HTC introduces groundbreaking new digital camera

Want China Times, Staff Reporter 2014-10-11

The HTC RE digital camera, right, linked up to a smartphone. (Photo/China Times)

Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC is venturing into uncharted waters with its new RE high-resolution camera, reports the Commercial Times, our Chinese-language sister paper.

The RE, set for release in the US later this month, was launched in New York on Oct. 8 local time, along with the company's new midrange smartphone, the Desire Eye.

Designed to look like a periscope, the RE can be used as an independent still and video camera or as a connected device controlled via a smartphone. The device has no power switch but has touch sensors that activate when it is picked up. It has just one button, which shoots a still with a short press and a video when pressed for longer.

As a still camera, the RE has a resolution of 16 million pixels and an angle of view of 146 degrees. Video resolution is full HD at 1080p at a rate of 30fps, and a 4x slow motion mode will be accessible at a resolution of 720p. Shallow underwater shots are possible as the RE is water resistant to a depth of one meter for up to 30 minutes.

Notably, the RE is the first piece of HTC hardware that is compatible with both Android and Apple's iOS.

HTC CEO Peter Chou said at the launch that the RE is the start of the next leg of HTC's journey, adding that the cross-platform characteristic will allow more people to get to experience HTC's products and improve its brand awareness. Company founder and chairwoman Cher Wang also expressed confidence in the RE as well as the company's financial performance for next year.

The RE will be available for US$200 in the US at Best Buy, Amazon and telecommunication operators such as AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. The camera is expected to reach the Taiwanese market by the end of the year.