Samsung has introduced a new Wi-Fi only Galaxy Camera that drops its 3G/4G data connection in an effort to become more affordable. Like the original Galaxy Camera, this model runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, with access to a more than 700,000 apps from the Google Play store. It also has all the same hardware, including a 16-megapixel CMOS sensor, a 23mm wide-angle lens, and 21x optical zoom.

It’s essentially the same device, only Samsung has left out the data connection. For those who don’t need it — and don’t want to worry about having to get a data plan for it — it’s a great alternative, especially if it saves you some pennies. Samsung hasn’t confirmed how much the Wi-Fi only model will cost yet, but it’ll certainly be less than the original version.

In addition to the specifications I mentioned above, the Galaxy Camera also offers a 4.8-inch “HD Super Clear Touch Display,” a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 8GB of internal memory — plus a microSD card slot, and an HDMI port. It can record video in 1080p, and boasts a number of pre-loaded photo and video editing tools, including Photo Wizard and Video Editor.

And because it runs Android and has access to the Google Play store, you can use it with all the same apps you have on your smartphone, such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Samsung’s own ChatON messaging service. And yes, it will run Angry Birds.

Samsung hasn’t yet announced when the new Galaxy Camera will be available, but we’ll let you know as soon as it does.

• SourceSamsung