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Casio's 8.1 megapixel W63CA with 480 x 800 pixel OLED flips out in Japan
We had a chance to gaze through the wireframe of this 8.1 megapixel Casio W63CA Exilim cellphone back in August courtesy of the FCC's finest. Now check it in high-gloss, plastic flesh. The latest Japanese super-phone squeezes 480 x 800 pixel into a 3.1-inch OLED display. Let that sink in for a second... the very same 384,000 pixels on a display smaller than the 3.8-inch LCD heralded by the Touch HD. The camera features a wide-angle lens, 9-point auto focus, face detection, anti-shake, and a YouTube video mode that records VGA video at 30fps to microSD. All this in a Japanese-only flip measuring 110 x 50 x 17.4 ~ 22-mm when it launches in early November. [Via Impress]
Sharp's SH-01A 8 megapixel flip packs a 28-mm wide angle lens and Dolby Pro Logic II
Sure, the US has fancy-pants capacitive touchscreen phones out the wazoo, but Japan's superphones still dominate when boiled down to a base, spec-for-spec comparison. Take this new Sharp SH-01A clamshell for example, just revealed by the FCC. It sports a 28mm wide-angle lens with 8 megapixel CCD sensor and, according to rumor, Dolby Pro Logic II surround sound for your microSD stored media. Remember, FCC testing doesn't mean it'll be sold between the left and right coasts -- this flip is likely just being certified for US roaming whenever it's finally announced for NTT DoCoMo in Japan.
LG's KC780 8 megapixel cameraphone likes your smile, not your pimples
LG, a major player in the cameraphone megapixel wars, is aiming to knock out the competition via a one-two punch of the KC920 Renoir and the newly official KC780. That latter phone still lacks a cute nickname, but now has a few official specs to go along with its resolution. Just 13.9mm thick, it sports a 2.4-inch LCD on the front and an unsurprisingly Schneider-Kreuznach certified lens on the back, the latter augmented by some advanced "face-enhancing features" like smile detection and Beauty Mode to digitally smooth blemishes. It should perform decently in low light, courtesy of an ISO 1600 shooting mode and built-in image stabilization; good things both because we don't expect that tiny flash will brighten any room. The phone records videos at 640 x 480, and interestingly, it can act as a wireless Bluetooth webcam for a PC. Price is unconfirmed, but European release is coming next month ahead of a worldwide launch "later."[Via Engadget Spanish]
LG KC780 strives for world's thinnest 8 megapixel camera phone
An official-looking promo shot of the rumored LG KC780 has surfaced, along supposed confirmation and some details: this will be the slimmest 8 megapixel camera phone to date, offering quad-band GSM support and limited touchscreen functionality. There's still no word on 3G support, no price and no date -- but you'll know more when we do. Promise.
LG already prepping a midrange 8-megapixel phone?
Our minds are still positively blown at the mere thought of stuffing eight megapixels of picture-snapping power behind some mediocre optics and wrapping it up in a GSM radio, but LG appears to already be looking forward to a time when this kind of thing is par for the course. iDNES.cz has a tiny, blurry shot of a supposed KC780 slider, which tosses out the KC910 Renoir's high style for a homelier look that we can only assume fortells a lower asking price. You get a mere 140MB of integrated storage here -- not bloody much for a phone that's snapping eight millions pixels at a shot -- and iDNES says it's "not clear" yet whether 3G will even be supported, though we'll apparently see image stabilization and face detection in the cam. Low end? High end? What's it gonna be, LG?
Samsung spits out second 8-megapixel mobile, christens it "Pixon"
Hot on the INNOV8's trails comes another 8-megapixel phone out of Samsung's frighteningly fast-paced labs, this one dubbed M8800 Pixon (is it just us, or does that sound like a great name for an alien life form?). They're really mixing it up here, too -- unlike the S60-based INNOV8, the Pixon packs a full-on 400 x 240 touchscreen and settles for Samsung's proprietary non-smartphone platform. The OS seems to be the only place it's settling, though, since we've got triband HSDPA, GPS, an FM radio, microSD expansion -- and, oh yeah, there's the little matter of that whopping cam with face detection, geotagging, and WVGA video recording. Sadly there's no WiFi on board, but it'd be just a little less useful than normal without an honest-to-goodness smartphone OS as your playground -- and at least you've got global 3G on your side. It looks like we can expect shipments of this one sometime in November for €550 (about $805).[Via GSMArena]
Casio's 8 megapixel Exilim W63CA cellphone gets FCC approved
First off, the chance of this Japanese super-phone coming to the US or anywhere else outside of Nippon is slim. FCC approval or not, it's likely only being tested for global roaming. However, as slim is its chances are, they've improved dramatically now that Japan's government is behind a push to promote its twisty, folding phones abroad. This Exilim-branded Casio / Hitachi mashup sports an 8 megapixel camera and with any luck, it's using that new Omnivision sensor meant to revolutionize cameraphones. As followup to the W53CA, this 3G W63CA flip will no doubt feature the same high-resolution, 800 x 480 pixel swiveling display of its cousin. With autumn nearing, we expect to see the W63A announced any day in a typical shotgun blast of seasonal phones from KDDI.
