It appears AT&T and Samsung are teaming up to push out Android 4.1.2 to the Galaxy Camera this week. The new build number is GC100UCAMD4 and brings a few stability fixes and other camera firmware enhancements. As far as I can see, there is no official changelog posted from either Samsung or AT&T (don’t you just love that?) so until we find one, we don’t know much. 

Over the weekend, our Samsung Galaxy Camera from Verizon received a massive 180MB update, but a changelog was missing at the time, leaving us wondering what was included. The changelog for build VRAMC4 is now live, with full details on the update. 

The Samsung Galaxy Camera (EK-GC120) for Verizon received a major update (at least in size) this morning to build VRAMC4. The update weighs in at almost 180MB, which is substantial, though we’re not sure at all what was included with it. Verizon nor Samsung have mentioned the new firmware, so at this point, we’re stuck waiting for answers. It is still running Android 4.1.2 after the update is pushed through, though. 

If you were holding out for a Galaxy Camera, sans 3G/4G LTE connection, today is your day. We are most certainly fans of this device (review here), as it got used a ton during CES, but the price did scare off a few potential customers at full retail of $500. This new variant will have dual-band WiFi, but all of the same specs: 16.3MP sensor, 21x optical zoom, 4.8″ back-facing display, Android 4.1, and a 1.4GHz quad-core processor. 

Verizon and Samsung announced the Galaxy Camera with 4G LTE, the first camera in the world to be able to connect to next-gen LTE networks. From our understanding, it’s exactly like the Galaxy Camera with HSPA+ that we reviewed (Jelly Bean, 4.8″ HD display, quad-core processor, etc.), only it has a different radio inside. Oh, the price is also different, dropping in at a whopping $549 compared to the $499 price tag of the HSPA+ version.

Big Red also has an exclusive color of Cobalt Black (pictured above), but you can splurge on the white version should you prefer a lighter colored camera.

The device will be available on December 13 (this Thursday). If you choose to buy one, Verizon will allow you to add it to a Share Everything plan at promotional price of $5 per month. 

Last week, we saw a Galaxy Camera variant cruise through the FCC with a 4G LTE radio inside, one that was ready to jump on Verizon’s 4G LTE network. Neither Big Red nor Samsung would confirm that the device was on the way, but they no longer need to as an official product page on Samsung’s site is now live for the device. We don’t have a price, but we can’t imagine it will run for more than the $499 price of the HSPA+ version. If it is more expensive, they that would be a massive mistake.

In our review of the device, we talked about the convenience that the camera brings with the ability to share photos from anywhere, however, the price is too steep for a camera that won’t “Wow!” you as a camera.

Via:  Samsung | The Verge

This is a new one for me. I only recently got into photography, from a blogger’s point of view, taking close-up pictures of devices and posting them up on the web. I took some photography classes when I was younger, but never got into the science of it or shared the passion for it as many others in my family have. Using this hybrid device has certainly been a learning experience and it may make me think twice before I go out and buy another point-and-shoot like I have in the past.

The Samsung Galaxy Camera deserves praise in terms of being a good camera, especially when it comes running Jelly Bean, something a lot of Android phones can’t even say yet. Although, does it deliver $500 worth of pictures/video and sharing capabilities to justify a purchase? How Samsung markets this device will be a fun spectacle, as even myself couldn’t explain to my friends as to why it really exists. Do we really need our cameras to have a data connection these days? Do I really need to surf the web or browse Facebook from it as well?

Below, I try my best at delivering an overall fair “camera review” even though I know quite little in terms of cameras. This should be fun. 

Outside of the high price, one of the initial complaints about the Samsung Galaxy Camera was its lack of LTE connectivity. The only available version of the device is capable of connecting to AT&T’s network at HSPA+, but being that it’s a time when all anyone can think about is Long Term Evolution, you can understand that some would hold out for a different version. And that different version appears to be on the way, potentially headed to Verizon with LTE along for the ride. A Samsung Galaxy Camera with model number EK-GC120 cruised through the FCC this week, all equipped to run on Verizon’s 700MHz LTE spectrum.

With the HSPA+ version dropping in at $499, any guesses on what the LTE version will run?