Camera phone

A camera phone is a mobile phone that can capture photographs and often record video using one or more built-in digital cameras. It can also send these images wirelessly. The first phone with a color camera was the Kyocera Visual Phone VP-210, released in Japan in May 1999. At first, cameras in phones were extra features, but since the 2010s, they have become a key reason people buy new phones.

Most camera phones are smaller and simpler than separate cameras. With the rise of smartphones, camera phones became so popular that sales of small separate cameras, called point-and-shoot cameras, peaked around 2010 and then dropped. Smartphone cameras keep improving, offering many useful features along with the phone’s other abilities.

Modern smartphones usually have a simple way to start the camera and take pictures. Some phones even have a special button to make taking photos quicker. Camera phones are popular because they are inexpensive and easy to carry. Many can add extra features using mobile applications, like marking where a photo was taken or combining several photos together. Although they may not have all the controls of a separate camera, they offer many great tools for taking pictures and videos.

Technology

Mobile phone cameras often use special sensors to capture images, saving power and space. These sensors help the phone take pictures even in dim light, though they may not work as well as cameras in low-light conditions. Most phone cameras cannot zoom in as much as regular cameras and may not have features like a built-in flash or a slot for extra memory cards.

Phones can also take videos and share them quickly using wireless connections. Over time, phone cameras have improved, adding features like better image quality and the ability to record in high definition. Some phones even have special lenses to help zoom in or capture more detail, though they still cannot match the abilities of standalone cameras.

Software

Users may use software that comes with the camera or install new software. The software that comes with the camera might be designed to work best with it, while new software might offer more features and settings.

The screen usually shows a button to take pictures, a small picture of the last photo taken, and icons that show things like how bright the picture will be, the type of scene, and how much battery is left. Some phones let you change these settings easily.

In 2013, Apple changed how the screen looked for taking pictures, and many other companies later used this same style. This new style has a round button for taking pictures and separate options for photos and videos.

Some phones let you use the volume keys to take pictures or videos, and you can usually tap on the screen to focus on something specific. The phone might also let you take many pictures very quickly in a row.

The screen might show how many pictures you can still take before the phone’s storage is full, and it might also show how big the current video file is.

Some newer and more expensive phones let you control things like how bright the picture will be and where the camera focuses. This started showing up in 2013 on some special cameras built into phones.

When recording video, you might still be able to take pictures, and some phones let you change settings like how bright the video will be while you’re recording.

Some phones can only record for a certain amount of time before they stop, like five minutes for some older Samsung phones.

"Slow motion" video might play back at normal speed or slower, depending on the phone.

Settings for the camera might show up on the screen while you’re taking pictures or might be on a separate menu. On Apple phones, some settings are in a different part of the phone’s settings.

Phones can usually take pictures and videos in different sizes, and some can zoom in digitally without losing quality by using only part of the camera’s extra space.

Photos and videos are usually saved in a special folder called DCIM/ inside the phone’s memory, and they are named with numbers or dates. Some phones can also save them on a special card or a USB drive.

Photos are usually saved as JPEG files. Since around 2015, some high-end camera phones can save photos in other formats like RAW, HDR, and "Bokeh" mode. Phones with Android 5.0 or later can install apps that add these features.

Since 2013, some phones can take pictures and videos from both the front and back cameras at the same time.

Voice commands to take pictures were first added in 2012 on some Samsung phones, and some phones can take a picture after counting down from a hand gesture.

Some phones let you lock the screen to prevent accidentally leaving the camera or changing settings while recording or keeping the phone in your pocket.

Some phones can take a picture or start recording video as soon as you open the camera.

Since the mid-2010s, some phones can add a short video to a photo. Apple calls this a “live photo,” and Samsung calls it a “motion photo.”

Some phones have a “night mode” for low-light conditions. The camera takes several pictures in quick succession and picks the one that looks the clearest. The screen might ask you to hold the phone still for a few seconds to get a better picture.

History

The camera phone is a mobile phone with a built-in camera for taking pictures and recording video. It began with simple devices that could send images wirelessly. The first commercial phone with a color camera was the Kyocera Visual Phone VP-210, released in Japan in May 1999.