OmniVision claims 8 megapixel OmniBSI sensor turns cellphone imaging world "upside down"
Digital Camera 101: As manufacturers continue pushing the Megapixel Myth by stuffing more and more pixels onto rapidly shrinking sensors, the outcome is poor performance on top of poorly lit images of increasingly low quality. Now OmniVision, the largest CMOS image sensor manufacturer today, says they've solved the pixel size problem though backside illumination (BSI) technology. In essence, BSI helps maximize photon collection by circumventing obstructive metal and dielectric layers on the top-side of the sensor die. The result is improved light absorption, thinner overall camera modules, and increased sensitivity and F stops with reduced crosstalk. However, as EETimes' crack staff of Electrical Engineering super-nerds point out, BSI is not a new technology. In fact, several manufacturers lay claim to BSI patents. However, OmniVision seems to be the first to take the tech to mass production for consumers. To prove it, they'll release an 8 megapixel OmniBSI CameraChip sensor brimming with the new tech for sample in June. Couple it with a decent cameraphone lens and image processing circuitry and we might be in for a treat. [Via EETimes]
K-Touch's 8 megapixel C280 cameraphone flaunts Canon image processing
Remember when Samsung was pumping out cameraphones with increasingly ridiculous megapixel counts? At the moment, phones top-out at about 5 megapixels. Until this, the 8 megapixel C280 with 3x optical zoom and claimed 1600 ISO support (right) from the previously unheard of K-Touch. Ironically, it might very well be using a CMOS sensor from Samsung. Perhaps more interesting though is the fact that it'll be using Canon's own DIGIC III image processing when it hits the Chinese market.
Samsung announces world's thinnest 8 megapixel cellphone module
Measuring just 8.5-mm thin, you're looking at what Samsung claims to be the slimmest CMOS camera module of its kind. The 8 megapixel module is expected to supplant the 5 megapixel job found in todays top-end cameraphones sometime in the second half of the year. Fortunately, this isn't just a case of megapixel marketing as the module also features anti-shake, a 1-cm macro, and face tracking technology. It also packs a smile shutter feature to snap that picture just as soon as a smile, or vinegar, is detected.
The Lensas F2218: why wait for your 8 megapixel cameraphone?
Yeah, yeah, we know that Nokia, Samsung, and probably every other top tier manufacturer has an 8 megapixel cameraphone cookin' in the oven as we speak. Problem is, you're impatient, we're impatient, and frankly, we'd like this stuff now. Chinese firm Lensas has the solution to the pollution, though: meet the F2218, quite possibly the orangest 8 megapixel candybar on the market today. There's even a xenon flash in there, too, and from the looks of the sample shots on PConline's review, the whole package does alright for itself. Of course, without some incredibly fast network (say, TD-SCDMA) to back it up it gets a little tricky to effectively get those massive shots back and forth, but it's a start -- and in a reversal of roles, it's the big guys who'll be doing the copying come next year.[Via Unwired View]
Samsung's 8 megapixel CMOS sensor for phones -- another world's first
You know all those 3 megapixel cameraphones out there? Well, they're about to achieve 8 megapixel ubiquity. Samsung just announced availability of their 8 megapixel CMOS sensor which shares roughly the same 10.5 x 11.5 x 9.4-mm girth of its 3 megapixel cuz. Just make sure you've got plenty of light to frame those shots if you're expecting anything close to a quality image.
Sony's 4GB Cyber-shot DSC-T2 with 2.7-inch touch panel
Sony just announced the sticky-sweet Cyber-shot DSC-T2 compact camera. Available in you choice of blue, green, pink, white or black candy coatings, the T2 comes loaded with specs: 8 megapixel, 1/2.5-inch CCD; 4GB of on-board flash storage with Memory Stick Pro Duo expansion; 2.7-inch, 230k pixel touchscreen LCD; ISO 3200 max sensitivity; Sony's "smile shutter" and face detection tech; and 3x Carl Zeiss zoom with optical image stabilization. Ready for plenty of egg noggin' granny shots this December for about $350.%Gallery-9036%
Casio's Exilim EX-Z8 shooter loosed somewhere in the world
We'll have to take their word for it, but LetsGoDigital assures us that Casio has a new Exilim Zoom-series shooter, the EX-Z8. Its 8.1 megapixels are helped along by the Exilim Engine 2.0 processing and anti-shake DSP. Rounding things out are a 2.6-inch LCD, 3x zoom, face-detection tech, and a YouTube-mode for capturing H.264 compressed video in formats ideal for sharing. Pretty standard stuff these days in the land of compact shooters.
