(23 July 2009, Beijing) Under the banner “Hands Across the Strait - Towards A Brilliant Future”, the Cross Straits Summit on the Optics Industry and altek Market Strategy Press Conference opened in Beijing on July 23rd. Chairman of the Association for Relations across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS), Chen Yunlin, attended the summit and delivered an important keynote address. altek announced its brand and launch of the world’s first “professional camera phone” with the convergence of true features of digital camera, video recorder and mobile phone that include a 3x optical zoom lens and 12.2 mega pixels resolution.

While altek is still a relatively unknown name in the Mainland China market, altek enjoys wide respect in Taiwan as one of the island’s top corporations. In addition to being the “Global No.1 DSC ODM”, altek previously placed No. 3 performing company on Info Tech 100 Taiwan. Over the years, in addition to its R&D and production work related to digital cameras, altek has also rolled out numerous product application-related innovations. Combined, such have gradually paved the way to altek’s position as an expert in the image solution arena.

In the press conference, altek President Alex Hsia addressed a gathering of reporters from nearly 100 Mainland and Taiwan news outlets, announcing the formal launch by his company of the world’s first high quality “professional camera phone” to offer full digital camera functionality. This revolutionary phone and camera hybrid, sporting a 3x optical zoom lens and 12.2 mega pixels resolution, is aimed at consumers in the Mainland China market who seek high quality image in their camera phone. The functionality is far beyond the market offerings from all branded companies.

altek is the only digital camera manufacturer in the world with in-house image processor design capabilities, and each altek camera carries an altek-designed image processor. The altek T8680 benefits from years of altek chip development and design experience. When used as a camera, the altek T8680 draws on an independent image processor to capture images more quickly and reliably than ever before, providing powerful features able to boost picture sharpness and clarity. Even in low light settings, pictures taken with the altek T8680 show greater detail and colors that are visibly more genuine.

altek T8680 features a 3x optical zoom lens adjustable aperture that delivers optical zoom results at a quality comparable to high-end handheld digital cameras. The combination of adjustable aperture and optical zoom lens gives users the ability to “blur” backgrounds to give enhanced definition to foreground subjects.

The new altek T8680 incorporates a dedicated CCD image sensor - the main light sensor technology used in digital cameras. CCDs deliver superior light sensitivity and reduced “noise”, helping to amplify light sources in low light conditions and enhance overall picture quality. Combined with nearly 12.2 mega effective pixels, the altek T8680 gives users a powerful tool to take exceptional pictures with surprising ease.

President Hsia added that his company’s latest product, the altek T8680, crystallized the talent of R&D staff from both the Mainland and Taiwan to create a world-leading product. This accomplishment once again demonstrates that hard work and dedication are what are required to break barriers and realize new breakthroughs.

Regarding the optics industry summit, in-depth presentations were given by altek President Alex Hsia, China Academy of Engineering Academicians and Tsinghua University Department of Precision Instruments and Mechanology Professor Jin Guofan. There are lots of optics professionals and scholars from both sides of the Taiwan Strait. At the summit, attendees joined with industry representatives to discuss the current state and future of optics and digital imaging in Mainland China and to move toward mutual consensus on the potential for cooperation between private industry and universities in such myriad fields as medicine, telecommunications and automotive electronics as well as in further developing key optics components.

Alex Hsia stated that earning the position of “Global No.1 DSC ODM” reflected directly customer and industry confidence in altek’s ability. In the future, altek will foster new breakthroughs in optics technologies and products will continue leveraging its Cross-Strait relative advantages and R&D capabilities with universities to overcome technological bottlenecks and promote the altek brand in both the optics and imaging fields.

Features to the new altek T8680 include:

• Revolutionary convergence between communications and camera technologies ushers in new era of convenience and quality

Although new cell phone models typically include camera function upgrades, most feature image qualities that range from 3 mega to 8 mega pixels. But these products, billed as “camera phones”, may more aptly be designated as mobile phones equipped to take pictures. Image quality obtainable with most mobile phone cameras falls far short of even the most basic ‘photographic’ standards. In truth, only mobile phones that integrate actual camera functions and capture photographic quality images should be termed “professional camera phones”. altek assigned its top in-house mobile phone and camera product experts to a task force asked to design a “professional camera phone” product able to deliver the best of both worlds to consumers. Designers created an aesthetic and functional balance in the new altek T8680 between the vertically-oriented mobile phone and horizontally-oriented camera.

