Samsung outs cheaper, WiFi-only Galaxy Camera

Posted on 19/02/2013 by Deepak Dhingra

Leaning towards the Samsung Galaxy Camera but don't think that cellular connectivity is of much use for you? Well, Sammy's just taken the covers off a new variant, dubbed the EK-GC110, forsaking the 3G / 4G modem and making the device more affordable in the process. Other key specs remain the same as its sibling, the EK-GC100, including a 16.3-megapixel CMOS sensor, 21x optical zoom, 4.8-inch display, 1.4GHz quad-core processor and Android 4.1. The all-important pricing and availability information is still TBA, however. And while this WiFi-only iteration is even less likely to make you set your smartphone aside, hopefully it won't hurt your wallet so much.

Filed under: Cameras, Samsung

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Source: Samsung

Samsung product page confirms Galaxy Camera coming to Verizon LTE

Posted on 07/12/2012 by Zach Honig

Well, it was all but confirmed at Photokina, but the release of AT&T's HSPA+ Galaxy Camera threw a few doubts our way. Still, it looks like an LTE version of Samsung's Jelly Bean shooter will be in fact making its way stateside, landing on Verizon's 4G network no less. From a quick glance at the EK-GC120's spec sheet, most of the features seem to be in line with the global variant, with an obvious exception in the network field -- this flavor lists only 700 MHz compatibility, so you might have some trouble hooking up overseas.

Pricing and availability info is still up in the air (the "Shop" link currently lands us at a 404), but we've reached out to Verizon and Samsung for those still-pending deets, and we'll pass along the good word as soon as it hits our inbox. For now, at least you can rest assured that the most compelling Android-powered shooter will be getting an LTE boost, so if you're currently in line to snag that lesser-equipped AT&T variant, you might want to step aside and wait for the 16-megapixel shooter to hit Big Red.

Update: Just moments after our post went live, Samsung pulled the product page. The specifications list is still active though (for now), so if you want to sneak a peek at the official sheet, you can hit up that respective source link below.

Filed under: Cameras, Samsung

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Via: Android Community, The Verge

Source: Samsung, Samsung (specifications)

Samsung Galaxy Camera with Verizon LTE shows at the FCC

Posted on 30/11/2012 by Jon Fingas

At least a few Americans have been disappointed that the current version of the Samsung Galaxy Camera goes without LTE; when the data connection is intended almost exclusively for uploading massive photos, HSPA+ can only go so far. To our relief, Samsung knows our impatience well enough to have sent a version of its connected point-and-shoot with American 4G through the FCC's approval gauntlet. This time, the camera goes under the EK-GC120 name (the HSPA+ model is the GC100) with LTE access on Verizon's slice of the 700MHz spectrum -- and that's it for cellular access, without even a trace of foreign wireless bands. As such, there's little doubt the GC120 is headed to Big Red and will have to resort to WiFi on any vacation outside of the US. Any uncertainty mostly rests around just when the Galaxy Camera arrives on Verizon's network, and whether or not the extra wireless speed will demand a premium.

Filed under: Cameras, Wireless, Samsung, Verizon

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Source: FCC

Setting aside the smartphone: two weeks with Samsung’s Galaxy Camera

Posted on 27/11/2012 by Zach Honig

Exploring the world with the hottest cameras and smartphones, I've grown accustomed to drawing discreet glances from curious gadget enthusiasts. In Tokyo, it was Canon's EOS M camera that netted polite peeks. In Hong Kong, it was the Galaxy Note II. From the moment I exposed the striking Galaxy Camera in Bangkok, however, those subtle scans turned into full-on stares, with several courageous passersby even inquiring about the latest Android-based Samsung device dangling from a strap around my wrist.

"Is that a phone or a camera?" Well, it's certainly not the best camera, nor is it a passable "phone," but for this early adopter, at least, it was poised to replace both. When Samsung first revealed its Jelly Bean-powered superzoom hybrid at IFA, the challenge became clear -- there wasn't room in my life for two Galaxy gadgets, but a 21x zoom-equipped all-in-one sounded mighty promising. After I finally unpacked it, the 4.8-inch, touchscreen-equipped, 16.1-megapixel shooter didn't leave my side once during the next two weeks.

