Why does this need auto?

Question

auto data = new char[480][640][3]();
char data = new char[480][640][3]();

First works. Second doesnt. Why? Isn't auto supposed to just replace itself with the type of the initializer?

Answer 1

Because the type isn't char. The type is char(*)[640][3] and the declaration would be written as

char (*data)[640][3] = new char[480][640][3]();