Samsung SGH-G800: The Pioneer in 5MP Camera Phones

• Author: Moby
• Filed under: Samsung
• Date: Feb 22,2008

Samsung has revolutionized handy technology when it came out with the first ever 5-megapixel camera phone in the form of the Samsung G800. The beautifully sleek G800 has benchmarked the new generation of camera phones. However, it does not only have a 5MP camera to boast about, it also has full features crammed in this great handset.

Samsung has been known for its ultra slim phones, but the G800 probably does not qualify as slim. It weighs about 129g which makes it relatively heavy, too. However, this added bulk is well compromised if you take a look at the G800’s features.

The design of the G800 is seemingly centered around its camera. which we have already expected. At the back is a cover that protects the camera lens and the Xenon flash. The G800 is held horizontally when you take a picture, and there is a dedicated shutter button and a volume rocker for zooming in and out. Aside from these dedicated keys, there are not much buttons to notice in this phone. All keys are mechanical, though we were pleased to see them to be large and laid out quite well. Pressing the Keypad might be a little tough at first, and will need some getting used to.

As far as features are concerned, the 5MP sensor, the autofocus and the Xenon flash (assisted by LED lights), 3x zoom, red-eye reduction and image stabilization are all enough to take camera phones into an entirely new level. It is the closest you can ever get for a digital camera on a phone. We are also glad that it sports a microSD expansion slot to hold more pictures. There are basic photo editing tools pre-installed in the G800, as well as a video editing suite.

The G800 is more than just about the camera. It also features a music player, an FM radio, and 3.5G HSDPA connectivity which allows you to browse at speeds up to 7.2Mbps. It can also support Java games and cool applications such as Google Maps.

In terms of performance, we were actually impressed with the photo quality and the speed at which the camera executes. It looks just like a real camera which take photos with quality that are just like the real thing. We find it even better than that of the Nokia N95, Ericsson K850i and the LG Viewty. The Xenon flash may not have been the brightest, but the photo quality is quite excellent even at low lighting conditions. The music player did its job quite well too, though we would have appreciated it if it rendered pages well on its installed web browser.

The G800 is truly an outstanding phone. Being the first in the family of 5MP camera phones, it truly lived up to our expectations. Though some may find it oversized, the features it bring well compensates for the added bulk. However, if you are used to putting your phone in your pocket, you might as well go for something slimmer with similar features. Nonetheless, we still recommend this phone for its excellent features and performance.

The Samsung G800 is available for $518.00 at ElephantCellular

tagged: LG, 5-megapixel, HSDPA, Keypad, Samsung, SGH-G800, N95, K850, Viewty

The LG KU990 Viewty: LG’s Best Camera Phone Yet

• Author: Moby
• Filed under: LG
• Date: Feb 18,2008

In case you were wondering, we also do find the name to LG’s new camera frame a little strange. Who would have thought of the word “viewty”? Anyway, the LG Viewty KU990 is LG’s latest handset which is packed with great, impressive features. It is a phone with a 5-megapixel camera that has autofocus features and a xenon flash. If you ever wonder how convenient it might be to integrate your trusty digital camera into your phone, then wonder no more.

The KU990 does not only have this 5-megapixel camera to brag about, but it also features a large touchscreen which allows us to view images taken easily. As if this was not enough, this phone makes it easy for you to shoot videos at 120 frames per second, watch them in slow motion or upload them to Youtube. At some point, you make feel like you own a camera with a cellphone, than a cellphone with a camera.

We have reviewed a number of camera phones and put bluntly, they just don’t look aesthetically pleasing enough. However, the KU990 lives up to its name as far as “viewty” is concerned. In fact, we believe that it is one of the best looking cam phones ever. Its design exudes a functional feel, yet it also has an elegant charm that it looks more high-end than the previous LG phones in the past.

The KU990 has a large, attractive touchscreen, and the 5-megapixel camera is located at the back, towards the top left. Next to it is the autofocus light and the xenon flash. The camera unfortunately does not have a lens cover. At the side of the camera, there is a rocker disc which you can conveniently push up or down if you want to adjust the volume, scroll through the menu, and zoom in and out, amongst other possible things. We find it a little difficult to press sometimes, but it should be an interesting feature.

What we like best about the KU990 is that its screen is very responsive and you can set it to vibrate each time you touch it. The icons in the software interface have an attractive layout and we found it very finger-friendly. Another thing we like about this phone is that its proprietary web browser is probably the best we have seen on a handset. Pages can load relatively quickly too, with a theoretical download speed of 1.8Mbps. It disappointingly does not support Wi-Fi.

The KU990 takes relatively great pictures, with exceptional performance in capturing fast moving action. We consider the picture quality excellent if compared with other camera phones today. Viewing photos later on is convenient and cool, as its photo viewer has amazing slideshow features with just a click of the camera. It is also armed with great photo-editing applications which may not be as sophisticated as Photoshop, but does its job quite well.

The LG KU990 Viewty is actually an impressive phone considering how LG do not have as much experience with camera phones. If you want a phone which can capture all those moments conveniently, the KU990 is definitely worth checking out.

The LG KE850 is available for $429.00 at ElephantCellular

The LG KU990 Viewty is available for $509.89 at ElephantCellular

tagged: LG, KU990 Viewty, KE850 Prada, 5-megapixel, touchscreen, Youtube, 3G, HSDPA