Mobile Computing: Camera Phones

Our buying guide tells you everything you need to know.

James A. Martin

Feature: Camera Phone Buyers Guide

Seems like just about everyone--except perhaps Britney Spears--has gone mad over camera/mobile phone combos.

Camera phones have become the gimme-now gadget du jour. Some 25 million units were shipped worldwide in the first half of this year, beating digital cameras for the first time (20 million units shipped), according to American Technology Research. The firm predicts that camera phones will continue to outsell digital cameras "permanently." For more details, read "Camera Phones Snap Up Sales."

The devices, from makers such as Nokia, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson, and available from major cellular phone service providers, feature an embedded digital camera. The cool factor here is extremely high: In addition to letting you yak, your phone can take and instantly transmit snapshots to your friends or to a Web site--which is precisely why celebs like Britney don't care for the gadgets. (At a recent Rolling Stones bash for Spears, partygoers were required to leave their cell phones at the door, The Wall Street Journal reports.)

But before you dash out the door and make a snap decision, read on. Here are some key questions to consider before you buy a camera phone:

What's the image resolution? The majority of camera phones today capture only low-resolution images, typically 640 by 480 pixels. While that's fine for viewing on a phone, computer, or other display, images at that resolution look crummy when printed or enlarged. Bottom line: If you're looking for decent pictures, stick with a digital or film camera.

However, image resolution is on the rise. For example, Casio recently announced the first cellular handset capable of capturing still images of up to 1600 by 1200 pixels. The camera will go on sale in Japan in December; as of this writing, there was no word regarding availability elsewhere.

How do photos get to your PC? You may want to transfer at least some images onto your computer for editing. If that's important to you, look for phones that can upload photos to a computer via infrared, Bluetooth, USB, or flash memory cards such as MultiMediaCard or Secure Digital. This last option lets you store images on tiny cards rather than depending on the camera phone's internal memory (which can be meager, often 2MB or less).

Ideally, choose a model that provides multiple options for image transfer. The Nokia 3650, for instance, transfers images wirelessly via Bluetooth and infrared, and it has an MMC slot.

How do you send photos to your buddies? Most wireless service providers offer Multimedia Message Service capabilities. MMS is a method of transmitting digital snapshots, video clips, audio files, and brief text messages over existing cellular networks. With MMS, you can transmit a picture taken on your camera phone to friends who have MMS on their cell phone plans. Typically, your friends receive a short text message on their data-capable cell phone, saying that a picture or other multimedia element has been sent to them. At this point, they can elect to download your photo to their phone.

Does the camera have a flash? A built-in flash is mandatory if you want to take reasonably acceptable pictures in low-light situations. Some models, such as the Sanyo SCP-5300, include them, while others don't.

Does the camera lens swivel? A few camera phones, such as the Hitachi G1000, feature cameras with a swivel lens that lets you take pictures from extreme angles--or of yourself. And the flip-style Samsung SPH-A600, with its rotating display, allows you to take pictures even when the phone is closed.

Does the phone have photo caller ID? These days, many camera phones (among them the Hitachi G1000, Nokia 3650, and Sanyo SCP-5300) allow you to associate a photo with a name in your address book. With photo caller ID, your tedious Cousin Elmer's mug will appear on your phone screen whenever he calls, a feature that's as helpful as a stop sign at an intersection.

How good is battery life? Taking pictures, particularly with a flash, will drain your phone's batteries. Manufacturers and mobile phone service providers are notoriously inaccurate in their battery claims, so check third-party sources (such as editorial reviews) closely before you buy. Ideally, look for camera phones with talk time of at least 3 hours.

How visible is the screen? Standard color LCDs on digital cameras, camcorders, notebooks, and other devices lose much of their contrast in bright sunlight. That can be a problem because the phone's LCD acts as the camera viewfinder. For example, the Sony Ericsson T610 and T616 models have a gorgeously rich color LCD capable of displaying 65,000 colors. In the bright sunlight, though, I had trouble discerning what the heck was on the screen.

When comparing models, make sure you can view images reasonably well in sunlight. Ask if you can take the phone you're considering outside of the store, or view the screen next to a large window.

How big is it? Camera phones range in size from sleek and slim to fat and bulky. At one end of the range, there's the Sony Ericsson T610 and T616, measuring 4 by 1.7 by 0.7 inches and weighing 3.4 ounces. On the opposite end, consider the Hitachi G1000 (a Pocket PC/cell phone hybrid), at 5.8 by 3.3 by 0.9 inches and 8.4 ounces.

