Gizmodo: cameraphone

LG Arena Max With 12-Megapixel Camera to Launch Soon?

Kat Hannaford — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:32:12 EST

One way to ensure your handset gets seen, LG, is to whack a 12-megapixel camera on it—even if it's probably running on your dated S-Class interface and not Android, like your GW620.

The Arena Max has just passed through the Wi-Fi certification tract, and while LG still hasn't officially introduced the world to its latest flagship Arena model, it's likely to happen soon. In addition to the rumored 12-megapixel camera, the Arena Max LU9400, to give it its full name, also apparently contains a 5-inch screen and super-fast download speeds.

And if LG defaults on any of the above, then this handset just isn't worthy of the "Max" accolade. LG Arena Mediocre, maybe. [CellPassion via TechRadar via Top10]

How to Trick Your Cameraphone Into Taking Non-Crappy Shots

Dan Nosowitz — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 15:45:00 EDT

Today's Lifehacker Top Ten list shows a half-score ways to get the most out of that most humble of lenses (short of the iPod Nano): The cameraphone. From DVD-laser macro lenses to editing tricks, it's a great guide. [Lifehacker]

What Is It?

Jesus Diaz — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:12:00 EDT

It's a plane! It's a bird! It's a burning UFO! Is it the herald of the apocalypse? Kind of, but not quite. What this is, is a nice photo taken by a very lucky photographer.

I have a hard time believing this unique shot of a meteor striking through the Earth atmosphere was taken with a cellphone camera, but looking at the image through Photoshop, it seems it is indeed a real photo. Or maybe it's not a meteor but a sundog, like some people in the comments pointed out.

The photographer—31-yo Matthew Pinless from Cheltenham, England—claims that the object raced through the sky. If it was indeed a meteor, he must have been really fast to take out his cellphone, and shoot quickly enough to snap two pictures of it. Whatever it was, it's good shot. [Daily Mail]

Ruggedized Casio Exilim Rotating Flip Phone Packs 5.1MP Camera

Dan Nosowitz — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:20:00 EDT

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.Casio's Exilim phone (vaguely NSFW ad here) looks to cram in just about every feature you can get on a Verizon dumbphone, with a few higher-end bonuses: It's military-grade ruggedized and features an impressive 5.1MP camera.

Exilim is Casio's digital camera line, so when they've branded a phone with the name, you know the lens is going to get some attention. Who knows if the pictures look good (the camera line is not particularly well-reviewed) but it's got autofocus, an image stabilizer, and video recording, so it's likely one of the better phone cameras out there. Otherwise, you've got the standard Verizon features (VZ Navigator, visual voicemail, V Cast Music) in a rotating flip phone package that just happens to meet military standards for durability.

It's available today online, though at the very steep price of $279, and that's after a mail-in rebate and with a 2-year contract. That's more expensive than every one of Verizon's BlackBerry offerings and, in fact, the third-most-expensive phone in Big Red's lineup. Press release below. [Verizon]

RUGGEDIZED CASIO EXILIM WITH 5.1 MEGAPIXEL CAMERA NOW AVAILABLE FROM VERIZON WIRELESS

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and NEW YORK – Verizon Wireless and Casio introduce the Casio® EXILIM, a picture perfect blend of digital camera functionality and entertainment features for the adventure seeker. The Casio EXILIM boasts a 180-degree rotating display, professional 5.1 megapixel camera and access to instant messaging, Visual Voice Mail and V CAST Music with Rhapsody.

Available color: Black and champagne

Key features:

· Meets military specifications 810F standards for: water (immersion and rain), humidity, salt-fog, shock, vibration, dust, solar radiation, altitude, and low and high temperature storage

· Camera and video capabilities –

o 5.1 megapixel auto focus camera with flash and optical 3x zoom

o Resolution adjustment: 2560 x 1920, 2048 x 1536, 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 640 x 480, 320 x 240, 160 x 120

o Dedicated camera/video key

o Video capture and playback

o Best shot mode: off, person, scenery, night view, person and scenery, twilight, food, character, sports, party, monotone, sepia, reverse, high sharpness, high contrast and vivid

o Image stabilizer

o Auto focus: off, single point AF or 9 point AF

o Perspective adjustment

o Self timer: off, three, five or 10 seconds

o White balance: auto, sunny, shade, tungsten and fluorescent

· Supports up to 8 GB of optional removable memory (microSD™ card sold separately)

