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The rise, fall and return of the smartphone megapixel race
Sony recently unveiled a smartphone camera sensor with the highest resolution yet, a jaw-dropping 48 megapixels. That's more than the resolution of its $3,000, 42.4-megapixel A7R III mirrorless camera, which has a sensor eight times larger. It sounds great, but you might have forgotten that Nokia's 808 PureView smartphone, with a 41-megapixel camera, was released way, way back in 2012. Why didn't modern smartphone cameras follow Nokia's lead? As Apple has demonstrated over the years, from the iPhone 4s and forward, you get more benefits with other features, like dual cameras and sensors with bigger, more light-sensitive pixels. Those deliver better low-light shooting, more bokeh, faster speeds, zoom capabilities and improved video. However, Sony now believes you can have all that and high resolutions, too. Its Quad Bayer tech, reportedly used in Huawei's P20 Pro camera, might help big-number megapixels make a comeback -- and this time, they'll be far more useful.
Mobile Miscellany: week of July 29th, 2013
If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week brought overwhelming support for MoDaCo.Switch on the GS4, new markets for the budget-priced BlackBerry Q5 and a pint-sized Android handset from Acer. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that's happening in the mobile world for this week of July 29th, 2013.
Spot the pattern: Nokia Lumia 1020 hangs out with 808 PureView and N8
Since Nokia's released yet another phone with a big camera, we thought it'd be fun to let this Lumia 1020 meet its glorious pixel-loving forerunners. These are, of course, the 808 PureView and the N8 that bucked the trend of phone photography during their time. In terms of sensors, the 1020 comes with a new 1/1.5-inch, 41-megapixel BSI sensor, which is smaller than the 808's 1/1.2-inch, non-BSI offering of the same resolution. Still, both chips are understandably larger than the N8's 1/1.83-inch, 12-megapixel sensor, which may sound less exciting but was well ahead of its time. We'll try and get some sample shots from each of these in a moment for a quick comparison, so until then, enjoy our hands-on photos below. Update: Sadly, we weren't allowed to extract sample shots from the Lumia 1020, but we'll come back to this once we get hold of a review unit. For now, you can check out Nokia's own sample shots. Check out all the news from today's Nokia event at our hub! %Gallery-193633%
Nokia Lumia 1020 vs. 925 vs. 920 vs. 808 PureView: what's changed?
Nokia's sure taken its time, but its 41-megapixel Windows Phone beast is now finally out of the bag. Naturally, we have to compare this Lumia 1020 with its recent siblings: externally it's closer to the 920 than the slimmer 925 or 928, except for its earpiece and, well, the camera. That said, the 1020 is somehow a lot lighter and a little thinner than the bulky 920, while packing the same 2,000mAh battery. Clearly, the lack of built-in Qi wireless charging and perhaps that Gorilla Glass 3 screen are responsible for this weight loss. And needless to say, the Symbian-powered 808 PureView didn't come with as many goodies compared to its Windows Phone cousin -- even the newer lens is faster with six elements instead of five. Feel free to check out our detailed comparison table after the break. Check out all the news from today's Nokia event at our hub!
Nokia ships its last Symbian phones this summer
That moment we'd been expecting (and to some extent, dreading) has come: Nokia is near shipping its last Symbian smartphones. The company should deliver the final round of 808 PureViews sometime this summer, marking the effective end to an 11-year-old platform. Those still attached to the software will have to take comfort in support that will last until at least 2016. We're not overly attached to Symbian -- it never completely adjusted to the modern era -- but it's hard not to shed a tear for the OS that brought us the N95, E71 and other smartphone classics. Let's just hope that the next round of Lumias can fill the hole in our hearts.
Refresh Roundup: week of March 11th, 2013
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Refresh Roundup: week of March 4th, 2013
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Nokia 808 PureView: officially the last Symbian phone
So long, Symbian. Nestled away in the company's financial announcement this morning, Nokia confirmed that its pixel-punching 808 PureView phone will be the last release powered by the increasingly creaky Symbian OS. In no uncertain terms: "The Nokia 808 PureView, a device which showcases our imaging capabilities and which came to market in mid-2012, was the last Symbian device from Nokia." The company still managed to sell a total of 2.2 million Symbian devices during the last quarter, half the number of Windows Phone 8 devices shifted in the same period -- presumably thanks, in some way, to that as-yet unparalleled PureView camera sensor. We'll be pouring one out (and capturing it in 38 megapixels) if you need us.
