41MP*2w = x, Solve and Simplify where w = weeks and x = Excitement!

Hello MNB Readers!

As some of you may know, I finally purchased a Nokia 808 PureView a few weeks ago and I said I would post a few articles about my experience with it and other Symbian related topics. Here is a rundown of my experience with the 808 over the last 2 weeks.

First and foremost, everyone, everyone, (did I mention everyone) has been impressed with the results from the 41MP Sensor, no really, EVERYONE! Family, friends, coworkers, random people I’ve met, AT&T employees, store manager, people online, have all been blown away by the results!!! Their initial shocked response is a hearty  “NO WAY!!!!!” when they see 41MP Carl Zeiss on the camera hump! When I show them the pictures, either by starting out fully zoomed in to a 38MP photo and saying things like “Look at the accurate colors, you can zoom, see the letters, make out details, blah blah blah” and they are not overly impressed…

I then say this line “Looks pretty good for a phone (downplaying the quality), until you realize….that the picture was taken from…(zooms all the way OUT to show the scene below)”

People have literally been fumbling over themselves in disbelief, grabbing coworkers to come and see the amazing detail. Jaws…..dropped. I came back to the AT&T store for an issue with my wifes data plan and some employee I never met said “you must be that guy with that crazy camera phone, my boss wast JUST talking to me about you, err your phone!!!”  I also demonstrate the lack of noise and the purity of colors and people are won over. Once again…Jaws..of…EVERYONE…dropped…for….days. Of special note is that people respect the Carl Zeiss branding, and that name alone validates the 41MP camera and the sentence “Oh, it’s a Carl Zeiss too!!!” is the second thing heard after “My goodness….41Megapixels!!!!!!” Xenon flash freezing the moments? Look. Click. Captured. Done.

Moving on to the rest of the 808:

Rich Recording = Unreal. I am not exaggerating.

I used the 808 to record audio at a several high-profile events and seminars and the sound had a range and clarity like no other mobile device that I have ever seen or heard. It is line in, studio, external mic quality. I would buy an 808 just for the audio if that was my primary usage in a smart phone. I could write a thousands words about the tech and the usefulness but I’ll refrain….for now.

Screen Quality = Most vibrant and highest contrast screen that I have ever had the pleasure of looking at.

Not by resolution nor by pixels per inch (nor the power of Grayskull!!!) but seriously by the deepest blacks known to man. This may all sound like fanboyism and ranting and raving but if I look straight at the 808, I cannot tell where the screen ends, unless there is an external light shining into the screen that shows the physical end of the screen! It is very impressive, even at nHD resolution, the screen is full of quality and is makes a perfect viewfinder.

From GSMArena’s Nokia 808 PureView Review:

We conducted our usual sunlight legibility test on the Nokia 808 PureView and it ended up our new champion. The contrast ratio of the ClearBlack AMOLED mounted on the smartphone in strong light is way better than anything we’ve seen so far

Phone Stability and Reliability = WORST DEVICE EVER!!! Y2k bug? Worse.. HSPA+ bug!!!

Notice I said “device” and not smart phone. I have never owned any electronic device this unstable. Just as honest as I am about the camera, I am honest about this. No dramatization,  my 808 restarts itself no less than 5 times a day, almost 7 days a week. Granted, it has only happened while using the phone about 3 times a WEEK but when I unlock the phone and see each home screen reloading, I know the phone has restarted itself. The phone has restarted when listening to music, browsing the web, looking at pictures in the gallery or just plain sitting on my desk. I have had to pull the battery about 3 times total over 2 weeks from the phone becoming frozen like a dummy display unit. A special thing that I must say, this is NOT the fault of Symbian so before anyone comes in and cries “Symbian Sucks!!!” it is a known HARDWARE issue.

I honestly, sincerely, almost teary eyed, do not understand how Nokia let these units be sold. It is actually sad, no, really, really sad. It is as if there wasn’t any quality testing on the devices themselves. I’m sorry Nokia but the state of a lot of the 808s out there is heartbreaking and not like the Nokia that we have all come to know and love and admire for industry leading build quality and reliability. If the 808 was a huge success, I believe Nokia would have to issue a recall or face a class action lawsuit. If it wasn’t for the A+++++++++++++++++++++ camera and Rich Recording, owning the 808 would not be recommended to anyone. Harsh, yes, true, definitely for THIS 808 and many others.