· Bluetooth® profiles supported: headset, hands-free, dial up networking, stereo, phonebook access and object push (for vCard/vCal)

Lifestyle features:

· VZ NavigatorSM-capable – customers can get audible turn-by-turn directions to more than 15 million points of interest and share the directions with others

· Visual Voice Mail – customers can delete, reply and forward voice mail messages without having to listen to prior messages or voice instructions

· V CAST Music with Rhapsody – customers can choose from more than 4 million songs to download over the air; get the master copy of the songs on their PCs; and sync favorite tracks, albums and playlists from their PCs to their phones using a USB cable

Price and availability:

· The Casio EXILIM is available for $279.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Customers receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.

· VZ Navigator is available for $2.99 daily access, and Visual Voice Mail is available for $2.99 monthly access. Other charges may apply when downloading or using applications.

· Customers can purchase the Casio EXILIM beginning today online at www.verizonwireless.com or in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores. For additional information on any Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go online to www.verizonwireless.com.

Samsung Pixon 12: The First 12-Megapixel Cameraphone You Can Actually Buy

John Herrman — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 05:08:47 EDT

Fortunately, the Pixon's 12-megapixel claim to greatness, which guarantees you nothing at all except for the industry's largest file sizes, is complemented by some decent specs, starting with a 3.1" AMOLED touchscreen, 3G and FM radio.

Obviously, though, the flash-equipped camera is the star of the show here, and while relentless megapixel one-upmanship is fruitless and annoying, the Pixon looks like it'll be a decent pocket shooter despite its narrow obsession. Touch autofocus lets you choose a focal point with a finger tap, after which the camera will automatically keep focus on its subject. Shooting speed is quicker than average, clocking in at about two seconds per shot. A bevy of online photo services are supported out of the box, and video recording, though not HD, records at a respectable 720 x 480.

The 150MB internal storage is glaringly weak for a camera-centric phone, though I suspect, as is usually the case, that carriers will bundle SD cards when the Pixon finally goes on sale, which will be in June in Europe, and August elsewhere—though not necessarily here. Sorry, Idou! [OLED Info and Akihabara News]

Sony Ericsson Idou Smartphone Appears With Whopping 12 Megapixel Camera

Odelia Lee — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:00:00 EDT

Set to debut in Europe this October, the Sony Ericsson Idou is a full-touchscreen smartphone with a 3.5-inch display and GPS.

The first model in a new series of entertainment phones from Sony Ericsson, the Idou is being marketed as a device capable of providing "unlimited entertainment." On the bill are music, video, photo, games, social network functionality.

Aside from the sweet camera offering, however, most of the other features seem pretty run of the mill. Sony Ericsson will have to pull up their britches and get working, because it all sounds like stuff we've seen before. No word yet on a stateside appearance. [Mobil via Slashgear]

Samsung Memoir 8-Megapixel Cameraphone Lightning Review

Jason Chen — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 00:00:01 EST

The Gadget: Samsung Memoir, which is the 8-megapixel upgraded version of the Samsung Behold—both of which have Samsung's TouchWiz-based touchscreen interface. It's also got a Xenon flash that works quite well.

The Price: $250 with two-year contract, $50 rebate and qualifying data plan

The Verdict: A pretty damn good cameraphone. The TouchWiz UI is pretty much the same as the version on the Samsung Behold. In short, it's more usable as a touchscreen phone (keyboard is fairly decent) than Windows Mobile phones, but not quite as good as say, Android or the iPhone. It does have haptic feedback, meaning there's a slight rumble as you press down on the screen. And yes, that implies that the Memoir doesn't have capacitive touch. You still have to press down when you want to click things. Let it be known that Jesús Diaz does not like some Samsung touchscreen UIs.

The front of the phone looks like a Samsung touchscreen phone, but the back actually looks a lot like a Samsung camera. Which is kind of the point. The 8-megapixel camera is very good. So good, in fact, that it's (give or take) about as good as my Samsung NV3 point and shoot from a few years ago. The gallery below has comparison shots.

