Samsung INNOV8 - A Pictorial Review

Samsung INNOV8 - A Pictorial Review

The Lucky Number

Camera phones have always been something of an oddity. It is a vastly popular device amongst many, utilized as a device of convenience to snap and go, and heavily utilized as a blogging tool. Yet, you won't be seeing them as dedicated devices for serious photography. But the divide between a camera phone and a compact digital camera is slowly and surely shrinking, and Samsung's foray into the megapixel race has just gotten on track when they announced their first 8-megapixel camera, the Samsung SGH-i8510 or more commonly known as the Samsung INNOV8.

For those of you who are still sitting on the fence and considering the INNOV8, here's a little gift from us to you: the full review of this 8-megapixel camera phone. We'll start off as usual with a first glance of the INNOV8 followed by its specifications.

Hardware Delight

The INNOV8's form factor won't surprise many, keeping to the slider model that's quite popular amongst consumers recently. On the surface, the INNOV8 comes with a 2.8-inch TFT LCD screen, with a resolution of 240 x 320 and 16M colors. Focusing just below the screen, we have the standard softkey buttons, Call and End buttons and the Menu and Gallery keys. What got us quite interested though, was the five-way navigation pad at the centre, which doubles up as an optical mouse too.

 

The INNOV8 comes with a 2.8-inch QVGA screen with resolutions of 240 x 320 and 16M colors, similar to other devices of its class such as the Nokia N96.

Previously, we applauded Samsung for the addition of the optical mouse for its earlier Windows Mobile devices, the Samsung SGH-i780 and the Samsung SGH-i900 or more commonly known as the Samsung Omnia. Imagine holding the device in both hands, with the right finger navigating the cursor via the optical mouse and the left finger clicking on the selected application icon. This was an example of how both the optical mouse and the touch screen interface worked seamlessly and in tandem with one another.

However, on the Symbian S60 platform, the situation's slightly different. With the optical mouse active, moving left, right, up or down as you would with the normal five-way navigation pad would be akin to swiping the optical mouse in the appropriate direction, Herein lies the issue, for when we tried to hit the enter button, there were times when our fingers would swipe the optical mouse just before the device registers the enter action, and thus it actually moves away from the intended icon and enter a different application altogether.

While the optical mouse was a good move on both the i780 and the Omnia, it wasn't beneficial to the non-touchscreen INNOV8 which made navigation much harder than it should.

he left profile of the INNOV8 houses the standard volume button, a 3.5mm audio jack and the microUSB connection port. As always, we are always pleased with the presence of a 3.5mm audio jack, and we'll delve deeper into the audio performance of the INNOV8 in the upcoming pages. Moving on, we come to the shortcut keys that give you access to the INNOV8's key selling points: a slider button that switches between camera, video and playback mode, the microSD slot that supports SDHC of up to 16GB and finally, the camera button that links you to the 8-megapixel camera lens with auto-focus and a dual LED flash located at the back profile. Unlike the Samsung SGH-G810's sliding lens cover, the INNOV8 is protected by a shutter that opens up once you press the camera button to either take an image or a video.

In all honesty, if one were to take a look at the INNOV8 just from the back without sliding the device up or even checking out the 2.8-inch screen, you might see the familiarity of the INNOV8's aesthetic design to Samsung's compact digital camera lineup.

Segmented as an infotainment device, the INNOV8 was given the right set of connection ports such as the 3.5mm audio jack, though we wished that the USB port would have been a mini-USB (which is more commonly used for other devices besides mobile phones) instead of micro-USB. Incidentally, you'll be utilizing the micro-USB as both your data and power connectivity port.

On its right profile, you have a dedicated slider button that switches between your image, video and playback mode for the 8-megapixel camera, which will be activated by the camera button situated at the bottom right. Both buttons flank the microSD slot, which supports SDHC of up to 16GB, giving the INNOV8 a potential storage capacity of 32GB (16GB internal and 16GB external)

 

Viewed from its back profile, it's understandable that some people might mistake the INNOV8 as one of Samsung's compact digital cameras, even more so with its 8-megapixel label and the dual LED flash situated at the top of the auto-focus lens.

The INNOV8's camera is jam-packed with features that's akin to what one gets on a standard compact digital camera. Practical features such as its Blink Detection was definitely useful for the singular purpose of preventing any closed eyes in portrait shots. Switching on the Blink Detection feature, we took a few shots and out of 10 images, the INNOV8 did manage to return at least 9 good images with the subject image's eyes fully opened. The single shot that didn't pass the test showed the subject image squinting, but a 90% accuracy is definitely commendable.

Furthermore, the INNOV8 also comes with a Panaroma shot that allows you to take up to 8 images linked together. Interestingly, you can link all 8 images in either the horizontal or vertical axis, with the only downside that you'll only be taking shots at either 640 x 320 or 320 x 240 resolutions. Another novelty featured on the INNOV8 is its Smile Detection, but this is a feature that might pose some difficulty for users who can't get the hang of it.

Now that you know all its major features, we'll move on to the camera performance. Auto-focus took a little less than 2 seconds and once we hit the camera button, the INNOV8 took approximately 4 seconds to capture and process the image. Though we did mention that the INNOV8 is trying to bridge the divide between dedicated compact digital cameras and camera phones, there's still quite a bit of work left based on the image processing time. Nonetheless, let's focus more on its imaging quality, with a few stand alone test shots from its 8-megapixel CMOS sensor.

The INNOV8's color reproduction is just as good as what we've seen back when we had a go at a unit earlier on during its official launch in Vietnam.

