Camera-less Phones in Demand

In this day and age of cell phones jam-packed with every conceivable feature, why in the world would anyone release a handset without a camera? That's what several readers asked me after my post about the rumored BlackBerry 8830, which will supposedly come with a full QWERTY keypad, a trackball, and 3G access—but no camera. If you're also puzzled by the apparent oversight, just ask anyone who toils 40 hours a week in a large corporate office, a courthouse, or even a gym, where camera phones are a no-no.

In short, more and more corporate and private entities are cracking down on camera phones—so many, in fact, that RIM bigwig Mike Lazaridis actually called the BlackBerry 8800's lack of a camera a "feature." As consultant Alan Reiter points out on his blog, there are many reasons for camera phone bans: some companies are concerned about security and corporate espionage, while courthouses don't want anyone surreptitiously snapping pictures or recording video of court proceedings. Of course, there's another issue that crops up, especially at health clubs: businesses worried about people snapping "inappropriate" pictures or videos of employees or patrons. And before you cry foul over your First Amendment rights, keep in mind that when you step foot in a business, you're on private property, which means the owners and/or proprietors are free to show you the door if you start taking pictures. (There are exceptions, of course, such as for photojournalists covering breaking news.) Of course, you could always disable the camera on your phone, but just try telling that to the bailiff at jury duty. Bye-bye, cellie.

With the all the "no camera phone" rules taking effect, it's no wonder that there's a burgeoning market for handsets without cameras. Of course, many bare-bones phones come without cameras, but there are plenty of high-end options, including the BlackBerry 8800 and the rumored 8830, along with several camera-less versions of the Palm Treos (check with your carrier) and the latest HP iPaqs (ditto).

Related:
RIM says no camera in BlackBerry 8800 is a "feature" for corporations [Reiter's Camera Phone Report]
Report: RIM Preps CDMA/GSM BlackBerry 8830