Samsung Galaxy Camera is an Android Jelly Bean powered digital smart camera with Wi-Fi, data connectivity

Android-powered cameras are not exactly a new thing, as proven by the recent launch of Nikon’s Coolpix S800c. With Samsung having a strong presence in the digital camera market and also a very strong Android smartphone business, one might wonder why the South Korean firm has not yet released their own.

It turns out that an Android-powered digital camera is actually one of the surprise announcements Samsung has made at its pre-IFA 2012 event in Berlin, Germany, just as rumored a few days ago.
The Samsung Galaxy Camera is a point-and-shoot digital camera that’s as feature-packed as any mid-range to high-end Android smartphone. The Galaxy Camera actually introduces the term “smart camera,” which is how Google senior VP for Mobile and Digital Content Andy Rubin envisions the next level of digital photography to be.

Being a connected device, the Galaxy Camera focuses on making photo sharing easier. Gone are the days when you have to wait to plug in your SD card into a computer to share photos from a decent digicam. Sure, you can upload photos directly from a smartphone, but a dedicated digital camera has better optics and image processing. You can now directly upload photos via Wi-Fi or through the camera’s built-in 3G and 4G connectivity.

Specs and photo features

Samsung Electronics’ Mobile and Communications Division President JK Shin highlights how communication has become lightning-fast with the prevalence of mobile devices and social networks. In being able to share photos in an instant, “[c]ommunication becomes more vivid and lively with high-quality images and instant sharing anywhere, anytime.”
Spec higlights:

• 1.4 GHz quad-core processor
• 8GB built in storage, support for microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC
• 4.8-inch capacitive touchscreen HD Super Clear Touch Display
• 16.3 megapixel BSI sensor
• 23mm equivalent F/2.8 lens with 21x optical zoom
• ISO settings: Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200
• Mobile data: 3G (HSPA+ 21 Mbps) and 4G capable: 850/900/1900/2100 MHz
• A-GPS, GLONASS, Bluetooth 4.0
• Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
• 1,650 mAh battery

Photo features:

• Smart content manager
• Photo wizard
• Video wizard
• Best group pose
• Voice control option
• Auto cloud backup
• Slow motion video
• S Planner, S Suggest
• Support for AllShare Play, Family Story, Dropbox

The screen itself has a pixel density of 308 ppi, which is almost the same as the Samsung Galaxy S III, but a bit behind the iPhone 4S Retina display. The big 4.8-inch screen is big enough to do basic editing, tagging and controls. Being a full-fledged Android device, the Galaxy Camera will come with standard Google Apps built-in, including Search, Maps, Gmail, Latitude, Books, Movies, Google+, YouTube, Google Talk, Places, and Navigation. The Samsung Galaxy Camera will support app downloads from the Google Play Store.

Image Capture Effects with Smart Pro

The Samsung Galaxy Camera itself has a Smart Pro feature that involves adjustments using an easy-to-navigate menu system for choosing preset scenes. For instance, the Rich Tone setting captures image with greater intensity, which is a good way to reduce overexposure in bright environments. The Light Trace effect can be used in automatically adjusting shutter speed to capture light trails.

Zoom control can be done by dedicated button, through the touchscreen, or via voice control.

Photo Wizard and Apps

The camera also offers 35 built-in power features through its Photo Wizard that enable precise detail edits straight from the camera’s touchscreen. The built-in Movie Wizard also offers video editing straight from the camera’s interface.
Smart Content Manager, meanwhile intelligently organizes photos and videos according to tags, folders and faces. The app even recommends unwanted photos for deletion.
Samsung’s S Suggest will also provide recommendations on additional apps or features that can be downloaded for added photo-editing capabilities.

Automatic Sharing

Being a connected device, the Samsung Galaxy Camera enables users to be able to automatically share pictures as they are captured, or at least store these in cloud backups through AllShare. Photos can then be shared through social networks like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Photos can also be shared instantly with other Android-powered Galaxy devices like the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note 2.

Pricing and Availability

The Samsung Galaxy Camera comes in two variants: 3G and WiFi version and a 4G and WiFi version. No pricing has been announced yet, but we’ll keep you posted.
Check out our Samsung Galaxy Camera gallery below that also includes hands-on images:

Samsung Galaxy Camera from the rear, turned off

Samsung Galaxy Camera from the rear, powered and showing Android apps

Samsung Galaxy Camera from the rear, powered and showing the photo-editing features

Samsung Galaxy Camera from the front, turned off

The Samsung Galaxy Camera is an Android-powered digital camera that features a 16-megapixel sensor, 23mm F/2.8 lens, 21x optical zoom, and 4.8-inch capacitive touchscreen. The camera connects wirelessly through WiFi and mobile data for image backup and uploading to social networking services.

Samsung Galaxy Camera from the side, turned off

Samsung Galaxy Camera from the front, powered and showing the lens extended to full telephoto

Samsung Galaxy Camera from the rear, powered and showing the photo-capture interface

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