It streamed music in the gym, downloaded email on the go, and provided walking directions and historical context as I explored Thailand. But the Galaxy Camera's impressive zoom also brought me far closer to the action than even the most powerful camera phone, and a micro-SIM from iPhoneTrip enabled instant uploads to Dropbox and Instagram far from the nearest open hotspot. As you may have gathered from our review, the Galaxy Camera wasn't designed to replace anyone's smartphone, and with the jumbo footprint and mediocre battery upping the inconvenience factor, could such a device feasibly become your one and only? You'll find the answer after the break.

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Camera review

Continue reading Setting aside the smartphone: two weeks with Samsung's Galaxy Camera

Filed under: Cameras, Mobile, Samsung

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Samsung Galaxy Camera review: a 21x compact shooter brought to life by Android

Posted on 14/11/2012 by Sharif Sakr

There were no heckles, boos or crickets for Samsung's reps back at IFA. But it's fair to say that the atmosphere following its unveiling of the Galaxy Camera was as muted as it was polite. It didn't help that most journalists in that meeting room were there primarily to see the Galaxy Note II, which was undoubtedly the show's headline act. It was also worrisome that Nikon had recently released a half-hearted Android camera of its own -- the Coolpix S800c running on lowly Gingerbread. And finally, some folks in the room -- ourselves included -- may have been put off by Samsung's talk of "convergence," in reference to the fact that the Galaxy Camera has a micro-SIM slot for HSPA+ cellular data. After all, the whole notion of converged hardware has lost the sheen it once had. Hybridized, perhaps. Modular, maybe. But please, not a camera-phablet.

Here's the thing, though: the Galaxy Camera is not a converged device. It's a camera, plain and simple. It just happens to be one that's hooked up (in a multitude of ways) to the glorious world of Android. More specifically, we're looking at full-throttle Jelly Bean sitting astride the same optically stabilized 21x zoom lens and almost half-inch 16-megapixel sensor that have already been deployed in Samsung's WB850F WiFi camera. These are components which far exceed anything you'd find in even the most image-conscious smartphone. If you want to put a label on it, it's probably more meaningful to describe all this as software convergence. The same OS and cloud-connected apps that have so radically transformed phones, tablets and TVs are now also being deployed in a camera -- and there's no reason why they shouldn't be just as invigorating in this new role. At the very least, don't dismiss this device as a curiosity until you've read our take on it.

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Camera review

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Camera review: a 21x compact shooter brought to life by Android

Filed under: Cameras, Wireless

Samsung Galaxy Camera review: a 21x compact shooter brought to life by Android originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Nov 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy Camera unboxing (video)

Posted on 12/11/2012 by Zach Honig

Samsung's much-anticipated EK-GC100 Galaxy Camera finally hit stores in the UK late last week and we've managed to get our hands on one of the very first samples to cross the assembly line. We're putting the Android-powered hybrid through its paces at this very moment, but since this is the company's first entry in a brand new category, we wanted to have you along as we opened the box. This may be a camera, but it's very much a Galaxy device, and that's immediately evident when you first see the packaging.

The cam ships just as any premium smartphone, with a very thin selection of accessories -- you get an AC adapter, USB cable, a wrist strap and a pair of pocket guides (there's no user manual to speak of). Much like Samsung's latest round of point-and-shoots, it uses microSD cards and charges via a micro-USB cable and AC adapter. Even the 1,650mAh battery looks like a smaller version of Samsung's smartphone offering, rather than something that ships alongside the company's traditional camera lineup. Rest assured, we'll have much more to share later this week, but for now, we invite you to join as we unbox the Galaxy Camera in our video just past the break.

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Camera unboxing

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Camera unboxing (video)

Filed under: Cameras, Mobile, Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Camera unboxing (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Nov 2012 09:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy Camera marries Android and photography on AT&T, we go hands-on (update: video!)

Posted on 04/10/2012 by Ben Gilbert

Samsung Galaxy Camera marries Android and photography, we go handson

Samsung's Android-powered Galaxy Camera is a bit of a wild card, marrying Google's Android Jelly Bean OS with a 16-megapixel camera -- heck, it's even got a 4.8-inch 1,280 x 720-pixel (308 ppi) touchscreen display. Yup, rather than offering a digital viewfinder out back like a normal digital point-and-shoot, the Samsung Galaxy Camera offers a multitouch panel; the entire back consists of that 4.8-inch screen, edge-to-edge. It's not all touchscreen, though -- several buttons (controlling a pop-up flash, power, zoom toggle, and shutter release) are also part of the somewhat bulky build. Beyond the WiFi radio built in, the Galaxy Camera also comes with 3G/4G support via micro-SIM -- which we now know at least one carrier will support: AT&T.

