HTC RE cylindrical 16-megapixel camera launched in India at Rs 9,990

HTC is hosting an event in Mumbai, where it just launched the RE. The tube-shaped camera, which the company announced at its New York event earlier this month, is priced at Rs 9,990. The camera will be sold exclusively on Snapdeal from November 5.

The RE marks HTC’s entry into the consumer camera market. While at first glance the camera may look like an inhaler or a toy periscope, it is anything but that. The RE is a serious camera capable of surviving outdoors, and is touted as a GoPro rival. It is waterproof out of the box with IP57 rating, without needing any additional protective casing.

The highlight of the RE device is the 16-megapixel sensor that can click or record with a 146-degree ultra-wide angle lens (f/2.8). The camera can record 1080p video at 30fps. Notably, HTC says the new RE device is a waterproof device with IPX7 certification, while the listing also claims that the waterproof cap enhances the RE's rating to IPX8.

Interestingly, the device does not include a power button; instead there is a built-in grip sensor that switches-on the device upon grip detection.

To power the device, there is an 820mAh battery claimed to be enough for clicking 1200 photos or 1 hour 40 minutes continuous full-HD video recording. The RE camera action camera comes with 32MB ROM and 256MB of DDR RAM with microSD card support.

For connectivity, there are Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, and Micro-USB options. HTC has also announced several accessories for the RE camera, such as an adjustable clamp, charging stand, universal mounting stand, universal wall plug (charger), portable battery, and dual-port adopter.