Samsung unveiled its 7-megapixel camera phone at CeBIT 2005 in Hanover, Germany yesterday. Named the SCH-V770, the dual-face block-styled phone features a 2-inch 16-million color TFD (Thin Film Diode) screen capable of displaying a resolution of 320 x 240 px, MP3 player, business card reader, 32 MB of internal memory with external memory card slot, and digital power amplifier that produces high-quality sound and video recording functions. Video-on-demand, music-on-demand, and television connectivity are included as well.

Built to compete in the ever-competitive world of digital cameras, the SCH-V770 resembles more of a camera than a phone, features a 1/1.8 inch type CCD image sensor with 3X optical and 5X digital zoom, auto-focus, a focal length range of 7.8 to 23.4 mm, and a shutter speed up to 1/2000th of a second.

Featuring functions mostly found on high-end DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras, the SCH-V770 contains manual focus, shutter speed controller, auto-exposure-lock, manual exposure controller, and a high-intensity flash capable of producing digital camera quality illumination. It's also the first camera phone to feature the ability to attach or detach telephoto or wide-angle lenses.

Samsung stated the SCH-V770 would go on sale as early as the first half, but no announcement has been made to how it would be priced.

This comes just six months after Samsung released its 5-megapixel phone. And when asked if more sophisticated camera phones, featuring perhaps a resolution of 10-megapixels, Samsung said it "will give careful consideration to various conditions, including marketability."

Korean rival LG Electronics plans to release a 5-megapixel camera phone as early as next month, revising its initial plan to skip over and go directly to 6 and 7-megapixel models.