And here's how well the Memoir's Xenon flash works in complete darkness. Spoiler: Pretty damn well.

I haven't had enough experience with Nokia's high end N-series cameraphones to say whether or not the Memoir is better. We've already established that more megapixels isn't always better, but if the Memoir can take photos that are just about as good as Samsung's NV3 (which doesn't take FANTASTIC images, we have to admit), it's a great alternative for a point and shoot camera.

Samsung 8MP Touchscreen Memoir Cellphone Is the US's First

Elaine Chow — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:46:28 EST

The Samsung Memoir could easily be mistaken for a real camera. On one side is a full touch-screen, and on the other is an 8-megapixel camera, 16x digital zoom, and Xenon flash.

The phone, which we first saw hints of in December, will run on T-Mobile's 3G network. Besides the 8-megapixel camera, it also has a full-touch virtual QWERTY keypad, a music and video player, built in GPS, and Bluetooth.

SAMSUNG MOBILE AND T-MOBILE USA INTRODUCE BEST-IN-CLASS
8-MEGAPIXEL CAMERA PHONE

Samsung Memoir™ Captures and Shares High-Quality Images
With Advanced Features and Touch Screen

DALLAS, and BELLEVUE, WASH. — Feb. 5, 2009 — Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) and T-Mobile USA, Inc., today announced the upcoming availability of the Samsung Memoir™, a full touch-screen mobile phone equipped with an 8-megapixel camera and premium multimedia features, placing it among the highest quality imaging phones available in the U.S.

The Memoir, available exclusively from T-Mobile, is designed to look and feel like a customer's current point-and-shoot digital camera. The built-in 8-megapixel camera with Xenon flash, 16x digital zoom and five shooting modes empower customers to capture exceptional photos and videos from their phone — whether they're on the go, on a vacation or just hanging out around the house.

The touch-screen phone, enabled by Samsung's TouchWiz™ user interface and powered by T-Mobile's high-speed 3G network, makes sharing photos easy. Samsung's new photo widget allows customers to post images taken with the Memoir directly to their favorite online photo sharing source, such as flickr®, Kodak® Gallery, Photobucket and Snapfish.

"With the 8-megapixel Samsung Memoir, T-Mobile customers can capture and share little slices of life in all their vibrant brilliance," said Denny Marie Post, chief marketing officer, T-Mobile USA. "With the ability to share photos at your fingertips, the Memoir helps make those connections more meaningful by their immediacy."

The Memoir's full-touch virtual QWERTY keypad and multiple messaging capabilities, including text, multimedia messaging, instant messaging and e-mail, make staying connected quick and easy while on the go. The Memoir is complete with a music and video player and built-in Assisted GPS navigation, which allows customers to utilize location-based services including turn-by-turn directions. For hands-free use, the Memoir features stereo Bluetooth® technology, speakerphone and voice-activated dialing.

"This is the camera phone that will make people want to leave their digital camera at home," said Bill Ogle, Chief Marketing Officer for Samsung Mobile. "When you combine the Memoir's imaging capabilities, customizable menus and music player, not only is it a great phone, but the entertainment possibilities are unlimited."

T-Mobile's 3G coverage available in select markets. Samsung Memoir also works on T-Mobile's 2G network. See coverage maps at T-Mobile.com

Model number: SGH-t929

Sony Ericsson Shooting Ad Campaign Entirely on C905 Cyber-shot Cell Phone

Jack Loftus — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 12:30:00 EST

It's being claimed as a first for the industry: Sony Ericsson has teamed up with FHM to shoot a professional ad campaign using nothing but the camera in the C905 Cybershot handset. Rumored to be a five-figure deal, the ad spread will run in the December issue of FHM to promote the camera phone during the holiday shopping season. The advertorial makes perfect sense for the 8.1 megapixel camera-equipped mobile, which has done much to further blur the line between digital cameras and mobiles. It's also a topic we've hit here at Gizmodo is the recent past, including the LG panel convened in September to hawk the convergence of HD video, cameras and cell phones.

