In December 2003 the two companies were the first to introduce one megapixel camera phones (in South Korea, I assume).
Pantech & Curitel says it has finished a two megapixel handset that includes a 2x optical zoom and an MP3 player. If the article is indeed accurate (I'm trying to obtain confirmation) about an optical zoom, this is indeed big news.
Optical versus digital zoom
All camera phones that I know have digital zooms. Perhaps there is an optical zoom camera phone I haven't heard of. I know companies, such as Sharp, are working on developing optical zooms that are appropriate for camera phones.
Digital zooms use software to blow up areas of a photo, resulting in fuzzy photos. As a result, digital zooms are of limited use.
Optical zooms use hardware to move the lens in and out of the camera body. (The Konica Minolta DiMAGE digital camera incorporates an innovative internal zoom lens.) Zoom lens add bulk and weight.
A breakthrough?
If a South Korean manufacturer has created an optical zoom that doesn't add a significant amount of size or weight, or drain the battery, this is indeed a major development in creating a camera phone that can rival the quality of digital cameras.
A two megapixel camera phone with a 2x zoom lens -- assuming the components are high (or high enough) quality -- should produce excellent photos. Three megapixel camera phones already expected to be introduced this year in Japan and South Korea.
Based upon the current state of the market, a three megapixel camera phone with a zoom lens, could eat into the medium tier market for digital cameras -- not just the low end as VGA camera phones are doing.
The introduction of an optical zoom certainly is a development to watch.
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