 

The Full Package

With the INNOV8 being placed under its Infotainment category, Samsung did well to fulfill the entertainment part with the inclusion of a myriad of multimedia file format support. On the audio aspect, the list includes MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, AMR and RealAudio, which are quite the standard affair for most Symbian S60 devices nowadays. The real deal came from the its DNSe 2.0 sound quality which scored very well with ours ears.

In essence, the bass levels were strong and clear on each track, with no discernible crackling at loud volumes. However, our main gripe came from the INNOV8's speakers, which were unable to project its audio delivery as clear as what we've heard with the bundled 3.5mm audio jack. Of course, being Bluetooth 2.0 compliant with A2DP, there's also the Bluetooth stereo route to go, but our suggestion is to stick with the 3.5mm audio jack for optimum audio quality.

Video, on the other hand, was a mixed affair. The INNOV8 supports the usual suspects such as H.263, H.264, WMV and MP4 like Nokia's high-end series, the Nokia N96 that was just recently launched. But what gave it a slight edge (and probably its downfall too) was the inclusion of the DivX standard on the INNOV8. With the DivX (and Xvid) format appearing on its recent devices such as the Omnia, it did open up more avenues for consumers to double up their mobile phones as suitable portable media players too.

Not surprisingly, Samsung has included the DivX format within the INNOV8, but not the Xvid format though. Whilst many might applaud the inclusion of an additional video format playback within a S60 device, the deal breaker came when we tried to do a quick test of the video frame rates. More often than not, you'll have to utilize the DivX Convertor Mobile to tweak your videos to the suitable DivX format before you can transfer and view your videos on the go with the INNOV8.

For DivX videos, you'll have to utilize the bundled DivX Mobile Converter first, and unfortunately, it's a time consuming process which takes up to almost an hour for a 300MB file.

Hiccups aside with the DivX format, we utilized our standard video tests with a video clip optimized for the S60 platform. The INNOV8 was able to handle high speed chases with minimal frame losses and lag during its video playback.

To fulfill its positioning as a high-end device, the INNOV8 also comes with a slew of wireless connectivity options such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0, USB 2.0 and of course the now commonly found GPS with A-GPS. Each INNOV8 comes bundled with a 1GB microSD card that contains the NavFone GPS software by Agis, and comes with Singapore, West and East Malaysia maps. More importantly, there's also a one-year voice guided navigation license provided within the box. We brought the INNOV8 out for a road test, and with A-GPS active, a satellite lock was achieved in no more than 1 minute, which in our books, was an above average result.

 

There were some cause for concern from our readers about the HSDPA connection icon located at the top left, just below the network bar. To clarify, what you see here is the icon with stripped arrows, which indicates there's no active data connection. If you were connected onto the HSDPA network, you would see a solid arrow instead of the stripped ones.

Applications are also aplenty on the INNOV8, with bundled software such as Fring that allows you to access multiple instant messaging services such as MSN Messenger, Google Talk and even allows you to utilize Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) for internet calls. For the gamers, there's a full version of Asphalt 4 and FIFA 08 to keep you glued to your device on the road too

The Symbian S60 platform comes with a myriad of 3rd party applications, and to get you started, Samsung included Fring, Asphalt 4 and FIFA 08, with more to download on the web

Yet with all the features laid out, the real question is how the INNOV8 is able to handle the load with its 1200mAH battery. Unfortunately, due to its positioning as an 8-megapixel camera phone, we foresee that users might be more trigger happy with its camera function than otherwise, and this would definitely compromise on its battery life. True enough, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on, after around 2 hours of music playback and around 50 shots on the highest resolution, the INNOV8 faltered at slightly more than a day.

Closing Shutters

Being the first commercially available 8-megapixel camera phone, the Samsung INNOV8 has gotten a few things right, not only on the imaging front, but also its multimedia and productivity delivery. For many, convergence is of utmost importance, and the INNOV8 manages to return high quality images with vivid colors together with ample features to enhance your images such as Blink Detection and Image Stabilizer. Nonetheless, there is still the question of whether such convergent devices are able to match up to dedicated compact digital cameras. Our take on this? It probably won't be too soon, as technology is always evolving at an exponential rate such that when one ups the ante, the other party goes a step further.

Oh the hardware front, the INNOV8 does have its hits (and misses). For one, its optical mouse was the oddball that made navigation a slightly confounding affair. Truth be told, you might be better off using the standard navigation keypad to make things easier on your fingers. The numeric keypad, on the other hand, came with excellent tactile feedback, and was quick and accurate, to say the least. This is a stark contrast to the recently launched Nokia N96 that came with an awkward and cramped keypad.

 

It is undeniable that the INNOV8 is able to perform its duties well, and even more so with its multimedia enhancements within. We did appreciate its audio clarity as enhanced by its DNSe 2.0 standard, but as mentioned, this can only be fully enjoyed with earphones and not via the INNOV8's integrated stereo speakers. Video playback, on the other hand, came with a few kinks. True, there's an added incentive for users with the inclusion of the DivX format into the S60 device, but the prerequisite, i.e. a long conversion process via the DivX Mobile Converter, should dampen the INNOV8's appeal in the visual department.

What we will say is this: Samsung hasn't been stingy with the features on the INNOV8 with its slew of wireless connectivity and bundled applications such as Fring, full versions of Asphalt 4 and FIFA 08. With battery longevity rated at slightly more than a day with its 1200mAH battery, the Samsung INNOV8 is as good as it gets for a high-end Symbian S60 device, and what makes the deal even sweeter, is its recommended retail price of S$1098.