The Nokia N90, $900 Camera Phone Reviewed 212
Lord_of_Tech writes "CoolTechZone.com has reviewed Nokia's N90 cell phones that comes with 2 megapixel camera and a host of other features, and it costs a solid $900 per unit. "The minute you set your eyes on the N90, the first thing that springs to your mind is 'it looks a lot slimmer in photos...' but as you take it out of the packaging, you realize the heaviness of it. To be very clear at the outset though, this is not Nokia's attempt to produce as sleek a phone as the Motorola Razr. What it is designed to be is a feature packed phone that doesn't mind compromising on the ergonomics to pack in every last bit of functionality you could ever want on a camera phone."
The first thing that springs to my mind.... (Score:3, Insightful)
N91 (Score:5, Insightful)
The one you want is the N91, which has 802.11g wi-fi.
Let the complaining begin (Score:3, Insightful)
$900 now... (Score:2, Insightful)
No thanks. (Score:1, Insightful)
An alternative for under $900 (Score:4, Insightful)
1 x Nokia Series-6 phone; This award winning range of Symbian phones comes with SDKs in Python, Java and C++; Possibly the most extendable range of phones ever built. You can still buy phones without cameras in them, but snap them up while you get a chance.
Result: A smaller, more OSS friendly phone, A bigger but much better camera... one that's likely to teach you a few things about photography.
Re:Tiny quibble with the review (Score:3, Insightful)
I think the poster's point was that it was a camera/vidcam review, not a phone review. He's right. The review is all about the camera functions and not much else.
Re:oblig (Score:2, Insightful)
Seriously folks, when was the last time you heard yourself say, "It's a good thing I had that camera in my phone, or I would have missed that!".
I'd expect some *useful* features in a $900 phone (universal remote control, PDA-like features, wi-fi, laser pointer, [a phone that you can make calls on]!!, maybe something cool like goggles or a tv-out that you can pipe internet access through your phone to a screen that you can actually see something on. Why not treat the phone as a thin client and have your "computer" be your phone.
Sorry, my phone just finished making me french toast, I've got to run.
Re:I don't think so (Score:3, Insightful)
Compromising a couple characteristics in order to create the perception of increased functionality works well. SUVs come to mind.
The mobile phone market is becoming like the automobile market is.
Sensible people will buy sensible phones. Other people will buy the 'SUV' of phones, not because it is better, but because they can brag to their buddies/coworkers/business contacts that they have the newest greatest most expensive phone.
I see it every day at my office, when the ad sales reps bitch and moan that the company won't pay for their new Dongle. And when, three months later, they've replaced that Dongle with a newer, more prestigious one. iPods, cell phones, PDAs, etc.
Everyone haul out the slashdot kneejerk reaction! (Score:3, Insightful)
Of course almost all phone companies provide barebones phones (usually free with a service contract. And of course, this IS a frankenmonster of a phone and even gadget hounds would have a hard time justifying this one for the price. But don't let that stop any of you luddites out there from making it clear, once again, why YOU are right and everyone else is not entitled to have a slightly different view.
What exactly is the point of a 2mp cameraphone? (Score:4, Insightful)
Prosumer options? (Score:2, Insightful)
All those kinds of camera settings are things that professional (or at least, experienced amateurs) use to adjust the photo quality when they are taking stills, in a studio, and have the time to actually adjust the settings and do some experimenting. When using a cellphone camera, how much time are you going to spend tinkering with these various settings before taking a candid shot in a dark nightclub of you and some hot chick that you'll never have a chance of seeing again? And would she stick around long enough for you to do so?
My point here is that the presence of these features, while quite a feat considering the size of the phone compared to a pro camera, is just plain superfluous, because no one who uses this phone's camera is going to spend the time messing around with them on the fly.
I will not pay... (Score:3, Insightful)
I'm old fashioned (Score:2, Insightful)
The only functionality I want in my cell phone is that it make and receive calls fairly reliably. I don't want a camera, PDA, games, personal theme music...none of that. I'd rather have individual devices that do all these things well, rather than one device that doesn't really do justice to any of the features.
Re:Everyone haul out the slashdot kneejerk reactio (Score:3, Insightful)
they make the "just phones" chincy so you won't like them and spend the extra dough on a 300 mhz datacenter photo phone.
just not a good idea. (Score:3, Insightful)
I'm seeing standard and predictable fare (not necessarily a bad thing) in posts for this article. There are basically two camps; those who just want a cell phone that sends and receives calls reliably (that's where I am); and those who love the extra features and want the coolest gadgetry they can blend with their cell phones.
My thoughts:
There has been a recent emergency in my family and I was totally frustrated by the number of dropped calls, unintelligible conversations, etc. I endured with people on the other end using cell phones.
Yeah, it's not as convenient to carry multiple gadgets around, but it's not nearly as inconvenient as people want to make it out to be to strengthen their all-in-one argument.
Bottom line: (at least for me) I just want a phone that does a very good job of being a phone.
Re:What exactly is the point of a 2mp cameraphone? (Score:3, Insightful)
Zeiss makes good, small lenses, the Tessar in the old Yashica T4 coems to mind - every bit as sharp as lenses many times its size. Nonetheless, your point is valid that just saying it has a zeiss lens does not necessarily make it good.