Sharp Japan has shown off a new 5-megapixel CCD camera module for mobile phones. By the numbers, it is no match for Samsung's 10-megapixel camera phone, even if the megapixel myth has been debunked. The LZ0P3770, as close friends call it, is also the first cameraphone module to feature the world's first 3X optical linear zoom with auto focus. It measures just under an inch in length. Sharp is set to ramp up production in January, so you may see it in some phones out of Asia starting next year. Pricing for the sample is set at $172, though, so those future mobiles probably won't be on the cheap side. — Elliot Black

Via Far East Gizmos