During an event with the cellular data carrier this evening, we got our hands-on the Galaxy Camera once more (albeit now with an AT&T micro-SIM on board). That speedy 1.4GHz quad-core processor helped us along, speedily swiping through Jelly Bean's panes and launching its photo app promptly. Apps like Instagram were also on display, allowing for even nicer photos to be defiled by software filters (we kid!). The AT&T connectivity allowed us to upload photos directly to the cloud while snapping, utilizing its Auto Cloud Backup feature; image quality isn't quite professional-grade, but its no slouch either.

The Galaxy Camera is, for all intents and purposes, a full-on Android smartphone ... minus that whole "phone" thing. Its heft is perhaps more than we'd like in a point-and-shoot, but that gigantic -- and gorgeous -- viewfinder out back certainly helps assuage our space concerns. The device arrives at both carriers and camera retailers this October for an unknown price.

Update: We've added a second gallery with a few shots we snapped with the Samsung Galaxy Camera at the event -- forgive them if they're not spectacular. The heat of the moment!

Update 2: We've added even more photos shot with the Galaxy Camera in to the second gallery below, and a quick hands-on video just after the break.

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Camera (AT&T hands-on)

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Camera (photos from the camera)

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Camera marries Android and photography on AT&T, we go hands-on (update: video!)

Filed under: Cameras, Mobile, Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Camera marries Android and photography on AT&T, we go hands-on (update: video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 17:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy Camera coming to AT&T, may go without LTE

Posted on 04/10/2012 by Jon Fingas

'Tis the day for AT&T devices. Big Blue has just become the first US carrier officially supporting the Samsung Galaxy Camera and will supply its flavor of cellular data while you're busy posting some of the most detailed Instagram photos ever taken. There aren't any noticeable changes to the connected 16-megapixel shooter that we've seen, but it may not be as fast as shutterbugs might like -- while AT&T is keen to talk up the presence of 4G, it conspicuously leaves out any mention of LTE and suggests that we saw an HSPA-only US model at the FCC just days ago. We're working to confirm what's really inside. Pricing and a ship date will be available in the "coming weeks," although it's unlikely that anyone will absolutely have to sign a two-year contract to start snapping images.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Camera coming to AT&T, may go without LTE

Filed under: Cameras, Wireless, Mobile

Samsung Galaxy Camera coming to AT&T, may go without LTE originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 15:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy Camera swings past the FCC with AT&T-capable 3G

Posted on 27/09/2012 by Jon Fingas

Samsung made much ado of the Galaxy Camera coming in both 3G and 4G versions, but it wasn't clear just which carriers would let us upload photos when away from WiFi. The FCC might have just given out a big clue with approval filings for two 3G editions. As it's been tested for US clearance, the Android point-and-shoot in its EK-GC100 and EK-KC100 guises has support for HSPA-based 3G on the 850MHz and 1,900MHz bands used by AT&T and larger Canadian carriers -- a possible hint of Big Blue's ongoing connected devices push, but not a very promising discovery for most T-Mobile users or any CDMA customers. Before anyone bemoans the absences of LTE or support for more American networks, however, we'd note that this is just one filing and might not represent the totality of Samsung's US plans, if we're indeed looking at one or more US-bound examples. We'll keep an eye out ahead of the Galaxy Camera's international launch in October to see if there's anything more in the FCC's cards.

Filed under: Cameras, Wireless, Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Camera swings past the FCC with AT&T-capable 3G originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 19:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Colors! Samsung’s Galaxy Camera pops at Photokina with vibrant orange and magenta paint jobs

Posted on 18/09/2012 by Zach Honig

Another Photokina star is Samsung's Galaxy Camera, which launched to much fanfare several weeks ago at IFA, but dominates the company's photo-themed booth at the biennial photography show in Cologne, Germany. There's not much more to report on the hardware side, apart from confirmation that certain versions of the Android snapper will pack LTE, but there are indeed some very shiny new finishes to gawk at. First up is a bright orange flavor -- if you feared that the Galaxy point-and-shoot's rather large footprint wouldn't attract enough attention on its own in the field, you shouldn't have any such concerns with an orange model. Also of the neon persuasion is a flashy pink version, which like the aforementioned color, should draw many an eye. We were quite pleased with the black and white models we saw at IFA, and while Samsung clearly has a few colorful prototypes in circulation, the company says they're only being considered at this point, with your feedback determining the final options. So, what do you think? Would you buy an orange or pink Galaxy Camera? Let us know in the comments after the break.

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Camera in orange and pink