HTC To Launch Rugged GoPro Rival [REPORT]

Earlier this week the Taiwanese giant HTC sent out an invite to a mysterious event being held in New York on October 8. The title of the invite was "Double Exposure", which many people have linked to the successor to the original One (M8).

However, the company could be planning something grand and ambitious than a new camera phone. According to a report published in Bloomberg, HTC is expected to launch a smartphone camera accessory, similar to Sony's QX range of smartphone lenses.

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Basically, HTC's upcoming smartphone camera attachment will be waterproof and rugged in nature. It will apparently feature a 16-megapixel sensor, a wide-angle lens and Bluetooth connectivity. The report described the rugged camera as "tube-shaped" and it's going to be supported by the HTC-made iOS and Android apps.

As mentioned, the external lens will connect directly to devices running Android and iOS. These camera attachments can be physically clip on to a phone using Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or NFC. There's also mention of "rugged", which suggest the HTC-made camera external lens would be tougher, just like the GoPro Hero.

Apart from the smartphone accessory, HTC may announce its long awaited smartphone with a superb front-facing camera. Reportedly, the new phone will be optimized for taking selfies. These days a lot of manufacturers are coming up with "selfie" centric phones.

Microsoft Devices recently launched its Windows Phone 8.1 running handset made for self-portrait photography. Similarly, Japan's Sony also unveiled its Xperia C3 smartphone with an ultimate front-facing shooter. Stay tuned to GizBot for more updates!