Samsung to release 12 megapixels of cameraphone foolishness this month?

It's been a few years since Samsung unleashed its 10 megapixel cameraphone onto the world. Now we're hearing that Samsung will push the limits of absurdity to a full 12 megapixels "this month," likely at Mobile World Congress. The phone is expected to hit the production lines in February with a European debut shortly thereafter. No details are provided other than the picture above used (but not attributed) by Unwired View. If this is the unannounced phone then we can obviously expect GPS geotagging, DivX video capture, and WiFi with DLNA support. One thing is clear: Samsung thinks that Europeans are pixel braggarts with little concern for image quality.

Update: Nope, that image is just a Photoshop of an 8 megapixel Innov8 -- still, we wouldn't be surprised to see the same feature set and industrial design in a 12 megapixel handset.

[Thanks, Robin of Loxley]

[Shattered Ice @ Feb 2nd 2009 6:15AM]

I think we need better image quality to be honest. Increase in megapixel needs a general increase in image quality or else its pointless.

[cr08 @ Feb 2nd 2009 6:28AM]

Yep. a 10MP camera with a crappy sensor, digital zoom only, no image stabilisation, etc. is much worse than a good 3MP camera with a good quality sensor, optical zoom, good focus, etc. I'd take the 3MP any day.

Sad to say, but camera phones are simply to be delegated to 'get it quick' shots where quality isn't important.

[Shinigami @ Feb 2nd 2009 6:48AM]

Did you check out photos made by Samsung 8mp i8510 foolishness? I bet you didn't. I'm definitely waiting for 12mp from Samsung!
You can check out 8mp foolishness examples here:
http://www.mobile-review.com/review/samsung-i8510-en.shtml#12
and here:
http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_i8510_innov8-review-302p5.php

[xdigitalfantasyx @ Feb 2nd 2009 8:52AM]

it's like a 12mp casio exilim v.s. a 5mp panasonic lumix. The lumix win's every time.

swing and a miss samsung. Now give me back the money for my failed sata dvd burner

[blarvh @ Feb 2nd 2009 9:44AM]

Shinigami: Those pictures are horrible. Noise and scars from a over aggressive noise canceler everywhere. And red hues.

Yes I am comparing it to real cameras. Why? Because if you want a phone with 12 mega pixels you are obviously want to take decent photos. Even if it's the worst way to judge quality.

If not then you are just looking for a way to fill your hard drive with unnecessary large pictures.

[Muhammad-Oli @ Feb 2nd 2009 6:16AM]

Isn't that just the INNOV8 shopped to say 12MP?

[matt @ Feb 2nd 2009 6:30AM]

Just what i thought. I can see how the i8510 is suitable for a 12MP 'upgrade' as such. But this is clearly a 'shopped image by someone with very little imagination :)

[Imran @ Feb 2nd 2009 6:17AM]

12mps of mobile quality crapness? Bring it on!

[pit @ Feb 2nd 2009 6:21AM]

12Mpx and a LED flash ? WTF ? lol

[Patriks7 @ Feb 2nd 2009 6:23AM]

How bout release their 256GB SSD first? :p

[kenlkelly @ Feb 2nd 2009 6:28AM]

How about finding a way to put a decent lens on these mega camera phones. 12 megapixels with a tiny lens = much larger crappy photos instead of normal sized crappy photos at night. Why don't these companies design some kind of mini attachment and sell a larger lens that can be removed.

[ILoveApple @ Feb 2nd 2009 6:29AM]

What are you talking about, Ricker? The Samsung i8510 has an 8 MegaPixel camera and it delivers the best daytime pictures on any western mobile phone. It's quite clear to me that Samsung are indeed increasing image quality, just not at the same alarming rate as they're increasing their megapixel numbers.

Your article has a slippery slope to it, my dear.

[Bill @ Feb 2nd 2009 6:35AM]

Yeah, I agree; Samsung is definitely intent on increasing image quality as well as megapixel count. I was reading a comparison of a standard point-n-shoot 8 MP digicam vs the INNOV8. And, the INNOV8 compared quite favorably.

Even Samsung's current 5 MP offerings, the G800 and G810, offer very good image quality.

[G @ Feb 2nd 2009 6:30AM]

Sweet :D

I think adding more pixels can't be bad, the so called experts always say "what about image quality, bla bla bla", but i have yet to see a high end camera phone where more pixels than the competition doesn't give you a better image.


