Samsung Galaxy Cam gets its first U.S. wireless carrier with AT&T

AT&T will carry the forthcoming Samsung Galaxy Camera, the first real stab at combining a point-and-shoot with a smartphone.

The Samsung Galaxy Camera is becoming a hotly anticipated item, thanks to its recently announced Dropbox compatibility and next-gen, ultra-connected focus. And today, AT&T announced it will be supporting the 4G (HSPA+, most likely) camera, which will have run Jelly Bean and have access to the full catalogue of Google Play apps.

As a reminder, the Galaxy Cam has a 16-megapixel backside illuminated CMOS sensor, a 1GHz processor, and a 21x optical zoom – fairly similar specs to the Samsung WB850 F, a camera we were impressed with. The Samsung Smart camera lineup, in fact, has been a pleasant surprise when it comes to Wi-Fi connectivity. Manufacturers have struggled with implementing this feature in an easy-to-use, simple way for users, but it’s something that Samsung has done incredibly well. And we only expect this to be an even more fluid experience with the Galaxy Cam, which essentially is the first true digital camera-smartphone hybrid to come to market.

This is the first carrier announcement for the device, and it’s a big one (it means it’s definitely hitting U.S. shelves). The Galaxy Cam stands a decent shot at cornering the consumer camera market: Wi-Fi enabled point-and-shoots are a hot commodity, and strapping a Galaxy S3 to one only sweetens that deal. It’s cutting edge, especially for an industry that’s been remarkably slow to adopt and adapt to mobile technology. 

There’s no word on how much the camera is going to cost, though it’s supposed to be on sale within the next few weeks, so stay tuned.