• Dedicated Image Processor; 3x Optical Zoom Lens

altek is today the ”Global No.1 DSC ODM” due to its unique position as the only ODM anywhere with in-house image processor design capabilities. Each altek camera carries an altek in-house image processor. The altek T8680 benefits from years of altek chip development and design experience. When used as a camera, the altek T8680 draws on an independent image processor to capture images more quickly and reliably than ever before, different from other mobile phone makers who tap into the telecommunication chip baseband to supplement image decoding power.

altek image processors deliver a suite of exceptionally powerful features that allow high quality image capture even in low light settings and the truthful reproduction of rich colors in each shot. A design architecture that rests on two core processors (camera and phone) gives the altek T8680 the ability to adjust for exposure and white balance quickly and automatically, ensuring users get the sharpest, truest colors and capture the brilliance of the moment.

Most camera phones on the market today feature only fixed or auto focus digital zoom options, which rely on embedded software to imitate an optical zoom. However, when part of an image is enlarged, resolution quality is compromised. altek T8680 features a 3x optical zoom lens adjustable aperture that delivers optical zoom results at a quality comparable to high-end handheld digital still cameras. The combination of adjustable aperture and optical zoom lens gives users the ability to ‘blur’ backgrounds to give enhanced definition to foreground subjects. You no longer need sacrifice image quality for convenience. The altek T8680 is a fully “professional camera phone” fully capable of serving your everyday camera needs.

• 12.17 Mega Effective Pixels CCD

In general, sensor units installed on mobile phones are CMOS-based. The new altek T8680, however, incorporates a dedicated CCD image sensor, the main light sensor technology used in digital still cameras. CCDs deliver superior light sensitivity and reduced ‘noise’, helping to amplify light sources in dim light conditions and enhance overall picture quality. Combined with nearly 12.2 mega effective pixels, the altek T8680 gives users a powerful tool to take exceptional pictures with surprising ease.

• Powerful Video and Image Stabilizer Features

In addition to exceptional picture resolution, the altek T8680 incorporates top of the line video production functions that let users capture even more of life’s precious moments. In stabilizer mode, the altek T8680 helps ensure that bumpy roads or nervous hands won’t spoil an important shot. We also include standard theme settings that optimize the camera automatically for shots of action/sports, scenery, people, backlit subjects, sunsets and night scenes. Not sure of which setting to choose? Let the onboard setting analyzer select one for you to help get the best results from complex subjects with proper exposure, focus and exposure value settings that deliver a clear, bright and sharp photograph every time.

• Facial Recognition, Smile Shutter and Continuous Capture

In addition to automatic focus, facial recognition and ‘smile shutter’ options, the altek T8680 incorporates an innovatively designed touch screen focus option. Touch the on-screen image to tell the camera where you want it to focus. The altek T8680 then automatically focuses and remains focused on that spot until you snap the picture.

The altek T8680 also incorporates a continuous capture function that permits users to take a series of up to 16 rapid shots without lifting a finger off the shutter button. Perhaps even more exciting is the model’s new automatic pan mode, which eliminates the need for users to worry about finding the widest angles or manually stitching pictures together. Once enabled, just start taking pictures and the pan function will take care of putting the pieces together.

• Powerful Audio-Visual Functions, Full Touch Screen Writing Input

altek T8680 features a full suite of multimedia functions that includes a music player, video player, FM radio receiver and voice recorder. The model supports TV-out, letting users share their pictures with friends and family on any television set.

altek T8680 comes standard with a 3” high-definition touch screen display that is user configurable to display images and icons that reflect one’s personal preferences and style. Default settings allow users to enter and save 1,000 personal contacts and 500 text messages.

