What Is A Cell Phone Camera?

A cell phone camera is a photographic device, much like a standard digital camera built into a cell phone.

A cellular phones camera works just like standard digital camera, with a photosensitive iris and memory storage for photographs. Once an extremely high-end feature on cell phones from companies such as Sony Ericsson and the folks at Nokia, cell phone cameras are now extremely common and extremely popular.

Not only are they good for storing and displaying personal photos, but the ability to use SMS (Short Message Services) technology to transmit photographs from one cellular phone user to another has opened up a whole new way for people to use their phones.

Now, instead of describing the colour of the new car your spouse or friend is looking to buy, you can simply snap a quick photo and send it directly to their phone.

Most of these cellular phone cameras save their photos as jpeg file formats, something that can be easily viewed in any graphics program on a desktop computer. That means that your photos can also be sent to your home or office PC where you can edit them, store them, or even print them off.

Companies such as Hewlett Packard, one of the leading computer companies in the world, have taken things a step further by adding the ability to directly load photos into their brand of Inkjet and Laser printers.

Now, with the help of either a RAM memory stick or simple plug-in cable, you can upload your photos from your cell phones camera directly to your printer; you can center and crop them (both features available on new HP printers) and print them off without having to go through your desktop computer.

Cellular phone cameras also can be used to record short amounts of video footage, often saved in basic mpeg layered formats. These video files may or may not include sound, depending on the model of cellular phone camera used, and can be transferred just as easily as a photo image can.

There has been a lot of talk about cell phone cameras in society since they became so affordable and widespread. Systemic abuse of people’s rights to privacy (common anytime there is a surge in new technology, especially surveillance-style technology) has forced lawmakers to make some tough choices about where and when it is appropriate to allow the use of a cellular phones camera.

Some places, such as in public change rooms and many public schools, have banned them outright for fear that some unscrupulous people will take pictures of inappropriate subjects.

Also see; cell phone accessories.

Author Notes:

Bill Schnarr contributes and publishes news editorial to http://www.cell-phones-n-plans.com. A cell phone industry resource that features service plan comparisons, cellular phone reviews and articles.