Smartphones today are engaging each other on different fronts in the mobile spec war, from faster processors to bigger screens to better camera optics. We round up the best of today’s 8 megapixel smartphones and test them out.
Design & Handling
The build and feel of a smartphone is still one of the most important considerations when making a purchase.
Apple iPhone 4S
Display: 3.5-inch
Talktime: Up to 480 minutes (3G)
Weight: 140g
Dimensions: 115.2x58.6x9.3mm
Price: $948 (16GB)
The looks of the fifth-generation Apple iPhone does not depart much from its predecessors. Besides minor cosmetic changes, the iPhone 4S almost looks like an exact replica of the iPhone 4. It sports the signature metallic frame, glass front and back, and the 3.5-inch Retina display. In terms of design, build quality and finish, the iPhone 4S still ranks very highly in our eyes. One of the few physical changes to the iPhone 4S is the dual antenna strips on the side of the phone. This enables the iPhone 4S to intelligently switch between two antennas for better call quality. The new design also resulted in a change in the position of the silencer switch, which is shifted down slightly.
To accommodate the second antenna, the silencer switch on the iPhone 4S (bottom) is shifted down slightly.
Compared to the competition, the iPhone 4S has the smallest but sharpest display at 3.5-inches.
The iPhone 4 is equipped with an 8-megapixel camera that incorporates a five element lens with f/2.4 aperture.
HTC Sensation XL
Display: 4.7-inch
Talktime: Up to 410 minutes (3G)
Weight : 162.5g
Dimensions: 132.5x70.7x9.9mm
Price: $908
Similar to its Sensation and Sensation XE counterparts, the Sensation XL exudes a solid build quality and feel thanks to its combination plastic and metal chassis. It currently has the largest display of the HTC portfolio at 4.7 inches, though the mammoth screen size may pose a challenge to those with smaller hands in accessing apps at the top or bottom of the screen. We also find ourselves using both hands to use the phone on several occasions, as the phone is too large for one-handed operation. Although the 162.5g Sensation XL is no featherweight on the weighing scale, it does feels comfortable in our hands, while also managing to sit pleasantly in our pockets due to its slim 9.9mm profile.
A flashing LED light for notifications is situated on the left of the HTC logo.
The pristine white chassis of the Sensation XE is pleasing to the eyes.
The HTC Sensation XL comes with an 8-megapixel camera with f/2.2 lens
Motorola Razr
Display: 4.3-inch
Talktime: Up to 562 minutes (3G)
Weight: 127g
Dimensions: 131x69x7.1mm
Price: $888
Sticking to its rich heritage of ultra-thin phones, the Razr is currently the thinnest smartphone in its class at 7.1mm. Despite its thinness, the Razr is easily the most rugged of the lot with its KEVLAR fiber back cover, and 4.3-inch Corning Gorilla Glass screen with splash-guard coating.
Looking like a lean and mean machine, we find its 127g frame relatively lightweight and comfortable to hold. The Razr is constructed in a manner such that all four corners are slightly tapered, making it easier to get a firmer grip. The four navigation touch buttons below the display are well-spaced and light up in the dark, although they aren’t obvious under bright sunlight.
The Razr has an 8-megapixel camera with LED flash and autofocus capabilities.
The battery is nonremovable, while the micro-SIM and microSD card slots are relocated to the bottom left.
The KEVLAR fiber back repels scratches and fingerprints.
Nokia Lumia 800
Display: 3.7-inch
Talktime: Up to 570 minutes (3G)
Weight: 142g
Dimensions: 116.5x61.2x12.1mm
Price: $775
Pretty much reusing the previously-launched N9’s design, the Windows Phone 7.5-powered Lumia 800 features the same slim polycarbonate unibody chassis. The side profile is noticeably rounded to fit comfortably within our hands. This also makes it easier to handle the edge-to-edge 3.7-inch AMOLED ClearBlack curved display. Two minor niggles we found with the design of the Lumia 800 are the sharp corners up top (which does affect handling), as well as the plastic cover over the microUSB port, which seems as though it could break easily. The Lumia 800 utilizes three capacitive touch-enabled soft buttons for primary navigation, which is a distinct trait of Windows Phone 7 devices.
The Lumia 800 sports an 8-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and f/2.2 lens.
There are no hardware navigation buttons on the Lumia 800.
Similar to the iPhone 4S and Razr, the Lumia 800 uses a micro-SIM card.
Sony Ericsson Xperia arc S
The Sony Ericsson Xperia arc S looks no different from its predecessor, the Xperia arc. The unique and slim arched design gives the phone a very fashionable, stylish and classy look. However, the build quality seems to be compromised because of its attention to weight-loss, feeling a little fragile in the hands. A 4.2-inch Reality Display takes up the most of the real estate on the front, with three physical navigation buttons at the bottom. A minor niggle is the power button, which is a little tough to properly press, being flushed with the smartphone’s chassis. Overall, the handling experience was mostly positive, despite the plasticky feel.
