It’s fair to say that ever since I saw a carphone in a Jaguar XJ6 I’ve been obsessed with mobile telephones. Over the last few years I’ve swapped phones around regularly, usually flip flopping between Android and iOS devices. I usually end up going back to the iPhone sooner or later.
Until recently, where I had a slight revelation. It’s less the actual PHONE I’m interested in, it’s the camera. THAT is why I keep going back to the iPhone. For years now, the iPhone has been one of the best (if not the best) imaging handsets available. I don’t count myself as a photographer, but I take lots of pictures and video using my phone, and I want them to look as good as possible. I have two young children, and I want the memories I capture to look great.
A tale of two phones
Recently, having been introduced to the Nokia 808 (review in four words: amazing camera, crap phone) I longed for that technology to reach any platform other than Symbian. Then through a course of lengthy (somewhat drunken) discussion with fellow bloggers at MWC, I decided to get one anyway, but as my second phone. Until this point, I have only ever used one phone at a time. Part of the attraction for me with smartphones is that they perform so many functions in once device, however, I’m very glad I made an exception.
Rationalising
I have to rationalise everything. Honestly, it’s exhausting. This one was easy though. I normally buy each iPhone as it is launched, and I always buy the 32gb sim free version from Apple. £600 then. The Nokia 808 was £320 from Amazon, combined with a Nexus 4 from Google, makes… yup, £600.
This, for me, is the best of both worlds right now .. I have the pure stock Android experience, which is so much better (and faster!) than Touchwiz or Sense skinned devices, and a KILLER camera on my Nokia 808. Having two devices also has other benefits, like battery life. If I take loads of pictures and my battery runs out, I can still make calls, texts etc on my Nexus 4. Having said that, it’s fairly unlikely seeing as the battery life when using the Nokia 808 just as a camera is fantastic.
The only major downside is having to carry two devices. At the moment, it’s freezing cold, so I’m carrying a coat everywhere. This might become more of a pain in the summer.. we’ll see.
Attack of the 1080p screens
the real test is going to be whether or not I can avoid the temptation of the new handsets. I will undoubtedly still want them, but a large part of the draw for me (the improved cameras that usually come with each generation) has effectively been removed, the HTC One, the Galaxy S4, they have their strengths, but the cameras aren’t a patch on the Nokia 808. That all goes out of the Window when (if) Nokia bring out their much rumoured ‘EOS’ handset, which is rumoured to be the new Windows Phone flagship, but with a ‘proper’ PureView camera AND OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation). That then poses me with a different problem. Can I go to Windows Phone as my only handset, sacrificing the excellent app range and features on Android that I love? We’ll wait and see.
For now though, I’ve managed to resist buying an Android flagship, and am close to resisting another. Anyone that knows me will tell you, that’s quite some acheivement.
Good work Google and Nokia. Now let’s have them both in one handset please.
Sorry for stating the obvious but…. if photos are so important, and you are carrying 2 devices, shouldn’t one of them be a camera?