Mobile Miscellany: week of December 31st, 2012
If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week, two of the best cameraphones out there were pitted against one another in a shootout rematch and a very handy widget was added to the latest nightly builds of CyanogenMod. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of December 31st, 2012.
Nokia Belle Feature Pack 2 pulled again due to reported user issues
Like something from a school play, Nokia's Feature Pack 2 for Symbian Belle first bounded onto the stage prematurely, before being ushered back behind the curtain. Now, despite walking out at the proper time, it looks like it's fluffed its opening lines, and has been taken offline once more. The announcement came via a support discussion on one of Nokia's forum threads, with some users claiming they were unable to install it at all, or that some functions weren't working properly -- or worse, being unable to turn the handset back on -- for those that could. At the moment Nokia simply states that it has been pulled from servers, and it will advise once the update is back online. If you've been affected, head to the source for the official thread on the issue.
Nokia launches Belle Feature Pack 2 firmware OTA, Pureview 808 gets extra imaging goodies
Like the proverbial groundhog, Nokia's Feature Pack 2 for Symbian Belle peeked out a bit too early last month and had to withdraw back into its burrow. Now the new firmware upgrade for the Nokia 701, 700, 602 and Pureview 808 is out for realsies, with the latter star of the lineup getting the lion's share of new trinkets. Specifically, the big-sensored phone will now have a landscape Gallery Grid view option, which will enable faster and easier zooming, editing and sharing of images; more picture info like ISO value, white balance and location; and a reset button to get back to the default image setting in one touch. All the above Symbian Belle phones will get an updated browser with better HTML5 support, a (much) faster keyboard, the Video Pro editing application and Car Mode -- which gives "easy access to your phone's key features when you're driving," according to Nokia. If that makes you feel better about your legacy Nokia OS investment after all the company's Windows Phone 8 hoopla, check the source to see how to get it. [Thanks, Fakhre]
Visualized: 808 PureView display at Nokia's flagship store
While in Helsinki, do as the Finns do -- shop at Nokia's flagship store, right? Just as we were contemplating the purchase of an unlocked Asha (or three) as stocking stuffers, we stumbled upon this delightfully futuristic 808 PureView display -- complete with quirky dioramas. Sadly, we weren't packing Nokia's imaging handset, nor the phenomenal Lumia 920 camera, so we used our trusty HTC One X to capture the moment. Check out the gallery below -- where you'll find the 808 PureView serving as a swimming pool and being assembled by tiny workers -- then hit the break for a short video.
From the lab: Lumia 920 low-light shootout with Nokia 808, iPhone 5, HTC One X and Galaxy S III
It looks like Nokia's controversial marketing move, which involved using pro DSLRs to "simulate" low-light shooting, was even less necessary than the smartphone maker may have thought. During our visit to the company's Tampere, Finland research and development complex, we were given access to a comprehensive testing suite, enabling us to shoot with a Lumia 920 prototype and a handful of competing products in a controlled lighting environment. Technicians dimmed the lights and let us snap a static scene with each handset at just 5 lux -- a level on par with what you may expect on a dimly lit city street in the middle of the night. The 920 took the cake, without question, but the iPhone didn't fare too poorly itself, snatching up nearly as much light as the Nokia device. The 808 PureView also performed quite well, but the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S III yielded unusable results. It's one thing to snag proper exposure, though -- capturing sharp details with little noise and superior color balance is an entirely different beast, and the Lumia managed to do just that, as you'll see in our 100-percent-view shots further on. Later in the evening we hit the streets of Helsinki for a real-world shootout. The 920 did present some issues with exaggerated shake and other rapid movements, but it offered up excellent results overall, even in scenes that were too dark for us to make out any details with our own eyes. Our nighttime shoot can be found in the gallery below, followed by plenty of comparison photos after the break.%Gallery-166626%
The Engadget Interview (captured with Lumia 920): Nokia CEO Stephen Elop on WP8 and beyond
Do you know what's better than one interview with Stephen Elop? Two interviews in one month. We'd barely recovered from yesterday's bout of nostalgia when we were given the opportunity to sit down with Nokia's CEO in his office at the company's HQ. Better yet, we were allowed to record the discussion with a hand-held Lumia 920 prototype. The resulting video is remarkably stable. Full disclosure: the audio was recorded with a shotgun mic mounted on a Sony NEX-C3 camera. We talked about HTC's colorful "signature" Windows Phone 8X and 8S and what that means for the Nokia-Microsoft partnership. Next we asked if Nokia is planning to work with carriers to offer incentives for existing Lumia owners to upgrade to the company's 920 and 820 handsets. Finally, we discussed the evolution of PureView imaging technology from the 808 to the 920 and how Nokia plans to combine these building blocks in the future. Hit the break for our video interview.
