14 DAY TRIAL // The Ektra is Kodak's second try in the smartphone business. After launching the uninspiredly named IM5 last year, Kodak is now back with yet another Android handset called Ektra (not Elektra).
The smartphone was officially unveiled about a week ago and Kodak promised that the Ektra would hit shelves around December. Today, UK-based retailer Clove has confirmed that the first stock is due end of November, which means that customers might be able to get it slightly earlier than it was originally stated.
Just like Kodak stated a week ago, the Ektra will sell for £449 (€500 / $545). The bad news is the camera-centric smartphone will only be available in Europe, so customers in the United States will have to find other ways to get one.
For its second smartphone, Kodak teamed up with Bullitt Group, the same company that builds the rugged handsets under the Cat brand. As mentioned earlier, this is a camera-focused smartphone. As such, it boasts an impressive 21-megapixel rear camera with Sony sensor, which sits behind a custom Kodak 6P lens with f/2.0 aperture.
In addition, the phone's camera features a specialized anti-glare coating, along with other advanced capabilities like PDAF (phase detection autofocus), OIS (optical image stabilization), and HDR.
But the rear camera is not the only highlight of the Ektra. The smartphone has a secondary 13-megapixel camera in the front, which features PDAF as well.
Hardware-wise, the Ektra ships with a 2.3GHz deca-core MediaTek Helio X20 processor, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage (expandable via microSD). It also sports a decent 5-inch display with Corning Gorilla Glass, which supports full HD (1080p) resolution.
If you plan on getting the phone, you'll also notice the Ektra features a USB Type-C port and a 3,000 mAh battery with Quick Charge compatibility.
Sadly, Kodak Ektra won't come with Android 7.0 Nougat on board, so you'll have to live with Marshmallow. Also, there's no word on any major OS updates in the future.
It's also worth mentioning the Ektra will come pre-loaded with a Kodak-exclusive camera app, and the popular Snapseed photo editing suite.
