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Polaroid SC1630 Android-powered camera pops up in video

The new Android-powered Polaroid SC1630 reclaims instant photography from the cameraphone in our lovely video.

Richard Trenholm Former Movie and TV Senior Editor
Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.
Expertise Films, TV, Movies, Television, Technology
Richard Trenholm
Watch this: Polaroid SC1630 hands-on

Polaroids! Remember them? Back in the old days instant photography meant Polaroid, but nowadays every photo is instant -- and it doesn't get much more instant than a cameraphone zapping your snap to Facebook and Twitter within seconds of taking it. Which is where the new Android-powered Polaroid SC1630 comes in, in our lovely video from CES.

The SC1630 looks like a standard compact camera at first glance, albeit one with a friendly looking big red shutter button. But flip it over and -- what the holy heck is that? It thinks it's a phone!

Not only does this camera run Android apps, it also boasts Wi-Fi and 3G. Yes, stick in a SIM card and you can zap your snaps straight from camera to Interwebs, just like a cameraphone can.

Click play to see what our man on the ground Luke Westaway thinks about this split-personality snapper. Are the Android apps useful or an annoying distraction? Is it fast enough to compete with regular cameras? And has Luke cut his own hair just before going on camera?

The Polaroid SC1630 was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show, the annual techonanza of gadgets and gizmos in Las Vegas. CNET is there in force, so keep it here for the best new technology from the show. Check out ces.cnet.com for all the news, previews and gossip from CES in Sin City, and tell us what you think down in the comments or over on our Facebook page.