Samsung has finally released its Android-powered Galaxy camera, which allows users to wirelessly upload pictures to social networking sites.

The Galaxy Camera can be directly connected to Wi-Fi and third- generation (3G) network as well as the 4G LTE network, which will enable users to upload pictures on social media through the wireless networks right after taking them and without having to hook up the camera to a computer.

Samsung sees its new product as a threat to Japanese domination of a digital camera industry, dominated by Canon, Sony, Panasonic, Nikon and Olympus.



The Galaxy camera sells in the United States for $499.99 through AT&T with various monthly data plans. The device is powered by 4.1 Jelly Bean, the latest version of Android operating system and features a 4.8-inch touch screen, a 16.3 megapixel back side illumination (BSI) CMOS sensor and a 21x optical zoom lens.

The camera is aimed at mid-market 'pro-sumers' - not quite professional photographers but those who don't mind paying a premium for user options not yet available on a smartphone - such as an optical, rather than digital, zoom, better flash, and image stabilization.

Canon has also introduced its first mirrorless camera to tap into a the small, interchangeable-lens camera market. Nikon has already entered the specific market with models and recently introduced an Android-embedded Wi-Fi only camera.