Smartphones vs Feature Phones - The Camera Phone Edition

A phone with a camera is one of the key things people ask for when buying a new handset. But should you get a smartphone with a camera, or a feature phone?

Sony Ericsson Satio

It's fair to say that the Sony Ericsson Satio is easily one of the most hotly anticipated phones of the year. On the face of it, the big reason for the excitement is its 12 megapixel camera, and whilst that is a force to be reckoned with, there's so much more to the Sony Ericsson Satio. It's the first 'Entertainment Unlimited' phone, and that doesn't just mean it combines Cyber-Shot and Walkman technology. On top of that, the Sony Ericsson Satio is also going to pull in social networking, high quality games and incredible video services to become a one-stop mobile entertainment hub. It promises far more than that, however, as the Sony Ericsson Satio is also powered by Symbian, giving it true smartphone capabilities, which will no doubt include its very own app store.

Samsung Pixon 12

Ok, so it's fair to say the Sony Ericsson Satio is a work of genius. But is there a mobile phone that can beat it? Well, here's the Samsung Pixon, that aims to try. Mind you, it has to be said, the Samsung Pixon is a truly beautiful mobile phone, and arguably produces better photos than the Sony Ericsson Satio. And then, of course, there's that huge touchscreen, and that slick interface, making for one incredibly sexy and lovable mobile phone. At the end of the day, it's going to come down to personal preference, but if you're going solely for image quality (and bear in mind, when I say this, that it's a Sony junkie saying it...), I'd really have to go for the incredible Samsung Pixon. If you want a smartphone, go for the Satio.

Or, maybe, there is another smartphone alternative.

Samsung i8910 HD

The Samsung Pixon 12 is undoubtedly a superb camera phone, but it's not a smartphone. So, of the first two on this list, the Sony Ericsson Satio takes the crown for being the most powerful. The Samsung i8910 HD, though, has one big advantage over the other two (despite having a less impressive stills camera). Whilst it has an 8 megapixel camera, the Samsung i8910 HD is also the first phone to record true 720p HD video. Never before has a phone been able to capture video at that massive high resolution, and coincidentally (or is it coincidence? Maybe not...), the Samsung i8910 HD captures high-def video at the exact quality that Youtube display high-def videos at. It's very possible that the Samsung i8910 HD was designed with its main feature being the ability to get yourself on Youtube, in high-definition. Combine that with the sumptuous 3.7 inch screen, and a huge 8Gb of internal memory, and it's very clear that the Samsung i8910 HD deserves its place as one of the phones of the year, mainly because it's as close to being flawless as any recent phone has come.