This is the New Kodak IM5 Android Phone

In the world of tech, a brand can go a long way – at least, that seems to be the thinking guiding UK-based smartphone maker Bullitt Group, which this week at CES unveiled its new Android phone emblazoned with the beloved Kodak logo. We first heard about the new phone last week, when Bullitt promised an Android phone that would focus on taking great pictures and easy functionality for the more technically challenged out there. True to their word, that’s exactly what the new Kodak IM5 Smartphone seems to be.

The IM5 runs Android KitKat out of the box, but the company’s announcement says it “will be upgraded to Lollipop,” a surprising bit of business considering that the device is built to simplify the smartphone experience. A post on CNET explains that the IM5 relies on a custom home screen launcher that features “a grid of buttons for your email, phone dialer, messages, camera, magnifier, and other features,” essentially distilling the phone’s many potential functions into the few necessities that technology novices and neophytes can easily access.

The real draw, however, is the camera function – why else slap a Kodak logo on a smartphone, after all? In that department, the smartphone will deliver decent results with a 13 megapixel rear camera and a 5 megapixel front camera. Neither of those cameras will blow people away, but they will certainly deliver solid snapshots for folks who just want to take pictures of the grandkids playing, or their daughter’s wedding. The CNET post also adds that the camera app prompts users to approve photos before they’re saved to the phone.

As far as the rest of the hardware, the IM5 has a good set of specifications. It’s got a 5-inch, 720p HD display, an octa-core 1.7 GHz processor, 8 GB of internal storage, expandable to 32 GB via Micro SD, and 1 GB of RAM – everything you should need for at least a year or two of solid smartphone use. The Kodak IM5 will hit stores around the world, starting in Europe for €229 at the end of the first quarter of this year. It’ll cost $249 in the United States whenever it launches here, and it’ll be interesting to see how well the device does among its target demographic. My mom is a devoted iPhone user, mainly because it’s simple and she can take good pictures. This phone is even simpler, and should provide photos just as well – but will it be enough to convert her and others like her?

[Sources: Kodak IM5 Announcement, CNET]