Galaxy Camera coming for the holidays, available November 16 on AT&T

The Samsung Galaxy Camera will be available to snap pictures during the holiday season. The 4G-connected camera will be available through AT&T starting November 16. Running Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) and featuring a 21x optical zoom, the camera will cost $500 before the data plan.

Some people can’t connect to a 4G network on their phones yet, but AT&T is carrying a camera that can. Starting November 16, the Samsung Galaxy Camera will be available at AT&T for $500. There is no data plan attached to that price, as all data plan options are available separately.

If you usually fret over the quality of the 8-megapixel camera in your phone, the Samsung Galaxy Camera will probably make you forget about snapping pictures with your handset. It features a 21x optical zoom lens and a 16-megapixel CMOS sensor. Every snapshot you take can be viewed on the 4.8-inch HD Super Clear LCD display, so every flaw … er, detail will be clearly visible.

Of course, the thing that sets the Samsung Galaxy Camera apart from most cameras is the connectivity factor. The device operates on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) and is capable of connecting to the web via 4G, giving it the ability to share photos off the camera right after being taken. Friends of photographers or snap-happy people, consider this your warning. The camera can also access the Google Play store, creating a unique opportunity to download apps, because you need another device to play Angry Birds on.

All of those fun features come at an extra cost. While the camera itself carries a price tag of $500, the additional data plan required to make use of this device’s full potential will add a monthly bill as well. To have a data plan, you’ll also need a smartphone on AT&T’s network. If you don’t meet that requirement, has you covered: Buy a Samsung Galaxy smartphone and get $100 off a second Samsung device like, say, a camera. Once you have a smartphone and your Samsung Galaxy Camera on the AT&T network, you can finally look forward to buying that plan of between 1GB and 20GB of shared data. AT&T will also spot you 5GB of free storage in its AT&T Locker service.

Be sure to check out our full hands-on impressions of the Galaxy Cam.