Wednesday, October 8, 2014
In terms of design, HTC definitely put function over form. In the politest terms possible, the Re looks like something you picked up in a bargain bin at Home Depot — it closely resembles a short end of plastic pipe. But there is a method to the madness. The design is intended to sit comfortably in hand while offering wide angle image capture. Its essentially a big lens situated atop a palm-sized length of plastic tube. To spice up the lackluster look, HTC will be offering the Re in four colors: white, navy, teal, and orange. It isn't pretty, but it works and it's not uncomfortable to use though I can't imagine wanting to walk around town with one strapped to my person.
Simplicity is key here; there are only two buttons on the Re: the large silver button on the top that can snap 16-megapixel photos with a single tap or 1080p HD videos after a long press. The 160 degree wide angle lens comes with image stabilization software to keep your pictures and videos in focus. The second button beneath the lens takes slow motion HD videos.
Like most action cameras, the Re is built to survive, though it lacks the rugged durability of other options like the GoPro. Unlike with most action cameras on the market, the Re doesn't require a PC to work. With the Re app, users can sync their pictures and videos directly to their smartphones (or the cloud) without the need for a middle man. Additionally, HTC is teaming up with YouTube to offer real time broadcast functionality, though that feature doesn't have a specific launch date as of the time of this writing.
In the name of innovation, HTC will also be offering open API and SDK platforms for developers to tinker with. And in the name of progress, the company has promised to continuously push upgrades to Re for the duration of its existence. If you've been in the market for an action camera and want to give the Re a whirl, it'll launch in time for the holidays. 
