Google's Android operating system seems to be appearing on everything from smartphones to toasters these days, so it only makes sense that a digital camera would eventually build in support for it.
Polaroid's new iM1836 camera (and related models in its new lineup) not only features Android, but also a built-in WiFi connection for instant sharing to the social network of your choice or to other devices with the built-in Bluetooth functionality. In a feature that should excite serious shutterbugs, the mirrorless camera also allows for interchangeable lenses, a feature usually only found on expensive DSLR cameras. The camera can also shoot 1080p video.
Sure, people have been using cameras built into their cell phones for years now, but this camera seems to fit a perfect niche between higher-level photo quality and a desire for quick social media sharing. Samsung and Nikon are also getting into the Android-enabled camera arena this year.
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Android-enabled Cameras
- The integration of Android in cameras, coupled with built-in Wifi and detachable lenses, creates a new category of camera offering a solution between traditional DSLR cameras and camera phones.
- Social Media-friendly Cameras
- Cameras that offer instant social media connectivity, like Polaroid's iM1836 with integrated Wifi and Bluetooth, provide an opportunity for new social media tools and services.
- Interchangeable-lens Cameras
- Integration of interchangeable lenses, a feature often reserved for expensive DSLR cameras, into this new camera category provides an opportunity for a new type of consumer interested in high-quality photography and quick content sharing.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Photography Equipment
- The introduction of Android-enabled cameras with Wifi and detachable lenses creates a new target audience for photography equipment manufacturers, who can now innovate and offer features that appeal to both amateur and professional photographers.
- Social Media Platforms
- As cameras offer more instant social media sharing tools, social media platforms can take advantage of these new features to deepen audience engagement and facilitate increased user content creation and sharing.
- Mobile Device Manufacturers
- The integration of Android into digital cameras opens up opportunities for mobile device manufacturers to enter a new market with an emphasis on better image quality, camera innovations, and social sharing.