Information can be entered into the altek T8680 in either typed or screen written form in both Chinese and English. Write and edit messages, contact details and calendar items quickly and conveniently on the touch screen. Users can enable ‘associated word’ or ‘prospect word’ prompts as well as enable the entire touch screen as your ‘writing pad’ to make data entry quick, easy and personal.

About altek
altek Corporation began business in 1996 and focused from day one on digital still camera R&D and manufacturing. In 2008, altek has become the “Global No.1 DSC ODM (Original Design Manufacturer)”. With years of deployment efforts, altek has determined to enter the markets of high-quality optical-zoom “professional camera phones”. In addition, the Company has also been actively developing products in the fields of autotronics, high-quality camera module, opto-medical equipment, GPS camera, etc., with an aim to comprehensively expand the scope of application of our core imaging expertise.

For more information about altek, please visit http://www.altek.com.tw

Altek T8680
Camera Specifications
Effective Pixels	12.17 Mega Pixels
Image Sensor	1 / 2.33” CCD，Total 12.47 Mega Pixels
Optical Zoom	Up to 3x
Focal Length	6.2mm ~ 18.6mm (35mm ~ 105mm, 35mm equivalent)
Aperture	F3.0 ~ F5.6
Focus Range	5cm ~ ∞
Image Resolution	12M, 11M(3:2), 9M(16:9), 8M, 5M, 3M, 2M(16:9), 2M, VGA
Video Resolution	VGA (640 x 480), 320 x 240
Digital Zoom	Up to 5x (Combined Zoom 15x)
Shooting Mode	Still Image: Normal, Burst, Multi-Burst, Panorama, Auto Panorama, Frame
Auto Focus (AF) Mode	Auto, Smile Detection, Face Detection
Focus Zone	Center Focus, Multi-Zone Focus, Touch Focus
Scene	Total 20 Scenes: Auto, Auto, Program (P mode), Smart Scene, Sport, Landscape, Night Landscape, Portrait, Self Portrait, Night Portrait, Museum, Snow, Sunset, Beach, Party, Foliage, Aquarium, Kids & Pets, Copy, Backlight, Anti-Shake
Exposure Metering Mode	C-Weighted, Spot, Matrix
Exposure Compensation	Selectable ± 2.0EV (in 1 / 3 EV step)
Color Mode	Sepia, Black & White, Color, Vivid
Shutter Speed	1/1600 Sec.
Self Timer	Off, 2 seconds, 10 seconds, 10 seconds X 2
ISO Sensitivity	Auto, ISO 80 / 100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600 / 3200
White Balance	Auto, Sunny, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Cloudy
File Format	Still Image: JPEG Video: AVI(M-JPEG)
Playback Mode	Single, Slideshow, Magnify (up to 6x), Auto Rotation
Image Editing	Resize, Rotate, Adaptive Lighting, Digital Filter, Brightness Filer, Frame Composite, Voice Memo, Red Eye Compensate
Use Image	Saved image can be used as Wallpaper, Screen Saver and Caller Picture
Other Features	Support PictBridge, DPOF
Interface	USB2.0, AV Out (NTSC/PAL)
Phone Specifications
Frequency	GSM900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz EDGE Class12
LCD	3.0” TFT Touch Screen
Display Resolution	WQVGA 400 x 240, 262 K Colors
Phonebook	1000 Entries
SMS Storage	500 Records
User Free Memory	70 MB
Ringtone	64 Poly, Support MP3 / AAC+ / AAC / MIDI / SP-MIDI / WAV
Supported Features	Bluetooth (A2DP) / JAVA CLDC1.1 / MIDP 2.0 / FM Radio / TV-Out / microSD Card (Max. 32GB) / Speaker Phone / Stereo Headset / Ambient Light Sensor / Motion Sensor / Quick Silent by turning the phone over
Standby Time	Up to 350 Hours
Talk Time	Up to 240 Minutes
Dimension	113.5 x 52.0 x 16.55mm
Battery	1020 mAh Li-ion Battery
Weight	135 g
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