But if i had to choose between good pictures in low light conditions at 5 MP and regular pictures at 12MP, i'd choose the former.


But anything below 5 MP isn't an option for me since i got the N95.

[Ilinca @ Feb 2nd 2009 6:33AM]

Um, the image doesn't show the 12MP phone.

It's the 8MP Innov8, photoshopped a bit - I thought there's no need for me to mention that, since the Innov8 is, well, not exactly an anonymous handset.

Ilinca, Unwired View.

[Zane @ Feb 2nd 2009 6:48AM]

I'd rather have 3MP with 12x optical zoom. Samsung and Nokia really need to get their act together.

[Oli D @ Feb 2nd 2009 6:53AM]

Haha Robin of Loxley...

[KilgoreTrout @ Feb 2nd 2009 7:12AM]

It may seem strange to all smart asses feeling that they absolutely have to comment every bit of news they obviously can't understand and all products they have never seen or tried; but this is Samsung fellas; not some no name brand assembling cheap components or some overhyped firm from Cupertino out to cheat suckers with lots of marketing tricks and some eye-catching packages.
Samsung constantly produces some of the best and most innovative consumer electronics of all kinds, besides being the world's second producer of cell phones after Nokia, which of course it dwarfs in all other respects including R&D.
If they(Samsung) are putting a 12 Mpx camera on one of their cell phones they will surely endow it with the components it needs to make the best use of it, specially since with their previous 10 Mpx model they were already the unchallenged Mpx record holders.
If they reckoned to add 2 Mpx to their next models they must have had their good reasons the most important of which is likely to be that the quality improvements of the components used in this product make it possible and worthwhile to exploit the extra 2 mpX to obtain better pics.
The best pics made with a phone camera I had seen until last year were those made with the 5mpx Nokia N95's, better than the 5mpx on Samsung's Omnia. But when I had occasion to see pics made by an 8 mpx Samsung I was stunned: if taken in decent conditions they were oftem better than those taken with all popular point and shoot.
Try (or at least watch) to belive.

[ILoveApple @ Feb 2nd 2009 7:20AM]

What? Don't Samsung make their own standalone digital cameras? Nokia don't make standalone digital cameras yet it is still the number one camera manufacturer in the world.

[ILoveApple @ Feb 2nd 2009 7:22AM]

Not to forget that Samsung also make standalone audio players. Nokia don't make standalone audio players, yet it's also the number one audio player manufacturer in the world.

[ILoveApple @ Feb 2nd 2009 7:25AM]

Oh yeah, Samsung also make standalone voice recorders. Guess what? Nokia don't make any standalone voice recorders yet it's the number one voice recorder manufacturer in the world.

[KilgoreTrout @ Feb 2nd 2009 7:35AM]

@ I_love_apple

This just proves my point.
Nokia's products make sense only if assembled in one single package, Samsung products are good enough to be sold as single gadgets.

[David @ Feb 2nd 2009 7:20AM]

samsung make pretty poor phones.

Love the title - foolishness. Excellent :)

[lloydie @ Feb 2nd 2009 7:36AM]

it will suck samsung quailty is naff!!!!! n82 will beat most devices on the market, any samsung!!! any day!!!

[Kelmon @ Feb 2nd 2009 7:48AM]

Good grief, that's more than my APS-C DSLR. In the same way as I'd want this on my normal camera, I'd prefer to see good high ISO performance rather than a higher resolution (I'm not going to be using a camera phone to produce billboard images), particularly since it will probably be used most when going out with friends in the evening and I hate flashes.

[Sukhminder @ Feb 2nd 2009 3:48PM]

Definitely need a 12mp camera to put pictures on Facebook....

[j3oomerang @ Feb 2nd 2009 5:37PM]

Steelers Edition

[Payperbiz @ Feb 4th 2009 9:09PM]

I've had enough of cameraphones. Better get a genuine 12 megapixel D-SLR from Nikon.
http://www.apachelocksmith.com/

[Ernie Oporto @ Feb 8th 2009 10:05AM]

Any idea if we'll be able to see the CCD sensor with the human eye?

[streetawe_3d @ Apr 12th 2009 6:43PM]

it just awesome....