A couple of years ago, Samsung took the idea of a compact camera and the Samsung Galaxy S III and combined them to form an Android-powered camera, which included a cellular modem, WiFi and the usual Android refinements. The 2013 model was followed up in 2014, but both devices have something of a weakness: they’re a little boring and functional to look at. This isn’t just a flaw that I would direct at Samsung and nor were they the first to introduce a connected camera, but the Galaxy Camera was the first easily available camera that could come with Google Play Store applications. Now, designers Rotimi Solola and Cait Miklasz have drawn inspiration from the Italian Vespa motorcycle manufacturer to show off a new concept camera design. The objective of their project was to create a camera that’s easy to use, carry, hold and of course, fun. Taking pictures should be fun rather than a chore, right?
The design features a classic Vespa color and chrome flashes together with what looks like an impressive optical zoom. There’s a pop-up flash included, a low profile shutter and a 3.3-inch display. The designers have also included a speaker and microphone for capturing and showing off video. As this is a concept rather than a production prototype, we don’t have any information about the camera itself such as the sensor type and quality, or the lens, but this isn’t the point of the Vespa camera concept. Instead, it’s to draw attention to what could be done with a little imagination.
This concept does remind me of one of the winning strategies that we have seen over the last year, which is to combine the abilities of hardware, software engineers with a designer to produce a great looking and functional product. It’s a school of thought that particularly Intel have followed with their wearable devices, including the MICA bracelet and to a lesser degree the smart (Synapse) dress. This is an idea that Samsung could do well to benefit from as without wishing to sound negative on their products, they are somewhat… boring… from the design perspective. A product designed like this but with Samsung innards and software could be something rather special. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.
