14 DAY TRIAL // Kodak has already introduced its second Android smartphone, the Ektra, in Europe back in December. Customers in the United States will have to wait a few more months for the camera-centric smartphone to arrive in their country.
Bullitt Group, the company that has designed and manufactured the Kodak Ektra, has just announced it will launch the smartphone in the US and Canada in April. The Ektra will be available for pre-order for $549 outright via Kodak's online store.
“We have been overwhelmed with the success of the KODAK EKTRA Smartphone launch across Europe and are delighted to be bringing it to the Consumer Electronics show and showcase its imaging capabilities ahead of our imminent U.S. market launch,” said Peter Stephens, CEO Bullitt Group, mobile device brand licensee for Kodak.
So, US customers owe the upcoming launch of the Ektra to the European success of the smartphone. Even though the device doesn't offer too many high-end specs for the price you pay, the Kodak brand is still powerful in Europe.
It remains to be seen how well US customers will receive the Kodak Ektra, which is priced in the high tier range along with other devices that might look better on paper.
Spec-wise, the Ektra comes with a 21-megapixel rear-facing camera, which features f/2.0 aperture, PDAF (phase detection focus), OIS (optical image stabilization), dual LED flash and 4K video recording. There's also a secondary 13-megapixel camera in the front with f/2.2 aperture and PDAF.
When it comes to hardware, Kodak's smartphone is equipped with a 2.3GHz deca-core MediaTek Helio X20 processor, coupled with 3GB of RAM and 32GB expandable memory.
The phone sports a 5-inch display with full HD (1080p) resolution and is powered by a 3,000 mAh battery. Kodak Ektra will ship with the Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system right out of the box.