Smartphone Makers’ Plan to Boost Camera Features Further Threaten Digi-Cam Sales

One Comment by Nancy Perkins on 13th Mar 2013

Not long ago, digital cameras were the “in” thing. But when mobile phones equipped with cameras surfaced, sales for digicams dropped. If this was the case then, imagine where the digicams will be once smartphone makers further refine their products’ camera features. And with Nokia and HTC looking to raise the bar in terms of their handsets’ photo-taking function, it seems that time is indeed running out for digital camera manufacturers.

(image: sheldonschwartz / Flickr)

HTC One’s Ultra-pixel Technology

As a matter of fact, it looks like Taiwanese mobile phone maker HTC has already played its hand when it released its newest flagship phone, the HTC One. HTC One, initially referred to as the M7 in leaks, sports a 4-ultrapixel sensor which can take very crisp photos and high-definition videos even with minimal light source. In ultrapixel technology, several sensors are used, which then allow several shots to be combined into one, thereby producing the best possible quality of images. This may be HTC’s answer to Nokia’s Pureview 808.

Nokia’s 41-Megapixel Windows 8 Phone

In case you’ve been living under a rock the past few years, Nokia has already been pushing the envelope when it comes to its handsets’ camera features. The Nokia 808 Pureview, for one, is a business phone equipped with a staggering 41-megapixel sensor. But since the phone is running on the outdated Symbian OS, the Finnish mobile phone maker is reportedly looking to put the monstrous 41-megapixel Pureview camera into a Windows 8 phone. It’s basically a much powerful version of the Lumia 920, which only has an 8.7-megapixel camera.

Challenging Apple and Samsung

Packing some powerful cameras into their handsets may be HTC and Nokia’s way of challenging the dominance of Samsung and Apple in the smartphone market. According to reports, Apple and Samsung combined commanded a staggering 52% market share during the last quarter of 2012. But analysts say that no other manufacturer has been successful enough to claim the number 3 spot, since the other smartphone players aren’t as successful as Samsung or Apple when it comes to strengthening their brands.

Handy Substitutes for Digi-Cams / DSLRs

Combining the power of advanced sensors and cameras with the technology of smartphones can be a huge selling point for Nokia and HTC. After all, consumers are looking for handsets that will allow them to do away with digi-cams and heavy DSLR cameras, especially when traveling. The convenience of smartphones packed with powerful cameras will probably prove to be irresistible to many users, especially since smartphones allow instant uploading and sharing of photos to social networking sites. And with the availability of numerous photo-editing apps, smartphones prove to be the smarter choice than digi-cams.

So if you’re thinking of buying a point-and-shoot digi-cam, you may want to rethink that. Because the continuously improving photo-capturing technology of smartphones may render digi-cams obsolete sooner than you think.