Nokia 808 PureView review: Photo Finnish

Introduction

The Nokia 808 PureView is the best cameraphone ever made. End of story. Now, how do you proceed from there? And why is this particular phone so hard to write about? How about because a picture is worth a thousand words and we just had a truckload of them in the mother of all shootouts? Or is it because 41 megapixels is more than five, eight, twelve, or the sum thereof, and there's no two ways about it?

Close, but no cigar. What could've easily been an ode to Finnish awesomeness may be no more than a flash in the dark for struggling Nokia and the still-standing-against-all-odds Symbian. That's what makes it hard and we've been there with the Nokia N9.

Nokia 808 PureView official photos

At different points in its history, Nokia has had the best-selling phone, the best business phone, the best gaming phone, the best cameraphone and the best smartphone. At one particular time, they even had all of the above in one go. Honest to god, if there ever was anything like the best are-you-kidding-me phone and the best gimme-a-break phone, they would've been runners-up at least. Yeah, they were that good.

And yes, the Nokia 808 PureView camera is that good. They wanted something to maybe, just maybe, match the most basic of compact digicams. And they did so well that it scared the living daylights (and the low light) out of a Micro Four Thirds.

There goes the Nokia 808 PureView.

Key features

• 38 megapixel autofocus camera with xenon flash and 1080p@30fps video recording
• Two capture modes: 38MP/34MP full-res and 3MP/5MP/8MP PureView
• Camera features: giant 1/1.2" camera sensor, mechanical shutter, ND filter, geotagging, face detection, up to 4x lossless digital zoom
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• Penta-band 3G with 14.4 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA support
• 4" 16M-color AMOLED capacitive touchscreen of 640 x 360 pixel resolution
• Nokia Belle OS with Feature Pack 1
• Single-core 1.3 GHz ARM 11 CPU and 512 MB RAM
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n with DLNA and UPnP
• microHDMI port for HD TV-out functionality
• GPS receiver with A-GPS support and free voice-guided navigation
• Digital compass
• 16GB on-board storage, expandable up to 32GB through the microSD card slot
• Active noise cancellation with a dedicated mic
• DivX and XviD video support
• Built-in accelerometer and proximity sensor
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• Stereo FM Radio with RDS, FM transmitter
• microUSB port with USB On-the-go support
• Stereo Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP
• NFC support
• Smart and voice dialing
• Scratch resistant Gorilla glass display

Main disadvantages

• Symbian ecosystem lags behind Android and iOS
• nHD resolution wears thin on the 4" screen
• The phone is quite bulky and heavy
• Relatively limited 3rd party software availability
• microSIM support

The 808 PureView has no business with cameraphones as we know them. It can look down at any of the smartphone flagships of the competition and make fun of their so-called advanced camera tricks. But guess what - it doesn't. It's so much better than that.

And of course the flipside is that the smartphone is not of the same order as the cameraphone. The Symbian-powered Nokia 808 PureView knows darn well it cannot match the quad-cores, HD screens and the app stores of the competition.

Nokia 808 PureView in our office

So, what's it then? Sort of the fat kid, and not too bright? It may as well be - but hang on. You may have a use for a sharpshooter in your team. Stuff movies are made of. Grabs you by the heart.

The Nokia 808 PureView has a whole review ahead and we don't think it's going to try and impress anyone, or make them change their mind. But you'd do well to pay attention. This is a phone that knows what it's doing and does it well.

Rumor: HTC One XXL to be like One XL, but with quad-core Krait

• XXXL

I REALLY want something fullhd,720p is no more hight-end,all chinnese have this(alcatel,tcl,zopo,huawei,zte,lenovo...).MY WISH LIST:2ghz quad core,2gb ram,12mp camera,3mp front camera,waterproof,digital tv tuner,1080x1920 screen,no more front touch b...

• Reply
• 2012-06-22 15:27
• 3RNh

Android 4.0 update for RAZR and RAZR MAXX becomes official

We're sure this will bring a smile to all you DROID RAZR and DROID RAZR MAXX users out there who have been waiting patiently because Motorola and Verizon has made the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update for these phones official.

The new Motorola page details all the new changes that will be brought by the Android 4.0 update to these phones. We have already seen this before but back then the text and the videos were in Japanese whereas this time it is in English and meant for the US audience.

The Android 4.0 update isn't exactly being pushed out right this minute but it is expected to in the next few days.

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First BlackBerry 10 phone won't have a QWERTY keyboard

The Washington Post is reporting on a curious decision by RIM - the first BlackBerry 10 device to launch will be touchscreen-only. RIM isn't abandoning their trademark - the full hardware QWERTY keyboard - as such devices will still come later on.

While it's true that touch-only devices running iOS or Android are taking BlackBerry's lunch money, the solid typing experience is one of the main reasons people still buy a BlackBerry.

