HTC Double Exposure
On the 9th of October, an event by HTC was held in New York. And as usual with any event by a major manufacturer, there will surely be new stuff to drool over. Launching not only a new phone, the HTC Desire EYE, but also the RE handheld camera which is…uh….a handheld camera.
The HTC Desire EYE is a phone aimed directly at the selfie-fanatic crowd. 13MP cameras on both sides of the phone, you can now take detailed selfies. However blemishes will show up more clearly too. That might be a downside cough.
| Processor | Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 801 (2.3GHz quad-core) |
| RAM | 2GB |
| Camera (s) | Rear camera: 13MP , BSI sensor, f/2.0, 28mm lens, wide angle, with HDR capability; 1080p Full HD video recording; dual LED Flash Front camera: 13MP, Auto-focus with zoom capability, BSI sensor, f/2.2, 22mm lens, wide angle, with HDR capability; 1080p Full HD video recording; dual LED Flash |
| Display | 5.2″ 1080p FullHD |
| Memory | 16GB (microSD expandable up to 128GB) |
| Battery | 2400mAh (embedded) |
Unlike the Sony Xperia C3 which is also marketed as selfie-centric phone, this phone actually has flagship specifications so you won’t have to sacrifice performance for the perfect selfies you are after. It is also IPX7 rated which means it is capable of resisting water entry when being immersed in water for 30 minutes at a depth of 1 meter. Basically if you want a flagship and want the ultimate selfies, this is the phone to go to. Coupled with a pleasing design, it may even do well in a non-selfie market.
Besides hardware, you also need to have software to help you take great selfies. Luckily HTC has not forgotten that and added HTC EYE Experience to it’s arsenal. With Face Tracking, Screen Share, Split Capture, Face Fusion, Live Makeup, Auto Selfie, Voice Selfie, Photo Booth and Crop Me In, you now have both the hardware and software to take the best selfie ever. And remember I mentioned about too much detail revealing flaws more clearly, Live Makeup is the solution. You can adjust the level of skin smoothing BEFORE taking the photo. Flawless skin. Every time. So wow. Much smooth.
A camera. From a phone manufacturer. “HTC has been setting the standard for smartphones for years – today we’re focused on redefining the concept of imaging forever,” said Peter Chou, CEO, HTC. “As a company we don’t stand still and our devotion to innovation has seen us take smart photography in a completely new direction for our business and our customers. Once people get a RE in their hands, they won’t want to put it down. This is everybody’s opportunity to get out from behind the lens and start living in the moment again.”
Rated at IP57, I believe many will find more creative uses for this smart camera compared to the non-waterproof ones in the market now. The camera specifications are rather mediocre with a 16MP 1/2.3″ BSI sensor and ultra wide angle lens (146°) and f/2.8 aperture, but I believe it is more important how you can use this camera in ways that you can’t with a phone. To find out more about the RE, click here.
Last but not least, HTC Zoe is now out of beta. Not much is said about the changes though. Fans of the application can go download it now. And it is also coming to iOS later this year, so iFans have no need to be jealous of the Android-using crowd.
More details about the new stuff here at HTC’s official blog.
