Toshiba’s new CMOS censor to bring 14 megapixel cameraphones in 2010?

Mobile photographers listen up, if you were looking for a higher megapixel count for your camera phone, step back, take a reality check and realize that camera’s will not replace a good digital SLR anytime soon. In reality, real photographers already know that it’s not necessarily the number of megapixels that matters most as it is the quality of the lens and algorithms/software used to shuttle physical images into “1″ and “0″ form.

With that little factoid expressed, we can get on with the program. Toshiba wants you to know, the megapixel race isn’t over yet as they’re prepping a new 14.6 megapixel beast. This photo-centric beast will be designed under Toshiba’s 65nm process and housed on 300mn slabs of silicon. Physical sizing aside, the real reason you need to be excited is because of a little feature called “back-side illumination” which is said to increase light absorption by up to 40%! Such an increase will no doubt work wonders for low light shots — something cameraphones have a heck of a time capturing cleanly and legibly.

The 14+ megapixel number may still be blurring your vision. But be careful, as stated before, just because it has the most megapixels, doesn’t automatically mean it will be the best, most useful mobile camera. If this little gem gets paired with a crappy lens and clumsy software, those megapixels will be more or less useless. We’ll have to wait until late Q4 2010/Q1 2011 to get any products in our hands as mass production isn’t slated to begin until Q3 2010. So we wait. Still interested?

IntoMobile > Engadget

China gets a real “professional” camera phone through the Altek T8680

Sure anyone can go and order a Nokia, Sony, or Samsung camera phone boasting of 5, 6, 7+ megapixels. But no one can hold a candle to the Chinese bound Altek T8680. While it isn’t hte first 12 megapixel camera phone on the market, the real juice behind the story is the 3x optical zoom. 3x may not sound like much in a world with larger lenses on more “professional” cameras, but on a cellphone, any optical zoom is a god send. As you all know, digital zoom is worthless. There simly isn’t any replacement for good ‘ol glass. Besides the eye popping optics, the T8680 is rather substandard in other areas which are highlighted by the unusually limited radio support for tri-band (900/1800/1900) GSM/EDGE and absolutely no 3G. I hope to god you don’t try to wirelessly transfer any of those pictures with a lack of 3G. You could be waiting a while! Other worthwhile mentions include a 3″ WQVGA TFT touchscreen, USB, TV out, PictBridge, DPOF, and Bluetooth 2.1 A2DP handle the not so photo centric features. Powering this device comes by way of a 1020 mAh rated battery meaning you will probably want to keep a charger or spare battery close as the battery size really isn’t that substantial for such a photo centric phone. For now this mobile picture taking powerhouse is a China only model. Hopefully soon some other countries can feel the love — albeit with a few more features including 3G. Feeling lucky?

Source: GSM Arena

Samsung reveals the M8910 Pixon12 – 12 megapixel beast

While the actual usefullness of 6+ megapixels in a tiny, less than optimumly sized CMOS censor is debatable, Samsung is eschewing all naysayers and doubters with the announcement of their M8910 Pixon12. This alphabet/number soup phone’s main claim to fame is first and foremost that 12 megapixel’s worth of digitized life sitting right smack dab in the middle of the phone’s back side. Secondly, Samsung is touting the 3.1-inch AMOLED touchscreen display’s (claimed) 10,000 : 1 contrast ratio! That is actually pretty darn good.(Now that I think about it, I don’t really know the contrast ratios of pretty much any other camera phone display…do manufacturers even publish those?) Of course, ocular attraction isn’t everything to be all giddy about. What else does this megapixel pig pack under the hood?

Camera phone megapixel race getting out of hand?

Think back two to three years and try to remember what camera phones were like…0.3/1.3 megapixel cameras were the norm (and sadly more or less still are), and 2 megapixel camera’s instantly shoved you to the VIP club of cell phone users.  My how times have changed.  While 1.3 megapixel cameraphones still make up the majority of cell phone cameras, 2 and 3.2 megapixel cameras are swooping in fast.  And at Barcelone this year many 8+ megapixel camera phones were shown off including word from LG of an up and coming 12 megapixel camera phone!  Now at what time does the pixel count become ridiculous?