In fact, with most droids forsaking the physical keyboard (and iPhones which never had one), a BlackBerry is one of the few options for people who hate typing on virtual keyboards.

RIM already have a touch-only design for a BlackBerry 10 phone, the developer alpha unit they unveiled in May. One analyst from Jeffries says that BB 10 is all about catching up with Apple in terms of touch and multimedia experience.

He goes on to add "They are going to build a BlackBerry device with a keyboard, but its just going to take longer. Maybe it will come a month or two after, but frankly it might be already too late."

Any way you cut it, starting with a touch-only BlackBerry is a gamble. And while the company is not in a good position to lose a bet, if it pays off RIM might start reclaiming some of that lost marketshare.

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Microsoft to use Snapdragon S4 Plus for Windows Phone 8

As we already told you the Qualcomm remained the exclusive chipset manufacturer for the Windows Phone platform even after WP8 announcement Today we got a little more details on the actual chips that will go inside the new Windows Phone smartphones, as Qualcomm confirmed they will be using their Snapdragon S4 Plus platform.

The S4 Plus uses two Krait CPU cores (clocked at up to 1.7 GHz) built on the 28nm manufacturing process and utilizes an Adreno GPU of either the 225 or 305 variety. It features Bluetooth 4, 802.11n Wireless (2.4/5GHz), 3G and LTE radios and supports cameras with up to 20MP resolution.

The very first WP8 handsets to hit the market will use the Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8960 chip, but further down the road Microsoft and its hardware partners might launch devices with S4 Pro or even quad-core S4 Prime chips.

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Samsung wins patent battle against Apple in Holland

The Dutch supreme court in the Hague has ruled that Apple provide compensation to Samsung for infringement of various 3G patents. The infringing devices include previous generation Apple phones and tablets, namely the iPad 2 and iPhone 4, but not the new iPad or iPhone 4S.

These later models were excluded because Apple switched to a new chipset provided by Qualcomm, who in turn have licenses for the patents from Samsung. As a Qualcomm customer, it was ruled that that the licensing covered Apple as well.

Samsung wasn't able to block the devices' sales altogether, but the Koreans claim they will now use the ruling to seek compensation.

"Samsung welcomes the decision of the court in The Hague, which again confirms that Apple makes free use of our technological innovationsIn accordance with this statement, we will recover adequate damages that Apple and its products have caused."

This is the most recent blow struck between the two tech giants, who have been trading copyright infringement lawsuits across numerous courts around the globe.

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Lumia 800 and 710 users to get software update on June 27

Yesterday, much to the disappointment of the existing Lumia owners, it was announced that they won't be getting the Windows Phone 8 update but instead the stripped down Windows Phone 7.8 update, that brings the new homescreen from Windows Phone 8, among other minor features.

However, Nokia promised to continue support for the Lumia devices and regular updates that add some unique features to the Lumia phones.

Now Nokia has announced that the Lumia 800 and Lumia 710 will be getting another software update on June 27. This update will bring features such as internet sharing, flip-to-silence and media streaming.

All of this in addition to some other great features that Nokia announced for the Lumia range, such as the camera enhancements, contact sharing, data counter, DLNA and exclusive Zynga games such as Words With Friends and Draw Something.

If you are a current Nokia Lumia user, do let us know what you feel about these updates.

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HTC One S Deluxe Edition comes with Beats Solo in Singapore

HTC stopped bundling Beats headsets with its high-end smartphones, but on rare occasions there are exceptions. We already saw the One X get bundled with a Beats Solo headset in Taiwan and now it's the HTC One S getting the Deluxe Edition treatment in Singapore.

Just so you know, the Solo headset retails for about $180. So, getting them in a bundle would be great, but the bad news is that the offer comes from one Singapore carrier and no one else (that we've managed to find).

You can get the HTC One S Deluxe Edition from M1 for SGD418 (about $330) on a 2-year contract or for SGD948 ($750) off contract. Other carriers in Singapore don't seem to carry the Deluxe edition, and neither do carriers outside the country for now.

We keep hoping that HTC will give these Deluxe Editions wider availability instead of such one-off deals. If you manage to find the One S or the One X bundled with Beats, we'd appreciate a comment or a tip.

Thanks to Acefire for the tip, keep them coming!

Update: Atli found the HTC One X bundled with iBeats from Vodafone Iceland for 134,990 ISK (1,077 USD). Grinch points to Vodafone Romania who also have One X with iBeats for '200 on contract or '560 off contract.

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Supply shortages plague Sprint and T-Mobile Galaxy S III launch

As you know, tomorrow is the big day when Samsung's latest and greatest smartphone, the Galaxy S III, will officially land in US stores. It appears though, not all carriers will be having a perfectly smooth time with the launch.