The new FHM ad campaign is the brainchild of Bauer Media, which developed the creative using professional lighting, models, makeup and an expert fashion photographer. It was exactly the same scene you'd expect from a typical pompous "lad mag" marketing campaign, but with a cell phone camera doing the heavy lifting instead of some high-powered DSLR.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to the Boston subway to take a few clandestine modeling pics with my iPhone 3G. [Mobile Marketing Magazine via Textually]

Nokia N96 Media-Cameraphone Lands at Best Buy For $800

Kit Eaton — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 07:42:30 EDT

News of the European debut and pricing of Nokia's anticipated N96 slider cellphone stirred up debate about its cost: but now it's nearly here in Best Buy and yes, that $800 price tag is intact. That's clearly just for the phone, naked and un-contracted to a provider, but it's a massive amount of cash—half as much again as an unsubsidized Blackberry Bold. If you're skeptical but want to check out if the beast is worth 800 smackeroos, there'll be hands-on display units in some stores apparently. [BGR]

Casio's W63CA Exilim, World First 8.1-Megapixel Cameraphone Hits Japan

Kit Eaton — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 07:06:12 EDT

For some reason, the W63CA cellphone hit the FCC over on this side of the Pacific in August, but now it's officially hit the stores in Japan. It's got a couple of claimed world's firsts, apparently: the world's first 8.1 megapixel cameraphone, and the first with a 3.1-inch 480 × 800 pixels organic EL display. And it's really trying hard to earn the cameraphone name, since it's got a new Exilim image engine, 6-axis vibration compensation, a 28mm-equivalent lens and face recognition, and can also shoot 30fps VGA video. There's Bluetooth, microSD memory, and a Japanese-English translator in the phone part. But unless Casio chooses to replace the CDMA guts of this machine with a more US-friendly version, it's likely to remain in Japan. [Fareastgizmos]

Samsung INNOV8: 8MP Cameraphone With a Digital Photo Frame Mode

Elaine Chow — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 03:00:47 EDT

Samsung also included this puntastic entry into its offerings at London's Smartphone Show. The INNOV8, Samsung's first 8MP camera phone, comes with a 2.8-inch 16 million color LCD, 8GB or 16GB of flash memory (with an eternal SD card slot), an optical mouse, HSDPA and WiFi connectivity and a GPS navigation and geo-tagging service. The camera part of the mobile utilizes smile shot, blink shot and face recognition, and you'll also get a couple media editing programs thrown in for good measure. No word yet on price or availability, or whether the lens is good enough to make the 8MP sensor worth it.

Samsung Reinforces Its Leadership In Smartphone Market

With Extensive Product Portfolio

Samsung offers a variety of Symbian smartphones at the Smartphone Show 2008

The Smartphone Show, London, UK, October 21 2008 - Samsung Electronics, a leading provider of mobile phones and telecom systems, showcases an extensive portfolio of Symbian smartphones at this year’s Smartphone Show (Oct. 21~22) in London, United Kingdom.

Samsung sees a great growth potential in the open Operating System based smartphone market, and has invested a lot of R&D and marketing resources in this market for past several years. Consequently, Samsung plans to offer a wider range of open OS mobiles this year, demonstrating significant progress in open OS and smartphone technology. Your browser may not support display of this image., the ultimate mobile entertainer with an 8-megapixel camera and Symbian OS, was recently launched and extremely well received by users and industry professionals all around the world.

Geesung Choi, President of Samsung’s Telecommunications Business, said: “I’m sure that we will see more and more demand for smartphones with open Operating Systems thanks to the increasing need for flexibility and customization on mobiles, and the introduction of various mobile applications. Samsung’s new Symbian OS-based smartphones such as Your browser may not support display of this image. shows our strategic focus on the open OS phone market.”

“We will reinforce our open OS and smartphone leadership not only by providing more products, but also by opening our new developers collaboration program ‘Samsung Mobile Innovator’.” He concluded.

At this year’s Smartphone Show, Mr.Ho-Soo Lee, Executive Vice President of Mobile Solution Centre, Telecommunication Business of Samsung Electronics, will deliver the keynote speech, ‘Eight Reasons to Innov8,’ on Tuesday, October 21.

