Want to know how a 41-megapixel camera phone shapes up against its smart phone rivals? You're in luck, because our friends at CNET Asia have got their hands on the Nokia 808 PureView and pitted it against the iPhone 4S.
Click here for a camera shootout between the Nokia 808 and iPhone 4S, including the original shots with no compression and no editing, for your perusing pleasure.
The 808 PureView is set to 8-megapixel resolution to match the iPhone, so this is a test of Nokia's claims that the PureView technology is more than sheer brute megapixelage. Nokia reckons that each pixel in an 8-megapixel photo is made up of information from seven pixels on the sensor, filtering out image noise.
The snaps certainly show more detail in the PureView's photos, which also has a wider field of view -- as seen in the photo above. But the iPhone has more sophisticated high dynamic range built-in, and more vibrant colours -- as seen in the photo below. Check out our photo gallery to see which you prefer.
I got to use the 808 PureView when it was unveiled at the start of the year, and I was impressed with the powerful features and intuitive interface, even though I wasn't able to see the results of any actual photos. For a closer look at the phone itself, and its many cool camera features, check out my in-depth photo gallery.
The Nokia 808 PureView is set to go on sale at the end of the month for around £540 -- could it be the most expensive Symbian phone ever?
What do you think of the 808's snaps? Are you planning to invest in an 808, or are you waiting until the technology filters down into other phones? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.
For more camera comparisons, check out our Samsung Galaxy S3 vs iPhone 4S vs HTC One X vs Sony Xperia S smart phone shootout.
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Comments 25
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MikeBuck_1 11 June, 2012 11:21
well the pic of the woman, the nokia is obviously better, however with the picture of the plant I think the iphone is better, colours pop more.,
anonymous 11 June, 2012 11:30
As is the case with all camera's, more vibrant colours don't necessarily mean a better picture, it is simply more saturated meaning that the overall photo probably doesn't look like what was taken. Nikon and Canon have had these debates for years...
The plant picture taken by the iPhone is more appealing but I would hazard a guess that the picture taken by the Nokia is more realistic to what was actually seen by the user.
fleabane 11 June, 2012 11:56
41 megapixels? Fantastic but I can't see how you mount a decent lens. As for the cropped picture of a picture of a woman? Not sure that's either a scientific or relevant comparison. Maybe you'd care to run a real comparative test sometime.
anonymous 11 June, 2012 12:08
Apple colours look like a Disney cartoon cell
anonymous 11 June, 2012 12:16
Its not really a test of the cameras when you're limting one of them. That's like pitting a ferrari f430 against a koenigsegg Agera R and limiting the Agera o_O its just not a proper test
anonymous 11 June, 2012 14:11
Yes the saturation of the iphone 4s is stronger but this is adjustable with the nokia 808.
Allso the 808 takes optimum pictures at 5 megapixels not 8.
sensor size and optics is what makes the 808 great -not the pixel count.
Rich Trenholm 11 June, 2012 15:35
Fleabane - the cropped picture is just an example. Read the article and you'll see a link to the full comparison, complete with uncropped high-res shots
Rich Trenholm 11 June, 2012 15:38
Anonymous at 12:16, you make a valid point, but it's still an interesting comparison. After all, just because the Agera R is faster doesn't mean it's better - the Ferrari might handle better, or be more comfortable, or have more space for your shopping. We think it's interesting to compare lots of factors, not just speed / megapixels
anonymous 11 June, 2012 16:17
Most expensive Symbian phone ever? Nowhere near.
The Nokia 9210 and the Nokia N93 cost much much more.
Iain Beckett 11 June, 2012 16:47
I dont understand how this is a fair test, saying that limiting the Nokia to 8mp because thats all the Iphone can manage defeats the purpose of this test. Who will buy the pureview and then limit the megapixels they use? It makes no sense, there is no point crippling one to benefit the other one which you have done here. Do a proper comparison 41 Megapixel to 8 and then show the pictures. I bet the difference is quite substantial otherwise this article is pointless.
Daniel Rawr 11 June, 2012 16:55
If you look at the gallery even at 8mp the pictures looks much sharper and clearer than iiiifooone!
