Smile, and say Android

A new breed of cameras incorporates elements of the cellphone and comes with app icons and Wi-Fi hotspots, says David Pogue.

Android camera.” Wow, that has a weird ring, doesn’t it? You just don’t think of a camera as having an operating system. It’s like saying “Windows toaster” or “Unix jump rope.”
But yes, that’s what it has come to. Ever since cellphone cameras got good enough for everyday snapshots, camera sales have been dropping. For millions of people, the ability to share a fresh photo wirelessly – Facebook, Twitter, email, text message – is so tempting, they’re willing to sacrifice a lot of real-camera goodness.

That’s an awfully big convenience/photo-quality swap. A real camera teems with compelling features that most phones lack: optical zoom, big sensor, image stabilization, removable memory cards, removable batteries and decent ergonomics. (A 4-inch, featureless glass slab is not exactly optimally shaped for a hand-held photographic instrument.)

But the camera makers aren’t taking the cellphone invasion lying down. New models from Nikon and Samsung are obvious graduates of the “if you can’t beat 'em, join 'em” school. The Nikon Coolpix S800C ($300 or Rs 16,521) and Samsung’s Galaxy Camera ($500 or Rs 27,535 from AT&T, $550 or Rs 30,288 from Verizon) are fascinating hybrids. They merge elements of the cellphone and the camera into something entirely new – and, if these flawed 1.0 versions are any indication – very promising.

From the back, you could mistake both of these cameras for Android phones. The big black multitouch screen is filled with app icons. Yes, app icons. These cameras can run Angry Birds, Flipboard, Instapaper, Pandora, Firefox, The New York Times, GPS navigation programs and so on. You download and run them exactly the same way. (That’s right, GPS. “What’s the address, honey? I’ll plug it into my camera.”)

But the real reason you’d want an Android camera is wirelessness. Now you can take a real photo with a real camera – and post it or send it online instantly. You eliminate the whole “get home and transfer it to the computer” step.

And as long as your camera can get online, why stop there? These cameras also do a fine job of handling Web surfing, email, YouTube videos, Facebook feeds, Skype video calls and other online tasks. Well, as fine a job as a phone could do, anyway.

You can even make Skype video calls, although you won’t be able to see your conversation partner; the lens has to be pointing toward you.

Both cameras get online using Wi-Fi hotspots. The Samsung model can also get online over the cellular networks, just like a phone, so you can upload almost anywhere.

Of course, there’s a price for that luxury. Verizon charges at least $30 (Rs 1,652) a month if you don’t have a Verizon plan, or $5 (Rs 275) if you have a Verizon Share Everything plan. AT&T charges $50 (Rs 2,753) a month or more for the camera alone, or $10 more if you already have a Mobile Share plan.