A Galaxy camera? That could only mean Android, and a heavy heaping of touch and connectivity. At the time, reps admitted only that they were "considering" such a device, and declined to provide any hint as to design or functionality. And we haven't heard a further peep, until today. As you may have gathered from recent rumors, Samsung's Galaxy Note II is not the only product to be Unpacked this afternoon. Sure enough, the anticipated Galaxy Camera is also on order, and we have all the juicy details just past the break.
Nikon beat Samsung out the door with its Coolpix S800c -- a 16-megapixel snapper powered by Android 2.3.3, but this latest version is an entirely different beast. The entire back of the camera is occupied by an edge-to-edge 4.8-inch 1,280 x 720-pixel (308 ppi) display. It looks like something you'd find on a cellphone, like, say, the Galaxy Note -- having a touch-enabled viewfinder on a compact camera is certainly advantageous. There are still a few hardware buttons on board, including a flash release (there's a pop-up strobe in the top right corner), a power button, zoom toggle and shutter release, but you'll spend most of your time interacting with the Galaxy Camera through touch. With the Auto mode, you'll have access to a touch-to-focus system while leaving the rest of the computing to the camera. Smart Pro Mode is Samsung's version of intelligent auto, offering ideal settings for 10 different scenarios, such as the Waterfall Trace and Night Trace options, which slow down the shutter speed for daylight and evening shoots, respectively.
Without standard phone functionality, the Galaxy Camera won't replace your smartphone -- not to mention that the rather bulky form-factor would end up being quite a nuisance -- but if you don't make calls, this could theoretically be the only device in your (rather spacious) pocket. We can't speak to image quality just yet, as we weren't permitted to transmit samples, but based on the existing SMART line, it's safe to expect perfectly acceptable, though not spectacular stills. The device is set to begin shipping in October, and will be sold through camera retailers as well as carrier outlets, though pricing has not yet been released. Catch all the details directly from Samsung in the press release just below.
During its IFA press event today, Samsung confirmed additional specs, including a 1.4GHz quad-core processor and sensitivity through ISO 3200.
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