T-Mobile says it will be the first to offer the US Samsung Galaxy S III in their brick and mortar stores, but the large demand has forced the operator to make the rollout a two-stage affair. Only what T-Mobile considers to be the top 29 markets will get the smartphone on launch date, with the rest to follow on June 27.

Those top markets include LosAngeles,CA; Chicago,IL; Phoenix,AZ; Houston,TX; SanDiego,CA; NewYork,NY; Seattle,WA; Miami/Ft.Lauderdale,FL; Dallas/Ft.Worth,TX; SanFrancisco,CA; SaltLakeCity,UT; Denver,CO; Minneapolis,MN; Tampa/St.Petersburg,FL; Philadelphia,PA; SanAntonio,TX; Portland,OR; Austin,TX; Atlanta,GA; KansasCity,MO; Boston,MA; Sacramento,CA; Orlando,FL; Detroit,MI; WashingtonDC; Cleveland,OH; Jacksonville,FL; Charlotte,NC and McAllen,TX.

If you aren't lucky enough to be living near any of the said locations you might still have a chance to grab one from the "limited amount" that should be available through the company's website.

The Galaxy S III will cost $229.99 with a two-year Value Plan contract from T-Mobile, and $279.99 after $50 mail-in rebate on a Classic plans.

Sprint has also confirmed that it can't quite handle the demand for the Galaxy S III and will only fulfill the 16GB pre-orders on launch date. Those who ordered the 32GB version will have to wait another week for their units to arrive.

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The Dark Knight Rises Lumia 710 announced for T-Mobile

After announcing the Limited The Dark Knight Rises Lumia 800 and Lumia 900, Nokia is now bringing the limited edition magic to the cheaper Lumia 710.

Now before we begin, we would like to say that this offer is only valid for Lumia 710 devices on the T-Mobile network in the US. With that out of the way, let's see what Nokia and T-Mobile have in store for us.

For starters, this limited edition phone will be offered free (on contract, of course) from T-Mobile between June 20, 2012 to August 31, 2012. The phone will be available in black, cyan, magenta, yellow and white. The Lumia 710 does has not received the same laser engraving treatment as its older siblings and has to make do with simple printed-on graphics.

Apart from this the phone will also come with a special The Dark Knight Rises app along with special content such as wallpapers.

But what if you already own a Lumia 710 from T-Mobile? Then you can go and get a free The Dark Knight Rises Xpress-On Color Cover by going to your nearest T-Mobile store and choose from any of the colors mentioned above.

To get more information about this promotion, click on the link below.

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HTC admits Wi-Fi hardware issue on the international One X

Quite a few owners of th' HTC One X have reportedly noted connectivity issues with Wi-Fi and strangely, it's something that can be temporarily solved just by squeezing the handset in the right place.

Clearly then this is a hardware issue and not something that can be fixed with a software update. This reminds us of the HTC Sensation, which too suffered from Wi-Fi issues, although that was due to poorly thought-out antenna design rather than a glitch.

Thankfully, though, HTC has taken the blame onto itself this time instead of pretending there is nothing wrong with the phone. In a statement to Android Central, they said:

"After investigating isolated reports of WiFi connectivity issues in the HTC One X, we have identified a fix that strengthens the area of the phone around the WiFi antennae connection points. While many customers have not experienced any problems with signal strength, we have taken immediate steps to implement a solution in our production process to prevent this issue from happening in the future. HTC is committed to making sure every customer has a great experience and we apologize for any inconvenience this issue may have caused while we conducted a thorough investigation."

Although the statement says that the future version of the handsets will be free of this defect, there is no information on what the current owners will have to do. Luckily, it has not been long since the handset was out, so you could get it replaced under warranty. Hopefully, HTC provides more information on this particular issue soon.

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Nokia launching the 808 PureView in the US for $699

After initially dropping North America out of the list of countries getting the 808 PureView, then confirming that it will in fact be getting the phone, Nokia has now gone ahead and made the official launch announcement.

The 808 PureView will be sold through Amazon.com and will set you back by $699 without a contract. No proper release date has been mentioned but the pre-orders will begin later this week or you can also sign up to be notified when the device goes on sale.

To check out the performance of this 41 megapixel beast, check out our blind test here and a comparison against a proper DSLR camera here.

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Apple extends exclusive deal with Liquidmetal by two years

Apple has used liquidmetal sparingly so far - just for the SIM ejector tool for iPhones and iPads - but the company behind the material announced that the exclusive deal between them and Apple has been extended for two more years.

The deal gives Apple exclusive rights to use liquidmetal for consumer electronic products (the material is also used in various sport equipment). The original deal ended on February 5 2012, but it has been extended until February 5, 2014.

With many leaks pointing to a metal back on the upcoming iPhone 5, the extended deal might mean that Apple will be using the tough alloy for the back of its new smartphone. There has been speculation that using the liquidmetal for the SIM ejector tool is a low-risk way to test both the material and the manufacturing process.

