We previewed the Nokia 808 Pure View earlier and said we’d get you some hands-on time with the 41-megapixel cameraphone beast as well as some first impressions. Here they are and we can safely say, this is the most exciting Symbian Nokia Belle product we’ve ever seen.
As far as feel goes, a soft matte finish prevents the Nokia 808 Pure View from being too plasticky. With its curvaceous corners and bulbous design, it feels pleasant in the hand, and the backing is comfortable against the palm and finger tips.
The 4-inch BlearBlack AMOLED screen has a pillowed effect, not quite as prominent as the HTC Sensation, but a similar concave dip that subtly lets you know you’ve reached the edge of the screen.
Taking a look round the back, we actually found ourselves double taking to make sure that the 41-megapixel reading wasn’t a joke or a typo – even though we knew to expect it. There’s a a big old xenon flash sitting pretty above it and and what looks like a video light to the left.
As far as the UI goes, with its 1.3GHz processor, Nokia Belle works at its best. Interaction is simple, flip left and right through homescreens, pull the notification bar down from the top of the screen. Much the same as on the Nokia N8, the speedier specs really do shine with smoother transitions and more instant interaction
With the handset sporting a monster sized sensor, there’s no way we could finish off our first impressions without talking about the camera UI and functionality. You begin by taking your shot – shoot wide and crop in. The camera button is comfortable-ish, but has more give than we would have liked. That said, press it firmly and the Nokia 808 PureView starts up from locked which is incredibly handy.
When a photo is taken, there’s a charming animation and picture saving is pretty instantaneous. While the UI is a bit of a maze with the Symbian interface, the touch integration works fantastically with zoom and crop working a treat.
Pictures look great on the handset, but that’s little wonder. The real question will be how they look when shot in real scenarios and exported for print. In the meantime, we’ll leave you with some untouched pictures from Nokia taken on the Pure View. Frankly, while we never thought we’d say this about a Nokia Belle device in 2012, we’re blown away. What do you think – 41-megapixels too much?
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