Large Majority see Cell Phone as Primary Camera and MP3 Player

[Mike Temporale]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/5048966.stm' target='_blank'>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/5048966.stm</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Camera phones could replace digital cameras as the main gadgets people use to take pictures, a study suggests. It found that 44% of people already use their handset as their main camera. The days of the MP3 player also look to be numbered, as 67% of those questioned said they expected their phone to replace their portable music player. The survey, commissioned by handset maker Nokia, comes as the number of mobile phones in use around the world approaches 2.5 billion."</i><br /><br />The survey goes on to say that 89% of Americans prefer to have two separate devices when it comes to cameras and phones. I'm guessing it's only a matter of time before we slip into the "norm". As much as we would like to keep two devices, the majority of users out there don't seem to feel the same way. I wonder what Canon and Nikon have to say about this? Or, for MP3 players; What's Creative's thoughts? We all know Apple is trying to jump this divide, but they haven't had much luck so far. And what's next? We're already seeing TV added to the list. I'm not really sure what the next big thing will be.

[Jason Dunn]

It's funny, I keep reading things like this, yet I don't know of a single person I know that doesn't have/want a digital camera and an MP3 player. And this includes people 10+ year younger than me, who SMS constantly and are very mobile-phone savvy.

[vincenzosi]

I have an SDA, Axim X51v, iPod 5g (30 gig) and Digital Rebel XT.

Last I checked, no phone gave me that much power.

Combination devices are great if you're willing to make sacrifices. I am, but in limited quantities much smaller than the ones required by "combos."

[ctmagnus]

Jack of all trades, master of none.

[Rocco Augusto]

It's funny, I keep reading things like this, yet I don't know of a single person I know that doesn't have/want a digital camera and an MP3 player. And this includes people 10+ year younger than me, who SMS constantly and are very mobile-phone savvy.

you now officially know of one person ;)

i really dont see the need in my life to have a seperate mp3 player or camera. its not that i dont want one either, i just know that im so busy with work there really isnt any time for a standalone camera or mp3 player :(

[subzerohf]

Phones don't have optical zoom...yet. Until they do, I'm keeping my digital camera separate.

[jlp]

Phones don't have optical zoom...yet. Until they do, I'm keeping my digital camera separate.

SURE they DO.

Samsung has shown quite a few of them with up to 5+ MPix captors, I suppose CCD (which MUCH better quality images than pixphones' CMOS ones)

And Japan had such pixphones for years now.

Here's a 2004 announcement of a 5 MPix pixphone. (http://www.dpreview.com/news/0410/04102001samsung_schs250.asp)

And over a year ago "Samsung Introduces World’s First 7 Megapixel Camera Phone" (http://www.dpreview.com/news/0503/05030901samsung_schv770.asp)

Update:at the 2006 Cebit Samsung presented it's B600 a 10 megapixels pixphone. (http://www.letsgodigital.org/en/news/articles/story_6849.html)

They don't talk about zoom, but they show multiple rings associated with retractable zoom barrels.

Update 2:
Here's a pix of the extended 3x optical zoom. (http://www.egmdigital.com/2006/05/16/pictures-of-the-samsung-sch-b600/)