Snap Away! HTC Unveils GoPro-Rival RE Action Camera To Capture Every Moment

By Sarah Price - 09 Oct '14 12:02PM

HTC finally unraveled the mystery of its Double Exposure by launching a Go-Pro rival RE action camera that fits comfortably in the hands for perfect shots.

HTC, the renowned smartphone making company, has forayed into the field of high-res standalone sports camera. Challenging the odds, the Taiwanese tech giant unveiled a strange tiny gadget that captures the world without the photographer missing the moment. HTC RE, as it is called, is a small L-shaped camera that defines the company's excellence in camera engineering.

At first look, the tiny sports camera replicates an inhaler but a closer look shows much detail. The RE sports cam is just under 4 inches in height and features an ultra-wide-angle lens to cover a 146-degree field of view and a single button to control the device.

"RE was made to fit comfortably in your hand and features a built-in grip sensor that instantly activates the camera on pick up, eliminating the need for a power button," HTC said in the company's official blog post on Wednesday. "Its single shutter button allows one-tap to capture photos and a longer press for video recording for seamless switching between modes."

With an integrated 16-megapixel camera, users can shoot images and Full HD videos at 30fps or 720p videos at 120fps. For still images, a single press will activate the camera and a long press for video recording. RE's companion app for both Android and iOS platform can do all the heavy-lifting and remote functions like triggering the shutter. The camera sports an 8GB memory card for the images to be stored.

The mobile app can also be used to view all the videos and images as well as adjust settings. The device pairs with the smartphone using Bluetooth and relays media using Wi-Fi Direct.

The camera lacks an on/off switch but the smart integration of capacitive layer into the handle will activate the device when the user picks it up. RE is waterproof, making it a suitable companion for capturing images and videos while underwater diving or watching the kid swim in the pool.

Available in fancy colors, white, blue, orange and red, RE will hit stores later this month with a price tag of $199. Major carriers including Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T will also offer the device sometime in November.