The Samsung Galaxy Camera is already available in the United States and Europe, but so far Canada had not been invited to the party.

That's about to change soon, as Samsung Electronics Canada has announced that the Android camera is finally reaching Canada in a couple of weeks, on Dec. 7, just in time for the lucrative holiday shopping season.

Starting on Dec. 7, the first ever Android smart camera from the Korean tech giant will start selling through Black Photography and Samsung's own Samsung Store, which is located at the Metrotown Mall in Burnaby, British Columbia. The Samsung Galaxy Camera launches in Canada exactly one month after making its debut in the UK.

Samsung's Android Galaxy Camera comes with a 1.4GHz quad-core processor, a 4.8-inch capacitive HD Super Clear Touch Display, mobile data - 3G (HSPA+ 21Mbps) and 4G (850/900/1900/2100MHz).

Other specs and features include 8GB of built-in storage, expandable via micro SD, micro SDHC, and micro SDXC, a 16/3 megapixel BSI sensor, 23mm equivalent F/2.8 lens with 21x optical zoom, A-GPS, GLONASS, Bluetooth 4.0, and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box. ISO settings include Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, and 3200, and the battery is a decent 1,650 mAh.

In addition, the Galaxy Camera also comes with special apps and features, including Samsung's own Smart content manager, photo and video wizards, auto cloud backup, voice control, slow-motion video, S Suggest, S Planner, and Best group pose feature. The smart camera also supports AllShare Play, Dropbox, and Family Story, among other cloud-sharing options.

While the Samsung Galaxy Camera is not a serious contender to digital SLRs for serious photography professionals or hobbyists, it is a good point-and-shoot camera for capturing precious moments.

As a smart device, the Galaxy Camera sports enough features to please casual photographers and social network heavy users. As a connected device, it allows users to instantly upload pictures to a photo-sharing service without having to move them on a computer first. Moreover, users can also back up photos instantly, especially with the 50GB of free storage that Dropbox is offering with the Galaxy Camera.

Lastly, the Galaxy Camera packs one more major advantage over regular digital cameras: support for Android apps. This means that Galaxy Camera users can do just about anything they can do on an Android smartphone except, of course, making calls.

Samsung has not announced any pricing for the Galaxy Camera in Canada, but the gadget is expected to come with a price tag close to that of the U.S. version, which sells for $500.