HTC Desire Eye and HTC RE camera

October 8, HTC unveiled in New York two products, the first more or less familiar – it’s a smartphone, and the second surprise – a compact camera, which resembles a toy periscope for a submarine from the cartoon.

(It turned out that the article was written in four hands, basic told Tom, I also have to add some details. Where are my additions in brackets is the abbreviation UK)

Start a story I want from a smartphone, yet it is more familiar to us devices. Honestly, before the announcement it was hard to imagine that it will show HTC, in fact, following the logic, we can immediately rule out several options. It was obvious that HTC does not show the new flagship: the life cycle of this class of models, the company is a year instead of six months, as in Sony, for example, and HTC does not have infinite resources to stamp flagships. Another point against the leader of the announcement so soon – the current top-end HTC One M8 was very successful and change it after only six months would be just silly. Also it seemed obvious that HTC will not show something budget, because doing this for a presentation in New York City and drive back journalists from around the world – too expensive and not particularly effective. Remained an option with the middle segment of the device, but again the question arises – is it HTC would organize a global presentation to the next level of a typical product of HTC Desire 820, for example? Hardly.

As a result, the company has introduced a smartphone with a feature that allows to carry it, in varying degrees, to the original device – a HTC Desire Eye, about which I want to talk in detail. But first, as usual, specifications.

(UK) A small digression – on HTC tried to show not just a smartphone and one accessory, but a new trend, rethinking photographic capabilities of modern devices. For example, the emphasis on self with different modes, for example, when you do not have to constantly press the shutter button while holding the camera in front of him – once clicked on and get a series of “sebyashek”, you can choose the best. This integration of software and accessories with all HTC devices based on Android and iOS – as a standalone utility comes Zoe, Re camera can work with Samsung, HTC, Sony, iPhone, what you want. All this seems sensible, but in the presentation was worth more specific emphases, turned blurry and not at all obvious, some speakers tried to portray on stage or Cook Jobs, but it’s better to just tell the facts and did not try to play.

Features HTC Desire Eye:

• Housing: plastic, glass


• Enclosure protection: IPx7


• Operating System: Android 4.4, HTC Sense 6


• Network: GSM / EDGE, UMTS / HSDPA, LTE (nanoSIM)


• Processor: Quad 2.3 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon platform at 801 (MSM8974AA)


• RAM: 2 GB


• Flash memory for data storage: 16 GB


• Card Slot: Yes, microSD (card support up to 128 GB)


• Connectivity: Wi-Fi (b / g / n) Dual-Band, Bluetooth 4.0, connector microUSB (USB 2.0, MHL, USB-OTG) for charging / synchronization, 3.5 mm headset jack, NFC


• Screen: Super LCD3, diagonal 5.2 “, 1920×1080 pixels, it automatically adjusts the backlight, protective glass Gorilla Glass 3


• Main camera 13 megapixel with autofocus and dual LED flash, f / 2.0, 20 mm, video is recorded at 1080p


• The front camera 13 megapixel with autofocus and dual LED flash, wide-angle, video is recorded at 1080p


• Navigation: GPS (support A-GPS), Glonass


• Extras: FM-radio, accelerometer, light sensor, proximity sensor


• Battery: 2400 mAh


• Dimensions: 151.7 x 73.8 x 8.5 mm


• Weight: n / a

In the case of the HTC Desire Eye company really introduced the original as possible in 2014, the smartphone. If I were asked to come up with for HTC Desire Eye name, I would without hesitation awarded him a stupid label of “smart-sebyashka” or something like that.Because the main feature of the new device – two camera with a resolution of 13 megapixels and autofocus. That is, it is the device where the front camera on almost all the main characteristics of the identical, including a dual LED flash, which is for the main and front modules.Parameters are slightly different, but overall the camera are similar. Naturally, the new HTC Desire Eye positioned as a device for self-portraits, or “selfi” if easier.

For this purpose, in addition to the 13 megapixel front camera, there are a variety of software filters and camera modes. The company called the set of applications and a variety of tools to interact with the camera Eye experience. For example, you can take pictures at the same time with the main and front cameras, as well as consistently recorded on two video cameras, which is then glued to a movie with audio dubbing. You can enhance your photos taken with the front camera, and the results are improvements you see on the screen before the time, as the frame is made, that is, in real time. Provides automatic shooting with the camera in front of one of the trigger conditions are met: a smile at the camera, the pronunciation of the keyword. Also on the keyword, you can start recording video. One of the cool features is called Face Fusion or “morphing” – take a picture of a person (myself, for example), then select it in the face and a second face on another picture yl even just with some pictures taken on the Internet, the program brings together in one person and the slider to make the final portrait is closer to the first or second person. Finally, for the front camera has a mode “Photo Kiosk” – when you make four consecutive frame cramp in the camera faces, and then the program combines them into one image.

An important feature of Eye experience in addition to everything that appears with this set of programs and features in the HTC Desire Eye – the availability of services and other smartphones in the near future. For champions and models of medium-high segment Eye experience will be offered with a full or nearly full-featured, low-cost models for – in more simplified form.

By the way, Desire Eye is one of the few smartphones on Android with a single hardware button shooting, HTC recently offered a button only in its Windows Phone-devices.

By design, the new Eye is similar to other models in the line Desire, in particular, he reminded me Desire 816 and 820 difference in size, Desire Eye yet compact, as well as in body colors. Eye for the company prepared two colors – white with accents of red and dark gray with blue inserts. I second color variant is closer, but the first is also very even nothing. The main body material – plastic, there are no differences from the Desire 816/820. In general appearance and content, I would mention HTC Desire Eye to medium price range, not only because the plastic device or a larger frame around the screen, but because the flagship HTC, One M8, so good and premialen including hull materials and design that put him in a number of other products, even from HTC, I can not.

