Nokia intros N86 8MP variable-aperture cameraphone
updated 09:15 am EST, Tue February 17, 2009
Nokia N86 8MP
Nokia has used the second day of Mobile World Congress to unveil the N86 8MP. The previously teased phone is Nokia's first dedicated primarily to its camera and the first anywhere to include a variable aperture for its lens, giving it an ability to adapt to light levels like a dedicated camera. It's also claimed to eliminate other weaknesses of phone-mounted cameras through a fast shutter, Carl Zeiss optics and its namesake 8-megapixel resolution.
The photographic focus is also made apparent in the design, which echoes the dual slider format of phones like the N85 and N96 but puts camera-specific controls in place of music buttons. The N86 8MP also gets a more color-rich, 2.6-inch OLED display and dual LED flashes.
Outside of its core role, the phone carries 8GB of built-in storage for photos and other content, 3G over HSDPA, GPS and Wi-Fi. As with recent phones, the device can sync much of its data with Macs or PCs. Nokia plans to ship the N86 MP in the spring for about 375 Euros ($473) before carrier subsidies but is unlikely to tie to a North American carrier with the initial version: the phone supports these providers for GSM and EDGE data but currently lacks 3G support for the continent.
