Seeking more sales, HTC reportedly plans a GoPro camera competitor

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Although it has shown glimmers of hope, HTC is still struggling to keep up with the smartphone sales of its peers. Perhaps that’s why the company is looking to expand its product line. There’s plenty of evidence suggesting HTC will build the Google Nexus 9 tablet and there have been reports of an HTC wearable device in the works. Now you can add a standalone camera to the pipeline as well.

On Friday, Bloomberg shared information about a new HTC camera after speaking to an unidentified source. The device appears to be a competitor to the popular GoPro line of cameras, but with a twist — it would connect wirelessly to a smartphone:

The tube-shaped HTC camera would include both Bluetooth and Wifi that allow devices to connect to smartphones, the person said. HTC may release its own Android and iOS applications to support the camera.

HTC is holding a press event on October 8 and the invite had a “double exposure” tag-line, so it’s possible the company will introduce the camera there. We’ll be at the event and will report back that day.

Without further details, it’s impossible to consider the impact that a new camera could have on HTC’s bottom line. The approach reminds me of the company’s misguided Beats effort, however: It seems as if HTC is just throwing ideas against the wall to see what sticks, in order to offset the slowing sales of its smartphones.

Even worse, HTC’s camera prowess hasn’t been overly impressive of late. The original HTC One phone introduced the company’s Ultrapixels sensor for standout photo capabilities, but in the end, it really didn’t do much to boost sales. The newer HTC One M8 has a pair of camera sensors, dubbed DuoSense, to help define depth, but it doesn’t seem as if consumers are seeking out the feature.

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