TechRadar Verdict
If you loved your Nokia N8 or just adore camera phones then you'll love the Nokia 808 PureView, but for anyone else it's best to look elsewhere.
Pros
- +
Amazing camera
- +
Decent 720p output
- +
High quality audio
Cons
- -
No contract options
- -
Symbian nearing end
- -
Unprotected camera
- -
Bulky device
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As Nokia's Symbian hardware development comes to an end, its long awaited "Game Changer" device has finally hit the UK streets with its killer camera.
Although the Nokia N8 has long held the crown of the Finnish firm's best camera phone available, the Nokia 808 PureView has arrived with its 41MP camera.
The amount of hardware required to support its functionality causes the Nokia 808 PureView to weigh in at a hefty 169g - compared with the 140g iPhone 4S, 133g Samsung Galaxy S3 and 130g HTC One X.
As well as its weight, the Nokia 808 PureView - with its 4" AMOLED ClearBlack display - isn't exactly small measuring 123.9mm x 60.2mm x 13.9mm (expanding to 17.95mm at the camera bulge) compared with the slim iPhone 4S (9.3mm), One X (8.9mm) and S3 (8.6mm).
The Nokia 808 Pureview looks and feels like the old Nokia 5800 with a hint of the more recent Nokia Lumia 610 although both were smaller, more compact, flat-backed phones.
Although the 5800 and Lumia 610 appeared a little cheap in appearance, which was reflected in their purchase price, this is not the case for the Nokia 808 PureView with its £500 pricetag (black £519.99 or white £489.99).
The main reason for this high retail price is that none of the UK operators have decided to offer the Nokia 808 PureView, meaning that it is only available via Amazon at the SIM free, unbranded price.
Although this seems a high price to pay for a phone, when you compare it with the iPhone 4S 16GB the 808 Purview is pretty much the same, although the HTC One X weighs in 10 percent cheaper than both Nokia's and Apple's offering.
