CES 2015 News: Kodak Launches Its First Smartphone, The IM5

Kodak had long hinted that it was designing a smartphone. Finally on Tuesday, the company launched IM5, its first Android phone, during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2015) in Las Vegas.

The Android phone is Kodak's attempts to recreate the photographic mastery long associated with the company before digital cameras ate away at its profits.

Even though the company was associated with creating the digital technology that is used in modern cameras, the Kodak IM5 does not boast of any new advancement in terms of its camera. However, its 13 megapixel rear camera does have auto-focus and comes combined with its very own software which users can employ to edit photos with one touch of a button. Also after taking photos, the app allows users to share and even print them. In addition to the rear camera there is a decent 5 megapixel camera in front.

The phone will be compatible with home printers, which means users will be able to directly print photos they have edited.

Manufactured by the Bullitt Group for Kodak, the phone comes with 4.4 KitKat loaded. It was announced during CES 2015 that it could get the Lollipop this year. The phone also has a 5-inch full HD screen with a resolution of 720x1280 pixels. As part of its platform, it has an octacore 1.7GHz processor that was not named by the company. However, many assume that it is a MediaTek chipset. This is paired with 1GB RAM and 8GB of internal storage.

The phone has a microSD slot which can be used to expand its external storage up to 32 GB. As for sensors, the phone has a compass/ magnetometer, proximity sensor, and ambient light sensor.

Priced in the mid-range, the phone will first become available in Europe for around €229 when it is released at the end of March. It will then roll out worldwide and become available in the U.S. for $249 without any contract.