Official: HTC RE camera unveiled

Today, HTC kicked off the company’s foray into a new product category with the introduction of the HTC RE. The HTC RE is HTC’s take on an action or sports camera, capturing wide-angle 1080p video and 16 megapixel pictures in a unique design. Since GoPro and a few other competitors have the action cam market pretty tied down, HTC is planning to market the RE a little differently. As we saw with a few HTC RE teaser videos that HTC shared last week, the target demographic is the average consumer who simply wants to capture a little more of their every-day life; not someone who only records when their camera is mounted to their surf or snowboard.

The L shape of the HTC RE camera fits comfortably when help in the palm and the shutter button placement is perfectly placed for your thumb. Below the neck of the RE is a second button which toggles slow motion video capture. The HTC RE and its 146 degree lens is designed to be used without a viewfinder, but the accompanying app (which world on Android 4.3 and will be coming soon to iOS) can act as a remote viewfinder for the camera and assists in changing settings, media backup and sharing.

HTC RE camera specs

• 8GB microSD card (included), expandable to 128GB
• 820 mAh rechargeable battery (1,200 16MP photos; 1 hour 40 min of continuous FHD video recording)
• IP57 waterproof
• 16MP  1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor
• Ultra wide angle: 146° lens (f/2.8)
• 1080p, 30fps FHD video 720p, 4x slow motion video
• BLE (Bluetooth® 4.0)
• Wi-Fi® (802.11 a/b/g/n), Wi-Fi Direct
• micro-USB charging/data port
• ¼” tripod connection
• Grip sensor
• G-sensor
• Size: 96.7 x 26.5 mm
• Weight: 65.5 grams

The HTC RE will initially launch at Best Buy and htc.com for $199.99, though the exact launch date has not been shared yet. Color options include white, blue, orange and teal. HTC is also working to bring the RE to Amazon.com, AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless before the end of the year.