HTC's "Re", a tiny periscope camera

RE

Pitched as an action camera for the rest of us, the $200 tiny Re pairs with Android and iOS smartphones and shoots 1080-lines video at 30fps, or 720-line video at 120fps.

It's a simple proposition of size and functionality. The Verge's Dan Seifert isn't terribly impressed.

HTC says the Re Camera is easier to use than your smartphone because you don't have to frame a shot or worry about opening a camera app before you take pictures. Its ultra-wide lens is supposed to capture everything in the scene for you, so you don't miss anything. And since you're not staring at your phone to take the pictures, you can still enjoy what's going on while you preserve memories for later.

But after using a pre-production version of the Re Camera, I'm not convinced that it's a better option than just using your smartphone to take pictures.