Thanks to Lawrence Cosh-Ishii of Wireless Watch Japan, I learned that Casio has just introduced a three megapixel camera phone in Japan for CDMA cellular operator KDDI. Wireless Watch Japan reports Casio's A5406CA handset (see below) features a maximum image of 2048×1536 (QXGA).
The handset includes nine "best shot" modes, including twilight, food, panorama and fireworks, the article says. The camera phone also can shoot and store up to 60 minutes of video.
The press release (in Japanese) is available on Casio's Web site. If I "read" the release correctly (I don't read Japanese), it seems that the handset includes a slot for a miniSD card.
Resolutions
The phone is expected to be available in the middle of June.
Based upon the press release, it appears that the A5406CA includes seven different resolutions: QXGA(2048×1536, UXGA (1600×1200), SXGA(1280×960), VGA(640×480), (240×320)、(120×160), (1280×320).
The last three resolutions listed (after VGA) might be mobile-to-mobile. But that is just a guess on my part. Anyone out there who can translate the press release and provide more information?
Update: More information
A quick search of Google brought up just a couple of items about the Casio phone, but this one from a forum on Mobile Review includes much more information:
Size: 52×102×28mm
Weight: 125g
Standby time: 200 hours
Continuous talk time: 2 hours 40 mins
Main display: Approx. 2.3" crystal fine LCD (QVGA)
Sub display: Approx 1.1: LCD (72x96 pix)
External memory: miniSD
Camera: 3.2MP CCD (with autofocus)
Ringtone voices: 64
Case colours: White, black and purple
Java
GPS
Chaku-uta supported (MP3 ringtone download style service)
Twin speaker for stereo sound
It's more than just about megapixels
It takes more than increasing the number of pixels to create a great camera phone and, indeed, a booming national and international wireless imaging business. As I've written numerous times previously, all the other imaging components of a handset have to be good enough: Lens, sensor, imaging software, etc.
I've read several postings on the Web about the poor quality photos of some one megapixel camera phones compared to VGA handsets. I've been reminded of that by a posting today on Gizmodo by Michael Kane who discusses the poor quality photos of Casio's previously announced two megapixel camera phone.
Kane writes, "The Casio A5403CA, the first 2 megapixel cameraphone w/flash & autofocus when it was released here, takes incredibly crappy pictures. The Japanese cameraphone otaku boards are plastered with complaints about high shutterspeeds, grainy shots, and general poor performance.
"AU [that's KDDI's cellular service] has released a firmware update to try and address these issues, but the general consensus is that it does nothing."
Beyond the handset
Even if the handset produces great photos, much more is required to create successful camera phone businesses. For example, what is the largest maximum file size you may transmit via a cellular network?
Does any cellular operator in the world -- even in Japan -- allow subscribers to transmit the complete jpeg file of a one megapixel photo, let alone two megapixels? I believe NTT DoCoMo might allow files of 200K via its 3G FOMA system.
In Japan, a significant number of cellular subscribers don't transmit many (or any) photos via cellular but, rather, use cables, memory cards and infrared/Bluetooth to get photos out of their phones and into computers and printing kiosks.
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