Over the past few weeks, mobile phones have started coming out that have redefined the world of the camera phone, and their prime achievement has been to make 5 megapixel mobile phones, something we all raved about a year ago, look rubbish in comparison.
You may well have guessed that I’m talking about mobile phones with 8 megapixel cameras.
Well, since all of the ones that’ve been announced have either gone on sale, or will do soon (and since regular blog reader Diana contacted me, since she really can’t decide which one she wants), I reckon it’s about time I did a rundown of the 8 megapixel mobile phones you can get your hands on so far.
Well, it was the first one to be announced over here in the UK (although not the first to be released), so the Sony Ericsson C905 took the first bite of the publicity. It’s really a rather gorgeous handset, as well, and it was the first one I saw actual photos from. Oh, and yes, I have played with a Sony Ericsson C905, and it is really, really nice. It is, however, a little bit on the heavy side, but when you factor in the massive camera resolution, and the extra Cyber-Shot technology, plus, all the other bits like WiFi, GPS, HSDPA and a jaw-droppingly cool media player, it’s amazing the Sony Ericsson C905 is as small as it is!
In other words, as this is the first one I got a chance to play with, and as it’s a Sony Ericsson (and come on, my love of their mobile phones are well known), the Sony Ericsson C905 comes highly recommended. Honestly, one of my colleagues here has bought one and is made up with it. She even let me play with it, despite the inherent danger in that, given my predilection for setting the language on it to Norwegian.
I didn’t in this case, though…
The next 8 megapixeler to be announced was the Samsung i8510 INNOV8, and this mobile phone’s got one very, very crucial difference to the Sony Ericsson C905: it uses Symbian, so it’s a proper, full-on smartphone. So, you get exceptional image quality, and raw processing power for doing other stuff, like multimedia, the internet, GPS or what have you. Crucially, though, with the Samsung i8510 INNOV8 being powered by Symbian, it means you can also add on loads of third party applications to it, and make the phone do far more than its creators even envisaged it doing.
So, it’s powerful, and it’s arguably more powerful than the Sony Ericsson C905, but there is a bit of a cost that goes with that: the Samsung i8510 INNOV8 is, there’s no point denying it, a big phone. I mean we’re not talking housebrick-sized, but it is a bit chunkier than some other mobile phones.
Mind you, if you’ve got big hands, like me, that’s a good thing! 
Samsung don’t just have one 8MP mobile phone on the market; they’ve got two, and whilst the Samsung Pixon isn’t as high-spec as its INNOV8 sibling, it does have the added benefit of a massive touchscreen, and it’s easily the better looking of the two. Basically, the way to think of the Pixon is as a super-powered, bigger-screened version of the Samsung Tocco. But with HSDPA and GPS added. And an 8MP camera. Obviously.
Basically, the only thing I can fault the Samsung Pixon on is the fact that it’s not a smartphone operating system like Symbian, which means it isn’t as easy to add on third-party software. Other than that, the Samsung Pixon’s a gorgeous mobile phone… well, in fact, I think it’s the prettiest on this list.
However, it might be a difficult choice, because it’s got a rival in the ‘8MP touchscreen mobile phone’ market… 
The LG Renoir (oh ok, the LG KC910 Renoir, if you want the full name) is the latest touchscreen cameraphone monster from the Korean manufacturer, and it’s fair to say that it’s gonna be going head to head with the Samsung Pixon. Actually, it’s also fair to say that what we’ve got here is the rightful successor to the LG Viewty. It’s blatantly obviously inspired by the Viewty, and the LG Renoir also has one of the best cameras on this list, since it’s one of only two that have Schneider-Kreuznach lenses (remember that a huge factor in taking good photos is down to having good lenses as well as good sensors).
So, the LG Renoir is best described as the Viewty for a new generation, and the differences between it and the Samsung Pixon are swings and roundabouts. The Pixon has a slightly bigger screen, but the LG Renoir has better lenses. Whichever one you get, you’re going to get a hell of a sweet mobile phone, though! 
Ok, so every mobile phone on this list has an exceptionally good camera… but none of them could be really described as budget mobile phones. They are super-powered, but they’re not dirt cheap. So, what if you want a budget 8 megapixel mobile phone, but don’t want to pay for one of the top-end big boys? Should you be forced to go without?
Well, no, not while the LG KC780 exists, because what we’ve got here is a mobile phone that does mix 8 megapixels with a lower price. It’s designed to be the ultimate camera phone for those on a budget, and it does that by sacrificing the higher-end features you might not need, if you’re only after an exceptional camera. You know, like HSDPA. Or GPS. Or WiFi. Really, what it is then, is a fairly standard spec LG mobile phone (which means it’ll still be brilliant and unbearably sexy), with a whacking great camera glued into it. If you’re looking for an 8 megapixel camera phone that isn’t a top-end expensive one, then the LG KC780 is the fella for you.
So, that’s the mobile phones. And now, to answer the question blog reader Diana asked me:
So, Technical Markus, which one would you have?
Well, I can see the point of all the mobile phones on this list. They’re all, in their own way, absolutely stunning, whether it’s because of the price (LG KC780), the Cyber-Shot tech (Sony Ericsson C905) or the touchscreen (Samsung Pixon). But the one I’d have hasn’t been made yet (and when it is, its codename will be Hikaru, for those in the know, nudge nudge, wink wink, and all that). However, of these particular mobile phones, it’d be a toss-up between the Sony Ericsson C905 (because I’m a Sony junkie), or the Samsung Pixon (because it has the biggest touchscreen).
So, there you go, Diana, hope that helps!
Want to snag the best mobile phone on the list, according to Technical Markus? Grab yourself the stunning Sony Ericsson C905 today!
