Sony Ericsson has announced the launch of a 5MP camera phone, due for release towards the end of the year.

The K850 is the latest camera phone to reach the 5MP mark, following hot on the heels of Nokia?s N95, and signals a trend towards advanced camera-phone functionality.

The main upgrade from Sony Ericsson?s previous flagship camera-phone, the K810, is the size of the sensor increasing from 3.2MP to 5MP. The user interface has also been upgraded to provide improved functionality, with a dedicated function button to control camera modes and an on-off button that also controls the opening and closing of the lens cover.

Additionally, the K850 includes a new media browser, much like that of Sony?s PS3, which allows you to scroll through images by month, thumbnail or full-screen mode.

Sony Ericsson President Miles Flint commented, ?Sony Ericsson is all about offering the right phone for you, whether that?s one that lets you snap quality pictures, listen to favourite songs on the move of just stay in touch?, adding that ??the K850 offers a viable digital camera alternative?.