Samsung announces 8-megapixel camera phone for US market

Samsung and T-Mobile are set to introduce a touch-screen phone equipped with an 8-megapixel camera into the US market. Called the Memoir, the phone is apparently a US version of the Pixon handset announced for Europe and Asia last year and will sport a Xenon flash, 16x digital zoom, in-built GPS and a virtual full-QWERTY keypad.

If you think it looks more like a camera than a phone, you're right, and it was designed that way according to the Samsung release:

"The Memoir, available exclusively from T-Mobile, is designed to look and feel like a customer’s current point-and-shoot digital camera. The built-in 8-megapixel camera with Xenon flash, 16x digital zoom and five shooting modes empower customers to capture exceptional photos and videos from their phone."

As a phone, the Memoir will feature text, multimedia messaging, instant messaging and e-mail along with a music and video player and assisted GPS navigation. There's also stereo Bluetooth®, speakerphone and voice-activated dialing functionality for hands-free operation.

If the specs match those released for the Pixon, video will be shot 30 fps (720 x 480) and slow motion platback may also be on the cards.

The Memoir (model number SGH-t929) will be available exclusively from T-Mobile and run on the company's high-speed 3G network (though it will also work on 2G). No official pricing or release dates have surfaced at this stage.

Samsung via Gizmodo.