Samsung SCH-W480 Camera Phone Has 3x Optical Zoom

Camera phones may not offer the same level of performance as regular digital cameras just yet, but with innovations like the Samsung SCH-W480, they’re really starting to get pretty darn close. For starters, this slider phone comes equipped with a 5.0 megapixel CCD camera that happens to have 3x optical zoom. The lens is internal, so you don’t have a nasty thing jutting out the back either.

To keep everything nice and protected, there is a sliding cover for the lens on the back. The user interface on the large color display is much like what you’d get on a regular camera. Features and functions include a self-timer, macro mode, flash, auto-focus, and face detection.

Rounding out the specs on this apparently Korea-only handset are 7.2Mbps HSDPA, WCDMA/GSM global roaming, Bluetooth, media player, and microSD memory expansion. Pricing has been set at about $580.