Android cameras are not a new concept, but for Nikon they are. The company today announced release of its first Android-powered camera, the CoolPix S800c. Rather than Jelly Bean, the shooter relies on much older Android 2.3 Gingerbread. So Polaroid got there faster, but that didn't stop Nikon from releasing the $349.95 camera.
It's a rather unusual package and you might wonder how Nikon manages to make the best out of Android when it doesn't have cellular connectivity. The CoolPix S800c makes due with Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n to share the photos or movies to cloud services. Because it's running Android, Google Play is open for those seeking to install third party applications within the 680MB of space reserved for it.
The 16-megapixel sensor beats out most smartphones, including Samsung Galaxy S III but not the mighty Nokia 808 PureView, which sports a 41MP camera. Since the 1.7GB of internal storage might not seem enough for a camera capable of 1080p video recording and 16MP pictures, Nikon has given it a built-in SD/SDHC memory card slot.
GPS functionality is also on board, for that extra edge. Each photo can be geo-tagged and through Nikon's own app content can be uploaded to "my Picturetown" website. For those seeking to have a map of all the places they took pictures in, Nikon offers that too. But the app also allows uploading to "popular social network" websites, which is another added benefit of having Android and Wi-Fi on the CoolPix S800c.
Because the camera runs Android, there is support for Google Play and installing Android apps, which sets apart the shooter from almost every other available today.
Nikon has released something interesting with the CoolPix S800c, which might be the perfect device for those seeking a point and shoot camera that has smartphone capabilities in a package that isn't a smartphone. It might sound unconventional and that's true in a world filled by common, but for those wanting to stand out from the crowd the Nikon CoolPix S800c is the way to go. Now apply that Instagram filter and upload it!