Mobile Technologies  

Cameraphones 

Cameraphone (or camphone) is the name given to a mobile phone that has an integrated camera included in its design, and this feature means that the device can not only take photographs, but it can also be used to transfer these images to other phones. The Sharp Corporation launched the worlds first camera phone in Japan in November 2000 - the J-SH04 model - and this used a relatively modest CMOS image sensor offering a resolution of 110,000 pixels. The subsequent demand for cameraphones grew quickly, and since 2000 they have come to represent a distinct niche in the mobile phone market, which has added to the culture change that the mobile phone has introduced into modern life.

The success of cameraphones can be partly attributed to the significant amount of advertising that has been used to promote them, although it is also clear that, as they became more commonplace, then peer pressure and the desire to use the latest gadget has encouraged many to join that growing number who wish to own a cameraphone. Today, all the major phone manufacturers have at least one cameraphone in their ranges, and some even offer a camera as an optional accessory, which can be plugged into a connector on the phone when needed. However, the principles set out below should apply to all cameras used with mobile phones.

The popularity of cameraphones must partly exist because they have proved to be such useful devices, providing their owners with the means to record still pictures and even video in almost any situation. Since mobile phone users tend to carry their handsets around with them wherever they go, it is quite likely - when an important event needs to be photographed - that a cameraphone will be near to hand rather than a purpose made camera. Also, with the growth of MMS messaging, it is now a simple matter to exchange photographs between MMS compatible phones, and to share photographs between friends and contacts.

Despite all the advantages presented by cameraphones, their growing use has created some problems, which has inevitably led to calls for them to be used responsibly in situations where they could endanger privacy or security. There are places where the use of a cameraphone, or any camera, will be prohibited for many reasons. For example, there has been a case in the UK of a man being prosecuted for using a cameraphone in a courtroom, where the use of cameras is illegal.

In practice, adding a camera to a phone is not as difficult a task as it might seem, because most of the components that make up a digital camera - a battery, display, memory, microprocessor, keypad controls - are already present in the phone, and the only additional parts needed are a lens and a light-sensitive device to complete the camera.

Several technical issues, concerning the design and use of cameraphones, should be considered by those who are contemplating the purchase of a particular model. Some of these points are discussed on the following pages, and they should raise the questions necessary if a cameraphone is one of those features important to the user.