Kodak Releases Smartphone Called ‘Ektra’, Banking on People’s Nostalgia

Missing the camera you used to capture memories back in the good old days? Kodak, a camera brand whose popularity peaked many years and decades ago, is back - but with a modern twist. Joining the smartphone bandwagon, Kodak has just released a camera phone called Ektra.

Now available in Europe for about $525, the Kodak Ektra features a vintage design and leather lining for a retro experience, Mashable reports. Although the photos it will take are digital, it has the feel of the original Ektra camera that first came out in the 1940s.

On its web site, Kodak describes Ektra as a "professional quality, photography-first" smartphone. It will be available in the US in April 2017.

The Kodak Ektra was designed especially for photographers and photography enthusiasts, with a 21-megapixel sensor on its main camera and 13 megapixels on the front. Other features include a mechanism for optical image stability, an f2.90 aperture, and various image modes.

The Kodak Ektra also enables users to manually adjust the camera's white balance, ISO, shutter speed, and other settings. Powered by the Android operating system, the Ektra has 3GB of RAM, up to 32GB of storage, and a screen measuring 5 inches.

Early reviews for the Ektra are mixed. While some love the phone for reliving memories of the past, others were unimpressed, saying the Ektra fails to stand out among other smartphones in a market dominated by Apple, Samsung, and Google.

Pocket-lint, for instance, notes that the Kodak Ektra's camera cannot focus on subjects fast enough, its close-up focus often fails, the shutter lags, and image thumbnails take a few seconds to appear in the photo gallery. The site also says images captured by the Ektra are oversaturated and have an odd color balance.

Have you bought a Kodak Ektra yet? What do you think of it? Share your thoughts with us.