Bluetooth Registration Reveals Next-Generation Galaxy Camera

Samsung may be working on a new variant of its current Android-powered Galaxy Camera or even a successor model. Not much information is known at this time about this new Samsung Galaxy Camera smart camera, but according to registration information for Bluetooth approval with the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), we now know the model number is EK-GN120. The current Galaxy Camera has a model number of GC-100.

Curiously, Samsung has filed the Galaxy Camera EK-GN120 as a “Mobile Phone” as the product category type. The product listing was reported on Sam Mobile. 

This could suggest that this model may add voice calling over cellular network as a feature, something that the current Galaxy Camera lacks at this time.

Samsung had debuted its first foray into the smart camera feature with a powerful device that uses the Android operating system, its TouchWiz Nature UI borrowed from the Galaxy S III, 21X optical zoom range, a pop-up Xenon flash, and a large 720p HD LCD touchscreen viewfinder on the rear. Though image quality was mediocre, it was a strong smart camera debut with easy to use features and strong specs for the average consumer looking to quickly share and post images online from a point-and-shoot experience with a telephoto zoom lens. The device comes with 4G HSPA+ internationally and Verizon Wireless offers a 4G LTE variant in the U.S. as well.

Though the original Galaxy Camera has access to mobile broadband data from your cellular provider, it cannot make phone calls and won’t serve as a replacement to your Galaxy S smartphone. If Samsung introduces voice capabilities, users who want to carry one device would now be able to do so, albeit at the trade-off of having a thicker device than a traditional phone because of the zoom lens and extra camera capabilities. Samsung hasn’t shied away from offering voice calling capabilities into larger form factor products, including the original Galaxy Tab 7.0 launched internationally (U.S. variants lacked this feature) as well as the Galaxy Note 8.0.

A less expensive WiFi-only model is forthcoming.

The filing was made only recently, at the end of April, so it’s unclear when the new Galaxy Camera model will make it to market. The original Galaxy Camera was initially introduced in the fall of last year, so a successor may not launch until the fall of this year.