Camera Phones Plaza

Nokia N93 was voted European Media Phone 2006-2007 by the EISA(European Imaging and Sound Association). I never liked the looks of the N93, but I have to admit, it's features are remarcable and I have to say, it deserves this award.

Here's the Nokia press release:
"Nokia today announced that its latest high performance multimedia computer, the Nokia N93, has been awarded the European Media Phone of the Year 2006-2007 by the European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA), Europe's largest multimedia press organization. The award is yet another industry recognition of Nokia's continued commitment to innovation in mobile imaging.

EISA commended the still image and video capture quality of the Nokia N93 plus the extensive internet and connectivity options, dubbing the device the "perfect example of a multimedia computer that can fit in your hands." The judges also singled out the Nokia N93's video editing and printing capability and its digital music player for particular praise.

"Nokia is delighted to have its advancements in digital imaging recognized by EISA for the second year running," said Satu Ehrnrooth, head of Nokia Nseries Cameras, Multimedia, Nokia. "The Nokia N93 represents a new breed of mobile imaging device. Users will find all of the exceptional connectivity, communication and entertainment features you would expect from a multimedia computer whilst also providing always-with-you imaging facilities to match dedicated compact cameras or video recorders."

EISA is the largest editorial organization in Europe, with a membership of 52 Audio, Mobile Electronics, Video and Photo magazines drawn from 18 European countries. In June, EISA member magazines came together for the election of the European awards. The panel annually chooses the best equipment in a number of categories from products introduced during the preceding twelve months.

The Nokia N93, which started shipping in July 2006, is the latest addition to Nokia's high performance Nokia Nseries range, offering unparalleled digital camcorder, telephony and rich mobile internet functionality. Boasting a 3.2 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, DVD-like video capture and 3x optical zoom, the Nokia N93 offers an advanced combination of imaging and communication technology."

Although the P525 smartphone from Asus has been available in Taiwan for some two months, it just received the all-clear from the gatekeepers at the FCC. Whether or not this means the smartphone will soon, if ever, see a Stateside release is still unknown.

The Asus P525 sports several features that smartphone users expect, like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0 and push e-mail. It's also equipped with a 2 megapixel camera and supports Skype-in and Skype-out right out of the box.

The quad-band, GSM Asustek P525 runs on Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC Phone Edition. Should some company decide to release the smartphone here, well, we've got our eyes open.

Via Gizmodo.

BenQ-Siemens has not been around all that long as a handset manufacturer, but the company has quite a range of phones under its belt and its flagship at the moment is the EF81, a slimline, flip, tri-band GSM with 3G affair.

Inside and out the colour scheme is a mix of two shades of silver and black. A large proportion of the outer fascia is given over to brushed steel and the number pad on the inside is also made of this. Adonised aluminium forms the back of the casing, while the front display is protected by hardened glass. The overall impression is of materials that should handle the knocks a modern phone expects to encounter.

BenQ-Siemens EF81 gets away with a single camera for video calling and stills shooting by locating it on the hinge so that it swivels when you open and close the clam. With the clam closed the camera faces the back of the handset, with the clam opened it swivels to the front.

Using a single camera may have helped achieve the slim design of the EF81, but it is a bit hampering when it comes to shooting stills and video because you can’t swivel the lens manually. With the clam opened you can only shoot stills and video of yourself. With it closed you can shoot away from yourself but have to use the front screen to frame shots and its relatively small size makes things far more difficult than they would be using the internal screen.

The camera shoots stills at up to 1.2 megapixels. It lacks a flash for indoor use, colours are not as vivid as they could be and I had trouble producing shots that were not blurred. It is below the quality I would expect from a high-end handset like this.

The conclusion is that BenQ-Siemens’ EF81 could be an alternative for anyone considering buying Motorola’s RAZR V3x. But you shouldn’t expect a great deal from the camera when shooting stills.

Read full review here.

Samsung i320 is worth admiration. In its tiny (11.5 mm thin) but extremely elegant body the manufacturer has fit a full-function QWERTY keypad, a rather good display, and most importantly - Windows Mobile OS.

The most attractive element on the rear side of Samsung i320 is the digital camera lens. Pay a closer attention to the tiny strip inside the frame. Here you will find a highly powerful LED. The camera separates two speakers, which are meant to create a stereo effect.

Samsung has equipped its new smartphone with a camera with 1.3 MP resolution. Even so, you will hardly manage to take sharp images unless there is enough daylight, only then the shutter speed is fast enough. The later in the afternoon and the less natural light available, the harder it becomes for Samsung i320 to take pictures of satisfying quality. If light conditions are favorable, resulting photos will probably be quite good. The Samsung i320's camera uses a low compression and the end result is slightly larger picture files but with the added benefit of a better quality. Unfortunately, there is no dedicated macro mode for shooting from close distance.

The result is rather poor though. Beneath the plastic cover you will find a Li-Ion battery of unknown capacity, a MicroSD memory card slot (TransFlash), and a SIM card slot. The fact that the removal of the SIM card does not require removal of the battery, while the exchange of the memory card does require this operation is quite interesting. Once the SIM card has been removed and replaced, the phone restarts itself automatically.

View full review here.

Samsung just released one of the most AMAZING DMB phones. The SCH-B470 is not only DMB capable but it is also PIP! (Picture in Picture) you will be now able to watch TV while you are using he other part of the screen in order to phone or do whatever you want to... The Samsung SCH-B470 is also able to be used as an Mp3 player and has a 2 megapixel camera.

The phone will also offer T-DMB TV receiver, Video Streaming, TV output, Java MIDP 2.0 and a MP3/AAC/AAC player.

Via Akihabara News.