WHAT A WASTE OF AN ARTICLE AND MB...
Why not just make an article showing the picture quality of the 808 instead of wasting everyone's time with this crap just so CNET can make another article with the words iPhone in it...!!
Rich Trenholm 11 June, 2012 17:08
Can you imagine the howls of protest if we pitched a 41-megapixel camera against an 8-megapixel camera? Honestly, we can't win with you guys! Don't worry, full reviews of the 808 PureView are on their way. In the meantime, this is just an interesting filler to examine how the PureView's tech shapes up against existing phones - remember, Nokia claims PureView is about more than megapixels
anonymous 11 June, 2012 18:37
"more sophisticated high dynamic range built-in"
Do you guys even know what it means?
anonymous 11 June, 2012 20:07
CNET UK, I think you made a mistake utilising the second pic as its a JPEG crop of the original picture most of the detail gets lost and its hard to see the real difference (apart from how saturated the iPhone image is compared to the 808 default setting - which you could change on the 808s settings if desired!)
At the CNET Asia link they take a close up of the same image and you can really see how the PureView knocks the iPhone out of the park: http://asia.cnet.com/camera-shootout-nokia-808-pureview-vs-apple-iphone-4s-photos-62216303.htm in terms of clarity and noise.
anonymous 11 June, 2012 22:30
Thats the CNET way, compare everything with apple products
anonymous 11 June, 2012 23:23
@Rich I dont think no one here cares about comparison with sh(i)tphone...
I think most of us would rather see a review of the actual phone with pictures.. not everything must be compared to an Apple product...
Rich Trenholm 12 June, 2012 08:22
Don't worry assorted Anonymous, as I said a full review is on the way. In the meantime, this is just a bit of fun to keep you posted.
Anonymous at 18:37, more sophisticated high dynamic range built-in means that the iPhone deals with dynamic range in a more sophisticated way than most smart phones, without requiring any post-processing. Glad I could clear that up for you
anonymous 12 June, 2012 10:20
Nothing will ever be better than an Apple product according to cnet.
So the results of any comparisons are a foregone conclusion.
anonymous 12 June, 2012 10:58
The Nokia 808 (and all symbian phones) has an option at the menu of the camera to take vibrant colours. So the less vibrant colours, this is not a fault, is only an option.
anonymous 13 June, 2012 11:33
Do you hire a pro photographer to take these pictures?
They always look like crap.
anonymous 13 June, 2012 15:17
The point of having 41MP on the Nokia isn't really to shoot at 41MP. It allows them to get an 8 or 5MP image out of the sensor and use the redundant pixels for more intelligent noise reduction and zooming while maintaining very high image quality.
Tommi Zelden 14 June, 2012 13:39
Good to know that the imaging capabilities of iPhone 4S are superior to Nokia 808 in many areas, no need for me to contemplate a purchase of the PureView anymore!
Maybe the young imaging guru Jacqueline Seng could pit iPhone 4S against the Nikon D3X as well. I'm hesitant to fork out a lot of $$$ for a full frame sensor camera, when the iPhone 4S might be superior in many areas.
anonymous 14 June, 2012 16:32
The first photo is a fake. This one and the same picture! It's FAKE! A second pair of photos real! And the second example, a photo with iPhone is much more realistic it looks!
anonymous 3 July, 2012 14:35
Visit http://nokia808pureviews.com to get best price and deals for Nokia 808 PureView.
"Nokia 808 PureView is a new dawn in photography with 41 MP you can play with a bigger canvas, pure depth, pure action, pure colour, pure detail, pure perspective, full HD video, crystal clear audio, share the story in a momment. Nokia 808 PureView is a revolutionary camera in a smartphone, you never miss a moment from daylight to low light"
Jalma Kasep 17 July, 2012 14:30
Visit http://nokia808pureviews.com to get best price and deals for Nokia 808 PureView.
"Nokia 808 PureView is a new dawn in photography with 41 MP you can play with a bigger canvas, pure depth, pure action, pure colour, pure detail, pure perspective, full HD video, crystal clear audio, share the story in a momment. Nokia 808 PureView is a revolutionary camera in a smartphone, you never miss a moment from daylight to low light"