David Coursey, a long-time computer journalist certainly understands technology. But a recent column highlights, I'm afraid, a lack of, well, vision about camera phones. I hate to criticize David because he does know his stuff, but this time he's wrong.
David writes in his November 20, 2003 ZDNet "AnchorDesk" column, "I've played with camphones and had fun, but I wouldn't go out of my way to use one. If I know I want to take pictures, I use a 'real' digital camera.
"If I get in a situation where I wished I'd brought a camera, the camphone usually won't do the job. And on those rare camphone-appropriate occasions, I usually forget that I have one.
"I'm not exactly calling camera phones a fad, but I'm not exactly not calling them a fad, either. My bet is there will be a relatively small number of people who shoot lots of camphone pics -- in the U.S., we have a special term for these people: "12- to 24-year-olds."
A much larger group will have a camphone but never click the shutter; we call those people 'adults.'"
Looking at it critically
Let's look at what David says. David says he's used camara phones and had fun. That is a major reason why people will continue to use camera phones -- they're fun. Picture quality is less important than the enjoyment.
One simple example: You take photos of your spouse, kids, pets, new car, house -- anything you like and you'd like people to see -- and you keep the photos on your phone. Instead of pulling out your wallet to show photos, you use your camera phone. The quality isn't that important.
What's real?
Next, David says he will use a "real" camera to take a photo. I, too, have a digital camera and many camera phone users also have and will have non-wireless digital cameras. But think about how we have multiple versions of the same product for different purposes.
I have desktop computers, laptops and PDAs that offer many of the same features, but are used in different situations. People have desktop wired phones, home cordless phones and cellular phones -- same basic functionality but used in different situations.
David says on the rare occasion when he could use a camera phone, he forgets he has one. That's his fault. Once you get accustomed to having a camera phone, you're not going to "forget" you have one!
Kids versus adults
David says kids and young adults will use camera phones and adults will not. Firstly, even if that is correct (which is isn't), it doesn't mean camera phones will be a fad. How many businesses -- really big businesses -- can you name that are based upon purchases by people 24 years old and younger?
Just because "adults" don't purchase a product doesn't mean it's not viable.
Secondly, once "adults" begin to get camera phones, they will take photos, if only to store in their cameras. But sending a photo to an online album or the Web is so easy, that even adults will use them.
As for using a "real" camera, how "real" do you have to get? In Japan, there already are two megapixel camera phones. Is that real enough? I'd be shocked if one megapixel models weren't available in the United States next year.
I've written previously that I believe one megapixel will be a "tipping point" because you can print a photo and it will look good (if it's not blown up).
Longing for wireless photography
David says he longs for the time when he could transmit good quality photos via wireless. He suggests that a Bluetooth-enabled camera connected to a wireless device accessing a higher speed network could be a solution.
I agree that camera phones aren't the only way to transmit photos wirelessly. I'd like an easy way to transmit photos from "real" (heh) digital cameras. But I'd also like a way to insert text. A keypad or keyboard on a digital camera?
One of the "gotchas" of wireless is the upload data rate typically is significantly slower than the download speed. CDMA 1xRTT, CDMA 1xEV-DO, GSM GPRS and GSM EDGE all suffer from slower upload speeds, which makes it difficult to transmit megapixel files.
I don't deny the problems with camera phones. However, in a few years when hundreds of millions of people around the world are snapping billions of photos a year, I think David will admit it's more than a fad.
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