Samsung T929 (Memoir) camera

It’s been almost 6 months since I picked up the Samsung T929 (Memoir), the first subsidized 8 megapixel cameraphone in the US, and I’m overdue for a review :)

Over the years, I have tested a plethora of 5 megapixel devices – the i-mobile 902, the Nokia N95/N95-3/N95-4, the Sony Ericsson K850i, the Nokia N82, the Motorola ZN5 (ZINE), the Nokia N96, the Nokia N85, the Nokia N79, and more recently the Nokia N97…

There are now several 8 megapixel cameraphones available from Samsung (Pixon, Memoir, INNOV8, Omnia HD), LG (Renoir, Viewty Smart), Sony Ericsson (C905, W995), and Nokia (N86 8MP) – not to mention upcoming 12 megapixel units.

I’m getting a Nokia N86 8MP review unit soon, but so far I’ve only played with the Samsung i8510 (INNOV8), the Samsung i8910 (Omnia HD), and of course the Memoir.

For over 4 months I used it as my primary imaging device, and 1000+ pictures later, I have to say that the Memoir features the best camera I have ever enjoyed on any phone – and by a wide margin!

HTC Dream/T-Mobile G1 camera

I really like my HTC Dream/T-Mobile G1 – I do :)

But to be honest, based on my brief experience with other HTC devices and the small-looking 3 megapixel sensor, I was not expecting much from the T-Mobile G1 camera. In fact, I was fearing the same dismal performance as the Nokia E66/E71 camera…

So I was pleasantly surprised with the pictures produced by the T-Mobile G1 camera. While being no match for the current state-of-the-art, I’m satisfied with the results.

Pros:
- Auto-focus
- Excellent macro (requiring no user intervention)
- Decent low-light performance
- Dedicated 2-stage shutter button
- Geo-tagging

Cons:
- Inconsistent color balance
- No flash, zoom, or video recording
- No manual settings (exposure, white balance, ISO, etc…)
- Volume keys get in the way when taking pictures

In summary, this is a camera I can live with, much like the LG CU920 (Vu) camera. Still, I’m hoping for future firmware improvements!

Tasty bits, revisited

Yes, I know. I’ve completely & utterly failed at maintaining my tasty bits column – it’s been dormant since late April…

It appears I don’t have the time or motivation to publish it in the present format, so I’ve decided to try something new – and this is it!

Here’s a list of tasty bits, devices I’m excited about, and hoping to get my hands on.

- Nokia N85:
Take the awesome N95-3, add a lens cover, add European 3G (in addition to US 3G), add USB charging, replace the single LED flash with a dual ultra-bright LED unit, replace the LCD with an OLED screen, and make it a lot thinner. That’s the N85, and after playing with it in Helsinki, I can’t wait to replace my N95-3 :)

- HTC Dream/T-Mobile G1:
What’s not to be excited about? It’s the first Android device and the first HSDPA smartphone on T-Mobile USA’s AWS network. Want! See you in line…

- Samsung i8510 (INNOV8):
Take the N95-2 (European 8GB), add a lens cover, add a micro-SD card slot, replace the 5 megapixel sensor with an 8 megapixel unit, replace the single LED flash with a dual ultra-bright LED unit, and make it a bit thinner. That’s the INNOV8, and I’ve played with it. It’s a great phone, other than the lack of US 3G.

- LG KC910 (Renoir):
If my experience with the LG Vu is any indication, this device might be worth getting for the 8 megapixel camera alone. Hopefully, LG’s improved the touch screen and user interface…

- Lenovo IdeaPad S10:
It’s the only 10″ netbook that I’m excited about, because it offers a great balance between price, features and design (it even looks like a smaller IdeaPad U110). Hopefully, it’s just as mod-able as my Acer Aspire One!

- Voodoo Envy 133:
I’m not a PC person, but I love everything about the Envy – the ultra-thin design, the carbon-fiber body, the Ethernet port on the AC adapter, the external optical drive, the back-lit keyboard, the removable battery. It almost makes me want to cheat on my MacBook Air :)

Here’s a few more random pieces:

- I got to play with the Yamaha Tenori-on at Austin GDC last week. It’s a very cool device. Here’s a video of it in action, featuring industry colleague and rock star Kurt Larson…

- I made a couple more videos during my trip to Finland. I’ve also posted the last of my pictures.

