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Square Shooters Time to scrap that old point-and-shoot. The next generation of cam-phones pack enough megapixels (5!) and editing options to produce shots worthy of placement in a photo gallery. Oh yeah, feel free to make calls with them, too.
Nokia N82
The N82 is a phone that can make you snap – in a good way. Here's why: It blends solid communication equipment with top-shelf image-capturing tech. Included editing options are unparalleled – we were able to spruce up a shot with poor lighting and horrid composition in a few minutes. Similarly, sharing photos is just as easy. Bluetooth, multimedia and e-mail options are simple to activate. Posting to the web is just as easy; one-touch access to Flickr and Vox accounts virtually ensures that you'll never max out the 4 GB of memory.
WIRED Carl Zeiss optics protected by a smartly situated sliding cover. Nicely spaced keypad makes text messaging faster than a greased cheetah on steroids. Integrated WiFi connects without a hiccup. Accelerometer switches screen from landscape to portrait mode with a flick of the wrist.
TIRED Xenon flash often washes the color out of pics. Battery gets sucked dry in just an hour using WiFi. Accelerometer can randomly switch from landscape to portrait mode without a wrist flick.
$700, Nokia
Sony Ericsson K850i
Image isn't everything. Beyond a solid cam, this tidy 118-gram candy bar comes chock-full of sweet, easy-to-master programs that let you edit, remix and publish sharp pics and video clips on the fly. In minutes, we whipped up a 45-second, 1.7 MB video slideshow that looked surprisingly decent online at 320 x 240 pixels. But despite Bluetooth, adequate web browsing and RSS feeds, this pinstriped, 3-G beauty isn't picture perfect. We never really got used to switching between the finicky partial touchscreen and quasi-D-pad. And the keypad's tiny nubs aggravate even the most petite-thumbed.
WIRED Truly pocket-size. Accelerometer allows quick flips between landscape and portrait. Swift and seamless, on-the-go publishing to Blogger. Always-on headlight option for dim video shoots. BestPic takes rapid sequence of nine images – and the "best" recommendation is usually right on. Super accessible microSD slot can hold up to 4 GB (perfect for those Cloverfield moments)
TIRED No optical zoom. Sluggish Auto Fix takes 30 to 45 seconds per pic. Snapping shots silences FM radio. No WiFi, no GPS, no geocoded vacay pics. Neither a 3.5mm nor a 2.5mm headhpone jack, instead uses "Sony FastPort."
$500, Sony
Samsung G800
Like a Bentley Azure, this luxurious silver slider is a European import fit for a pimp. Sporting sleek lines, glitzy trim and a roomy (110 MB of memory) interior it also features standard options like a microSD slot good for up to 4 GB.
Like the other 5-MP cam phones we test-drove, the combination of features like Bluetooth, FM radio and HSDPA made this one fun to handle. Snapshot tweaks like auto-shake and panoramas up to six images wide were useful. But like its automotive brethren, the G800 could be easier to park. The frontside lens slider made for remarkably speedy phone-to-cam conversions, but also adds one-eighth of an inch to the footprint. The result? The G800 can't lay flush unless it's face down on its pristine 2.4-inch LCD.
WIRED 3x optical zoom. Video editing includes time code. Built-in effects work with video (including negative). Smooth operating keypad. Versatile image editor for subtle color and contrast tinkers. Java support for Google Maps.
TIRED Puny Xenon flash. Laggy shutter. No GPS. Useless red-eye remover. Multishot and Mosaic functions only snap measly 60KB images. No standard 3.5mm headphone jack.
$500, Samsung
LG KE990 Viewty
Despite its whimsical name, this dainty 112-gram shooter is infused with some pretty serious stuff. A frontside scroll wheel handles not only menu navigation and volume control, but also serves as a decent manual focus for the 5-megapixel, Schneider-Kreuznach optic sporting camera. Hands down, this one of the best image-capturing devices we've seen on a handset. Even the image stabilizer is aces, compensating for slightest hand jitters. And the option to shoot vid clips up to 120fps and also primed for DivX (and YouTube) is a nice touch. But looks and touches can be deceiving. The KE990's shutter may not lag, but the 3-inch WQVGA touchscreen sure does. After several recalibrations – and even with the help of the Viewty's stylus – the feedback was still noticeably craptic.
WIRED Best shot rapidly snaps nine images. Bundled headphone adapter actually rocks a 3.5mm jack. Xenon flash great for low-light shoots. Useful menu shortcuts. World traveler's tool for converting currency, measurements, temperature and velocity;
TIRED Funky, tiresome interface. Only 2 GB of external memory. Battery must be removed to insert Micro SD. Device literally buzzes with every touch of the screen. No 3 G and no WiFi. Touch icons have super small sweet spot. Lame stylus resembles a tiny mini-mascara stick – we so don't care if it gets lost.
$500, LG