Special note, there are 808s that do not suffer the effects of the HSPA bug to the same extremity or at all and I hope that you all do not experience the baffling, sometimes frustrating, game changing instability with your 808. Your usage experience may vary.

Symbian = The best that it has ever been and more than it was ever imagined to be in the area of User Interface.

I am thoroughly impressed at how Symbian turned out in this latest FP2 iteration. Coming from a lineage of non Symbian Nokia S40 phones to S60 3rd (at the time in my newness, S60 just seemed like S40 PRO to me lol) up to Belle FP2, the UI has changed dramatically, which we all know and have many examples, videos and reviews. What a review cannot tell is how Symbian Belle FP2 will work for YOU on a day-to-day basis.

Well, I am completely satisfied with the “needs” aspect of Symbian and everything I need to do can be done and done easily. Email, Messaging, light Web Browsing, Music, Games, Video and Photography are all available and ready to be used as needed. As we all know, the Nokia Web Browser is stuck somewhere in the space/time continuum of slowness but Opera comes to the rescue. Personally, I don’t use Opera on my 808 (GASP!!) I actually don’t browse the web enough on my 808 since I have my iPad 4 with me almost every time I NEED to browse the web or I am at my desktop or laptop. I have always loved the amazing ability to play audio in the background while doing almost everything, especially while using GPS Navigation. It is a special experience that I have only had on Symbian when the Voice Guidance perfectly and instantly turns down the music JUST ENOUGH for her/him to give directions (while you can faintly hear your music) and then to have the music volume return to its original level once voice guidance has been given. Amazing and well thought out and coded. I only installed the 2 games pictured in the image to the right. Fruit Ninja is a must have. My current high score in Arcade mode is 630 points.

 Accessories = Hard to find locally but many choices online.

I cannot, I repeat, CANNOT find a belt holster/case ANYWHERE in person. All local electronic shops, BestBuy, Normal Gadgets,  mom and pop electronics stores, have cellphone holsters for the “normal” hump-less phones. The cases are too thin for the curves of the 808. Can anyone recommend a holster that clips on your belt, preferably a non magnetic one, maybe the lid clamps shut or has a button or Velcro to secure the phone. I had a magnetic case in the past and the magnets shifted and my N900 took a nasty tumble.

I purchased a few items to go with my 808:

64GB MicroSD

Small Tripod

Large Tripod

Nokia Hard Cover

10FT Micro HDMI Cable

3 Pack of Screen Protectors

Concerning Screen Protectors: Do you all use a screen protector on your 808? I did not use one in the 3 years of owning my N8 but I somehow feel like the 808’s screen is more delicate and fragile. Maybe it’s the overall tank build of the N8 that had me over confident but I am afraid to use the 808 without a screen protector. If you don’t use one, how is the screen holding up? Any damage or fine scratches? I would like to enjoy the curved screen but I am walking on the safe side with this one.

Finally, my second 808 has arrived, a Nokia 808 PureView with U.S. Warranty (White) and some of the extras that I ordered have arrived as well such as the 64GB Class 10 Ultra MicroSD. here is a picture of two relatives sitting around, probably having a conversation that started by the elder (N8) saying “Back in my day…”

Any suggestions, comments? What has your honest experience been like with your 808, not necessarily Symbian but with your actual device? Does it suffer from the data connectivity bug? Any other hardware issues? My 808 also has a sporadic GPS connectivity issue where it loses its mind under an open sky at times and thus causes me to lose my patience and sense of direction whereas that has not happened with my N8 in the 3 calendar years of owning it. Any other issues that you have experienced ONLY with the 808?

I do have to say, this isn’t a bash Nokia, bash the 808 article from me but rather a simple honest post about the worlds most amazing mobile audio and visual experience and a series of unfortunate events. The 808 is a keeper, hardware bugs and all because after experiencing the camera and audio power and expertise, I cannot go back to a lesser mobile device. The N8 isn’t good enough and nothing else that is currently released is equal nor close. The 808 is a timeless gem for all content creators, whether professional or not and I wouldn’t miss out on experiencing it if it was at all possible to own one.

As always, thank you all for continuing to choose MyNokiaBlog.

Have a great day,

Deaconclgi

Tags: Accessories, Experience, Hardware, Nokia, Nokia 808 PureView

Category: Nokia, S60, Symbian