- Have I mentioned how much I enjoy Nokia’s design direction, lately? Even its low-end devices are sexy!

Nokia E66 camera

I recently unboxed the Nokia E66. It’s a nice phone overall, but the camera is disappointing. Take a look at my pictures.

I don’t expect all Nokia devices to feature a good camera, and certainly don’t expect a business phone to have a decent camera. But based of the specs alone, I was hoping for more with the E66. Picture quality is low for a 3.2 megapixel camera with auto-focus, macro and flash…

Colors are over-saturated, and low light performance is very poor. The tiny sensor is quite noisy, and there appears to be excessive image processing. The LG CU920 (Vu) takes better pictures with its 2 megapixel camera!

Furthermore, the firmware is buggy, and the image is displayed upside down unless the phone is started and kept in offline mode! No fix is available for this yet (in fact the E66 is not even recognized by NSU).

Hopefully some of these problems will be resolved with future firmware, but ultimately I can’t recommend the E66 camera.

Pictures taken with the Apple iPhone 3G

I decided to take some pictures with my iPhone 3G, and compare them to the ones from my original iPhone.

As expected, the results are very similar, i.e. adequate but quite limited by the lack of auto-focus, macro and flash…

I really hope that Apple improves the camera in future models to match (at a minimum) or even surpass the LG CU920 (Vu) camera!

LG Vu camera

A few weeks ago, I looked at the LG CU920 (Vu).

I was rather disappointed overall, but I was impressed with the 2 megapixel camera, which features auto-focus and macro, but no flash.

The resulting pictures speak for themselves. Nice eh?

It’s amazing how much of a difference auto-focus, macro, a decent glass lens, a 2-stage shutter button and decent image processing can make…

Low-light performance is pretty good, but colors fade a bit in bright light. I can live without the flash :)

The only major problem I experienced was with the EXIF date being wrong for each picture, while the file creation date was right.

In the end, this is definitely the best 2 megapixel camera I’ve used since Sony Ericsson’s W800i, and I’ve played with quite a few!

LG Vu: the good, the bad, and the ugly

So I’ve been using the LG CU920 (Vu) for almost a week now and – sorry for the cliché – it’s no iPhone killer!

Despite 3G support and a much nicer camera, the user experience is far from polished…

The good:
- It’s small, thin, and light
- 3G support with DUN
- Nice 2 megapixel camera with auto-focus and macro (see pictures)
- Impressive sound quality over Bluetooth (A2DP stereo support)
- Streams 3GPP (for Internet radio)
- Video recording
- Haptic feedback
- Removable battery
- Good battery life

The bad:
- Resistive touch screen (not sensitive enough, no multitouch)
- No flash or lens cover on camera
- No gapless music playback
- No iSync support (not even via hacked plugins)
- No accelerometer, WiFi, or GPS
- No USB data cable or Micro-SD card supplied with device
- Micro-SD slot behind battery
- Proprietary audio/USB/power connector
- User interface problems (scrolling is difficult and counter intuitive, landscape setting is not saved for browser or virtual keyboard)

The ugly:
- Screen is unreadable in direct sunlight
- Crashes randomly (and hangs temporarily)
- Bad Java support (not full-screen, no virtual keypad for menu shortcuts makes it impossible to zoom in Google maps)
- No file browsing over Bluetooth (incomplete ObEx support, transfer works)
- No multitasking other than music (and this disables the camera)
- No configurable POP3/IMAP/IM client
- Inoperable without SIM inserted

BTW, I’m not evaluating the TV service (mediaFlo) since I’m not signed up for it.

That’s it for now :)

Unboxing the LG CU920 (Vu)

I can has LG CU920 (Vu). Enjoy the pictures – more soon :)

I’m heading to the Maker Faire (again) with it now.

