Samsung 'Pixon' 8-Megapixel Phone Coming To U.S.

Samsung will be bringing an 8-megapixel camera phone to the U.S. market on AT&T's networks.

According to an FCC filing, the Pixon handset will be coming to the U.S. market supporting the HSPA-based 3G over AT&T's 850-MHz and 1,900-MHz bands. There's no word on a release date or if the Pixon will be subsidized by the carrier or sold unlocked like Nokia's E71, but most handsets are released within a few months of an FCC filing.

The main appeal of the handset is the camera, and Samsung said it can be a digital camera replacement. Samsung has crammed in auto-focus, face-detecting, blink-detecting, and panorama technology to make taking pictures easier. The photos can be geotagged with the built-in GPS, there's also a flash, and it's capable of recording slow-motion video at up to 120 frames per second.

The Pixon also sports a front-facing camera that could be used for video calling. This feature has been common in Europe and Japan, but it's relatively obscure in the United States. AT&T may be slowly backing the service though, as it recently introduced the video-calling-capable LG Incite.

Samsung's smartphone isn't just for shutterbugs though, as it comes with a built-in Microsoft Office document viewer, HTML browser, and organizer. The handset will feature Samsung's TouchWiz user interface, which features touch-friendly widgets that give users one-click access to things like stocks, weather, sports scores, and other Web-based information.

The Pixon is also a capable multimedia handset, with the ability to play multiple audio and video formats. Additionally, there's a built-in FM radio, TV-out functionality, and virtual surround sound.

The 3.2-inch touch screen is used for most of the input, but there are a few hard keys on the face and along the spine. At 0.54 inches, the Pixon is a relatively thin smartphone, and it weighs 4.2 ounces.