Kodak has been embroiled in a patents infringement issue, but that doesn’t mean that the imaging giant has forgotten about digital cameras or the mobile phone industry. Their recent, developing offering that bridges those separate fields is the Polaroid SC1630 Smart Camera, although that name is a bit misleading, for it is a combination smartphone: It’s either the smartphone with a kick-[bleep] camera, or it’s a digital camera with terrific smartphone operability.

Let’s join together in an exploration of Kodak’s Polaroid SC 1630, shall we?

The word “Kodak” means pictures to consumers, so we examined the camera functionality first. Quite frankly, it knocked our collective socks off! A rear camera that boasts 16 MP and offers a 3X optical zoom feature too? Well, those alone transcend other mobile phones on the market today.

The sub-features within the camera programme and settings allow 18 scene choices, so contrast, lighting and even special effects are enhanced right off the drawing board.

Then choose the standard 36mm or or the full 108mm magnification, and not only are you off to the photo races, you can shoot a photo finish, showing the exact hair that crossed that end line first, with the clarity of most professional-grade cameras.

The Polaroid SC1630 provides a well-organised catalogue system that provides separation of photo groups from unrelated groups or photo dates, locations and people. The geo-tagging feature provides easy integration that provides the assistance to human memory that escapes the line, “Where did I take that again?”

Did we mention that Kodak’s Polaroid SC1630 captures and displays and plays HD images and video? No? Well, guess what: It does.

Additional specs Kodak published include F3.1-F5.6 aperture, ISO up to 3200 and shutter speeds of up to 1/1400.

The expandable camera operates from the back of the smartphone. It’s more than just a rear camera lens: It actually zooms in and out like a free-standing digital camera. The images – and the smartphone capabilities – work from the front-side touchscreen.

The display is 3.2 inches, and while the resolution on the screen isn’t the greatest, the screen presents enough clarity to not only judge the right image in front of the rear lens but also operate the camera – cum – smartphone.

And yes, it does make calls and provide other smartphone operations.

The smartphone runs on Android Gingerbread, but it may be upgradeable to Ice Cream Sandwich.

Kodak hasn’t found a retailer for this combination digital camera-and-smartphone, nor are the smartphone specs available, but rumours have it that if the retailer is found, the combination mobile phone will be available in April of 2012.