Photos: The Samsung Pixon, an 8-megapixel monster

Despite what you may have heard, LG and Samsung are the best of friends. Yeah, okay, they're out to beat each other senseless like Olympic Taekwondo fighters. Hot on the heels of the LG Renoir, Samsung is launching its own 8-megapixel camera phone -- the Samsung Pixon. This relatively slim phone boasts a large touchscreen that we're finding commendably responsive, plus HSPDA for fast access to the Internet and GPS. It also supports DivX movies and can shoot video in slow motion.

But it's the Pixon's camera that really does the talking, featuring auto-focus, face detection and the automated panorama mode we enjoyed using on the Samsung i8510. There's even smile detection so you don't miss your family and friends' rare grins during this glum time -- it might not beat the credit crunch blues, but it'll catch the odd glimmer of merriment. Click 'Continue' for more pics and deets.