Camera Phone Reviews

Nokia today announced the new N90 mobile phone - a camera phone with Carl Zeiss optics, 2 megapixel sensor, 20x digital zoom, integrated flash, PictBridge printing, Bluetooth, 32 megabytes of internal memory, macro mode and high quality video capture with one phone editing built in. Get a price on the Nokia N90

Nokia N90 Reviews

Mobile-Review has reviewed the Nokia N90 and writes - 'As for the connection quality the device is a typical representative of Nokia smartphones with no serious problems. As compared with the Nokia 6680 the phone gained some significant advantages. Particularly, a voice recognition independent from the pronunciation appeared, no preliminary bookmarks are necessary. The screen is one of the best on the market and the best in its class. The external screen is the best in its class considering all the characteristics. The camera is on the level of the best ones though it's hard to find one to compare with, only the Sony Ericsson K750 that actually belongs to another class (all the photos are comparable excluding the macromode, the K750 looses here).'

InfoSync World reviews the Nokia N90 camera phone and gives it a rating of 90%. They write - 'An epitomy of compromise, the N90 shows that Nokia is still capable of delivering products with cutting edge features that can't be beat. Yet, the superb imaging capabilities and glorious screen of this smartphone are countered by its hefty bulk and minor issues with its external display. As always, however, the Finnish maker hits the sweet spots with reliability and connectivity, and also delivers a broad software suite which - with the exception of synchronization - is certain to keep future owners content.'

Manila Bulletin Online reviews the Nokia N90 Camera phone and writes -'Indeed, the Nokia N90�s selling points are the 2 mega-pixel camera and its unrivaled high-resolution displays but it is mainly a 3G phone that works on GSM 900/1800/1900 and WCDMA networks. Apart from the standard SMS and MMS, it also highlights Push-to-talk, support for Java MIDP 2.0, mobile internet surfing via WAP 2.0/GPRS/EDGE, email, instant messaging, and video calling on 3G networks. It also has a Personal Information Manager including calendar, to-do list, and a calculator. According to the product manual, the 760mAh Li-Ion Battery should provide up to 290 hours of standby time. Actual usage, though, left the battery in need of recharging after two days....

All things considered, I strongly believe that the Nokia N90, with its 2 megapixel camera and Symbian 60 flexibility, is the first serious attempt at an all-in-one multimedia/ communications device by any manufacturer. It is a bit heavy but, hey, you won�t have to bring your other gadgets along. So go ahead. Leave your digital camera at home.'

Jayvee at Cellphone9 reviews the camera shots taken by the Nokia N90, and writes, "Overall, the N90�s camera is slightly better than the W800i�s because images are slightly more crisp (thanks to Mr. Zeiss). Available shooting modes include auto focus, macro, night shot, and sports (fast moving stuff). At 2 megapixels, images are around and have a resolution of 1600�1200."

MobileBurn reviews the Nokia N90 and concludes, "With all the hype surrounding the N-series from Nokia, I had expected a more stellar performance from the N90. I'm not saying that it's not good. I'm just saying that the Nokia N90 is a capable mobile phone, not a great one. It does take some great looking photos, it has a slew of features, and a multi-config clamshell design that would make any Transformers fan go wild. However, the N90's unstable software, hefty bulk, and price tag just doesn't justify its image taking capabilities and glorious hi-res screen."

In a comparison review of the Nokia N90 and the Sony Ericsson W800, GSM Arena concluded, "We can't do anything but announce the winner - Sony Ericsson W800, respectively K750. Nokia N90 creates simply lower quality pictures which could be seen in the samples above. Nokia N90 however managed better with video recording. In short, we have to say that the two manufacturers had produced high quality photo mobiles which might convince some of the current fans of the dual equipment - a phone and a compact digital camera - to switch to a single device."

3G reviews the Nokia N90 and concludes: "The picture quality you can achieve with the Carl Zeiss lens is truly top quality yet this achievement is subsequently traded off against its size and weight."

CoolTechZone reviews the Nokia N90 and has this to say about the 2.0 megapixel camera on the phone: "The settings you have on the N90 are nothing less than what you will find on most prosumer digital cameras today. You can adjust the white-balance, contrast, color saturation, color effects and what have you. In our tests, we found that for the White Balance mode, the automatic worked best and we recommend that you don�t play around much with this setting, as we feel the sensor adjusts a lot better if you simply set it to auto."

