Kodak accidentally tweeted a teaser photo of its upcoming smartphone on Oct. 6. The tweet has since been deleted, and Kodak's website, where the photo could be accessed after Kodak deleted the tweet, is now inaccessible, showing an "under construction" notice.
The photo shows a cropped product render of the smartphone, featuring what appears to be the smartphone's power button embedded along the steel bezel of the device. The button is stamped with Kodak's iconic "K" logo.
Kodak is set to reveal more details about the phone on Oct. 20, as stated in the picture.
The forthcoming smartphone isn't Kodak's first attempt in entering the smartphone industry. Back in CES 2015, Kodak announced the Kodak IM5, which sports a 5-inch 1,280 x 720 HD display and runs on a custom Android user interface. It's powered by a 1.7 GHz octa-core MediaTek processor with 8 GB of internal storage and 1 GB of RAM. On the back is a 13-megapixel camera, and on the front is a 5-megapixel shooter.
The announcement back in 2015 elicited a warm response from potential customers. Excitement rang loudly for the acclaimed photographic company's first entry in the smartphone arena, but what was highly newsworthy for the company at the time has gone stale and untapped since then. Kodak failed to make a strong smartphone debut, and the phone ambled along its run largely unnoticed.
Even with the phone's main selling point, which was extended photo editing functionality and seamless photo printing with compatible printers, it failed to make a mark. The device was mid-range at best, and the specifications didn't quite hold a candle to the industry standard at the time despite its easy-to-use interface. Furthermore, fans of the company expected the phone to boast a camera that exceeded what its competitors offered since that's logically where it specialized most.
Many had anticipated the camera's quality to be exemplary but was met with disappointment when the shooters proved to be subpar and mediocre. There wasn't any real reason to buy a Kodak-branded smartphone if it didn't have anything special, especially if there were better smartphone cameras at the time that users could purchase for a lower price.
Kodak might be shifting to a more high-end offering with its second smartphone in order to win back consumers. Details as of now remain scant to zero, and much is left to speculation. However, if the image is trying to tell us something, Kodak probably has something up its sleeve since it's heavily featuring the "K" logo on a dedicated button in the smartphone.
Perhaps this time, Kodak finally realized its mistake and decided to load the device with a respectable camera it deserves, with such an esteemed brand on its shoulders. We'll know more once Oct. 20 rolls around.
