01 Jan 2005

Intro to Camera Phones

Camera phones, as their name implies, are cell phones with built-in cameras. These devices -- easy to use, incorporated non-obtrusively right into the cell phone design, and usually no bigger than normal cell phones -- are hugely popular. Sales are outstripping those of regular digital still cameras by a wide margin.

Resolution on popular VGA camera phones is as good as what can be achieved with a low-end digital still camera; but the high end of the camera phones market is continuously been redefined.

Because worldwide competition in this market is so fierce, rest assured that camera phone manufacturers will keep upping the ante by rolling out increasingly better and cheaper devices.

Nokia and Motorola are the leading manufacturers of camera phones, but many others produce high-quality and feature-rich camera phones too. Some camera-enabled phones have a flash, digital zoom, self-portrait and color adjustment features. They also offer a popular "photo caller id" feature that will show you a photo of who is calling you when the phone rings. Video phones do everything camera phones do, plus record short video clips. These are becoming increasingly popular also.

Shop around and compare (or look for the latest camera phone deals right here on Point.com); many online stores offer camera phones as part of their selection of free phones they give away when you sign up for new service.

You might ask, "Why would I want a camera in my phone in the first place?"

There are hundreds of everyday uses you wouldn't even think of without a camera phone, but wouldn't think to do without once you got used to one. Take a picture of where you parked to remind yourself in what section of the parking garage you left your car. Use camera phone snapshots of the back of your home theater setup before you disassemble it, so you have a reference for putting it back together. At a clothing store, if you are unsure about a purchase, use the camera phone to send a photo to a friend for a second opinion. Keep the facts straight at the scene of an accident by taking photos of the damage with your camera phone. When traveling, use your camera phone to store photos of important documents so you still have the information in case you lose the originals. Shoot stills or video clips at concerts or sporting events to show off to friends stuck at home. Don't have a mirror and want to check if you have something in your teeth? Take a self-portrait and sneak a peek.

Because it takes just a few seconds to take a picture, store it in memory, find it, and forward it to another phone or email account -- AND you pay no processing costs -- you'll find yourself using your phone's camera regularly and even coming up with your own ingenious uses.

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Comments

Can I take a picture with a digital camera, upload to pc and send it to a sprint camera phone customer from pc? Please let me know.

Posted by: D.J. at August 6, 2005 12:40 PM

I know that with Verizon, you can email a phone number (3105551212@verizon.net) or something like that and it goes to the cell phone as a multimedia message. I'm not sure if sprint supports that or not.

Posted by: Jon at August 22, 2005 04:27 PM