Electronics manufacturers who produce products in the point and shoot camera category are having a tough go of it. With the advent of smartphones that take decent photographs, the point and shoot category has been one of decline. Companies like Sony, who produce smartphones themselves, at least have a product line that they can hope to offset the p&s (“point and shoot”) losses that will only accelerate over time. Companies like Canon have no presence in the smartphone category, and will see their sales eroded over time.
While smartphones encroach on point and shoot territory, there are things that the point and shoot manufacturers can do to remain competitive with smartphones.
1. Forget megapixels. Most cheap point and shoot cameras have optics that are already head and shoulders better than smartphones. And yet point and shoots are losing ground to smartphones. As far as features go, in the low end p&s segment, the megapixel was is a losing proposition.
2. Connectivity. To remain competitive with smartphones, point and shoots need to add wifi and GPS tagging. The ability to take a picture and upload it to share with family & friends instantly is one of the main reasons why smartphones are eating point & shoot cameras lunch right now.
3. Advanced editing. The other draw for smartphones is that you can now edit your photo instantly. Apps like Snapseed & Cmaera+ have given shooters what was unthinkable just 5 years ago – Photoshop like editing capabilities on the camera device itself. If you would have told me in 2002 that with in 8 years I would have a phone that could take great pictures, edit & process them like Photoshop, and share them right from the device itself, I would have laughed. Today it is not only a reality, but it is also commonplace.
The point and shoot category is going to need to evolve if it is going to survive. Point and shoots will continue with us, but over time, they will have to cede the lower price points to smartphones. Moving their products to the middle and high end tiers, along with innovating, are the vendors only hope of survival.
