Mobile World Congress was dominated by stellar smartphones. But that’s not to say the humble camera phone is dead. Far from it. In fact, it lives on in some of the sleekest, top-end gadgets we clamped our hands-on last week.
Still think it’s curtains for the camphone? Dive in now and we’ll tell you why your cell’s snapper still matters with our top five camera phones of Mobile World Congress 2010.
Motorola Motoroi
Upping the megapixel count is so 2009. But not for Motorola, who are clearly playing catch-up with the big boys. The Motorola Motoroi has pushed itself right to the front of the camera phone queue with a sharp and impressive 8 megapixel effort, which beats down the 5MP number found on its bulky bro, the Motorola Milestone. Chuck in 720p video and you’re looking at one of the best new camphones going.
Samsung Beam
5 megapixels seemed to be the default figure at Mobile World Congress this year. But when it comes to the Samsung Beam, it’s senseless getting worked up about the sensor. See, this phone is all about the projector shoved into the top of its rather slimline bod’. While it won’t shoot out the 720p vids you can record on the blower, it will let you watch back clips on something bigger than its proddable panel.
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini
Last year Sony Ericsson went megapixel mental, showing off the 12MP Satio and claiming it was the future. Tail between legs, it returned with a line up pared back to just 5MP. That’s what you’ll find on the excellent Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini which continues SE’s penchant for well-made snappers, with geo-tagging and social network syncing both thrown into the mix.
Texas Instruments OMAP 4 Blaze
This monstrous slab of next-gen telephony might look ridiculous. But the Texas Instruments OMAP 4 Blaze rocks support for up to 20 megapixels, making it by far and away the most extreme camera phone ever. Sadly, it’s a prototype, but it does at least suggest the days of the biggest mobile mavens carping on about the size of their sensors isn’t over just yet. If this phone’s skills make it into the mainstream, expect manufacturers to do battle next year.
HTC Legend
HTC’s new lineup packs in 5 megapixels, including the HTC Legend. But why’s it a top 5 camera phone? Well, this is the cell that HTC is clearly priming to do battle with the iPhone. In that sense, it’s a real battler, with a flash and, most importantly, easy social network access via HTC Sense. Proof, if it were needed, that smartphones and camera skills aren’t mutually exclusive.
A great selection of mobile phones are available at www.dialaphone.co.uk
