Samsung have applied for a trademark on the name “Android NX”. Now “NX” is the name Samsung use on their line of mirrorless cameras and “Android” is, well, it’s Android, the operating system used on smartphones and tablet computers. Samsung have an Android powered “point and shoot” (compact digicam), but Android on a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera would be an advance.

What’s so special about an Android based camera? Well, you can write an App for that. If your regular camera only lets you bracket 3 images, you’re stuck with it. If your Andorid powered camera only has a 3 image bracket and you want 5 images or 7 images or 19 images, you could in principle write and App to do that. You could write an App for stop motion imaging, or one that took a shot when something moved into an area of focus. There’s almost no end to what it’s possible to do in principle given access to the hardware in the camera via Android. Not to mention playing “Angry Birds” on your camera or listening to music, the radio or podcasts while recording your position using GPS and uploading your images to Facebook via WiFi or even 3G or 4G wireless.

Is such a camera in development? Who knows. Samsung may just be staking out the territory in case they decide to make one. They certainly have a lot more Android development experience than the major traditional camera companies do (like Nikon and Canon). Samsung make some of the world’s best selling Android powered smart phones.