Going beyond VGA-sized photos transmissions

There has been a lot of discussion in this Weblog and in the camera phone industry about the practicality of transmitting photos that are larger than VGA (640 x 480). Most cellular operators limit uploading camera phone photos to 100K, and most files are half that size.

Based upon the upload data rates -- 30K - 60K bps -- available on United States cellular networks, is there any way it would make sense to permit larger files to be transmitted when the one megapixel camera phones are available this year?

I hear the answer is "yes."

Larger files will be allowed

I can't discuss this in greater detail and, frankly, I know less than I'd like. But I do know the companies developing camera phone sofware for cellular operators aren't ignoring the situation and working on innovative ways to enable higher resolution photos to be transmitted.

Regardless of what other cellular operators are allowing, I think it's crazy not to allow subscribers to take advantage of one megapixel camera phones, even if it costs more and takes longer to upload. Subscribers should be given the option of transmitting photos that are better than VGA quality (which I would like to see die as quick a death as possible).

I don't know whether one megapixel files will be allowed, but I suspect that when the one megapixel camera phones are available, you would be able to send photos that are better than VGA quality. We'll have to wait.

As I've written many times before, Sprint PCS is the U.S. leader in camera phones. When the first one megapixel handsets are introduced, I'd be shocked if Sprint wasn't the first to sell them.

Comments

[jeff dafoe]

The problem isn't so much the CCD megapixels, it's crappy optics. A VGA CCD with quality optics is going to take a better picture than a 5MP CCD with poor optics. With a fixed focus plastic lens, all a larger CCD is going to bring is a larger image that still looks like crap!

[L.Cosh-Ishii]

Alan:
I was using the v601sh 2 mega-pixel camera phone
http://www.vodafone.jp/english/products/kisyu/v601sh/index.html
by Sharp (just out here in Japan) over the holidays and found it's max. size .jpg image was UXGA or 1632x1224. That raw photo file size on my SD memory card was 550K, I was able to attach and send from the handset auto-resized to a 320x240 version at 30K, Here is link to see a resulting image (cropped for my moblog);
http://www.video-link.com/japan/gold_sake.jpg
Gold Sake is a traditional New Years celebration drink here, in case your wondering "what the hell is that"..?!?

All the best in 2004.. ;-)