Point-and-shoot cameras to run a mobile operating system? Pocket-lint discloses this morning that Nikon’s next Coolpix camera, probably the S800, will run Android. As far as I know, this is the first time a camera (other than a camera-equipped phone) has been furnished with a fully-fledged mobile OS.
Without doubt this is an interesting development and has all sorts of implications. It is tacit acknowledgement by Nikon that the future of PAS cameras lies in connectivity. It is a strategy to counter the rapid encroachment of iPhones and Galaxies on the shrinking consumer camera market.
The iPhone, in particular, has shown consumers the benefits of being able to share their snaps with friends and with social applications. “Upgrading” to a point-and-shoot camera can be disappointing experience because the pictures have to be uploaded to a computer before being shared.
I suspect that it is only a matter of time before most consumer-oriented cameras get an OS; it could even point to an Apple iCamera because, certainly, Apple will not be sharing its eco system with the likes of Nikon or Canon.