eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.
The new HTC Desire EYE smartphone will be available to U.S. buyers in time for the holiday season, but they’ll only be able to get it through AT&T’s cellular network.
The AT&T-only availability for the phone was revealed by the company in an Oct. 9 announcement, which said that AT&T will be the “exclusive carrier” for the HTC Desire EYE.
In addition, AT&T will also sell HTC’s new RE point-and-shoot camera, which has a shape that’s reminiscent of a submarine periscope and has no viewfinder. Prices and firm dates for the availability of both devices have not yet been announced.
The HTC Desire EYE smartphone includes a 5.2-inch full HD 1080p display, a 2.3GHz quad-core processor, 16GB of memory, a 2,400mAh battery and front-facing HTC BoomSound speakers. The phone, which runs on the Android 4.4 KitKat operating system, also includes a 13MP front-facing wide-angle camera with dual LED flash and a rear-facing 13MP camera.
The smartphone is also IPX7-compliant, making it water-resistant up to one meter under water for up to 30 minutes, according to AT&T.
The HTC RE point-and-shoot camera, meanwhile, includes a 146-degree, wide-angle lens that gives users a wide view of their upcoming image, without the need for a viewfinder, according to AT&T. The 16MP camera also includes 1,080p HD video capabilities and integrates with both Android and iOS devices to back up photos and videos to the cloud. The RE can also send its images to a smartphone or back the images up to a cloud account using a companion RE app and Bluetooth.
The RE is also water-resistant up to one meter.
The Desire EYE and the RE camera aren’t the only devices to be unveiled recently to consumers by AT&T.
Earlier in October, AT&T announced a special deal on the LG G Pad 7.0 LTE and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 8.0 tablets to new and existing AT&T customers who buy and activate any smartphones on the AT&T network. Under the special offer, customers can buy an LG G Pad 7.0 LTE for 99 cents or a Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 8.0 for $99.99 when buying any smartphone. The deals require two-year wireless contracts on the tablets and on the smartphones.