5 mega-pixel camera for cellphones? We are the new paparazzi!

With music and video capability, our phones really are becoming the multimedia devices we've dreamed. One of the biggest stumbling blocks has been that the cameras on our phones have always sucked. Not any more.
Sharp Japan has just unveiled it's new 5-megapixel CCD camera module for mobile phones. Oh yeah, 5 megapixels! But wait, it gets better. Samsung has debuted its camera for phones and its a whopping 10-megapixels. The LZ0P3770 isn't just 10 megapixels, it also has the world's first 3X optical linear zoom with auto focus!

At just under an inch these little powerhouses will see production in January '07. The camera won't come cheap. Initial estimates show a price point of $172 per unit. But if our cellphones can ring up our pals and take great photos of them (while giving me one less gadget to carry), it'll be worth it.