Samsung’s cell phone rivals cameras

Digital camera manufacturers, sit up and take notice: A competing gadget that previously had only a playful, decorative function can now produce quality photos on a par with those taken by your products. Samsung Electronics is about to launch a cellular phone with a 3-megapixel digital camera just four years after they first produced a camera phone. The imminent introduction of the highly sophisticated new camera cell phone, say industry specialists, means an all-out war between digital cameras and camera phones is about to begin. Samsung Electronics said yesterday it supplied its SPH-S2300 model, a mobile phone with a 3-megapixel camera, to mobile service provider KTF for the first time in Korea. The model functions just like a high-end digital camera, with an advanced optical zoom lens. It also has a flash and a shutter that can be triggered in 0.001 second, permitting users to photograph fast moving objects. Camera phone users can view their photos on their TV screens, using a cable link. And to round it off, the gizmo can also function as an MP3 player and a removable memory chip. Customers will be able to purchase the model late this month at KTF and Samsung Electronics stores. The price has not yet been set. LG Electronics and Pantech are planning to launch similar camera phones this month. by Lee Hee-sung