All-angle comparison of the 8MP phones

Design:

OK, how do we go about comparing four devices, two of which are touch screen and the others are sliders? We cannot simply divide them in two groups, because this would mean to have two separate comparisons. The only thing we can do is evaluate the elements present in all of them. We will not discuss the quality of the build since it is very good in all four and although it is not as exclusive as in the Arte series, it will satisfy the needs of every regular consumer. So we are left only with a few things to compare and they are as follows:



Display size:

“The bigger the better” is the usual rule here. In the same line of thoughts it comes out that we like Pixon best with its 3.2”, followed by Renoir 3”. Nevertheless, Samsung has done a good job with the 2.8” screen that can be seen in INNOV8. Last comes C905 with the “sad” 2.4” and is not what we’d expect from the best hi-tech model of the manufacturer.

Renoir	Pixon	INNOV8	C905
4	5	3	1

We are not sure if the same can be applied to the colors of the display („the more the better”) and so we rolled our sleeves, loaded test pictures, and started comparing with glasses, binoculars and microscopes.


Quality:

At the end of the day, we figured out that despite having the smallest display C905 offers the best saturated colors and contrast in the images. INNOV8 remained second no matter that it has the best display specification wise (16 million colors). The other Samsung fighter (Pixon) offers more warm colors, which turn the black into gray. The images made with Renoir are too blurry compared to the rest and the colors are somewhat unattractive.

Overall, we liked best the combination large screen – warm colors offered by Pixon. If only C905’s screen was larger...

Renoir	Pixon	INNOV8	C905
3	3.5	4	5

Interface:

No matter how large a phone screen is, it has to be user-friendly, and to a great extent this is defined by the software. The four models we have here have totally different interfaces, which is easily noticeable from their very home screens.

When we’re talking about a touch sensitive display we cannot deny that the iPhone is a standard in the field. Every application it has installed has an icon on the home screen. Pixon and Renoir have a different strategy; it is visualized in the face of a widget, which lets you decide what is that you want to have fast access to. Besides, part of them are active (the clock, weather forecast) and are updated in real time. This is a good idea, but like we’ve said before the space that a 3 or a 3.2-inch display is quite limited, and you cannot have everything you need on it. In Pixon there’s a variety of them, additional ones can be downloaded and you can rearrange them freely anytime. In the Renoir you have to be in widget mode in order to move them, but afterwards, you can scroll on the homescreen, and store everything you want.



The INNOV8 and the C905 are a different story, because of the lack of a touch screen. The Samsung runs on Symbian 9.3, S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2 and it comes with all its advantages and disadvantages. The application, which appears on the homescreen, gives you fast access to some functions and is very convenient. In addition, it has two variants of visualization. Sony Ericsson’s product offers less options, but the accelerometer defined wallpaper and the variety of themes are an eye candy. You can also place an application and the only preloaded one is Slideshow wallpaper, which does what its name says.

The C905 and INNOV8 employ the standard view of the main menu which is a grid by default. Both allow modifications with the first offering a bigger variety depending on the theme or your choice. In Renoir, it is divided in four tabs as in the first non-smart touch phone, the PRADA. The Pixon has a color menu which reminds us of the Care bears. Bringing memories of your childhood is not a bad thing, and the order is almost identical with the non-touch devices. Those used to Samsung will feel confident, and the rest will need just a little bit of time to adjust.


As it became clear, all four phones offer quite different interface solutions respectively with their own pros and cons. Therefore, we cannot give an excellent score to any of them, but we can choose the most user-friendly one. In that case, it is really up to the personal preference and the time it takes for each person to get used to it.

Renoir	Pixon	INNOV8	C905
4	4	4	4