LG Electronics to offer five, six and seven megapixel camera phones in 2005

Skott Ahn, the executive vice president of LG Electronics' Mobile Handset Research and Development Center, says the company this year will introduce five, six and seven megapixel camera phones, according to Telecoms Korea.

The five megapixel camera phone will be available early in the second quarter, perhaps as early as April, according to the article.  LG originally had planned to leap frog over a five megapixel handset and, instead, offer a six or seven megapixel handset.

However, the prospects for a five megapixel camera phone are better than the company had expected.  LG will incorporate a sensor module from a Japanese company.  LG is working with Canon, Matsushita and Sony.

No fan of Samsung

LG won't be the first to have a five megapixel camera phone.  Samsung beat them to it.  However, Ahn is no fan of Samsung's unit

He says, "While Samsung’s five megapixel cell phone has a lot of functional limitations resulting from [a] recklessly hasty launch, LG will provide [a] more decent one that creates more value for consumers."

The limitations of Samsung's five megapixel handset include the lack of automatic focus -- that's considered crucial in a high-resolution camera phone -- and a bulky lens, Ahn says.

Failed a drop test

Ahn also criticizes the Samsung camera phone's ruggedness.  He says the handset features a swiveling LCD, but when the unit was dropped from one meter the LCD broke off.

Ahn notes that LG isn't going to compete with Samsung for being the "first," and that this strategy could hurt Samsung.  "Risking fundamental rules, Samsung has obsessively pursued the world first label, which threatens to boomerang in the long run."

He points to the problems with the five megapixel camera phone as an example.

And in the United States...

Here in the U.S. we're still waiting to get our first two megapixel camera phone.

Comments

[Brian Irish]

Well some of us are actually still waiting for our first 1 megapixel camera phone :). To bad the current selection isn't worth buying. I wouldn't mind testing out the VX8000 though.