Tasty bits – CTIA and beyond

Wait! Did two months of tasty bits just go by, CTIA and all? Hmmm yes…

HP 2133 (Mini-Note):
- HP 2133 Mini-Note UMPC Reviewed (Verdict: Rich Man's Eee PC)
- Lightning Review: HP 2133 Mini-Note
- HP Mini-Note 2133 officially official, reviewed
- HP Mini-Note gets unboxed, causes extreme jealousy
- jkOnTheRun review- hands on with the HP Mini-Note UMPC

Asus 701/900 (Eee):
- Video Hands on With the 8.9-inch Asus Eee PC 900
- Asus Eee PC 900 Hits U.S. May 12 for $549
- 1.2 GHz Pentium M in your Eee PC? No problem
- Hands-on with the 9-inch Eee PC
- ASUS' 9-inch Eee PC, now with living pixels!
- Eee PC 900 gets dissected, looks about the same as the Eee PC 700

Nokia N810:
- Android on the N810: Working on it!
- Nokia Internet Tablets to get Ubuntu and Qt ports
- Nokia's N810 Internet Tablet WiMAX Edition gets official

Nokia N95:
- 8 GB North American Model N95 available: $779 online
- North American Nokia N95 8GB (Nokia N95-4) Unboxing

Nokia N82:
- All About Symbian Review: Long term battle: Nokia N95, N95 8GB and N82
- Nokia N82 gets blacked out for retail

Other Nokia:
- Eight useful codes for S60 devices
- 10 Awesome Applications for Symbian Phones
- Your S60 smartphone as a drum machine!
- WalkingHotSpot trial available for download
- Nokia E71 Pops up Down Under
- FCC Gives Nokia 6220 Classic the Nod
- T-Mobile’s new mystery 3G Nokia handset outted
- Nokia secretly shows E71 at Mobile Wor… er, in Sydney
- Google gets even chummier with S60, releases search app
- S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2 gets broken down to the nitty gritty
- Nokia N96 gets in-depth review months ahead of release
- Things may be looking brighter for Nokia N96, Xenon flash in the works?
- Nokia readies iPhone-ish "Tube," disses Apple's sales
- Nokia E71 sneaks into the wild once again
- Exclusive: latest update on the hotly anticipated Nokia Tube
- The Nokia Guide: Getting the most out of your Nseries’ camera

Apple iPhone:
- iPhone Pwnage Tool Getting Public Release Tomorrow; Unsigned Firmware Support For All
- iPhone to Support GPS, Stereo Bluetooth, Nike+, Battle Hackers
- iPhone firmware 2.0? You’re damn right we got it!
- Nike+ going WiFi and 3G, headed to iPhone
- The second-gen iPhone: 3G, GPS, only slightly thicker – Engadget
- Touchpad turns your iPhone into a remote trackpad
- Palm emulated on the iPhone: finally we can leave that IIIc at home
- Easy 1.1.4 jailbreaking with iNdependence, Ziphone, and… iTunes?
- iPhone PwnageTool released!
- 3G iPhone rumors building up steam
- iPhone gets VoIP and chat options thanks to Fring
- iPhone firmware hints strengthen case for GPS support
- iPhone feature rumor round-up: Jabber and iTunes control
- Flickr Find: Lilliputian iPhone unboxing
- Twinkle: location-aware Twittter client for iPhone
- iPhone video recorder with audio support debuts

Sony Ericsson:
- Sony Ericsson's X1 reviewed
- XPERIA X1 white paper reveals yet more details
- Is this Sony Ericsson's P5 or "Paris"?
- Specs revealed of the real (or fake) Sony Ericsson "Paris"
- Another shot of Sony Ericsson's Paris?
- Yet another convincing Sony Ericsson Paris pic — open, this time

LG:
- LG KG750 Is Sleek of Line, High (Five) of Megapixels, Shoots DivX, Called Secret
- Live Pics: MediaFLO for AT&T on the LG Vu and Samsung Access
- LG Vu further slides into view
- Hands-on with the LG Vu
- Thin is in: LG shares a glimpse of its 5 megapixel hottie phone

