Samsung have announced brand new technology that will see them mass-produce 8 megapixel camera phones complete with auto-focus in the first half of 2008. Currently, mid-range phones mostly feature a 3.2 megapixel camera, while the high-end phones, such as the Nokia N95 and Sony Ericsson K850i feature 5 megapixels.

Although other phones have offered high megapixellage (Samsung famously released a 10 megapixel monster back in 2006 in Korea, for example), this is the first time a major handset manufacturer has committed itself to extremely high megapixels for the mass market.

More details after the jump.

It's interesting how camera phones have taken off again this year. Whereas everyone thought this eyar would be the year of mobile TV, it seems that people's love of taking photos on their phones just keeps on going, and the handset manufacturers have responded by releasing a plethora of new phones that are all capable of producing extremely good photos.

For example, Sony Ericsson has its CyberShot range of camera phones, Nokia has 5 megapixel optics on some of its N-Series phones, LG has its new LG Viewty 5 megapixel model, complete with touchscreen, and Samsung have two 5 mrgspixel cameras in the shape of the Samsung G600 and G800.

What's driven this resurgence in camera phone interest is perhaps the fact that the quality of the photos is now so great that the phones can actually be used to replace cameras entirely (at least for the average user).

When camera phones were first introduced, they were a novelty, and so sold well because of the novelty factor. Once every mobile phone had a camera, the novelty wore off, and so the only time you'd use your phone to take pictures rather than your dedicated camera was when you didn't have your camera on you (usually pubs and clubs).

Now, though, the phone can actually take photos as a good as cameras could a few years ago, and for most people, this is more than enough. As such, camera phones have become useful as cameras, rather than just as phones with an OK camera bolted onto them.

Samsung's latest announcement focuses on a brand new 8 megapixel CMOS camera module that's just 10.5 X 11.5 X 9.4mm in size (approximately the same size as current 3.2 megapixel sensors). If Samsung manage to mass produce 8 megapixel camera phones, it won't be long before the other mobile phone manufacturers join them, so it really won't be long before the phoneless digital camera is consigned to the history books.

[Source: Aving.net]