Samsung’s newly announced Symbian smartphones at the Smartphone Show include:

Samsung INNOV8

Recognized as Samsung's first ever 8-megapixel camera phone, the
Samsung INNOV8 is perfect for users for capturing and storing precious
memories in style. It comes with the Symbian OS V9.3, S60 3rd Edition
Feature Pack 2, which helps users to easily download various
ready-made applications for Symbian mobiles.

Using the latest in imaging applications such as smile shot, blink
shot and face recognition, memorable moments can be stored at the
highest quality. Users can enjoy personalizing and editing their
photos, videos and music with Movie Maker and Story Board
applications. The handset also acts as a digital photo frame, allowing
users to display their favorite images. A 1200mAh battery provides a
long enough battery life to enjoy all the multimedia experience
without worrying about limits on size and time.

Samsung INNOV8's crystal clear 2.8" 16M color LCD, is perfectly
designed to provide users with the best possible photography, video
and gaming experience on-the-go. The 8GB or 16GB Flash memory and
external memory slot up to additional 16GB provides sufficient
contents storage.

Samsung INNOV8 offers the best ever mobile web browsing experience.
With an optical mouse and 4-way navigation key, users can enjoy
PC-like browsing experience. The 7.2 Mbps HSDPA high speed Internet
and WiFi connection deliver a convenient and seamless internet
experience wherever users are. The phone is equipped with A GPS
technology, offering navigation and geo-tagging service.

Samsung INNOV8 Specifications:

Network HSDPA 7.2 Mbps (900/2100), EDGE / GPRS (850/900/1800/1900)
OS Symbian OS V9.3, S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2
Display 2.8" QVGA 16M TFT LCD
Camera 8 Megapixel CMOS with AF and Dual Power LED
Smart Reader, Image Stabilizer, Auto-Panorama Shot, Smile Shot,
Blink Shot, Wide Dynamic Range (WDR), Face Detection
Video Video Player (DivX / H.263 / H.264 / WMV / MP4)
QVGA 120 fps Video recording, VGA 30 fps recording
Video Editing
Audio FM Radio with RDS
DNSe 2.0
Music Player (MP3/ AAC / AAC+ / eAAC+ / WMA / AMR/ RealAudio)
Bluetooth Stereo Headset (A2DP)
3.5pi output
Value-added Features A-GPS
Optical Mouse, Accelerometer
Embedded 3D Games : FIFA 2008, Asphalt
Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA)
Connectivity Bluetooth 2.0 / USB 2.0 / Wi-Fi
Memory 8GB / 16GB Flash + External Memory slot : microSDHC™ (up to 16GB)
Size 106.5 x 53.9 x 17.2 mm
Battery 1200 mAh
Talk time: up to 300 / 510 min (3G/2.5G)
Stand-by time: up to 330 / 310 hrs (3G/2.5G)

Automatic Cameraphone Zoom Shows Up In Sony Ericsson Patent App

John Herrman — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 05:30:00 EDT

I guess the complicated combination of accelerometers and proximity sensors isn't trivial technology, but this one really should have been done by now: automatic zoom based on camera movement. In a new patent application, Sony Ericsson has detailed technology that judges your intention to zoom by measuring the camera's distance from your body, zooming in as it moves further away. The patent is just for cameraphones at the moment, but there's no reason that it couldn't (or shouldn't) crop up in the next generation of point and shoots as well. [UnwiredView via Engadget]

LG Will Release Self-Proclaimed World's Thinnest 8MP Camera Phone

Elaine Chow — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 01:27:20 EDT

LG is claiming that its upcoming slider, the KC780, will be the world's thinnest 8 megapixel camera phone, according to GSM Arena. If that's true, the phone will wrestle the title from the Samsung Pixon, which measures in at a super slim 13.8mm. Besides the 8MP camera, the KC780 is also expected to have a TFT display with limited touchscreen, 30fps video recording, quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE connectivity, 140MB of on-board memory and a microSD slot for more, USB 2.0 and Bluetooth 2.0. [GSMArena]

Samsung's M8800 Pixon Cellphone Hits, With 8-Megapixel Autofocus Camera

Kit Eaton — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 05:21:00 EDT

This is Samsung's promo video for the upcoming M8800 cellphone (aka Pixon) with 8-megapixel camera. In fact it looks very much like a compact camera from the rear, and its 3.2-inch screen bears the same TouchWiz interface as the Omnia. That screen is a 400 x 240 pixel touchscreen with touch keyboard and handwriting recognition, and the phone has AGPS, accelerometer and FM radio. Read on for hands-on photos and full specs.