Other features, in addition to the camera, in the HTC Desire Eye typical device category “above average”, and use it Qualcomm Snapdragon platform 801, and the availability of LTE, NFC and Dual-Band Wi-Fi. Almost all respects HTC Desire Eye resembles another smartphone – One E8, which, in turn, is a plastic copy of the flagship HTC One M8.

Together with sales and corporate smartphone will cover HTC Dot View for it. Functionality of this accessory expanded. So, now Dot View will display notifications from third-party applications: Facebook and Facebook Messenger, Gmail, Twitter. In the future, the list will grow for sure. Also, now you can chat with a cover to play music and see the name of the track currently playing.

Overall impressions of the HTC Desire Eye I have vague, to be honest. While there is no way to see the device is not a couple of minutes, and at least a week, it is difficult to say anything specific. The decisive factor in the evaluation of this model is likely to be the quality of images, both the main and a front camera. If the company was able to do a good job and the camera in the Desire Eye will not at the secondary level, and really good quality, the smartphone will be interesting, even at high cost, otherwise – I do not know.

In Russia, the HTC Desire Eye will be closer to the end of November, the cost has not been announced.

(UK) Two colors, white with red and blue ends of the machine, the latter did not show. Like other HTC, looks very nice proprietary shell, fonts, multiple soft karaoke chips, the device a pleasure to hold in your hands, it’s nice to use. Polycarbonate different colors are connected seamlessly transition is very difficult to feel. Despite the size of the display, Desire Eye good in the hand, the camera button helps to make the first picture is much faster. The rest I agree with Artem, we must be like the smartphone a week, at the presentation was not even possible to remove the unit from the stand.

Features HTC RE camera:

• Sensor: 16 megapixel, Sony Exmor DSC, fixed focus, f / 2.8


• Wide-angle lens


• Video recording: 1080p, 30 frames per second


• Photo: photo resolution up to 4592×3456 pixels <


• Enclosure protection: IP57 (camera body), IP58 (housing plus protective cap)


• Controls: Touch panel for photos and video, a separate button to activate slow-mo


• Interfaces connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth LE, the connection is maintained by Wi-Fi, microUSB for charging and connecting to a computer and laptop <


• Memory: 256 MB of RAM, a microSD card slot for storing photos and videos


• Battery: 820 mAh, 1 hour and 50 minutes of continuous video recording at 1080p, or about 1000 pictures in 16 megapixel resolution


• Extras: GPS, G-sensor, Grip-sensor


• Weight: about 70 grams

The unexpected announcement for the company – a separate accessory – camera for shooting in a variety of environments, including underwater photography. In this case, HTC RE camera is not a direct competitor to the traditional “action cameras” like GoPro, for example. This is primarily a beautiful “little thing” in addition to your phone, and then the camera for photo and video.

The camera body is reminiscent of a periscope for a toy submarine – neat, small and without unnecessary decorative details. The camera will be available in four colors – white, mint, dark blue and orange. Last I think the most classy and bright, but if you are a supporter of a neat and discreet shooting (the Japanese), you will attract more than the white version.

The main body of RE camera has a button designed to switch to slow motion, as well as a touch-panel for the rest. The camera is always on and off completely if you do not use it longer than a month. In this case, the camera wakes up, as soon as you take it in your hands, for it is in the built-in grip-sensor. A simple touch of a button – photography, long touch (hold your finger on it) – the video. Another pressing – the camera turns off.

Take pictures and record video using the HTC RE camera as you can with the camera itself, as well as using the smartphone as a viewfinder, connected to it by Wi-Fi. The connection is made via Bluetooth LE, and is supported by Wi-Fi. The footage is stored on the system case to the memory card with the camera comes with 8GB card, but you can put more capacious, of course. Also have the ability to upload footage (photos and video) in the cloud, are currently available services Dropbox and Google Drive. HTC has opened the API, in theory, you can create a different software for use with this camera. Program management will be available for Android and iOS, so buy Re can any smartphone users.

Talk about the quality of photos and videos is too early to have to wait for the sample to review and have a look at the pictures and videos in reality. So far only known characteristics and what the camera with fixed focus and software image stabilization in movie mode.By the way, waterproof housing and is certified according to IP57, and if put on his cap, if not according to the standard IP58.

And a few moments. Camera can be mounted on a tripod, this is in the base thread, also with the HTC RE camera company will begin sales of accessories for it: lanyards, docking station, high-capacity battery and so on. In the photo you can see some of them, for example, bike or even a cap.

HTC RE camera I already like it, I still mostly unfamiliar with this accessory “live”. The company came to the announcement seriously – we do not show just another strange device, a camera with lots of features and optional accessories, beautiful, compact and easy to use.

(UK) Alas, about the emergence of commercially until accurate information is not promising for the New Year, assuming that HTC Re will cost about $ 200, but it is unlikely it will be expensive. Enter the territory GoPro on HTC unlikely to want, so you need an inexpensive beautiful thing, suitable for anyone, which is why so many on the presentation shown and talked about the fact that Re will capture your children in the most emotional moments, the camera can be attached to the stroller, put on the table and do a joint photo. Accessory struck me as interesting, but will have to try the case, see the quality of the pictures.

What do you think about the announced products? We would like to buy a HTC Desire Eye or HTC Re? Tell us in the comments.

HTC Desire Eye and HTC RE camera