[Pixalo]

Press release:

SEOUL, KOREA, Oct 10th, 2006: Samsung reinforces its technology leadership by launching the world's first 10 megapixel mobile phone (model: SCH-B600) in Korean market.

Samsung reached another milestone in camera phones by launching 10 megapixel camera phone, which was unveiled at CeBIT in March this year. Samsung has been the first to introduce mobile phone with embedded camera in 2000. Samsung has also launched the world's first 5 megapixel camera phone in October 2004 ; the world's first 7 megapixel camera phone in July 2005.

Samsung's 10 megapixel camera phone (SCH-B600) is 6mm thinner and 10g lighter than the 7 megapixel camera phone (SCH-V770) and sets itself apart from its previous megapixel camera phones by combining mobile TV capability in Satellite standard.

The B600 offers the same level of picture-taking sophistication that a 10 megapixel digital camera offers. The camera function includes 3x optical zoom and 5x digital zoom. It also has auto focus and a flash unit that performs optimally for 10 megapixel photographs.

Also, the B600 comes fitted with a LED autofocus feature which assists users to capture clear, crisp photos even in dark settings. Located next to the lens, the LED autofocus automatically determines the distance and utilizes the appropriate focus setting for optimal photo shooting.

The B600 also supports white balance, manual focus, continuous picture-taking, and interval picture-taking functions.

It also supports Bluetooth which enables users to send pictures wirelessly to other mobile phones, printers or to Bluetooth headsets.

The high color Reproduction TFT-LCD produces the highest possible display for its size. The photo-fine chromic LCD can reproduce 16 million colors, virtually any color found in nature, earning it the "True Color" appellation. Moving pictures can be recorded in QVGA resolution at 15-30 frames per second. Users can watch live TV in crisp picture through Satellite DMB function.

It also supports external memory (MMCmicro) in addition to its internal memory. The mobile phone supports a TV-out function where users can connect their phones to view still or motion pictures.

The B600 comes with a design reminiscent of a real digital camera. The front is designed as a bar-type mobile phone, while the back side is used as the digital camera.

Other advanced functions in the B600 include an MP3 player, business card reader, and 128 polyphonic sounds.

The price of B600 is about $900 in Korea.

SCH-B600 Specifications
Standard :CDMA 2000 1X EVDO (800 MHz)
Camera: 10 Megapixel Camera
Display: 2.2" 240x320 16M Color TFT LCD
Features: Mobile TV (Satellite Digital Multimedia Broadcasting )
Video Recording & Messaging (MPEG4 / H.264)
MP3/ AAC / AAC+
Dual Speaker / Anycall Band
Bluetooth® Technology / PictBridge / Voice Recognition
Document Viewer / TV-output / BT Printing
Memory: External memory (MMCmicro)
* Specifications are subject to change without notice

[Steve]

Originally Posted by Pixalo

The B600 offers the same level of picture-taking sophistication that a 10 megapixel digital camera offers.

That is it, anyone want to buy a load of Canon Gear and lenses as I am upgrading to a Samsung Camera phone so that I can call my mates and not have to carry my backpack full of gear when I am out doing my photography.

What a load of marketing bull. The problem is that the punters will fall for it too

[stepheno]

......agreed. And will they next put a phone into their DSLR

[Sonsey]

...do you think my 100-400mm would fit on the end of it

[Steve]

Nope but I bet Samsung will claim that their camera phone will negate the necessity to have one

[Rob Barron]

Originally Posted by Steve

Nope but I bet Samsung will claim that their camera phone will negate the necessity to have one

LOL, yup, as it will have a 300x zoom on it (which will be digital so will enlarge pixels to the point where a nose looks like a.... no, let's not go there <g>

Strewth, I wouldn't even bother with a Samsung camera, let along a gazillion-things-in-one affair where they try and turn the whole lot into a portable tool.

The laughable thing is, and I haven't seen it yet, this contraption will have a 10Mp sensor but probably has a lens that is less than a centimetre across. Now, it doesn't take much common sense or technical know-how to understand that a piece of glass smaller than your little finger nail does not have the resolving power required to enable a 10mp sensor to funtion fully. Put simply, if the lens is smaller than the sensor, the light is having to spread when it passes through the lens. If it is spreading, it cannot possibly be creating a proper picture!

Yes, sorry, that does mean even the phones with a 1.3mp camera in them are next to useless... just look at the garbage pictures they produce LOL.

I don't think I'll be trading in my 20D and several L series lenses just yet :o) Now if it made a cup of coffee....

[Dave]

Originally Posted by Rob Barron

.... Now if it made a cup of coffee....

Just a decent phone call would be a start You can imagine the next generation suddenly being told in their history lesson " ...although hard to believe students, the mobile started as a contraption you could talk to other people on !!!"

[Rob Barron]

Originally Posted by Dave

Just a decent phone call would be a start You can imagine the next generation suddenly being told in their history lesson " ...although hard to believe students, the mobile started as a contraption you could talk to other people on !!!"

Wow! It did? well fancy that! Funky idea someone had to come up with that daft notion!

My son has a mobile phone and I think he tried speaking into it once but he wasn't sure which end to speak into. He's done nothing since but send text messages with it!

I am gonna make my next mobile a Nokia 6680 with the 2 millimetre lens removed and a Canon 17-40mm L series stuck on the front instead. It should help the pictures but might make a TOUCH less pocketable!

Well if it can't make coffee, how about tea? I am rather partial to Earl Grey :o)

Rob