The buzz surrounding the Nokia 808 PureView since its unveiling at the Mobile World Congress earlier this year has barely subsided.
In fact, if anything, the excitement and hype is continuing to gather momentum.
That’s certainly the case if the early reviews are any indication.
So what have they been saying about this revolutionary cameraphone with a whopping 41-megapixel sensor, cutting edge Carl Zeiss optics and Nokia’s new imaging technology?
Here, if you needed further convincing, are some of the first reviews and hands-on tests.
CNET
Unsurprisingly most of the reviews concentrate on the camera capabilities and CNET’s hands-on test is no different.
“The 808 PureView isn’t a smartphone for the masses. For the more discerning photography enthusiasts who are looking for a compact camera replacement — and current N8 users — though, it’s a different matter entirely… If you just want a camera that can also be used to make calls and send and receive e-mails, then the Nokia 808 PureView fulfills this purpose very well.”
Of the phone’s design, CNET said:
“The design of the Nokia 808 PureView can be simply described as solid. Solid in the sense that the construction of the phone is robust and sturdy, which is really no surprise, seeing Nokia’s strong tradition of producing durable handsets like the Nokia 3210. Coupled with the Gorilla Glass display, this phone is built to last.”
The Handheld Blog
This review points out some of the 808 PureView’s other features.
“While the camera is the showstopper here, other noteworthy specs include a 4″ Clear Black display, a 1400 mAh battery, 16 GB of internal storage, HDMI out, an FM Transmitter, Secure NFC and Bluetooth 3.0.”
Obviously, the Handheld Blog, doesn’t ignore the camera altogether. In fact, they’ve managed to secure an interview with Nokia’s imaging guru Damien Dinning, who goes on to talk through the technology behind the 808 PureView.
T3
T3 also gets to the heart of the camera technology on the Nokia 808 PureView, which saw it awarded the Best New Mobile Handset at the World Mobile Congress.
“This sort of megapixel count hasn’t been seen on a phone before, and is usually limited to medium format pro cameras. The Carl Zeiss lens is teamed with Nokia’s pixel over-sampling technology, which has been designed to produce sharp pictures, even in low light conditions, along with the ability to save the images in compact file sizes for easy sharing.”
Their review does have a minor quibble about the 4-inch screen being smaller than they would have liked, but concludes:
“Having said that, images are clear and hues are bright and punchy so we can’t complain too much.”
GSM Arena
Reviews don’t come much more comprehensive than this blind test carried out by GSM Arena.
In their own words:
“Yes, we had ourselves a nice little shootout. But rather than simply tell you the score, we’ve decided to make you a part of the action. We give you side-by-side shots of what’s probably the most exciting cameraphone contest we’ve had so far.”
They not only compared the Nokia 808 Pureview with other cameraphones on the market but also a small DSLR, the Olympus E-PL2, with interchangeable lenses.
Judge the photos and see the results for yourselves.
NDTV
NDTV also had another novel way of testing the device. They used the Nokia 808 PureView to actually shoot some scenes of their TV programme and then asked people if they could tell the difference.
The Nokia 808 PureView is out now in selected markets and is available for pre-order in the United States and Europe.