However, they conclude: "Overall, if you don�t mind the slow response, the bulky form factor, and are smitten by the idea of carrying a 2 megapixel camera phone, feel free to look into the Nokia N90, but if you are on a budget and want a possibly better product, the K750i may be another option to look at before making the final choice."

Geek.com takes a preliminary look at the Nokia N90 and says, "So far I am quite pleased with the camera functionality, but I'm not pleased at all with the lack of vibration mode, since that is very important to me during my normal business work day where all mobile phones must be set to silent. I missed a few calls because I didn't see the screen flashing since I am used to my phone vibrating to alert me to a call."

Gadgets Weblog reviews the Nokia N90 and says, about the phone's camera: "The camera is pretty good, both photos and videos are top quality for a cellphone with a 2 Megapixel camera. The N90 European Media Phone of the Year award by EISA (European Imaging and Sound Association) was well given. I will post the photos later and compare with a Motorolla that has a 1.3MP camera (it's the other only phone I have available) to check the difference."

RealTechNews reviews the Nokia N90 and concludes, about the phone's camera, "As a camera it is certainly the best camera phone I�ve seen with superior optics and many ways of getting stills and video on the fly, but alas, at 2 mega pixels, it�s just not a complete digital camera or camcorder replacement." The conclusion? "For those looking for something different, the N90 is definitely that, but the so-so battery and signal strength combined with the weight and a bracing $399 - $799 price tag, made it a phone I enjoyed traveling with but wouldn�t want to live with."

>MobileWhack has an indepth review of the Nokia N90 on their site. About the phone's camera, they write: "Nokia did a great job in creating two separate shooting modes for the N90. The Imaging mode is for serious work � when you want to capture either video or digital stills and you want to work in a format that reminds of a digital camcorder. The Camera mode is useful when you want to take that quick shot and you don�t want to have to deal with Transformer like issues.

I do have some complaints about physical layout of the N90. When the phone is in Camera mode, the joystick and capture key will be located on the upper left hand side of the phone. This makes for an awkward location because you�ll need to bring your right hand across the phone to capture a still shot potentially blocking the viewfinder. Nokia recommends using two hands to stabilize the phone and capture images. Translation � press the capture key with the left hand and hold the phone with the right hand."

Sci-Tech Today reviews the Nokia N90 and has good things to say about the phone's camera: "Image quality is where the N90 shines. Pictures and videos shot with the Carl Zeiss lens are spectacular. Comparable to photos shot with a regular digital camera, the 1,600 x 1,200 pixel images blow away all camera-phone competitors. MPEG-4 videos are smooth at 15 frames per second, comparing favorably to other camera phones."

Update: Nokia today announced that the Nokia N90 and N91, two flagships of the company's Nseries range optimized for imaging and music respectively, were honored with Popular Science magazine's "Best of What's New" Award in the publication's annual search for the top 100 technology innovations of the year.

Trusted Reviews reviews the Nokia N90 and writes, "At 352 x 416 pixels and offering 262 thousand colours in its 2.1 diagonal inches of space, the main screen really impresses � it is up there with the very best of them. When you're using the main screen for framing stills and video, a pair of soft buttons unusually located at its top end come into play for choosing between options." Overall conclusion? "It is pretty certain that you are going to be drawn to the N90 primarily for its imaging features, and will grow into the great screen and other software as time goes on. It�s just a pity that the handset is short on memory and doesn�t have an optical zoom component."

Techtree has an indepth review of the Nokia N90, and comments on the phone's camera: "The N90 has a professional Carl Zeiss lens in the camera. The camera on the N90 is a 2-megapixel that gives great quality 1600x1200 resolution pictures. However, the quality of pictures isn't as good as the ones taken by the Sony Ericsson W800i. Interestingly, the camera on the N90 is not a CCD as many people may be led to believe by the presence of Carl Zeiss lenses - it's a CMOS sensor. Even the W800i has a CMOS sensor, but it still works much better. There's an excessive amount of grain that occurs in low light conditions where the W800i fared much better. The phone comes with almost all the features of a proper digital camera, i.e. a proper flash with red eye reduction, macro and other modes, white balance and color adjustments, and various other options like PictBrige for direct photo printing. When I say proper flash, I mean a flash that actually works when taking pictures in dark environments like a pub. With good quality video recording and a full viewfinder that the internal screen becomes when twisted 90 degrees, the N90 is as much of a camera/camcorder that a phone can get."

