Nokia has signed a patent licensing agreement with Microsoft that will give them access to the company’s broad patent portfolio for use with certain Nikon cameras utilizing the Android platform. A press release noted the contents of the agreement would not be disclosed but Microsoft would receive royalties from Nikon.
Microsoft’s general manager of intellectual property licensing said the two companies have a long history of collaboration and this most recent agreement further demonstrates the value that both place on responsible IP licensing.
If you recall, Samsung and Nikon both announced Android-powered cameras around the same time last summer. Samsung’s shooter, known as the Galaxy Camera, includes a quad-core 1.4GHz processor, 8GB of internal storage and an SD card slot – all powered by Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. One of the key selling points is the ability to share photos wirelessly over Wi-Fi or 3G to social networks and other services.
Nikon’s S800c hit the scene a few months later, albeit running a dated version of Android – 2.3.3 Gingerbread. The camera features the same basic abilities as the Samsung unit, allowing photographers to share their creations instantly via e-mail, Facebook or simply transfer them to a notebook, smartphone or tablet for editing. The shooter received mediocre reviews in general as the old OS, poor battery life and just average photo quality could have all been improved upon.
With this new deal, it’s pretty evident that Nikon is planning to expand on their Android-powered line of digital cameras.
