Nokia 808 PureView Review

41 megapixels. Yes, forty-one (just in case you thought I forgot a decimal point). I know most of you are already very impressed, but some of you will immediately say “it’s not about the megapixels bro” to which I completely agree. I shared your skepticism too until I tried the Nokia 808 myself.

The phone camera comes in 3 settings, 5MP, 8MP and 37MP. Needless to say that when using the full resolution, I could take a portrait of you, crop out your eye and use the reflection off your cornea to get an image of my beautiful self along with the surrounding background, in terrifyingly good quality.

However, you don’t need use the full resolution to love the 808. Nokia has developed the “Pure View” technique in which an algorithm combines every 7 or so “imperfect” pixels and combines them into one awesome one. The result is a super-crisp photo that’ll never be grainy and is very zoom-capable.

If you’re a “point-and-shoot” kinda person like me, the auto will be more than enough to have you impressing people with your photography skills. But, for the more camera-savvy, there are loads of options you could alter, like ISO, saturation, color balance, etc. You could also use several pre-existing scene modes if you’re taking photos in the snow (a must for the Finland-based Nokia =P), at night or at dawn or dusk.

The phone comes with the latest version of Symbian OS, which is sort of a let-down. But, it’s polished enough to be enjoyable and it has never crashed with me during the past several months. If you’re the type of person who only uses apps Whatsapp, Facebook, Foursquare and the like, you’ll be more than satisfied with the software capabilities of this phone. After all, it’s all about the insane camera.

The build is awesome too. It’s not too big and bulky considering the massive camera specs and it feels really snug and sturdy in your hand. The 4 inch screen makes the whole interface easily accessible with just your thumb, making your photo-taking experience easier than with the bigger phones we’re now used to that come north of 4.5 inches. The touch-screen is also very nice to interact with, with tough, but very responsive glass making you want to just swipe around the screen if you’ve got nothing to do.

All in all, I loved the 808 PureView. It’s the best camera I have ever used, period. If you were thinking of getting a semi-pro camera and a new phone, the 808 is a serious option for both categories, combined into one, neat, streamlined device. For a more full description of specs and technical stuff, check out gsmarena

Here are a few samples of photos I shot with my 808, which I believe make the best review for this phone

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That’s in a port in Limassol, part of the Abou Merhi Cruise

The city of Rhodes (right-click, open in new tab, and zoom in to see the mind-blowing detail)

The branches, shadows, leaves, soil, everything makes this photo one of the best I’ve taken

Mykonos, my favorite island in the world (as part of the Abou Merhi Cruise)

Another beautiful of the Old Town in Mykonos

The powerful wind and turbulent sea off the Mykonian shore

Marmaris, Turkey (as part of the Abou Merhi Cruise)

A “walking-on-water” illusion in Marmaris

The abandoned McMagic jungle gym

McMagic plastic balls area