All-angle comparison of the 8MP phones

Internet:

You can’t live without a constant access to the world wide web? Then we’re of the same blood group. Fortunately, the producers of 8-megapixel mobile phones have accommodated our needs, offering convenient options for….

Connectivity:

All four models are global GSMs (they can be used all over the world), but the situation is different when we’re talking about the support of 3G, which is limited to Europe and Asia only. They say that LG Renoir and Sony Ericsson C905 shall support the frequencies used by AT&T, but it is not known yet when they’ll be launched on the market.

Fortunately for all of you availing of Wi-Fi at home or living/working close to wireless Internet locations, you will be able to benefit from it with their 8-megapixel phones (with the exception of Pixon). Outside such locations you’ll have to rely on HSDPA 7.2 Mbit/s (3.6 Mbit/s if you have C905). What else does a man need?

Renoir	Pixon	INNOV8	C905
5	3.5	5	5

Browser:

Since we’ve become acquainted with the Safari browser of iPhone and Opera Mobile 9.5 in the latest models by HTC and Samsung OMNIA, we have been left with the impression that a touch-sensitive screen is more appropriate for browsing. However, while we were writing the article you’re reading now, this assumption was seriously undermined.





The only feature in which Pixon and Renoir outperform their „non-touch ” colleagues is the navigation that is done by dragging your finger over the screen, instead of by pressing the D-pad. The viewing itself, however, is hindered by the inconvenient gradual zoom in/out (it cannot be done by tapping as in the case of Opera Mobile 9.5), and there’s no pan view either. Such is provided by the Symbian browser of INNOV8 and that of C905, which is accompanied by handy shortcuts. Sony Ericsson have done a great job with their non-smart phones software and it lives up to the smartphone's standards. Having in mind that all four devices can open heavy websites without a problem, maybe it comes as a little surprise that INNOV8 comes first, followed by C905, Renoir and Pixon.

Renoir	Pixon	INNOV8	C905
3.5	3	5	4.5

Messages:

Some things you just can’t say on the phone. For example, you wouldn’t want to recite haiku to your loved one. In such cases it’s better to use text or multi-media messages or email. And you need a convenient keypad, too.

Options:

It’s clear that any phone nowadays (except the most downmarket ones) offers possibilities for writing text and multimedia messages and emails. Only the setting of the email is a little bit different. For example, Pixon and INNOV8 have disappointed us, because they are not equipped with automatic settings even for the more popular email services. This is not what someone would expect from top 2008 models, provided that much more basic phones have this function. Renoir and C905 are equipped with this feature and we did not have to remember ports and addresses, in order to set them.


All remaining text messages and email options on the whole are copied without any significant differences and since account setting is hardly a thing you’re likely to do every day, we decided not to give too much importance to this omission in the Samsung products. Therefore, we shall not assess this category.

Keypad:

Wanting to type text messages without having a convenient method of typing in text is like wanting to have a party in a student hostel without having any alcohol. In other words, you still have the chance, but it’s very very small.

Pixon is equipped with three types of handwriting recognition, screen digital keypad and QWERTY, when you turn it. The latter is extremely convenient, with keys that are big enough and well arranged (with SPACE in the middle and not to the right like in OMNIA). Every touch is accompanied by a light vibration, so that there is no danger that you miss a letter without being aware of it. Renoir is also equipped with a handwriting recognition and its QWERTY keypad looks good, although it’s not as convenient as that of Pixon because of the smaller size of the keys. On the whole, it’s better to use the normal option, which is generally as good as INNOV8’s hardware buttons. They have the advantage of being separated by a row from the upper edge and therefore they’re easy to use even by people with bigger fingers. C905 won’t be a problem, either, but the buttons are shallow are pressing them is not fun.

Any way, if you’re not a text-messages freak, any of the four phones would do a decent job for you.

Renoir	Pixon	INNOV8	C905
4	5	3	2.5