HTC has just unveiled, at the same HTC Desire Eye launch event, the new action camera we've been talking about for a long time, the HTC RE, named after the word play HTC RECamera. Without a doubt, it is a strange camera that attracts a lot of attention. It is nothing like the rest of the action cameras on the market.
For starters, it's not even conventional in shape, looking more like the periscope in a Playmobil game kit than an action camera. But at the end of the day, that is the least, and what counts is the optics of the sensor and the technology of the same. We are talking about a camera with a 16 megapixel sensor, like the cameras on the HTC Desire Eye. This CMOS sensor is 1 / 2,3 inch. It is a wide-angle camera, with a 146-degree lens, with f / 2.8.
Regarding the quality of the recording, which after all is something determining to evaluate if it will compete with the rest of the action cameras on the market, such as the GoPro, we find that it is capable of recording Full HD video at 30 frames per second, and 4x slow motion at 720p. So it remains unrivaled by the higher-end GoPro. To all this we must add an automatic Time Lapse mode.
But if it is an action camera, it is because it is more than a camera. Thus, to the included HD microphone and speaker, we have to add an 8 GB built-in memory on a microSD card. Although it can be replaced by a card of up to 128 GB. It can be connected to the smartphone using Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, although it will also have WiFi and a microSD socket that will serve to charge the battery of this action camera. A battery, by the way, 820 mAh, which according to HTC gives 1.200 16 megapixel photos, or 1 hour and 40 minutes of Full HD video recording. In any case, the best thing about the camera is that it will be compatible with Android 4.3 or later, and also with iOS 7 or later.
We can carry it with you everywhere, with a weight of only 65,5 grams, and dimensions of 96,7 x 26,5 millimeters. As special details, it must be said that it has a grip sensor, which detects the position in which we carry the camera, and the fact that it is waterproof. They ensure an IPX7 certificate without a cover, with a maximum depth of up to one meter with a maximum time of 30 minutes, and an IPX8 certificate with a cover, with a maximum depth of 3 meters, for a time not exceeding 2 hours.
As for the price of this camera, it goes to U.S. dollar 300 (229 euros in our country, as confirmed by HTC Spain), which seems somewhat expensive for a device that does not reach the level of the GoPro, but the truth is that we will still have to wait to know its success in the market.