• Quad-band GSM, tri-band HSDPA
• 107.9x54.6x14.9mm, 110 g
• 3.2-inch touch screen display (240 x 400 pixels)
• 8 megapixel camera, auto focus, face recognition with smile detection and blink detection, WDR (wide dynamic range), ASR (advanced shake reduction), GPS geotagging, ISO 1600, WVGA (720x480 pixels) and VGA (640 x 480 pixels) @30fps video recording
• Built-in GPS receiver
• Accelerometer
• DivX playback
• FM radio with RDS
• microSD card slot
• Bluetooth
• Landscape virtual QWERTY keyboard
• Handwriting recognition
• ShoZu integration - direct image and video upload
• Office document viewer

Interestingly, there's no mention of Wi-Fi in that list of specs. It'll be out early November (in Russia, at least) for around $800. [ via GSMArena]

Leaked Marketing Photos for BlackBerry Javelin Show 512mhz Processor, Lens Inside LCD?

Elaine Chow — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 15:00:00 EDT

The folks at Crackberry has obtained marketing photos of RIM's new non-3G smartphone, the Blackberry Javelin, which gives us the down low on the details of the phone. Javelin will contain a 512 MHz processor, 256 MB of onboard flash memory plus a hot-swappable microSD slot, a hi-res 460 x 360 HVGA+ display, Wi-Fi with UMA and GPS, and a 3.2 megapixel camera. What briefly piques my interest though is the promise of "integrated lens/LCD technology." Does that mean a second camera hidden behind the display or is it just more ad speak for "the display is pretty"? The release date still seems to be slated for 2009. [Crackberry]

Smudgy Pictures of Nokia's Tube Show New, Bland Interface

Elaine Chow — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 13:30:00 EDT

A bunch of new photos and specs for Nokia's Tube, a.k.a. The 5800 XpressMusic, have been leaked to the internet. The alleged iPhone killer will apparently come with a 16:9 16 million color TFT LCD display with 640 X 360 pixel resolution, haptic feedback, a 3.2 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, Dual LED flash, a built-in GPS and 140MB RAM. Also, lots of grease and fingerprints, it seems.

It looks like Nokia's updated the interface since the last round of leaked pics, but while the new design is cleaner, it's also flat and uninteresting. If Nokia wants even the slightest sliver of possible iPhone users to sit up and take notice, this had better not be the last version of the phone's UI. [Boy Genius]

Samsung's i8510 Boasts Almost Everything, Plus An 8 Megapixel Camera

Matt Hickey — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:00:00 EDT

Samsung has a new slider on the market in Europe and we're hoping it finds its way over here. The i8510 is a S60-powered GSM phone with very fast 3G speeds and Wi-Fi, as well as GPS. What makes this high-end phone lust-worthy, though, is the 8 Megapixel multifunction camera with Xenon flash that can record video at up to 120 frames per second. It also has image stabilization and face recognition as well as other features. Couple that with Bluetooth 2 and 16GB of internal flash storage and you've got a serious, slim phone for T-Mobile users. And it looks really nice, too. [Symbian Guru]

LG Getting New KC910 As Flagship Phone With Killer Camera Features

Matt Hickey — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:51:59 EDT

There's apparently a new touchscreen handset from LG on the way, and early word is that it's slated to be the Korean phone maker's new flagship phone. So far known as the KC910, it appears to be more camera than phone, shooting at 8-megapixels with a real Xenon flash, face detection, image stabilization and a 480p camcorder function, which is worth noting. It also supposedly has an 800x480 resolution screen, which means it can show 16:9 movies with no cropping, all in a form factor a little over half an inch thick. If they can throw in a few other high-end features like Wi-Fi and a good browser then this handset could out-media the iPhone and be a real challenger, but we're holding our judgment till we've seen it in action. [Electronista, via DC Sources, via Ubergizmo]

