The trend in camera phones is to have more and more megapixels. But is simply piling extra pixels into a camera phone enough to make it the best there is, or is something else needed?
Nokia N97 - the 5 megapixel contender
Let's start this journey through the world of camera phones with a true smartphone from Finland, the Nokia N97. If this was an article about smartphones, then the Nokia N97 would very probably walk away with the title, but the focus here is ONLY on the camera, and what makes it special. The Nokia N97 is equipped with a 5 megapixel camera, something that, surprisingly recently, was considered the highest end camera you could get on a phone.
Five megapixels is a little bit passe, now, but the Nokia N97 doesn't just rely on its pixel count. Instead, with the Nokia N97, you get top-end Carl Zeiss lenses, to make sure that the actual sensor is getting the crispest image that it can. So, whilst the Nokia N97 may only have 5 megapixels (and that's a big 'only'), it does make sure that the image that is recorded onto those 5 million pixels is as sharp as can be.
Samsung Omnia HD - 8 megapixels and HD video
Next up, we journey into the realm of 8 megapixel camera phones, with the Samsung Omnia HD. The difference in pixel count is noticeable, but even more than that, Samsung make some of the best camera optics in the phone world, making the Samsung Omnia HD a truly wondrous camera phone. However, it also has a trick up its sleeve that no other camera phone can yet match: true HD video recording. The Samsung Omnia HD is the only phone in the world at present that can record true high-def video, and that's sure to give it a competitive edge.
Sony Ericsson Idou - the best camera phone in existence?
No run down of the best camera phones would be complete without the phone that's due to arrive in October. The Nokia N97 may have 5 megapixels, and the Samsung Omnia HD may sport 8, but the magnificent Sony Ericsson Idou has a massive 12 megapixel camera. Whilst the number of megapixels isn't the ONLY concern in a camera phone, there's no denying that the extra 4 million pixels the Sony Ericsson Idou has IS going to make a difference. However, even here, it's not just about megapixels here, as the Sony Ericsson Idou is also loaded with Cyber-Shot technology such as autofocus, smile detection, and a wealth of other options for improving your photos. It's also the only phone of these three that has a true xenon flash, so the Sony Ericsson Idou is really the only one that will take decent photos in darkened locations. So, as you can see, whilst the number of megapixels is important, equally as important is what else the camera on a phone has built-in, and because the fact it has the most megapixels and the most extra tech, the Sony Ericsson Idou is quite simply light years ahead of the other two phones on display here.