We’re headed to the sunny climes of Egypt this week, where the launch of the Nokia 808 PureView kicked off with a very special event held at the top of the country’s tallest freestanding structure, Cairo Tower. Over to Mariam from our Middle East team to tell you all about what happened…

I’m sure you’ve all heard about the Nokia 808 PureView with its whopping 41MP camera, and I’m sure you all expected that this not-so-ordinary Nokia phone would launch in a not-so-ordinary way. Well, I was lucky enough to be one of the first people to see and try the device during its launch week, when Nokia held an event for bloggers in Egypt to introduce this very special smartphone!

So, where do you begin when introducing such a revolutionary device? First up we gathered 7 very lucky photographers in Cairo, where the launch conference was being held, and asked them to have a play around with the device and its endless settings. Then we took them to the top of the highest structure in Egypt, Cairo Tower, a free-standing concrete tower with a 360 degree panoramic view over the furthest reaches of Cairo and all the way to the Sahara desert.

Here is the moment some of the group got their hands on the device – awed silence all round!

While @AmePassionate and  @Mariam_Darwish test some landscape shots from the Cairo Tower restaurant.

‏And fashion photographer @bosaina gets her hands on one of the red Nokia 808 PureViews and starts snapping away – she later states on stage the next day she’d prefer it in pink! While @Temmypops, founder of events site Cairo Zoom can be seen kitted out with his Nokia 808 PureView camera bag and tripod playing with the phone’s settings.

The 360 view from the Cairo Tower was simply breathtaking, though it was a shame that we couldn’t see the pyramids due to the weather.

The next day, and fresh from their experiences with the Nokia 808 PureView at Cairo Tower, we took our photo mavericks to an event organised by Nokia Egypt for the crème de la crème of Egyptian bloggers. Vesa Jutila, Head of Smartphones Product Marketing at Nokia, demonstrated the PureView’s revolutionary imaging features, saying that: ‘Nokia revolutionises high-end smartphone imaging and sets a new industry standard with the Nokia 808 PureView. With this smartphone, you can capture the sharpest and most detailed pictures ever, and it is easier than ever to relive and share your experiences.’

From left @Mariam_Darwish, @LeafAmina,  @bosaina, @TheOmarAdel and @Temmypops.

Our bunch hit the stage to talk about their experience. There were surprises, challenges and several winners of the brand new Nokia 808 PureView – but the most exciting thing was the announcement of the Nokia 808 PureView studio, which will be touring Egypt giving more people the chance to have their very own PureView experience.

For now, and until the device goes on sale, you can see a variety of photos showcased on the Nokia 808 PureView Facebook tab on Nokia Egypt’s fan page, where there is also a competition running to win the device. All Nokia Egypt fans have to do for a chance to win is zoom in to find hidden stories in the images, in this case an image of the device itself – it’s a story within a story!

What do you think of the Nokia 808 PureView’s amazing 41 megapixel camera? Let us know @Nokia_Connects!