When launched in August of last year the Android-powered Samsung Galaxy Camera raised an interesting conundrum for consumers who might be interested in a new breed of smartphone/compact camera hybrid, but its 3G/4G connectivity also forced buyers (at least those in the U.S.) to consider whether the new device was also worth the cost of additional connectivity. Samsung's February announcement of a Wi-Fi version of the Galaxy Camera seemed like a step toward solving the dilemma, but we waited to hear just how much more affordable the new version would be. 

Today Samsung has announced the Wi-Fi model will be priced at $449.99 -- $50 less than the version with both 3G/4G and Wi-Fi currently available through AT&T and Verizon. The Wi-Fi model will be available later this month through Samsung's website and Samsung retailers.

Even with a $50 price break, the Galaxy Camera remains a bit of a strange duck: it offers some features a smartphone can't, such as its 21x zoom lens, as well as functions most compact cameras don't, like a flexible Android operating system and the ability to edit and share images on the go. Yet it is also lacking on both ends -- you can't make phone calls (though technically, Skype can be used to do this), and in our in-depth review we felt the image quality still ranks below other compact cameras in this class.

A Wi-Fi version of the device does make it slightly more affordable, but this version also puts limitations on one of the Galaxy Camera's most important attributes: connectivity.