InfoTrends finds that connected and smart cameras show the highest level of interest, with Wi-Fi enabled cameras receiving the highest interest ratings of all the product concepts presented. InfoTrends has been advocating for many years that connectivity needs to be a standard feature if cameras are to become a more relied upon photo taking and sharing device. Digital camera vendors need to make sure the sharing feature is simple and easy to use to guarantee consumer adoption of this feature/function. The camera phone has become the everyday camera for most consumers and continues to steal more and more photo taking activity away from traditional cameras. The image quality produced by camera phones is constantly improving; traditional camera vendors cannot rely on image quality alone to compete with camera phones.
In 2012, less than 15% of all camera models introduced featured connectivity. In 2013, that will likely be closer to 30%, said Infortrends, while 100% of camera phones are connected.