The Nokia N97 mini is here

Last week I received a Nokia N97 mini review unit from Molly & co at Nokia Blogger Relations! As the name implies, it’s basically the Nokia N97’s little sibling.

It’s smaller & thinner, with less screen (3.2″ vs. 3.5″), less built-in storage (8 GB vs. 32 GB), a better keyboard (same layout as the Nokia N900), a nicer battery cover (stainless steel vs. plastic), no camera lens cover, and no FM transmitter…

Samsung T939 (Behold II) in pictures

A little over a year after releasing the HTC Dream/T-Mobile G1, T-Mobile recently introduced its fourth Android device, the Samsung T939 (Behold II), and provided me with a review unit :)

The Behold II follows in the footsteps of the T929 (Memoir) and the T919 (Behold). Like them, it’s a nice touchscreen phone with a good camera. Unlike them, it’s a smartphone running Android, with a capacitive OLED display, WiFi, and standard audio & USB connectors…

Podcast: Talking with Matt #18 (Android special)

It’s time for another podcast (25 min) with Matthew Bennett:
- Audio version
- Video version

This week was all about Android – the T-Mobile G1, the HTC Magic, the HTC Hero, the Motorola CLIQ, and of course the Motorola Droid.

We also discussed the Nokia N900, the Nokia N86, the Samsung Memoir, the Palm Pre, BlackBerry 9630 (Tour), the Sony Ericsson C905a and a few other things.

As a bonus, enjoy the lovely view from Bernal Heights :)

Click here to subscribe to this podcast.

Unboxing the Sony Ericsson C905a

Another day, another unboxing :)

I was recently offered to test the second subsidized 8-megapixel cameraphone in the US, the Sony Ericsson C905a – the first being the Samsung T929 (Memoir), one of my favorite devices this year.

Of course, being slightly obsessed with mobile photography and rather fond of those quirky Nordic devices, I accepted!

Motorola Droid camera

I’ve been using the Motorola Droid for a week now, and while the device is quite impressive overall, the camera is a mess…

“But wait,” you protest, “those shots look fine.” Sure, the Droid can take pretty decent pictures (slide show). But I’m a camera buff, and do you know how much effort I put into these?

Pictures taken with the Nokia N900

The Nokia N900 camera is really quite good. In fact, even with pre-release firmware, it walks all over the competition!

It’s no surprise. The N900 comes from a long lineage of great 5 megapixel phones from Nokia, such as the N95 and the N82. It features Carl Zeiss optics (with auto-focus and macro), a dual LED flash, and a sliding lens cover – as such, it’s virtually identical to the N97 camera…

Nokia N86 8MP in pictures

My ninja pirates came through, and thanks to Molly & co at Nokia Blogger Relations, I have a Nokia N86 8MP (US Euro version) to play with :)

Here is a set of (somewhat dusty – oops) pictures of Nokia’s first 8 megapixel cameraphone for your viewing pleasure!

The set includes cameos by one of its rivals, the Samsung T929 (Memoir), and other devices…

Podcast: Talking with Matt #15

It’s time for another podcast (24 min) with Matthew Bennett:
- Audio version
- Video version

This week is full of goodness!

First, we discussed the Nokia N900, the Nokia X6, my Burning Man pictures (taken with the Samsung Memoir and the Nokia N97), the Nokia N97 mini, the Motorola CLIQ, and the HTC Hero (CDMA version)…

Then, check out my rant about the Nokia 7705 (Twist), and the (WiFi-less) Palm Pixi :)

Click here to subscribe to this podcast.

Cameraphones have come a long way

I’ve been back from my yearly time on the playa for a few days now, and as I’m looking at my pictures, one thing is becoming abundantly clear: cameraphones have come a long way.

I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m still impressed with the ongoing improvements. I took 150 pictures, 34 with the Nokia N97, and the remainder with my Samsung T929 (Memoir)…

While the N97’s Zeiss optics clearly reign superior, the Memoir’s sensor wins hands down, especially in low light. I even shot using the digital zoom with great results!

Speaking of Zeiss optics and top notch sensors, there’s a Nokia N86 review unit coming my way, which I’m definitely going to compare with the Samsung Memoir – so stay tuned :)

One last thing. Despite taking my iPhone 3GS on the trip, I ended not doing any videos. However, one of my coworkers made this awesome time-lapse video.

It’s playa time

Tomorrow I’m leaving for my yearly 10-day vacation in Black Rock City…

I’m going to miss Nokia World and the live reports on the super awesome Nokia N900, but it’s OK – I’ll be back just in time for Mobilize (my readers get a 15% discount).

If you’re also going to the desert, look for me at Center Camp Cafe, where I’ll be volunteering most evenings. If you’re not going, follow me on Twitter, where I’ll try posting when possible :)

Beyond satellite service, and the occasional flaky WiFi, there’s extremely minimal mobile service at Burning Man for the first time this year.

I’ll be using my Samsung Memoir & the Nokia N97 for pictures, and my iPhone 3GS for videos.

It’s playa time – catch you later!