In an attempt to showcase just how powerful its processors are, Qualcomm this past weekend set up the “ultimate” smartphone photobooth, which consisted of 130 HTC One handsets and a throwback to the overused bullet time effect. As you can see in the video, the handsets are arranged around a small circular stage in a 540-degree spiral configuration, allowing Qualcomm to create the effect first made famous by The Matrix. With a custom made Android app, the handsets then captured the action, appearing to freeze moments in time. The results aren’t so bad.
The HTC One’s camera itself is pretty good, but perhaps the most impressive thing about it is how quick it takes pictures. The device still needs work properly exposing the images, but this demonstration isn’t necessarily about showing off the One’s quality; it’s all about the raw Qualcomm Snapdragon power.
Qualcomm apparently has plans to tour its photobooth rig around to different locations through a voting process. According to a website setup for the initiative, the next town will be chosen by January of next year; San Francisco is currently the frontrunner. It’s certainly not Matrix-level quality, but it’s neat to see what can be done with a little ingenuity and a lot of HTC One handsets.