FirstAdopter.com has a Nokia N90 review up, with the following comment about the phone's camera: "The camera phone with is Carl Zeiss lens supports 2.1 megapixel pictures and once again I believe it is the �best in class� on the market today for quality. Pictures come out sharp and clear in well lit situations. Yes they aren�t as good as the shots on my Canon G3, but for a camera phone, it you can�t beat it. The MP4 video quality is decent at 15 fps and 352X288 resolution. You won�t be getting rid of your real camcorder anytime soon, but it�s good enough for spontaneous shots."

DigitalTrends reviews the Nokia N90, and notes that it's got a small flash. Overalll, on the camera's performance: "even with the N90's impressive photo technologies, you'll still want to take a more serious digital camera with you on vacations or for other important occasions. Shots taken inside or in less than sunny conditions were still superior to most lower resolution cell cam candids, but were bleached and fuzzy in comparison to pictures taken by a run-of-the-mill, standalone, 5-MP camera. As you'd imagine, the flash is useless in the dark and nearly useless for anything other than close-ups and shadow fill. If you plan on e-mailing your shots, you'll have to step down the resolution, resulting in a still lower-quality snap."

SymbianOne reviews the Nokia N90 and finds the flash and the shutter delay to be the weak points of the phone's camera. Otherwise: "The image quality is good and while it does not compete with higher resolution dedicated digital cameras the results are such that the choice between the convenience of a single device, compared to carrying a camera and a phone, is a simple one. The range of capture features combined with image quality makes the Nokia N90 ideal for day to day photography. ... The N90's close up capability is also very good, although the auto focus does take a noticeable time to set itself when working with close subjects. While this managed to retain a novelty value for the time I had the N90, the auto focus speed could become irritating after a while."

MobileTechReview reviews the Nokia N90 and writes, "The camera has a very good quality (by phone standards) Carl Zeiss lens and has autofocus which generally makes for much sharper shots. Most other camera phones have fixed focus lenses which means they're always focused out to infinity— not perfect when your subject is only 5 feet away and there' s no way to get good depth of field (blurring of the background when taking portraits and macro shots). The images look like they were taken with something closer to a real dedicated digital camera, with more image depth, good tone and an overall naturalness. The bad news is that there is some noise and JPEG artifacting, even in daylight shots. But I'll take noise (easily removed with a noise reduction app or plugin) over poorly exposed, inaccurately colored images any day. And the Nokia N90 does a very good job with color accuracy, contrast and strong daylight (images don't blow out the highlights). Colors really pop and are more vibrant than the 3.2MP Samsung a990 on Verizon, Nokia N80, Nokia N91 as well as the Sony Ericsson W810i. Given how fast camera phones are progressing, the N90 won't seem like much in a year or two, but it and the Sony Ericsson K750i really set the stage for a more serious level of imaging in phones in the 2nd half of 2005."

Update: Nokia N90 begins shipping in the U.S.:

The Nokia N90 has begun shipping in the U.S., but will not be associated with any carrier. From the news release:

Nokia today announced sales start of the Nokia N90 in the U.S. The first mobile device to feature Carl Zeiss optics and a range of advanced camera functions in addition to superb quality video, the Nokia N90 is set to transform the mobile photography market.

The industry-acclaimed Nokia N90 will be available in November at select Ritz Camera stores and online at ritzcamera.com for an estimated retail price of $399 with activation. The Nokia N90 will also be available in December at CompUSA retail locations, and through the Neiman Marcus holiday catalog.

Nokia News Release: Twist and Shoot: Nokia N90 makes its première

Part of the Nokia Nseries high performance multimedia range, the Nokia N90 brings Carl Zeiss optics into the mobile arena

Nokia today proudly presented the Nokia N90 multimedia, an advanced and inspirational multimedia device. Starring Carl Zeiss optics and a full set of advanced digital camera features, the Nokia N90 is targeted at high-technology enthusiasts who value the ultimate in connected mobile photography. The Nokia N90 boasts a 2 megapixel camera with autofocus and 20x digital zoom, integrated flash, macro mode for sharp close-ups, and high quality video capture with on-phone editing capabilities.