For the most part, cameras in phones these days are simply throw-ins. Afterthoughts that take really mediocre pics. It is definitely not an afterthought with the Motorola ZINE ZN5, however.
Set to launch through T-Mobile today, this otherwise nondescript candybar-style phone features a 5 megapixel auto-focus Kodak camera with Xenon flash. If it wasn’t for the phone keypad on the other side, it could easily be mistaken for a regular Kodak digital camera (which was the point, no doubt). No optical zoom, but the picture quality here should be much better than the typical blurry, grainy stuff you’re used to with most cameras tacked on to most phones these days (aside from the mega-expensive 8MP camera phones which most people wouldn’t need).
This new attitude toward better camera phones isn’t limited to Motorola. The Sony Ericsson C905 being an example in point: this one has an 8 megapixel camera and is being pushed heavily in ads that feature the camera itself taking the pics used in the ad. Companies are aiming to dispel the misconception that all camera phones are mediocre at best.
The Motorola ZINE ZN5 lowdown on specs: quad-band GSM/EDGE (no 3G, which is a bit of a shame), Wi-Fi, 350MB internal memory, microSD expansion slot, 3.5mm headset jack, FM radio, and Bluetooth. There’s also support for the Kodak EasyShare software, which lets you use Wi-Fi for instant uploading and viewing on the web. In this way, the ZINE ZN5 is no less powerful than a standalone Kodak digital camera, which is a big quality increase.
You may think that the Motorola ZINE ZN5 looks like a budget-minded handset and the price tag confirms this (smart consider the state of the economy in most circles right now). It’ll retail for $99 (with a two-year contract), which is a huge drop over the 8MP camera phones, which are usually at least double or triple that price. It’s available starting today through corporate stores and online.
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Technology News 11.19.08 at 12:02 pm
Motorola officially confirmed about its upcoming handset Moto VE66 yesterday. It’s a slider phone with 5 mega pixels camera with auto focus, LED flash on-board will be the first Motorola phone with widget integration and allow users to access Web 2.0 applications.