The Galaxy Camera 2's biggest improvements are faster, more powerful
guts. The new model has a quad-core 1.6 GHz processor and 2 GB of RAM up
from a dual-core 1.4 GHz processor and 2GB of RAM. In terms of actual
performance, we'll have to wait and see what those extra cycles and
memory translate to. I had the brief opportunity to pay with the Galaxy
Camera 2, and it seemed pretty snappy, in particular, when transitioning
from the TouchWiz Android UI to the camera interface. We didn't compare
it to the performance on the previous model, but I remember some lag
here. The camera's battery capacity has been increased from 1650 mAh to
2000 mAh, which should help keep the camera humming despite the extra
power requirements.
On the
surface, the camera's imaging guts haven't been improved: It appears to
have the same 16-megapixel 1/2.3-inch BSI CMOS sensor and 21x optical
zoom as before, but according to Samsung executives, the camera's image
processing engine has been overhauled so we can expect better image
quality.
Additionally, the
NFC to make Wi-Fi pairing with tablets and smartphones easier. This is
pretty standard on connected cameras these days, so it's not all that
surprising. You'll also notice a sleeker, slimmer looking design. Don't
let it fool you, the camera is almost exactly the same size.
All in all, Samsung's Galaxy Camera 2 is essentially the same offering
as before. Even if the camera turns out to be a lot faster than before,
it's still going to appeal to exactly the same type of person who found
the original attractive: People who want to be able to take pictures
with a point-and-shoot and post them to Instagram or Facebook just as
easily as if they were using a phone. Indeed, it's for people who want a
franken-camera. So here it is.
Pricing and availability have
yet to be announced, but expect something similar to the Galaxy Camera's
~$500 price tag. As before there will be Wi-Fi only and carrier models.
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