Or it could mean they just really like those liquidmetal ejector tools. Just like with the new screen aspect ratio, we won't know for sure until Tim Cook takes the stage and unveils the new iPhone.

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LG Optimus L5 is now globally available, to cost €189

LG has announced its entry-levele Optimus L5 smartphone will be making its international debut this month.

Powered by a Qualcomm MSM7225A chipset with a single-core 800MHz Cortex A5 processor, the LG Optimus L5 runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box and comes with 512MB of RAM. At the front, the device features a a 4.0-inch HVGA display and at the back there's a 5.0MP snppaer with LED flash.

Internal storage is limited to 4GB, only 2.5GB of which are user accessible. Fortunately, it comes with a microSD card support of up to 32GB. The Optimus L5 measures at 118.3 x 66.5 x 9.5mm and weighs 125 grams.

The first countries to get the LG Optimus L5 will be Germany, France and the UK followed by the Middle East and the rest of Asia. Then, later this month the smartphone will hit the shelves in North, Central and South America.

Amazon Germany currently lists the device 189, but we guess the price will fall even further before its release. After all the Optimus L7 goes for just under 200 in Germany and we doubt LG will position the L5 so close to it.

Android 4.0 update for Xperia active starts rolling out

Good news if you are an owner of the Sony Xperia active. Sony has announced on its blog that the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update is now rolling out for the phone.

As is usual for these things, the update is being rolled out in batches and will be available in all the regions over a period of time.

When the update arrives on your phone you will get a notification. Alternatively, you can check manually to see if the update is available for download. Just keep the Sony PC Companion ready for when the update arrives so you can download and install it.

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Canadian Galaxy S III will get 50GB of Dropbox storage

Back when the international version of the Samsung Galaxy S III was announced, we reported that it will be getting 50GB of Dropbox storage for free. That's 48GB in addition to the usual 2GB you get after creating an account.

However, when the devices arrived stateside, the US carriers AT&T and Verizon chose to opt out of this service on their version of the Galaxy S III. After that rumors started circulating that the Canadian carriers will do the same. Fortunately, Samsung has announced that the Canadian version of the handset will in fact be getting the 50GB Dropbox storage, that too on all carriers. Hopefully, this should help reduce the inconvenience of having to wait another week to get the phone.

As before, the 50GB Dropbox storage is only available for a period of two-years. After that, you will have to opt for one of Dropbox's premium subscription plans if you intend to continue using the extra 48GB of storage space.

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A Sprint bound, Motorola QWERTY slider leaks out

It looks like Sprint Wireless will be the QWERTY slider kingdom capital this Fall, folks. A yet to be announced Motorola device, sporting the aforementioned hardware has leaked out in a blurry image, thus joining the company of the LG handset which got spotted for the same carrier not so long ago.

Details on the phone's specifications are practically non-existent. It is clear that the device runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, but don't let the on-screen Android buttons deceive you - there is a serious likelihood that they will not make it to the retail version. The same goes for the smartphone's design (at least we hope so) - after all, the device in the shot above is reportedly used by a Sprint beta tester.

There's no info on the smartphone's release date. AS always, we'll tell you as soon as we find out more about it.

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Nokia USA teases a June 18 announcement in Facebook

Nokia USA has posted a series of teaser images on Facebook with June 18, 2012 on them, which naturally caused quite a stir. Initially, it was thought that Nokia's news will be somewhat related to Microsoft's announcement, which is bound to take place on the same date. A careful examination of the photos however points at an announcement of Nokia 808 Pureview availability in the United States.

Here's why we can expect to see the 41MP shooter's arrival to the United States. The first photo shows Hawaii, whose area code is 808. One the second one, we have the Roland TR 808 Drum Machine. Finally, there's the CD cover for a band named 808 State. Are you convinced yet?

We can reasonably expect the Nokia 808 Pureview availability to take place in the same fashion as all previous Symbian offerings from the company. That is in an unlocked, high-priced flavor.

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Samsung Galaxy S III launch gets delayed to June 27 in Canada

There is no doubt that the Samsung Galaxy S III has struck a cord with the smartphone buyer. It's so popular, in fact, that Samsung can't make enough of them, which has resulted in a bit of a delay for the Canadian market.

Due to unprecedented demand, our launch of GALAXY S III will happen June 27th, rather than June 20th. Thanks for your understanding.

Samsung Canada (@samsungcanada) June 15, 2012

Samsung Canada took to Twitter to announce that the Galaxy S III will be going on sale in the country on June 27 instead of the previously announced June 20. The result for this is the unprecedented demand for the handset.

So if you're reading this in Canada, it's one more week of waiting for you. Luckily for you, the phone is actually worth the wait. You can read our review of the international version here.

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