The camera phone ecosystem continues to expand with companies striking deals to enable camera phone users to print their photos. First, Kodak, Nokia and Cingular Wireless announced a deal to enable cellular subscribers to transfer photos via infrared and Bluetooth to Kodak Picture Maker kiosks for printing, as I wrote in November.
Now, from picturephoning.com I learn that Sprint PCS and Fuji Photo have reached an agreement whereby Sprint camera phone users may sent photos to Sprint's Web-based photo album, edite the photos online and then order prints from a Fujifilm retail store. Photos may be picked up in as little as four hours, according to the article in The Kansas City Star (free registration required).
The service is slated to be available early this summer. The printed photos are expected to cost $.19 - $.35 each.
According to the article, by the end of this year Sprint camera phone users will be able to order photos directly from their phones rather than going to the Web site. This is the "killer" service -- not requiring users to visit a Web site to order photos. You snap your photos, place you order and then pick them up a few hours later.
66 million photos
In 2003, Sprint customers transmitted more than 66 million images.
John Prendergast, a vice president of strategic business development at Fujifilm, says in the article that today's camera phone photos -- based upon the resolution (VGA) -- will "print well" in a wallet size. Hmmm. That depends. A photo from a Nokia 3650, for example, might print a lot better than, say, from an LG VX6000.
None of the images from VGA camera phones will look particularly good, which is why I can't wait for one megapixel camera phones to be introduced in the United States this year. Prendergast says one megapixel camera phones will be available in the U.S. by the end of the year.
Megapixel introductions
I'm sure they'll be available for the Christmas shopping season but I hope they will be available months before. Prendergast says two megapixel camera phones, that already are available in some Asian countries, will be available in the U.S. next year.
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