Kodak has put its name on another smartphone, and if you had forgotten it made smartphones at all, you’re forgiven because the last one wasn’t very memorable. The Kodak Ektra is its name, and that’s not a typo of the word ‘extra,’ but a call back to a 35mm camera Kodak made in the 1940s. The name isn’t the only nostalgic element either. From the classic leather accessories to the retro design of the device, Kodak and manufacturer Bullitt Group, which actually makes the phone, are really hammering home the Ektra’s photographic pedigree.
You’ll be snapping pictures with a 21-megapixel camera on the rear of the Ektra, a lens with an f/2.0 aperture, optical image stabilization, phase detection autofocus, HDR, and the ability to record 4K resolution video. There are also a wide variety of effects and tools to enhance or change the photos taken, including a digital bokeh effect — similar to that seen on the Huawei P9, and soon on the iPhone 7 Plus — lots of filters, and a short cut to printing out photos with Kodak’s services.
The camera lens is mounted inside a hump on the back of the Ektra, and the body bulges out at one end to enhance grip, while a leather-look back panel gives it that classic camera style. If you’re still hankering after the good old days of camera ownership, Kodak will sell you a brown or black leather satchel to carry your phone around in, complete with fold back cover so you still take photos without removing it first.
When not taking pictures, the Ektra is an Android phone with a 5-inch, 1920 x 1080 pixel display, powered by a MediaTek X20 processor and 3GB of RAM. MediaTek’s chips aren’t commonly used in smartphones outside of China, but the X20 is a strong performer, despite having been superseded by the X25 since its release. The Ektra has 32GB of internal memory and a MicroSD card slot, plus a 3,000mAh battery.
Kodak will release the Ektra in the U.K. before the end of the year, where it will cost 450 British pounds, which is approximately $550. A U.S. launch is possible in the future, but may depend on the phone’s initial success.
