"We live in an era of visual communication," says JK Shin, president of Samsung's IT and mobile communications division. "I always see people editing and sharing moments with images. Communication has become more visual and alive with high-quality images." With these words, Samsung has unveiled its first compact camera, powered by Android's operating system, allowing users to share their images as soon as they have taken them.

The Samsung Galaxy Camera sports a 16-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor, a 4.8-inch HD Super Clear LCD touchscreen and a 21x optical zoom, and offers 3G, 4G and Wifi connectivity. But its most defining feature is its operating system. The camera runs Android's latest operating system, dubbed Jelly Bean (Android 4.1).

It allows users to download any app designed for Android-based devices, such as Instagram, for example. With its 3G and 4G connectivity, users can also share their images on Facebook or by email with the touch of a button, without the use of a computer.

"We all love to take pictures," says Stephen Taylor, vice president of Samsung Brand Europe. "Consumers are looking for high-quality images and the power to share what [they] create seamlessly. We're combining smartphone features you can't find on cameras, with camera features you can't find on smartphones."

In a prepared statement, Andy Rubin, senior vice president of mobile and digital content at Google, said: "When we first started work on Android, we envisioned building a smart camera that would take digital photography to the next level. The Galaxy Camera is an innovative product that speaks to the openness and flexibility of the Android platform."

Samsung's Galaxy Camera is the second compact camera to run the Android operating system. Earlier this month, Nikon unveiled the S800c, which runs a previous version of the operating system, but also allows users to share their images using the camera's Wifi connectivity. However, Nikon's model doesn't offer 3G and 4G connectivity.

Price and availability for Samsung's Galaxy Camera have yet to be announced. Stay tuned for more details on Thursday 30 August.