Other Considerations

Make a list of the camera features you want. You won't get them all--this is a phone we're talking about, remember--but you may find a lot of what you want. For instance, the Sony Ericsson T610 and T616 models let you add color effects to pictures, such as black-and-white and sepia, and a Night Mode increases exposure in dark lighting situations. Some camera phones, such as the Nokia 3650, can capture short, silent video clips. And keep in mind that some camera phones, such as the LG VX6000, have a self-timer that lets you get into the picture, too.

Shop around. Don't like what your service provider offers? Then look elsewhere. Number portability--in which you can take your cell phone number along when switching providers--becomes standard practice on November 24 in the nation's top 100 markets. But if you switch before your current contract is up, you may have to cough up $150 to $200.

Check return policies. As always, before buying a new mobile phone, make sure you can return it (usually within 30 days) if you're not satisfied.

Got the Picture?

Are you using a camera phone? If so, I'd like to hear about your experiences: What you're using it for; the model you have; if you'd recommend it, and why. Send me an e-mail and let me know.

Notebooks & Accessories

News: UltraSlim DVD Burner

Attention, traveling video makers and backup freaks: Digistor's UltraSlim DVD Multi Burner ($349) burns DVD-R/RW, DVD-RAM, and CD-R/-RW media and weighs less than a pound. The device includes USB 2.0 and FireWire interfaces; Ulead multimedia software for producing videos and slide shows; and backup software. But its DVD-R and DVD-RAM recording speed is 2X--that's slow when compared to other DVD burners.

News: A Truly Pocket-Sized PC

While some recent PDAs resemble tiny PCs, Antelope Technology's Modular Computing Core is a tiny PC that looks sort of like a PDA. It's a Windows XP Professional-based system with no screen, keyboard, ports, or power supply. When it's slipped into a docking station, it becomes a desktop PC. Shipping later this year, the Modular Computing Core will retail for $3970. That's a big price for a small PC. Interested? You can view an online demo.

Handhelds

News: Record Meetings With an IPod

Apple's IPod, tune toter par excellence, is now a note taker, too. When equipped with the latest IPod software upgrade (version 2.1) and Belkin's IPod Voice Recorder ($50), your IPod can take hours of voice recordings. The Belkin recorder (which works only with the recent dock connector IPods) includes a small speaker for audio playback.

News: HP Claims Thinnest, Lightest Pocket PC

Hewlett-Packard recently announced the IPaq Pocket PC H4150 ($449), which the company claims is the thinnest and lightest Pocket PC to include both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. The company has also unveiled the IPaq Pocket PC H4350 ($499), which includes the 4150's wireless capabilities and adds to them an integrated, backlit keyboard. For details on both models, see "HP Highlights Mobility."

News: Axim Times Three

Dell's three new Axim X3 PDAs are slimmer and lighter than the earlier Dell Axim X5 models.

Most notable is the top-of-the-line Axim X3, a 400-MHz Intel XScale processor-based PDA with 64MB of RAM and an 802.11b chip. At $379, the Axim X3 is one of the least expensive Pocket PCs with built-in Wi-Fi connectivity. Unlike some other Wi-Fi Pocket PCs, such as HP's new IPaq Pocket PC H4150 and H4350 models, the Axim X3 lacks Bluetooth--which may prove to be a limitation down the road, Gartner analyst Todd Kort believes. With more and more Bluetooth-equipped cellular phones becoming available, "people are going to be sorry if they didn't buy a PDA with Bluetooth," Kort says.

News: A Palm for Players

Tapwave's new Zodiac is a pocket-sized Palm OS-based device that's optimized for action games. The gadget sports a large color display, stereo sound, and an analog joystick controller; features built-in Bluetooth for wireless multiplayer gaming; and holds all your contacts and calendar items, too. The device runs on a customized version of Palm OS 5.2 and comes in two configurations: one with 32MB of RAM ($300) and one with 128MB of RAM ($400).

Wireless

Review: Color BlackBerry, Ripe for the Picking

Research In Motion's color BlackBerry 7230 combines a good-quality global phone with wireless e-mail, calendar, and address-book applications, says PCWorld.com's Aoife McEvoy. Syncing Outlook e-mail with the $400 device was a snap, but setting it up to use with Lotus Notes was cumbersome. Service is available from T-Mobile.

Past Newsletter Topics

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