Reading, England — Bullitt Group, which builds ruggedized cellphones under the licensed Caterpillar brand, will go to International CES with the industry’s first Kodak-brand smartphone.
The imaging-oriented Android phone will be followed in the second half by a Kodak-brand 4G Android phone, an Android tablet and a connected camera. All will offer “best-in-class image management software and features,” the company said.
The Kodak products, said Bullitt CEO Oliver Schulte, will give users “easy access to printing and sharing services while still offering the latest Android OS and features found on high-end smartphones.” The products will also appeal “to a large audience of users who value ease of use and stylish design as highly as they value functionality,” he said.
The devices are targeted to “consumers who want a high-end experience but aren’t always as comfortable using increasingly complicated mobile devices as they would like to be,” the company added. The devices will come “preloaded with bespoke image-capture, -management and -sharing features to offer a rich user experience.” Remote-management software will also be pre-installed to let family members or friends provide help, the company added.
Bullitt designs, manufactures and markets consumer electronics under license from global brands in more than 60 countries. It was founded in 2009.
Kodak left the digital camera business in 2012 as part of bankruptcy proceedings and licensed its name to Sakar International for Kodak camera and photo accessories. Los Angeles-based JK Imaging won a license to use the Kodak name on digital cameras. Seedonk Inc. will launch a Kodak baby monitor in early 2015.
