Key features:
- 3.1" 16M-color resistive AMOLED touchscreen of 800 x 480 pixel resolution
- 12 megapixel auto focus camera with LED and xenon flash, 28mm (30mm effective) wide-angle variable aperture lens
- Object tracking auto focus, geotagging, image stabilization, Smart Auto mode, face detection, smile detection, smart contrast
- D1 video recording at 30 fps with auto focus and face detection
- Amazingly short shot-to-shot time
- Latest TouchWiz 2.0 UI
- Quad-band GSM support and 3G with HSDPA 7.2 Mbps and HSUPA support
- Wi-Fi
- GPS with A-GPS
- 150MB onboard storage
- microSD card slot with microSDHC support
- Built-in accelerometer
- TV out
- Stereo FM Radio with RDS
- microUSB port and stereo Bluetooth v2.0
- Web browser has full Flash and Java support
- Smart Unlock
- Preinstalled GPS navigation software
- DivX/XviD video support
- Good audio quality
- Smart dialing
- Office document viewer
Main disadvantages:
- Video recording output isn't on par with the still camera performance
- No smartphone capabilities
- No stereo speakers
- No 3.5 mm audio jack on board (but a 3.5mm adapter is supplied)
- Smart dialing only works for numbers, not contact names
There you go - the Samsung M8910 Pixon12 is the next stage in cameraphone evolution and you're welcome to take it and use it. Cameraphones are still some way behind point-and-shoot digicams and seriously, catching up is not the point. The thing is if everything else was getting better at the pace handsets are evolving, we'd be living in a better world.
Anyway, real success for cameraphones would not be to kick digicams out of the market but simply match their image quality. We guess the Pixon12 is here to say this might not be as impossible as previously thought. Optical zoom and more user control over more features are still the difference makers but with Samsung M8920 in the works, we're looking out to another leap forward.
Back to the Pixon12, we're looking at a handset that has plenty to offer. The vibrant and sensitive screen, lively and snappy interface and rich connectivity make it a great package all around. Its initial pricing is steep all right: topping the cost of big-shot smartphone all-in-ones. Not to mention that this kind of cash gets you a reasonable digicam and a good enough phone. Oh well, being at the cutting edge of technology never comes cheap.
The Pixon12 is winner stuff but we guess we need to define win here. It's not the kind of handset to make insane sales - the price tag, the novelty, the top industry position will rather connect with the "insane purchase" kind of mentality. But it sure is handsets like the Pixon12 that make a company's name. Let's judge the Pixon12 by the competition it keeps busy.
The Nokia N86 8MP also sports a pretty powerful camera, image processing being its main weakness for now. However a firmware update might turn the tables, so it will be Symbian S60 power against the extra four megapixels, smartphone vs touchscreen.
Samsung's own i8910 Omnia HD is another heavyweight cameraphone by Samsung which trades the 12megapixel stills for HD video recording and S60 5th edition OS. It doesn't have as sensitive a screen, but size does matter and the HD sure gets the upper hand. The wide angle variable aperture lens however is definitely earning a point for the Pixon12 plus the OmniaHD is quite large and not every one would be willing to lug it around in his pocket.
The Pixon12 will also have to play a couple of rounds against the Sony Ericsson Satio (or Idou if you prefer), once the latter makes it to the ring. They both sport some advanced 12 megapixel shooters, with the Satio again on the smarter side of phones with its S60 5th edition OS.
Finally the LG GC900 Viewty Smart will also cross paths with the Pixon12. A few months headstart to the users, the S-Class equipped LG cameraphone sports a lower-res shooter but matches everything else. With LG presumably also working on a 12-megapixel shooter, users are in for plenty of action in the ultimate cameraphone category.
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