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GLOBAL – September 30 saw the first Nokia N8 shipment leave the factories from Finland and China, and some lucky Nokia fans even received their new, shiny phone the very next day. A myriad of reviews, videos and photos began to fill the Web, with everybody keen to show off their new toy. Join us now, as we focus our attention on what’s being said about the Nokia N8 across the globe.

UPDATE: We’ve just got word that What Digital Camera magazine have given the Nokia N8 the top prize in its camera phone group test in the latest issue. It trumps four other smart phones and is pitted alongside a Canon compact camera. This is some of what What Digital Camera had to say:

“The N8 is way beyond previous mobile phones, and is nearly a match for a compact camera”

Experts at What Digital Camera also said

“Images taken with the N8 more than stand up to scrutiny and would be more than adequate for most casual photographers”

High praise indeed!

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It’s only been a week since the release of the Nokia N8 into the wild, and most of you are talking about the camera capabilities of this new device. GSMArena did a thorough job on this, comparing the Nokia N8 camera with two others:

GSMArena: We’re putting the Nokia N8 against both a capable cameraphone (the Samsung Pixon12) and a relatively expensive point-and-shoot digicam (the Sony DSC-HX5v Cyber-shot). And best of all, we’ll start with a blind test.

They are not the only ones, as TheHandheldBlog puts the camera through its paces in day and night time conditions, with a great HD video to watch too.

TheHandheldBlog: When you buy the N8, not only do you buy a great digital camera but also a very handy camcorder. No dedicated pocket digital camera (sub $200) that I have used came close to offering quality similar to the N8′s, specially when it comes to audio capture.

FoneArena have already put fingers to keyboard a couple of times, and give a little insight into how they feel about the Nokia N8. And with this headline, there’s no confusion as to how they feel:

FoneArena: The Nokia N8 Is Perfect, There, I Said It

The author – Rita – then goes on to say:

Nokia still has the lead in multimedia, especially in imaging. Every other smartphone manufacturer is months if not a year or more away from offering anything similar. And still when they do, it won’t be packed in one single device like on the N8.

In their second review, FoneArena’s MichaelxHell shows some great photos, not from the Nokia N8, but of the device itself, taking its viewers on a tour of what they can expect, and concludes with these words:

FoneArena: Nokia is on a Mission now to please fans again – did they succeed, hardware wise? Oh yes, they did. The Nokia N8 is hopefully  a first look at things to come. I have never ever had my Hands on a Nokia Device feeling as great as the anodized aluminium body of the N8.

Many blogs, or reviews compare the Nokia N8 with other devices, be it a camera or another mobile phone by another manufacturer. However, Matthew Miller at ZDNet offers very little comparison and reviews the device for what it is. A Nokia N8:

ZDNet: To give you a sense of my take on the device and what you can expect below, let me state that the N8 is clearly the best Nokia Nseries device ever made and is the Nseries device that Nokia and Symbian users both deserve and will appreciate.

While one of the key features of the Nokia N8 is its very impressive 12-megapixel camera, that doesn’t mean that it’s the only thing people are talking about. We’re glad NokiaExperts have noticed the new improved Ovi Store:

NokiaExperts: I am extremely pleased with the performance, design, and overall user interface of the new Ovi Store on the Nokia N8 and already started buying apps in the new store. This is how it should have launched last year and I hope people do give it another chance.

The folks over at AllAboutSymbian, being huge Symbian fans, start by discussing the new Symbian OS. They don’t stop there though, and Steve and Rafe go on further to detail the RAM, the UI and lots more in-depth digging of what the phone has to offer. Along with some nice photos, and a video. Don’t forget to switch the video to HD, for better viewing:

AllAboutSymbian: The Nokia N8, along with Symbian^3 under the hood, fixes most of what was annoying about all of Nokia’s previous S60 5th Edition phones, brings multimedia in line with the Android and iOS smartphones, and has the added bonus of super hardware and the hands-down best camera and camcorder ever put into a phone.

The Telegraph gives the device four stars out of five, and claims it may be an alternative to a business, email device with the ability to hold a charge far more than other devices:

Telegraph: The new Nokia N8 is the Finnish company’s first successful touchscreen phone. It’s neat, good-looking and has a battery that will take you safely from one day to the next. You’ll probably still want to recharge it overnight just to be sure, but our tests saw it last happily into a second and even a third day between charges.

What do you think of the new Nokia N8 and the reactions above? Have you found a review we haven’t mentioned? Let us know with your comments below.

Image credit: Mackarus, johnkarakatsanis