Sprint announced it is launching Picture Mail groups this spring, the first picture groups service designed with the mobile phone user in mind, making the sharing of pictures and video clips from a mobile phone to an online community a smooth, hassle-free process.

Sprint PCS Picture Mail subscribers will be able to create an online community and invite friends with an email address or Sprint phone to add pictures, video clips and text of their own at no additional cost.

The interest and usage of camera phones continues to grow. According to the Sprint U.S. Consumer Wireless Usage Study, 55 percent of wireless phone users have an interest in using a camera phone. Showing further evidence of the interest in camera phones, 53 percent of camera phone owners take pictures with their phone. The overwhelming majority of these "phone-tographers" (96 percent) use their camera phones for spontaneous pictures; nearly one-third take pictures at family gatherings (32 percent) or of their pets (30 percent), while more than one-quarter (27 percent) snap shots at celebrations or on vacation. Respondents also use their camera phone while shopping (18 percent), at concerts (15 percent) and for business purposes (15 percent).