CES: Polaroid showcases Android-powered Smart Camera

Polaroid has confirmed the release of its first cameraphone at CES. The Android-driven SC1630 Smart Camera is mainly for taking pictures, but can also make the occasional phone call.

The SC1630 looks like a miniature Polaroid camera from the front, with the traditional black exterior and a 3x optical lens that extends out beneath a standard camera flash to take 16MP photos. On its flip side is the ubiquitous Android home screen, with lines of apps and home buttons across the bottom.

"We start off with a camera frame and then we’re trying to make this device smarter," said executive vice president Emanuel Vorona.

The device is due to launch around April in the U.S. for a price of $299, but Vorona said Polaroid is still finalising technical and financial details. Demo models showed an operating system version of ‘X.X,’ which the company hopes to be Android 4.0.

Polaroid has negotiated to have the Android Market app pre-installed on the device, and hopes the developer community will come up with customised apps that embrace it as a camera first.

The company is still in negotiations with carriers, but may also sell a version without a contract, which will have an empty, usable SIM slot as well as Wi-Fi for Internet connectivity.

Vorona said the company hopes to develop the product to a point where users will consider it as their main choice for both photos and phone calls.

IDG News Service

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