Samsung:
- Samsung-built, Google-branded Android phones due later this year?
- Rumored Prada II specs surface in purported leaked press release

Motorola:
- T-Mobile considering Motorola Z10 for 3G launch?
- Motorola’s 2008 Roadmap Revealed
- Spy shots of the Motorola ZN5
- Motorola's ZN5 gets clearer, Kodak co-branding and all

Android:
- Android gets handled, now with Street View
- T-Mobile confirms it'll have an Android device sometime this year

Other:
- Meizu M8, Something You Burn in a Paper Bag on Someone's Porch
- T-Mobile's 3G Network Rolling Out May in NYC, Coincides With 3G HTC Touch Dual?
- Sharp-Willcom D4 UMPC With Intel Atom Centrino, Vista Hits the States on June 20th
- Crowded Ultraportable Party Gets Dissected
- Meizu prototype caught in the flesh at CeBIT, we handle it
- Meizu M8 interface gets tweaked once again. A few pixels to the left, please?
- Meizu's M8 gets more UI tweaks for its music player
- More MID videos: IdeaPad U8 and Aigo
- Mozilla Mobile shows 5.9x performance increase on ARM device
- Opera Mini 4.1 beta released- good gets better
- Sharp Willcom D4: Vista in your hand for $1,526
- Life with the MacBook Air

Tasty bits – CES to 3GSM

It’s been a busy month full of tasty bits, with CES and MacWorld wrapped up, and 3GSM coming up.

Asus 701 (Eee):
- WiMax-Enabled Asus Eee PC Confirmed
- Ten-Mod Eee PC Stomps Competition, Still Room For More
- Asus press event summary: WiMAX, Eee PCs, and R50A
- How to: boost the display resolution on an Asus Eee PC

Nokia N810:
- Hook a USB device to your Nokia N810 thanks to USB-On-The-Go
- Nokia E90 vs N810: Part 1 – head to head
- Nokia E90 vs N810: Part 2 – GPS, Apps, Web and Multimedia

Nokia N95:
- Nokia N95 makes a nice GPS receiver for Nokia N800
- Nokia N95 8GB Wireless Sharing in Action
- Nokia N95 8GB with US 3G passes FCC

Nokia N82:
- Nokia N82 – part 1 – The Physical, the Camera
- Nokia N82 – part 2 – GPS, Applications and Performance
- Nokia N82 Smartphone Reviewed In Depth (Verdict: High-end Hotness)

More Nokia:
- Flip Silent for S60: Silence Calls by Flipping your Phone
- Sh-sh-shake it Like a Polaroid Picture!
- Nokia E90 Communicator review: Gear Diary
- First glimpse inside Nokia S60 Touch. Going beyond Multi-Touch

Apple iPhone:
- iPhone 1.1.3 Jailbreak Has Issues With GPS, Official SDK?
- Makayama Adds Voice Recognition to the iPhone
- iPhoneCam streams video from your iPhone over WiFi
- iTransmogrify brings more flash content to the iPhone
- Etymotic hf2 headset for the iPhone
- Pocketguitar for the iPhone lets you strum on the multitouch
- 1.1.3 iPhone jailbreak goes LIVE

LG:
- LG Viewty hands-on
- LG’s HSDPA ultraportable runs Vista on Silverthorne
- LG shows a KS20 clone with WiMAX
- LG’s silver Prada gets a new on-screen QWERTY

Samsung:
- S60 powered Samsung G810 to be announced at MWC?
- Samsung i900 to take on LG KS20?

Other:
- WiBrain B1-H UMPC
- UMPC & MID trio: LimePC comes in three sizes
- BlackBerry 8xxx = BlackBerry 9000?
- Hands-on with Mio’s dual-front GPS phone concept
- Hands-on with the WiBrain B1 UMPC
- iriver 3-inch touchscreen “GSM phone” headed for the States
- Skyfire browser for Windows Mobile is game changing, does Flash
- Garmin gets official with its nuvifone
- Modu mystery unravelled, look ma, a modular handset
- A Tale of 40 Follow-ups (and a LimePC video)