Samsung Announces Galaxy Camera running Android 4.1
by Brian Klug on August 30, 2012 1:04 AM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- camera
- Android
- Mobile
- pureview
- galaxy camera
- S800c
Earlier today at IFA 2012, Samsung officially announced what will be their first point and shoot form factor camera running Android 4.1. The device is named the Samsung Galaxy Camera, and runs Android 4.1 atop an Exynos 4412 SoC running at 1.4 GHz
This comes just after Nikon's official announcement of a point and shoot of their own named the Coolpix S800c which we're still trying to obtain more information about. Both cameras are physically pretty similar, and include a 16 MP CMOS sensor that is 1/2.3" format.
Two years ago I was told from a number of different handset vendors and traditional camera SoC vendors to expect an influx of small point and shoot form factor cameras running Android. I've been anxiously awaiting that time ever since, and almost gave up hope until this recent interestingly timed double announcement by Nikon and Samsung. The other main contender in this space is of course the Nokia PureView 808 which doesn't run Android but likewise is more of a point and shoot in the form factor of a smartphone.
Inside, the Galaxy Camera appears to be very similar to the Samsung Galaxy S 3, including the same set of local wireless connectivity options (dual band WiFi with 40 MHz channels, BT 4.0, GNSS), and includes cellular connectivity that might even include LTE. Samsung ambiguously cites "4G" on the spec page, which makes me think this might be another CMC221 based solution like the Galaxy S 3 for Korea with LTE. I've put together a comparison table below with the details:
| Camera Emphasized Smartphone Comparison | ||||||
| Samsung Galaxy Camera (EK-GC100) | Nikon Coolpix S800c | Nokia PureView 808 | ||||
| CMOS Resolution | 16.3 MP | 16.0 MP | 41 MP | |||
| CMOS Format | 1/2.3", 1.34µm pixels | 1/2.3", 1.34µm pixels | 1/1.2", 1.4µm pixels | |||
| CMOS Size | 6.17mm x 4.55mm | 6.17mm x 4.55mm | 10.67mm x 8.00mm | |||
| Lens Details |
4.1 - 86mm (22 - 447 35mm equiv) F/2.8-5.9 |
4.5 - 45.0mm (25-250 35mm equiv) F/3.2-5.8 |
8.02mm (28mm 35mm equiv) F/2.4 |
|||
| Display | 1280 x 720 (4.8" diagonal) | 854 x 480 (3.5" diagonal) | 640 x 360 (4.0" diagonal) | |||
| SoC | Exynos 4412 (Cortex-A9MP4 at 1.4 GHz with Mali-400 MP4) | ARM Cortex A5MP1(?) | 1.3 GHz ARM11 | |||
| Storage | 8 GB + microSDXC | 1.7 GB + microSDHC | 16 GB + microSDHC | |||
| Video Recording | 1080p30, 480p120 | 1080p30 | 1080p30 | |||
| OS | Android 4.1 | Android 2.3.6 | Symbian Belle | |||
| Connectivity and GNSS | WCDMA 21.1 850/900/1900/2100, 4G, 802.11a/b/g/n with 40 MHz channels, BT 4.0, GNSS | No cellular, WiFi 802.11b/g/n(?), GPS | WCDMA 14.4 850/900/1700/1900/2100, 802.11b/g/n, BT 3.0, GPS | |||
From an optical standpoint the Samsung appears to have a bit of an edge at F/2.8 when at its widest, compared to F/3.2 with Nikon. That said, I'd expect the Nikon to have a leg up on the Galaxy Camera purely because there will be more die area on that SoC (which we're trying to obtain more information on) dedicated to ISP than on the Galaxy Camera which simply includes an Exynos 4412 inside. Interestingly enough, the PureView 808 still includes a larger CMOS than either point and shoot, though it of course has a fixed focal length and no optical zoom.
Point and shoot cameras running Android seem to be the next logical progression for camera makers. As an aside it is interesting how the point and shoot business is moving increasingly towards mobile, and the smartphone side is moving increasingly towards point and shoot level performance. There's a new adage that the best camera is the one you have with you all the time, and both sides are fighting over who will control that slot.
Sources: Samsung Galaxy Camera, Nikon S800c
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tuxRoller - Friday, August 31, 2012 - link
So.....Apple didn't invent the camera?Alchemy69 - Friday, August 31, 2012 - link
So even though Apple didn't invent the digital camera, they weren't the first to market one and all they did was re-badge cameras made by Kodak and Fuji, you feel that they should be given the credit just because they're Apple?Spoken like a true fanboy.
SetiroN - Thursday, August 30, 2012 - link
how hard could it be to pack a decent battery into that already big thing, as well as a speaker and microphone?Seems kinda pointless as it is: most people would rather buy a wi-fi SD card for my camera (or a new one with integrated wi-fi) to pair with their smartphone, instead.
bplewis24 - Thursday, August 30, 2012 - link
C'mon Canon, get in this game so that I can buy one from you!DukeN - Thursday, August 30, 2012 - link
"Your honor, we put a touchscreen on one side and a camera on the other, first!"seamonkey79 - Thursday, August 30, 2012 - link
Those icons, the relatively rectangular shape, the large zoom lens... this is an iPhone ripoff if I ever saw one... and it looks white too!Mr Perfect - Thursday, August 30, 2012 - link
So is this meant to be a full on smartphone replacement? It's hard thinking of people wanting this if they already have a smartphone in their pocket. Maybe it's meant fo rAndroid handset people who want their next phone to have a real camera(Excluding you DSLR people. Having a huge lense, flash and tripod attached to a smartphone is hilarious. Could make it work with a bluetooth earpiece though!).piroroadkill - Friday, August 31, 2012 - link
Uh, no. How is this a smartphone replacement? It doesn't even take phone calls.It's a camera. A point and shoot camera. It has absolutely 100% nothing to do with "android people". It's a compact camera for people who want a little extra gimmick in their interface.
Mr Perfect - Friday, August 31, 2012 - link
The article didn't mention the lack of voice, just that it was similar to a Galaxy S3 and had 4G connectivity. Made it sound like a GS3 with a decent camera. It does seem pretty gimmicky then.shortylickens - Monday, September 3, 2012 - link
Its more than that. For the casual shooter this could be very useful. Full editing suite to auto-correct exposure or apply effects. Auto-upload over wifi in the background to Picasa or Youtube or whatever, HDMI for presentations like an old-fashioned slide show. I still dont want one, but could easily see how many people would be interested.