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A camera phone is a cellphone which has a camera built in. The world's first camera phone was the J-SH04 made by Sharp Corporation and put on market from J-Phone (Vodafone) in Japan in November 2000. The cameras typically use CMOS image sensors. This is due largely to reduced power consumption compared to CCD type cameras, which are also used. The lower power consumption prevents the camera from quickly depleting the phone's battery. Major manufacturers include Nokia, Samsung, Motorola, Siemens, Sony Ericsson, and LG Electronics. As of 2004, the resolution in Japan is typically in the megapixel range such as 2 megapixels, while in North America and Europe 0.3 megapixels (VGA) is most common. In 2004, 60% percent of mobile phones in Japan have built-in cameras, and this is expected to rise in 2005. Previously, the highest resolution available was 7 megapixels on the Samsung SCH-V770. This has since been replaced as Samsung Electronics unveiled the world's first 8.0 megapixel camera phone, the WCDMA SPH-V8200.

As a network-connected device, megapixel camera phones are starting to play significant roles such as crime prevention, journalism and business applications as well as individual uses. On the other hand, they are prone to abuse such as voyeurism and invasion of privacy.

Some organizations and places have started to ban camera phones because of the privacy and security issues they raise. Such places would include The Pentagon, schools or local fitness clubs. One country, Saudi Arabia, banned the sale of camera phones nationwide for a time before reallowing their sale in 2004 (although pilgrims on the Hajj were allowed to bring in camera phones). Another, South Korea, requires that all camera phones sold in the country make a clearly audible sound whenever a picture is taken. In Singapore camera phones are banned at companies or facilities that have an association with national security. In Europe, some BDSM conventions and play parties ban cellphones altogether to ensure the prevention of camera phone abuse.

Camera equipped mobile phones have been linked to industrial espionage and paparazzi activity. During much of 2004, a black hat hacker named Nicolas Jacobsen had illegal access to the backbone of T-Online USA mobile network. Besides stealing classified US Secret Service documents and selling them on IRC, he amused himself and friends by finding out celebrity phone numbers (including that of Paris Hilton, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher). Then he siphoned off recently made photos from their handsets and circulated some of the pictures.

Video call on a camera phoneSome newer camera phones are also videophones, and can transmit videos and videocalls. Camera phone video and photographs taken in the immediate aftermath of the 2005 London bombings was featured worldwide. CNN executive Jonathan Klein predicts camera phone footage will be increasingly used by news organizations.

Anecdote on the idea behind the technology
According to a developer in the mobile phone industry, the camera phone was developed for working professionals who wanted to keep an image of their children with them wherever they went and as they worked. The user interface was designed to be simple so that housewives and children could also use the feature. As a consideration as to the quality of image reproduction, the engineers felt that it was important to have the child's photograph displayed on the cellphone as finely as possible.

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