Sony Ericsson C905 8.1-Megapixel Cybershot Phone Gets Official Specs

Kit Eaton — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:20:00 EDT

Twice we've brought you leaked info on Sony Ericsson's upcoming C905 cellphone, and today at last Sony came good with official specs. The camera in its slider body is indeed an 8.1-megapixel one, with xenon flash, auto-focus, face detection and image stabilization. The phone's also pretty full-featured, and is GPS-ready, with a 2.4-inch TFT screen and TV-out capability as we'd heard. So is it a camera with a bolt-on phone or the other way around? Read the specs in the press release to decide. Simultaneously, Sony came up with news of the S302 Snapshot, which sounds like a lower-spec sibling to the C905 with just 2-megapixels and a fixed-focus lens. Both should be available late this year.

Singapore, 17 June 2008 – The C905 is Sony Ericsson’s first Cyber-shot slider and its most advanced camera phone yet. With an 8.1 megapixel camera and real camera flash amongst its cutting-edge capabilities, it offers easy photo-taking in a phone that derives its looks from a digital camera and offers the picture quality to match. In comparison the S302 Snapshot is for those who want it all at an affordable price – good looks, must-have features and a pocket-sized slim design.

“The C905 Cyber-shot™ and S302 Snapshot have been developed to make us all better photographers! That means making it easier to take great shots and never missing that magic moment.” said Sven Totté, Head of Imaging Marketing at Sony Ericsson. “Although both have photography at their core, the phones are very distinct; the 8.1megapixel C905 is a viable alternative to a digital camera and the S302 is perfect for those who don’t want to miss a moment and like to send or Bluetooth™ their photos to their friends.”

The new C905 Cyber-shot™
Take your best shot

Complete digital camera experience on a phone – true digital camera styling and an 8.1 megapixel camera with Xenon flash
Outstanding picture quality – complete with face detection auto-focus, smart contrast and image stabilizer
From baby’s first steps to an amazing sunset; store them all on the 2GB Memory Stick Micro™ (M2®) included
The USB adaptor (CCR-70) provided in-box allows for easy transfer of your photos to-and-from your PC.
View high-quality pictures on the phones impressive 2.4” scratch-resistant mineral glass display
Share your memories – send your photos wirelessly from your phone to your TV via Wi-Fi™ (using DLNA), or connect with wires using the TV-Out Cable ITC-60, also announced today
Upload photos to your own online blogsite or print your photos with fantastic resolution up to A3 size
Much more than a camera phone - GPS-enabled for geo-tagging of photos and navigation support.
The new S302 Snapshot
Good for your image

Slick and slimline with a stylish design and a premium, high-gloss finish
2.0 megapixel camera with an easy-to-learn camera menu. Use the S302 just like you would a digital camera
Photo light and Photo fix – useful photo functions to help you get the shots you want
Capture the action - video recording and playback
Room for your entire photo album - up to 20 MB internal memory and Memory Stick Micro™ (M2™) support
Transfer photos easily via USB, Bluetooth™ or Memory Stick Micro™
Building on Sony Ericsson’s camera phone heritage, the C905 Cyber-shot™ phone and S302 Snapshot are all-round performers that maximise their camera credentials. The S302 introduces a premium looking, yet affordable phone with a snapshot camera at-hand when needed. The C905 is a powerful 8.1 megapixel camera phone that looks, feels and acts like a real camera.

The C905 Cyber-shot™ will be available in three colours (Night Black, Ice Silver and Copper Gold) in selected markets from Q4 2008. It will support the following networks:
C905: GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 UMTS/HSDPA 2100.
C905a: GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 UMTS/HSDPA 850/1900/2100
C905c: GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900.
The S302 Snapshot will be available in Crystal Blue and Thunder Grey in selected markets from Q4 2008. The S302 (and S302c for China markets) will support GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900.

TV-Out Cable ITC-60 will be available Q4 2008

For the full, massive specs list click onto the Sony link. [SonyEricsson.com]