Keepin' it real fake: the 808 PureView that wasn't
Meet the 808 Android: the modern day equivalent of those fake mobile antennas that people would attach to their cars in order to make others think they were a big shot. Yes, this device is an Android 2.3-powered forgery of Nokia's 808 PureView, but instead of 41 megapixels of imaging awesomeness, you'll find a mere 3.2MP setup that occupies the presumably hollow protrusion on the rear. Keeping with the theme of slumming things up, the 808 Android offers a 550MHz CPU, a 3.5-inch HVGA resistive touch display, a stylus for easier input and data connectivity that tops out at EDGE. If you were wondering, yes, it's a dual-SIM phone. All of this -- complete with rip-off Carl Zeiss badging -- can be yours for just $73.50. Be sure to peep the gallery below, where you can almost smell the shame. %Gallery-165849%
Symbian Belle FP2 for Nokia 808 PureView spotted early, pulled quickly
Nokia has been tuning up its Symbian Belle phones with new software over the past few days, but there's been one glaring exception: the 808 PureView. The camera-centered behemoth isn't far behind, though, as a handful of users have spotted and grabbed a 113.10.1506 OS update lurking on Nokia's servers before it was abruptly yanked. While Nokia hasn't confirmed details of the upgrade, those few who tried the download can vouch that it really is Belle FP2, or Belle Refresh. As such, it's bringing an overhauled keyboard with text prediction, new versions of the browser and music player apps, fresh widgets and no doubt a few under-the-radar bug fixes. It's hard to know if the update is final code, so we'd advise caution before loading up any unofficial copies you might find -- even so, it's a portentous sign for 808 owners who'd like to have a definitive instance of smartphone-grade Symbian before the platform rides into the sunset.
Nokia's Damian Dinning goes in-depth on phase two of PureView for the Lumia 920 (video)
Nokia's imaging chief Damian Dinning has released a paper explaining the "second phase" of PureView technology that's included in the new Lumia 920. Charged with improving low-light photography and eliminating camera shake, the experimental 808 handset was developed with a 41-megapixel sensor that oversampled images down to 5-megapixels. However, such equipment is bulky and expensive, so it changed tack for its second crack at the whip, which you can find out about if you join us after the break.
Purported Nokia Lumia 820, 920 Pureview pics arrive on Twitter
Our old friend, the @evleaks Twitter account is back, claiming that it's gotten the first official shots of Nokia's Lumia 820 and 920 with Pureview. The terse tweets claim that the 820 is a 4.3-inch handset, while the 4.5-inch 920 will arrive with Nokia's magical new imaging technology. We're understandably skeptical, given the small size of the lens on the 920 (pictured, left) compared to the 808, but we can't fault the feed's track record for leaks so far.
Refresh Roundup: week of August 6th, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Nokia's 808 PureView will not be sold by major UK carriers, time to save up some pounds
If you Brits were looking forward to utilizing the 808 PureView's 41-megapixel sensor while sipping Pimm's this summer, well, be prepared to pay a hefty price. We've heard from O2, Three and Everything Everywhere (the parent company of Orange UK and T-Mobile UK) that they will not be selling said Nokia device in the UK, and Virgin Media told us it isn't in the pipeline "just yet." Our friends over at Wired UK have also heard the same bad news from Vodafone and O2, with a source close to the latter laying the blame on Nokia's "outdated" Symbian Belle system. Ouch. So yes, this means all the major carriers in Her Majesty's backyard are out of the game; but until we hear back from Carphone Warehouse, there may still be a small chance for keen British mobile photogs to dodge the full £500 ($780) price tag on Amazon (in comparison to $699 on the US site), so stay tuned.
