A Samsung smartphone can easily share pics to a Samsung TV while a Samsung mirrorless camera is using the smartphones wireless connectivity.

The company’s flagship point and shoot, the 14 megapixel WB150F, boasts built in WiFi at the very top of its feature shortlist.

In fact, until you make your way to the third (and only) capture related detail (an 18x optical zoom lens), you’d be hard pressed to distinguish the dedicated device from some of Samsung’s other camera equipped offerings.

With its latest generation of “Smart Cameras,” the company moved to further bridge the gap between its gamut of portable devices, by bringing key smartphone features to its digital imaging line.

Speaking with the Wall Street Journal, Han Myoung sup, head of the companys digital imaging division, indicated that the massive Korean empire will shift away from low end compact cameras in an effort to concentrate on mirrorless cameras.

As it turns out, the move was simply a crutch — an opportunity to refresh models with technologies in which the company has already made significant investments.

We now know what to expect for Samsung’s point and shoots — pocketable models will step aside to make room for NX series interchangeable lens cameras, and compact fans will continue to turn to Galaxy all on ones for their on the go shooting needs.

Look for Samsung to use similar tactics and flood the market with mirrorless cameras targeting different price points.

Join us past the break for a closer look at how the move could impact the industry, and what the future may hold for the (formerly) beloved point and shoot.

It’s a shift that began on the consumer front long ago — now it’s being officially recognized by manufacturers.

This focus shift should allow the company the freedom to further explore the market and position their mirrorless cameras as lovely companions for their widely popular Android smartphones.

With a similar replacement cycle (roughly every two years), the burden of upgrading continues to lessen as our mobile devices catch up on the optical quality front.

With excellent still images and 1080p video becoming standard, the only clear dedicated device advantage lies in the lens, and like a pro with a prime, casual photographers have learned to compensate for this omnipresent setback by using their legs to do the zooming — sure, it’s not an ideal solution, but it has proven to be less of a challenge than you might expect.

For select manufacturers, the implications couldn’t be more positive — consumers are taking their business to Samsung’s explosively popular cellphone line, for example, and the iPhone 4S continues to make waves for Apple.

Smartphone makers are incorporating improved optics — an f/2 autofocus lens on the HTC One X, for example, and PureView on the Nokia 808 — there’s also been a huge push for software improvements.

HTC has reduced lag and introduced Instagram like features, a streamlined UI and a nifty slow mo video mode.

The phone is also the predecessor of the Samsung Galaxy S III.

The versatility of a mobile OS offers clear software and sharing advantages over a locked down camera operating system, and while image quality discrepancies are still noticeable, a smartphone’s camera doesn’t top the list of consumers’ priorities — but that doesn’t mean they won’t use it.

During a visit to Samsung’s Korean headquarters aimed at highlighting the company’s increased commitment to the mirrorless segment, one question loomed above all others: Since Samsung’s smartphones have been so successful, will we soon see resources shift away from compacts and toward improving image quality on mobile devices.

In short, the response implied that Galaxy could one day be that group’s focus as well, but the departure from point and shoots could take years, not months.

Sure, we’ve seen DSLR rigs for mobile devices like the iPad, but some creators themselves even recognize the product’s impracticality.

It is one of the first devices to offer a Mobile High definition Link , which allows up to 1080p uncompressed video output to an MHL enabled TV or to an MHL to HDMI adapter, while charging the device at the same time.

You won’t see sports photographers using anything other than full size digital SLRs — not any time soon, at least.

With a massive jump in focusing ability and vastly improved optics, we could one day see mirrorless models popping up on the sidelines (and not around the necks of friends and family members).

But despite HTC and Sprint’s recent marketing push with photographer Meeno Peluce, no self respecting professional will show up on set and whip out their HTC EVO 4G LTE and expect an invitation to return for future shoots.

High end DSLRs continue to dominate the well established pro market, and while ILCs receive accolades as second shooters, they won’t soon cannibalize the $3,000 and up segment.

This means manufacturers like Canon and Nikon will remain afloat, for now, but they’ve no doubt seen a decline in point and shoot sales that’s likely to continue until that category vanishes entirely.

For consumers, the shift represents a boost in convenience, publication and savings, and while many device owners are still taking a hit in the image quality department, that won’t be the case for long.

Victor Arrington is a business journalist based in Orange, California. Victor has a passion for financial markets and breaking news stories and loves writing about business news, stock market, and economic opinions that matters most to its audience. Victor spends a lot of time discovering and researching latest financial markets and industry news stories in order to make sure the latest and greatest stories are brought to you first on BigBoardNews.com.