News - Samsung INNOV8 (i8510)

Samsung INNOV8 (i8510) 

It looks like the resolution race is far from over and 8 megapixels will be the next upper echelon for camera-phones. To that, Samsung has never been the one to disappoint as it even had a 10-megapixel model back in 2006. So to be honest, we aren't really surprised here, at least not in terms of camera resolution. What's interesting to note is the success that the Korean chaebol has had with its Omnia, which could possibly set the stage in the right direction for its next multimedia powerhouse--the INNOV8. 

Like the Omnia, the INNOV8 (also known as the i8510) comes in 8GB and 16GB flavors with the onboard memory maxing out at 32GB with a microSDHC flash media. The biggest difference is that the INNOV8 runs on the S60 3rd Edition with Feature Pack 2. So obviously you'll be missing a touchscreen display here. From the pictures, it looks like the slider will also have a widget interface, though we're not sure how closely it will be modeled after the interface on the current Omnia or the F480. 

Looking though the technical specifications, we can't help but feel that Samsung practically threw every possible camera feature presently available in the market into the INNOV8. The only thing it's possibly lacking is an onboard Xenon flash. To Samsung's credit, the 8-megapixel autofocus camera module is paired with a dual-power LED flash, so it may not lose the game entirely. 

Other imaging features include auto-panorama, smile, blink and face detection and wide dynamic range capturing abilities. But what's equally important is the camera's performance. We've seen how Motorola managed to reduce shutter lag to a mere 0.15 second on its ZINE ZN5, so if the INNOV8 can match or come close to that kind of performance, we think Samsung might have a winner. 

The INNOV8 is not just pitting itself against the Motorola ZINE ZN5. With the option to record 120fps QVGA (30fps in VGA) videos and support for DivX format, it is LG's Viewty and Secret competitor as well. It wasn't mentioned how the built-in accelerometer will be used on the INNOV8, although if Samsung were to position this phone as a multimedia workhorse, it should likely implement this in its multimedia features. 

Wireless features are aplenty in this quad-band slider that supports HSDPA in the 900 and 1,200 bands, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth stereo, FM radio and A-GPS. The optical mouse that was first spotted on the SGH-i780 can also be found on the INNOV8. The icing on the cake? It comes with a 3.5mm audio jack. 

The INNOV8 will ship with a 1,200mAh battery that has a rated talktime of 8.5 hours and just under 13 days on standby. It is expected to be launched in Europe next month and will be available in other markets in September.