X

Nikon Coolpix S800c brings Android to point-and-shoots

Powered by Android 2.3 Gingerbread, the 16-megapixel ultracompact Nikon Coolpix S800c camera has built-in Wi-Fi, GPS, and full access to the Google Play store.

Joshua Goldman Managing Editor / Advice
Managing Editor Josh Goldman is a laptop expert and has been writing about and reviewing them since built-in Wi-Fi was an optional feature. He also covers almost anything connected to a PC, including keyboards, mice, USB-C docks and PC gaming accessories. In addition, he writes about cameras, including action cams and drones. And while he doesn't consider himself a gamer, he spends entirely too much time playing them.
Expertise Laptops, desktops and computer and PC gaming accessories including keyboards, mice and controllers, cameras, action cameras and drones Credentials
  • More than two decades experience writing about PCs and accessories, and 15 years writing about cameras of all kinds.
See full bio
Joshua Goldman
2 min read

Nikon

It was only a matter of time before a major camera manufacturer started using Android as the operating system for a camera. That time is now, with Nikon putting Android 2.3 Gingerbread in the new Coolpix S800c.

There was the Polaroid SC1630 announced at CES this year, but that wasn't much of camera and it doesn't appear to be available for sale. The S800c, on the other hand, has a 1/2.3-inch 16-megapixel backside-illuminated CMOS sensor, a Nikon Expeed C2 processing engine, and a 10x f3.2-5.8 25-250mm lens with optical image stabilization -- all the stuff you'd find in Nikon's Coolpix S6300. So, yes, this is a real point-and-shoot camera running on Android.

Nikon Coolpix S800c (pictures)

+3 More
See all photos

With its built-in Wi-Fi you can connect to a network to surf the Web or open up the Google Play store and start shopping. A 3.5-inch, 819K-dot OLED touch screen gives you full control of camera features as well as any apps or games you load up (there's only 1.4GB of internal storage available, but there is an SD card slot, too).

And if you don't have Wi-Fi access, the camera can connect directly to a smartphone or tablet with mobile broadband access, letting you send photos to your device and upload on the go. There are several Wi-Fi cameras from Sony, Canon, Samsung, Panasonic, and Fujifilm that can do that, too, so really the S800c's edge here comes from the app availability and the large touch screen (assuming it's adequately responsive).

Nikon Coolpix S800c Android camera pictures

+5 More
See all photos

The camera has built-in GPS also, which, while intended for recording shooting-location data for photos and movies, could probably be used for navigation as well, making it handy for travelers.

However, you'll probably want to pack an extra battery or two because the battery life for the S800c is CIPA-rated for 140 shots. Take into account using the touch screen, Wi-Fi, zoom lens, capturing full HD movie clips, or burst shooting at up to 8 frames per second, and that battery life will likely get considerably shorter.

All of this functionality doesn't come cheap, either; when the Nikon Coolpix S800c comes to stores in September it'll cost about $350.