Nikon lining up first Android-based camera with Coolpix S800?

Nikon may be preparing to launch an Android-powered digital camera, with camera blog Nikon Rumors stating that the forthcoming Nikon Coolpix S800 will be running Google’s mobile operating system.

A filling at the Indonesian Communication agency reveals the Coolpix S800 model number, with the camera’s software rumoured to be Android 2.3, an older but well-worn version of Google’s OS.

The inclusion of Android would make the Coolpix S800 a truly “smart” camera, capable of downloading pretty much any app from Google’s Play Store once it achieves accreditation from Google, and being able to tap into social networks like Facebook and Twitter directly through built-in GPS and Wi-Fi functionality.

Users of apps like Instagram would be able to get even better results for their retro-filtered snaps, thanks to Nikon’s superior image sensor tech and the rumoured inclusion of a 25-250mm lens.

Android-powered cameras have been rumoured for quite some time, with the main reason for their slow showing on the camera market being potential warranty issues. It’ll be difficult to protect users from potential malware when connected to the sometimes-dubious wares of the Google Play Store, an issue not faced by other cameras.

It’d still be an exciting development though for photographers with a particularly high social output. If a 3G connection could also make its way inside, with options for unlimited data for photo uploads (unlikely given the presumably high megapixel count) this would be a very interesting concept indeed.