primitive 2.0 camera

I have been reading more and more on boygenius and engadget about all kinds of samsung and LG phones that have 5 megapixel (and even 8.0 megapixel!!!) camera's. How come the blackberry and iphones (which in my opinion are the best phones out there) only have 2.0 camera's? For instance, how come samsung has a crappy looking i770 or something with a 5 megapixel camera and the bold (and iphone) have only a 2.0? And the storm will only have a 3.5 megapixel camera? Its better than 2.0 but not even close to 5.0!

In my opinion, if Rim wants to reach out to the consumer and fight off the iphone (which is growing anf growing along with apple in general), their new phones should have much better camera's

I disagree. I rarely use the camera. I have an SLR for that even if my BB had 12 mp I wouldn't use it for pictures I care about. Its a phone first and communications and business device second. The camera is fun and nice to have but I can take it or leave it. Every thing else about it exceeds my expectations so keep up the good work RIM. Leave the photography to Nikon. I don't expect my SLR to make a call.

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And to add to what pltaylor said keep in mind that no matter how
many megapixels RIM or anyone else has, the thing that is going
to make or break the camera is the optics. And almost all camera
phone have crappy optics.

So I agree, if I need a fast unimportant shot the camera
in my phone is OK, if I need a good shot then
I use the DSLR. If I want a really good shot then it's film.

if you were to ask most "consumers" in america (RIM's biggest market) whether they use their camera, i think they would say "they do". In other parts of the world also. How else can phones like the samsung lg etc compete?

My work Motorola has a 3.15 megapixel camera and I don't think the pictures it takes to be all that much better than my berry. It is better, but not by much. And plt is right, I use my Nikon when I need pictures. The phone is for snap shots, AG really nailed it, IMO, it all depends on the lens.

I agree with pltaylor. Cellphone cameras are pure novelty, no matter how they try to spin it (say, Sony Cybershot phones). Given how long cameras have been on phone, you really don't see fewer digital cameras being sold and people dropping their Canon or Panasonic digital cameras for a new Nokia or LG.

Any all-in-one device is usually compromised in some way, shape or form.

Take the BlackBerry back into its roots as a corporate device. A lot of companies and organizations still do NOT want you to have any cameras on such devices for the fear of breaching security and/or secret or private documents. Put cameras in all their devices, and RIM instantly loses some of their core enterprise customers.

But as a mom I would have to say that I really like having a camera on my phone to take pictures of my son when we are out. You never know when something will happen that you want to have a picture of. And with my husband gone for the year, I send him random pictures of him all the time. And I certainly don't want to carry around anymore stuff! I like my all in one devices.

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Oh, and my husband took the good camera with him! Men....

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Originally Posted by Calistamay

But as a mom I would have to say that I really like having a camera on my phone to take pictures of my son when we are out. You never know when something will happen that you want to have a picture of. And with my husband gone for the year, I send him random pictures of him all the time. And I certainly don't want to carry around anymore stuff! I like my all in one devices.

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This is exactly what a phone's camera is supposed to do, ;)

The camera is the last feature that should be focused on in a PHONE.

Originally Posted by pltaylor

I disagree. I rarely use the camera. I have an SLR for that even if my BB had 12 mp I wouldn't use it for pictures I care about. Its a phone first and communications and business device second. The camera is fun and nice to have but I can take it or leave it. Every thing else about it exceeds my expectations so keep up the good work RIM. Leave the photography to Nikon. I don't expect my SLR to make a call.

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I so agree, NIKON rocks IMO (D40 user myself)

And a cellphone camera is a novelty, quick snappy snaps.