The Arc S features an 8.1-megapixel camera and f/2.4 lens.
The navigation buttons are tiny and hard to press.
The thin and curved profile lets the arc S stand out from the rest.
What is Aperture?
Definition
The size of the opening in the lens whenever a picture is taken.
How it works
Pressing the shutter button of the camera will open up a hole that enables the camera image sensor to capture a view of the scene you want to take. The aperture value set determines the size of the hole. The larger the hole, the more light that gets in and vice versa.
How is it measured
Aperture is measured in f-stops (E.g. f/2.2, f/2.4, f/2.8). A bigger aperture value does not equate to a bigger opening, and instead, works the other way around. For example, f/2.4 indicates a much larger aperture than f/22.
Applications
One of the most popular applications of aperture values is the depth of field that your images will have, with part of the image being in focus, and the rest out of focus. A larger aperture will result in a shallower depth of field (a tightly focused area, with less of the image in focus) while a smaller aperture will provide a larger depth of field (with more of the image being in focus).
Imaging Capabilities
ALL these smartphones have in common is their 8-megapixel cameras.
which performs the best? Read on to find out.
Test Scenario
For imaging tests, we present two scenarios in which people usually use their camera phones for – scenes and close ups. The rooftop of the Esplanade and flowers became our test subjects. To illustrate how mobile phone cameras have come so far, we also threw in a compact camera, the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-S1 for comparison. It is equipped with a 12.1-megapixel camera that utilizes a charge-coupled device (CCD) sensor with 28mm wide angle lens.
Out of the five camera phones, we liked the images taken by the iPhone 4S and Arc S. Both cameras managed to capture excellent amounts of detail with minimal noise, although the Arc S appears to have a slightly brighter exposure. The Lumia 800 and Sensation XL have the widest field of view due to their 28mm wide angle lenses, which are perfect for taking group shots.
Usability
We also took a look at usability, which plays an important role in shaping the overall user experience. We judged the usability of the phones based on two criteria: the presence of a physical camera shutter button and camera shortcut key. The shutter button not only mimics the photo-taking experience on a conventional camera, it also helps to minimize camera shake from touching the screen to snap a shot. A camera shortcut key will give you quicker access so that you are less likely to miss a photo-taking opportunity.
The iPhone 4S and Lumia 800 beat the competition hands down by fulfilling both criteria. The “+” volume control on the iPhone 4S acts as a shutter button and double tapping on the home key on the lock screen allows you to jump to the camera function directly. While the Arc S has a shutter button, it lacks a shortcut key on the lock screen unlike the Sensation XL and Razr, nor will it activate the camera even when it’s locked like the Lumia 800.
Here, it was a very close fight between the iPhone 4S and Xperia arc S. Both phones handled white balance quite well compared to the Lumia 800, which gave a slight yellowish tint. The image taken by the Razr also leaned toward the cooler side of the spectrum
Sensors Used in Smartphones
There are only two kinds of sensors used in camera phones today, which are complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) and chargecoupled device (CCD). Phone makers prefer to use CMOS sensors in their camera phones because of size and power limitations. CMOS sensors are physically smaller and have lower power consumption compared to their CCD counterparts which also dissipate more heat.
However, CCD sensors produce images that are higher quality and have lower noise levels as they have better light sensitivity.
To accommodate consumers’ demands for better image sensors on slimmer smartphones, manufacturers of image sensors have to optimize performance in the smallest sensors possible. Sharp recently announced a breakthrough with their 12.1-megapixel, 1/3.2-inch CMOS camera module with optical image stabilization. It is also the industry’s thinnest at 5.47mm in height. Sample shipments have begun since December 2, 2011.
And the Best 8-Megapixel Camera Smartphone is …
Apple iPhone 4S – Best Performance
Put simply, the Apple iPhone 4S offers the best overall performance among all the smartphones tested, both
imaging and otherwise. On the design front, the iPhone 4S remains in a class of its own with the unique glass panels and metallic frame. The impressive 8-megapixel camera is a huge draw as it performed admirably well in our imaging test. Colors are pleasing with plenty of fine detail. Coupled with the refined iOS 5, the dual-core iPhone 4S is able to score a convincing edge over the competition in the SunSpider Javascript benchmark. All in all, excellent optimization of hardware and software won us over, landing the iPhone 4S the Best Performance Award.
Sony Ericsson Xperia arc S – Best Value
Although the Sony Ericsson Xperia arc S doesn’t have the latest or greatest hardware and software, it still packs a reasonable punch. In a sea of seemingly similar touchscreen phones, Sony Ericsson differentiates the arc S with a distinctive curved design. The 4.2-inch display with Sony’s Mobile Bravia Engine offers a pleasant multimedia experience on a screen size that is not too intimidating. The 8.1-megapixel camerawith f/2.4 lens is snappy and produces decent image quality. In our benchmarks, the Xperia arc S did not disappoint as it consistently ranked among the top three. With a price tag of $788 (without contract), the Sony Ericsson Xperia arc S is worthy of your consideration.
