The Kodak Ektra -- the new smartphone created by Kodak in partnership with the British company Bullitt Group -- is now available in the United States, according to reports. It’s an Android-based smartphone that sells for $399 for the unlocked Version. Kodak is hoping to redeem itself after releasing its first disastrous smartphone in 2015, which was discontinued even before hitting the US market.
Kodak brought back to life
Kodak was the photography juggernaut back in its heyday. However, when the digital camera started to take over the market, Kodak did not choose to adapt, and thus, got left behind.
Kodak filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January 2012 and was given until February 2013 to produce a reorganizational plan under the terms of its protection.
In September 2013, the company emerged from bankruptcy. In 2015, Kodak announced its new business division structure.
- Micro 3D Printing and Packaging
- Software and Solution
- Print Systems
- Enterprise Inkjet Systems
- Consumer and Film
Kodak Ektra specifications
Kodak is known for its high-quality photography, which is why the company made sure that the tradition carries over to its smartphone. The Ektra sports a fast-focus 21-megapixel/f 2.0 aperture lens as its main camera, while the front-facing shooter has a 13-megapixel lens. The device also has a dual press dedicated shutter button and a wrist strap.
The Kodak smartphone features several scene modes; sport, macro and HDR, just to name a few. Users may also manually set the camera’s white balance, shutter speed, and ISO. The Ektra comes preloaded with Google’s photo-editing app, the Snapseed. The device will also feature the Super 8 app which allows users to create filters for the photos based on Kodak’s Ektrachrome and Kodachrome film.
The smartphone runs an older version of Android, the Marshmallow, and boasts 32GB of internal memory, which can be expanded with a microSD, and features 3GB of RAM.
The smartphone’s reception
The Ektra has been available overseas and received mediocre reviews due to its software issues. However, the company released an update that addressed the problems.
Jeff Clark, CEO of Kodak, said they want to be different from Apple and Samsung. Clark added that Kodak wants to give its users a nostalgic and authentic feel when it comes to photography, even if they are using a smartphone instead of a real camera.
What do you think of the Kodak Ektra?
