HTC Unveils “Selfie” Phone

HTC has taken the wraps of its latest high-end smartphone, revealing a device targeted at the ‘selfie’ generation.

The company unveiled the HTC Desire EYE at an event in New York last night, ending weeks of speculation and rumoured leaks of the device, alongside a Wi-Fi connected camera device called the HTC RE.

Featuring a 13MP front-facing camera, the Desire EYE is firmly targeted at the selfie crowd, with a similar component at the rear, the highest resolution front camera currently on the market.

It will go on sale in the UK exclusively at Three and Carphone Warehouse from early next month, with prices to be available soon.

Say cheese

Featuring a 5.2 in Full HD display, the Desire EYE is powered by a quad-core 2.3 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor and 2GB of RAM. It comes with 16GB of internal storage, which can be expanded using a microSD card, and also features Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and LTE connectivity.

But it is the camera functionality which HTC is focusing on, as it has also included a whole new range of software focused on capturing and editing your images. Called HTC EYE Experience, the new suite includes face-tracking software that can monitor up to four people at once, meaning the device can identify, crop and position each person’s face so that they can all take part in a Skype video chat without having to worry about exactly where to stand.

The new software also allows the device to simultaneously capture images and videos using both the front and rear cameras into a single split-screen image and video, and also includes voice-activation to ensure you never capture your thumb over the camera lens again.

HTC said that it will also be rolling out the new software to several of its existing devices to ensure all its customers get the best experience possible, including the HTC One M8 and HTC One Max.

RE-launch

“Today, HTC is once again changing the way that people think about technology,” said Peter Chou, CEO, HTC Corporation. “Back in 1997, we allowed people to leave their laptops at home in favour of powerful, pocket-sized smartphone computing. Today we are taking a similar leap forward.

“Combining incredible hardware with unrivalled software, HTC is reinventing the way we think about imaging. We are taking you out from behind the viewfinder and putting you back where you belong, at the heart of the action.”

Alongside the Desire EYE, HTC also revealed the HTC RE, a Wi-Fi connected camera device which it hopes will be able to compete with the likes of the GoPro. At just under 10cm tall, the RE is able to fit in the palm of your hand but is capable of shooting in 1080p full high-definition video at normal speed, and 720p in slow motion using its 16MP camera.

Available in four colours, the RE will be available in the UK from EE by early November, and will cost £169.99.

HTC will be hoping that both the Desire EYE and RE can attract a raft of new customers as the company looks to continue its ongoing recovery. Last week, it announced a second successive quarter of profits despite a continued decline in sales, as the company’s new devices fail to overhaul the likes of Samsung’s Galaxy S5 and the upcoming iPhone 6.

This may be soon to change though, as HTC is rumoured to be preparing a high-powered flagship device, the HTC One M8 Max, for launch within the very near future.

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