takes beautiful shots in a variety of light conditions, the user must wait for a while until a shot can be processed and saved after hitting the physical button.
The article says that the Ektra is fun to use, but it is quite heavy as it carries a powerful processor, a full 21-megapixel camera, and high-quality lens. Moreover, Kodak has not announced whether the smartphone will allow users to upgrade to Android 7.0 Nougat.
Source: CNN