Early camera phones used different types of sensors and technology. Over time, these phones became smaller, more powerful, and easier to use. By the early 2000s, many phones around the world included cameras. Today, almost all mobile phones have built-in cameras, even very basic ones. Modern camera phones can take high-resolution pictures and record high-quality video.

Manufacturers

Some big companies that make cameras for phones are Sony, Toshiba, ST Micro, Sharp, Omnivision, and Aptina. Aptina is now part of ON Semiconductor. These companies help create the cameras found in many mobile phones.

Social impact

See also: Selfie

Camera phones let people capture and share moments easily, helping them keep memories and stay connected with friends and family. Because people carry their phones everywhere, they can take photos and videos at any time. This makes sharing quick and easy, letting others see what’s happening right away.

While camera phones are great for everyday use, they can also be misused. For example, someone might take pictures secretly without others knowing. This can make people uncomfortable, especially in places where photos aren’t allowed. However, camera phones have also helped people share important news and document events, even in difficult situations. They have become powerful tools for everyday photography, journalism, and capturing life’s moments.

Camera as an interaction device

Smartphone cameras can be used to scan special codes called QR codes on objects, which then link to websites or other digital content through a URL. They can also help recognize objects by analyzing images, combining visual markers with image analysis. For example, this can estimate the position of the phone to create a real-time overlay for a 3D paper globe.

Some smartphones can add an augmented reality layer to recognize objects using simplified object recognition methods, along with GPS and a compass. They can even translate text from other languages. Auto-geotagging shows where a photo was taken, helping people interact and compare photos. Most phones have a front-facing camera for taking self-portraiture (coll. selfies), video blogging (vlogging), and video conferencing. Usually, the front camera is smaller and lower quality than the rear camera, though some phones like the HTC One M8 have a higher resolution front camera.

Laws

Main articles: Photography and the law and Legality of recording by civilians

When many people started using camera phones, it brought attention to rules about taking photos in public and private places. The same rules that apply to regular cameras also apply to camera phones. It’s hard to stop people from using camera phones because they’re small, easy to hide, and many places can’t fully ban them without affecting free speech and news reporting.

Some places, like the Pentagon, courts, museums, schools, theaters, and fitness clubs, sometimes say you can’t use camera phones because of privacy or security concerns. For example, Saudi Arabia once stopped selling camera phones for a while but later allowed them again. Camera phones have sometimes been linked to news about secret information or famous people taking photos, which can cause debate even though it’s usually legal.

Notable events involving camera phones

Camera phones have played an important role in capturing major news events. During the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, many of the first images and videos shared came from ordinary people using camera phones, not just professional news crews. These images helped the world understand what was happening very quickly.

Since then, camera phones have recorded many important moments, including protests, public incidents, and significant historical events. They allow people to share what they see in real time, helping others learn about what is happening around the world.

Camera phone photography

Photography using phone cameras has become a popular art form. This type of photography is sometimes called iPhoneography, even if it’s not done with an iPhone, because many people use smartphones to take and share photos. The iPhone and its App Store helped make this easier by offering many tools for taking, editing, and sharing photos.

The first gallery show featuring only iPhone photos opened on June 30, 2010, in Berkeley, California. Around that time, a photographer named Damon Winter used his phone to take pictures of the war in Afghanistan, and some of these appeared in the New York Times. Later, other photographers also used phone cameras for their work, showing that phone photos can be just as powerful as those taken with regular cameras.

Camera phone filmmaking

See also: List of films shot on mobile phones

Since smartphones began including video cameras, they have become popular tools for making videos. Filmmakers have grown interested in using these devices because they are small, easy to carry, and keep improving with new technology.

Today, filmmakers around the world use mobile phones to record videos. Early experiments include New Love Meetings from 2005, a documentary from the Netherlands, and Why Didn't Anybody Tell Me It Would Become This Bad in Afghanistan from 2007, the first story film made with a mobile phone. Other notable early films include SMS Sugar Man from 2008 from South Africa, and Veenavaadanam from 2008, the first Indian documentary film in the Malayalam language.

Some well-known films have used high-quality smartphones as their main camera. Examples include Hooked Up from Spain in 2013, Tangerine from the United States in 2015, and High Flying Bird from the United States in 2019. These films show how mobile phones can create exciting and professional-looking videos.