ASIA
: Samsung Electronics unveils the world's first mobile phone (model:
SCH-S250) equipped with a 5-megapixel camera. Just one year after
the introduction of its first 1-megapixel camera phone and 3 months
after its first 3.2-megapixel camera phone, Samsung proves its technological
prowess again with this revolutionary product.
The CCD
(charge-coupled device) camera and high-sensitivity flash allow the
user to take the same quality pictures one gets from a top-end digital
camera. Similar to Samsung's premium grade camera phones, the S250
can also function as a camcorder.
The 92MB
onboard memory can store up to 100 minutes of video (320x240), and
a 32MB auxiliary memory is included as a standard feature. The shutter
speed is as fast as 1/1,000 th of a second, allowing the user to film
beautiful landscapes as well as subjects as close as 10 cm. The S250
can be connected to a TV to display video during shooting or to show
footage that has already been recorded in the mobile phone.
The S250 comes
with a unique “stretch” design, reminiscent of the futuristic
phones seen in the movie The Matrix . The high-quality camera lens
and LCD remain covered and protected when the phone is closed, and
when it is stretched open, the product has the feel of a regular digital
camera.
Samsung has also
set a new standard in mobile phone display technology. Until now,
mobile phones had been equipped with LCDs capable of 262,000-color
resolution. The S250 boasts a QVGA TFD-LCD (Thin Film Diode-Liquid
Crystal Display) that has previously been adapted only for top-end
TVs and desktop monitors. The display can reproduce 16 million colors,
over 60 times the color compared to existing mobile phone displays,
all the hues found in nature; thus, QVGA resolution has been referred
to as “true color.”
Samsung has also
taken voice recognition to a higher level by introducing text-to-speech
(TTS) conversion. Now the user can listen to incoming text messages
or the prepared “to-do” list rather than having to read
them.
The S250 supports
high-image-quality games and 3D sound effects. If a call is received
in the middle of a game, the user can restore the game later and resume
play.
Other advanced
functions in the S250 include an MP3 player, mobile banking capability
and 64-polyphonic sound.
According to President
& CEO Kitae Lee of the Samsung Electronics, “Our development
of a 5-megapixel camera phone will elevate the competitiveness of
the Korean mobile phone industry. At the same time, I would like to
see our technological advances contribute to the growth of the global
mobile phone industry and create a more convenient way of life.”
President Lee
adds, “It's very important to lead the trends through continuous
introductions of innovative new products. Samsung Electronics possesses
the world's leading technologies and state-of-the-art design capabilities,
and we are committed to developing distinctive products for our customers.”
Samsung cooperated
with the Japan-based Asahi Pentax, one of the most respected camera
lens providers in the world, to develop a camera module customized
for the mobile phone. This partnership began in the first-half of
2003.
The SCH-S250
will be available in the Korean market this October.
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimension 115 x 49.5 x 18.5mm
Weight 116g
Band cdma2000 1x
Display 2.0-inch 16Million-Color QVGA TFD LCD (240x320)
Camera 5 -megapixel CCD Camera
Ringtones 64 Polyphonic Sound
Design Sophisticated stretch style phone
Memory 32MB External memory(RS-MMC)
Video Recording 100 minutes
Functionality - Supports Mobile Banking Service/MP3/ TV-OUT/ IrDAl
- Supports TTS (Text to Speech) functionl
- 3D Games & Sounds