DISQUS

Mobile Industry Review: NokiaWorldWatch: The 8 megapixel question – where are the handsets Nokia?

  • dansumption · 11 months ago
    There's a fourth factor, more important than processing software and directly related to the lens: sensor size. Trends towards thinner mobiles mean that lens and sensor can only get worse, and even 5Mp is pushing beyond the number of photons that a mobile's tiny sensor can reliably pick up. 8Mp phone cameras are purely a marketing gimmick and, like Nokia says, will actually produce worse images than 5Mp ones. All credit to Nokia for bucking the trend and aiming for real quality rather than just easily-marketable headline figures.
  • Mike42 · 11 months ago
    Right on.

    In order to perceivably increase the image quality of a 6" x 4" print, you have to increase the pixel count by a factor of 4. If you use the same lense, software and sensor size, you won't be able to tell the difference between a 2MP and a 5MP. Certainly going from 5 to 8 will make zero difference - apart from, as Rob says, making for a much slower image processing and upload time. Also larger files mean less memory available on the phone, and slower image browsing - very important as 99.999999% of cameraphone snaps are only viewed on the phone itself.

    New MIR Reader campaign: We call "Bullshit" on inflating MP counts. Every new handset with more than 5MP is officially tagged as a Hypemobile, unless 4 out of 5 normobs can actually tell the difference.

    /m
  • Abul · 11 months ago
    Agree with both the above comments. It's not worth wasting time fighting over the Megapixel race. There's a bigger picture and broader audience to look at. 5 Megapixel is sufficient enough, if you want better than what a 5 Megapixel can do, you'll be wanting a proper SLR.
  • Rofa · 11 months ago
    Agree with Nokia and all comments so far: 8MP cannot possibly produce decent quality images with the sensor size typically found in high end camera phones.
    Inflating megapixels is just like cranking the volume up to 11 on an audio system with crappy speakers: sure, it'll be LOUD, but it'll sound like crap.
  • worldofnokia · 11 months ago
    the Nokia 8mp cameraphone is nicknamed 'Corolla' and would be out just after the N97 i would hope around August/September. Dont think its a touch screen though