Ricoh Caplio R7: 8.1 megapixel with 7.1x wide zoom
Ricoh keeps on keepin' on with another bump in specs for their R-series shooters. The R7 takes the R6 into 8.1 megapixel territory while maintaining the 7.1x wide zoom lens while tossing in their new Smooth Engine III image processing which should help quiet the noise at higher ISOs. Available in silver, black, and orange next month for a tax inclusive price of £230 in the UK. %Gallery-6452%[Via Impress]
Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-H3: an 8 megapixel, 10x zoomer
While everyone is pining over the new Canons (and rumored Nikons), Sony has quietly unveiled their Cybershot DSC-H3. Of course, it doesn't warrant the comparable fuss. This latest super-zoom to go point-and-shoot brings a 1/2.5-inch, 8 megapixel sensor; 10x Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar zoom lens; optical image stabilization; ISO 3200 sensitivity; and 1080p image out via a multi-use AV terminal which requires -- you guessed it -- a $40 proprietary component conversion cable from Sony. Thanks. Still, not bad for $300. Pre-orders for US-itizens start tomorrow. %Gallery-6223%[Via Akihabara News]
Canon's SX100 with 10x zoom, A720, and budget 12 megapixel A650
Crave more point-and-shoot news this morning? Yeah, we feel ya. Still, we're compelled by the dark digicam overlords to tell you about the new SX and A-series of Powershot cams from Canon. The first camera in the new SX ultra-zoom series is the $300, 8 megapixel SX100 IS shooter (pictured). It features a 10x optical zoom, 2.5-inch LCD, DIGIC III image processor, OIS, advanced face detection, 30fps VGA recordings, 19 shooting modes ranging from manual to fully automatic, and a chubby little grip to keep hold of the action. The budget minded A-series then, gets a pair of 6x, optical stabilized zoomers with the 12.1 megapixel A650 IS and 8 megapixel A720 IS for $400 and $250, respectively. The A650 even brings an old school, 2.5-inch flip-out LCD for shooting around corners. Look for the new A-series models starting in September with the new SX100 hitting in October.%Gallery-6118%Read -- SX100Read -- A-series
Samsung's NV8, NV15, and NV20 Smart Touch shooters
So in addition to their newest PMP cam, Samsung also loosed three updates to their NV (as in eNVy, yuk yuk) line-up of digital cameras. On the mostly meaningless megapixel scale, we're looking at the 8 megapixel NV8, 10 megapixel NV15, and 12 megapixel NV12. All the new NV cams feature Samsung's "Smart Touch" softkeys surrounding a 2.5-inch LCD, Schneider optics with a 3x optical zoom, likely useless ISO 3200 max sensitivity with ASR image stabilization, face detection technology, SDHC expansion, and VGA video at 30fps. The NV20 and NV15 both hit the US in the Fall for $399 and $299, respectively, while the NV8 is TBD on all accounts.%Gallery-5340%
Samsung's i85 PMP camera: aces the i7's swivel, adds a megapixel
Here ya go, another 8 megapixel shooter only this time, it's Samsung doing the honors. The new 0.8-inch thin i85 brings the PMP action like their i7 without the swiveling novelty of that rear LCD. Instead, the brushed aluminum, i85's 3-inch LCD remains fixed with the sound provided by the built-in stereo SRS 3D speakers or 2.5-mm headphone jack. Unfortunately, the i85 supports WAV and MP3 audio and MPEG, AVI, MOV, WMV and ASF video files only after conversion via bundled software. Rounding out the specs are a 5x optical NV zoom lens, Samsung ASR image stabilization, ISO 1600 sensitivity, 256MB of onboard memory with SDHC expansion, and a maximum shutter speed of 1/2,000 sec. Available this Fall for $349, list.%Gallery-5337%
FujiFilm's pair of 8 megapixelers: the Z100fd and S8000fd with 18x zoom
In the continuing onslaught of FinePix cameras this morning, FujiFilm also announced a pair of 8 megapixel (1/2.5-inch CCD) shooters: the S8000fd and Z100fd (pictured). The fixed lens S8000fd features a Fujinon 18x optical zoom lens and a high-speed, mechanical CCD-shift stabilization, electric viewfinder or 2.5-inch LCD, VGA video at 30fps, and a continuous shot mode capable of 15 shots per second at a 2 megapixel resolution. The Z100fd is pretty much the Z10fd for grown-ups. It brings a 5x optical zoom, IrSimple infrared, and the CCD-shift mechanical image stabilization found in its bulkier cuz. The S8000fd is scheduled to hit The States in September for $400 while the Z100fd will hit Asia around the same time frame for ¥40,000 or about $332. %Gallery-5229%[Via Impress] Read -- S8000fd Read -- Z100fd
