Kodak Launches Camera Centric Ektra Smartphone with 21MP IMX230 Sensor

In Early 2015, Kodak has entered the smartphone market by launching the Kodak IM5 smartphone. Recently, it also launched the budget TVs in the Indian market starting from as low as Rs. 13,500. But this week, the company has a launched a new Android powered smartphone called Kodak Ektra. It will be available starting from December this year in Europe for £450 which is more than double the cost of the earlier launched IM5 smartphone. At such a high price tag, the device comes with below par specifications but serves its main purpose as a camera-centric device.

Speaking on occasion, Jeff Clarke, Kodak Chief Executive, said:

“Kodak has a rich history in imaging technology and the launch of the Kodak Smartphone today demonstrates our ongoing commitment to bringing the latest advances in photography to consumers. The original Kodak Ektra Camera was launched in 1941 and in its latest reincarnation, opens up a world of creative opportunities to all who care about photography.”

It has a 21MP Sony IMX230 rear camera sensor protruding out of the device. The rear camera comes with a 6-axis OIS, PDAF, f/2.0 aperture, and dual tone LED flash. It can also record videos in 4K resolution. On the front, there is a 13MP selfie camera that can capture decent images with PDAF and f/2.2 aperture. There is a physical shutter button placed on the bottom of the right edge. It comes with several camera modes including HDR, Landscape, Portrait, Macro, Sport, Night-time, Panorama and Bokeh. The users can also adjust shutter speed and ISO with the manual mode option.

The faux leather finish on the back a gives a premium feel to the device. Just like other camera-centric devices, the Kodak Ektra also comes with a thicker body and curved bottom edge. Talking about other specifications of the device, there is a 5-inch IPS display with Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) resolution. Both the display and rear camera lens are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass. It is powered by the MediaTek’s Helio X20 deca-core processor along with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. The Ektra also includes a MicroSD card slot for storage expansion.

It runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box. The device is backed by a 3,000mAh battery and supports fast charging with the USB 3.0 Type-C port. There is no information about the availability of the device outside of Europe. It is manufactured the Bullitt group which also manufacturers CAT smartphones. We had earlier covered about the CAT S60 smartphone which was unveiled at the MWC 2016 in Barcelona. It is the world’s first smartphone with an integrated thermal camera. The S60 is also waterproof and can stay upto 5 meters underwater for one hour.

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