|
April 28, 2006
The camera phone is dead. That's official, according to Nokia, the makers of the first camera phone. But that doesn't mean that you won't be able to take pictures with your cell phones in the future, it just means that the folks at Nokia would like to see the name “camera phone” disappear altogether. (I agree, it's so “last year”!) Instead, the new moniker for the lastest breed of Nokia N-Series models introduced in Berlin, Germany, this week, will be called Mobile MultiMedia Computers.
 Now, that might be confusing to anyone who already owns a multimedia computer, one that takes up space under a desk and is only portable with extreme effort. However, it is a better description of Nokia's new N93, N72, and N73 multi-radio communication and camera devices than the old “camera phone” label. All three models take camera phones the next level, but the N93 and N73 include 3.2MP cameras with autofocus Carl Zeiss lenses. The N72 features a 2MP camera and much more advanced MP3 and music features aimed at serious audiophiles on the run.
The N93 might help relaunch the concept of shooting pictures with your phone, only this time around it won't mean taking lousy pictures. The camera features a 3.2MP CMOS sensor and autofocus Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens with a 3X optical zoom and a variable f/3.3–4.5 to f/12.4 aperture. According to Nokia, it also features “DVD-quality” video—MPEG-4, 640x480-pixels per frame at 30 fps, plus stereo sound recording and electronic image stabilization. Images and video can either be stored to the N93's internal 50MB storage or to removable Mini-SD cards (currently shipping with up to 2GB storage.) You can preview and share images or video using the N93's large, swiveling, 2.4-inch LCD monitor with a wide-angle 160 degree view, and listen to sound or MP3's from the built-in stereo speakers. But this model's big surprise is its Video Out connection. The Video Out feature makes this far more than a camera phone, especially when you consider the multi-radio and high-speed EDGE data connection capabilities of the N93. Now you'll be able to view images and movies taken with your phone directly on a TV, and even surf the web, using the high-speed data connection. Or you can connect to a wireless home network via the N93's Wi-Fi LAN radio and download or upload photos, videos, e-mail, and even music. The N93 also includes a built-in MP3 player, although most of the music controls can only be accessed via menus, while the N72 has dedicated music buttons.
Photos I saw from the N93 were impressive, but most were shot in bright daylight. (Link to HIGH RES N3 Image.) It will be a few months before it's for sale within the U.S. (list price in Europe is about $700, and carrier subsidies will probably bring it down under $500), and only time will tell if noise issues that plague other camera phones in low light will be present in this model.
Despite a list of features that are hard to imagine in such a compact device, the N93 is as light as many smaller smart phones I've handled. Camera controls—especially zoom and shutter buttons—are easy to reach with your thumb while holding the N93 vertically. After each still shot is taken, a set of thumbnail images appear on the right side of the screen which give you quick access to storing, sending, posting your images online. Finally, the N93 ships with Adobe's Premiere Elements 2.0 (for editing your videos), as well as Nokia's PC Suite and Lifeblog software for syncing to a computer or sharing your images online.
|
