Samsung unveils the Galaxy Camera 2 hybrid

Samsung has just unveiled the successor of the Galaxy Camera - the Galaxy Camera 2. The upgrade includes new design, faster processor, double the RAM and storage, newer Android version and NFC connectivity.

The Galaxy Camera 2 comes with a 1/2.3" BSI sensor with 16.3 MP effective resolution. There is also 21x optical zoom lens with and optical image stabilization. Going by the specs, this is the same sensor used in the first generation Galaxy Camera. Other features shared by the two generations include a pop-up xenon flash and a dedicated AF light.

Samsung Galaxy Camera 2

The video recording capabilities have remained unchanged too - you can shoot 1080p@30fps, 720p@60fps and 512p@120fps.

Yet, the Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 comes with a faster quad-core processor clocked at 1.6GHz (most probably of the Cortex-A9 variety), doubled 2GB of RAM and doubled 8GB internal storage. Unfortunately, according to Samsung, only 2.8GB of those are user-accessible, but you can always expand the storage with a microSD card of up to 64GB capacity.

Samsung Galaxy Camera 2

The last of the upgrades brought by the Galaxy Camera 2 are the NFC connectivity, the bigger 2000mAh battery and the newer Android 4.3 Jelly Bean version. Since the Galaxy Camera 2 runs on Android 4.3 and the latest TouchWiz UI, we guess it will support the Galaxy Gear smartwatch, althogh that hasn't been explicitly confirmed. We hope Samsung develops some kind of a remote shutter app for the Gear to make the two work better together.

Finally, the Galaxy Camera 2 employs the same 4.8-inch Super Clear 720p LCD display with 306ppi as the one we saw on the Galaxy Camera.

Unlike the first Galaxy Camera, the new one does not come with a SIM slot, so there is no 3G/LTE network support. It's not impossible that we get 3G-enabled Galaxy Camera 2 at a later state, though.

There is still no information on pricing and availability, but Samsung will be showcasing the device on CES (January 7-10), so we'll know more in a few days.

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