3-megapixel camera phones

Round-up reviews let you compare four related products and find out which one is best for you

Last updated: 15 Sep 2006

The latest camera phones to come out in the UK feature 3-megapixel cameras -- a far cry from the original VGA ones, they are a definite step closer to competing with standalone digital cameras. Before you think that all 3-megapixel camera phones are the same, though, think again.

First off, size is an important factor. Camera phones can be rather chunky, but there are smaller alternatives if you want them so have a look around. If a phone has autofocus you should be able to shoot clearer images. Also useful is optical zoom -- digital zoom doesn't give the same clarity when trying to get close up to objects from a distance.

LED photo lights might look bright but usually don't illuminate a scene as well as a xenon flash. At this moment in time only a few phones have xenon flash, but more will appear in the future.

How a camera phone works will also affect the overall performance. If you can't access the camera application easily, or it lags when you try and take a photo, you might not want to buy it. You may also want to check if the phone has an expandable memory slot so you can add more storage for your photos. Connectivity options will also decide how you're going to transfer those photos off the phone, so the more the better.

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	Nokia N93	Sony Ericsson K800i	Samsung D900	Sharp 903
Review date	31 Aug 06	19 Jul 06	25 Aug 06	27 Oct 05
Editors' rating	8.1	8.8	7.9	7.3
Price range				£350
Review summary	At first glance nobody would call the N93 small and neat. But actually, that's what it is if you take into account its high quality 3.2-megapixel camera lens and video shooting capability. Sure it's bulky, but much of its size is down to the lens. If you want a tidy phone for your pocket look elsewhere. But for fun and games with moving images, there is no handset to beat it Read full review	For a relatively small and lightweight 3G phone the Sony Ericsson K800i is positively dripping with features and the headline 3.2-megapixel camera isn't the only good thing about it. We aren't big fans of Sony's new tiny Memory Stick Micro, but if nothing else the K800i stylishly shows that 3G handsets have at last made it mainstream Read full review	The Samsung D900 is not only slim but also comes with enough features to satisfy the most tech hungry of users. Overall, we're very impressed with Samsung's efforts at cramming cutting-edge features into slimmer and slimmer packages. The D900, however, is let down by the lip at the bottom of the keypad, which makes the bottom row of keys very difficult to access. It would also benefit from a proper flash Read full review	If you think black is back, this is a handset to admire. The 3.2-megapixel camera is impressive, ditto the screen, but beware the ropey music delivery and proprietary headphone connector if you're a music fan Read full review
User rating	8.0	7.0	6.0
Form factor	Clamshell	Candy-bar	Slider	Clamshell
Weight	180 g	115 g	83 g	148 g
Talk time (mfr)	156 min	420 min	390 min	240 min
Standby time (mfr)	240 hours	350 hours	200 hours	290 hours
3G	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Camera resolution	3.2 megapixels	3.2 megapixels	3.13 megapixels	3.2 megapixels
Music playback	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
FM radio	Yes	Yes	n/a	No
Infrared	Yes	Yes	n/a	Yes
Bluetooth	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Full specification	Full specification	Full specification	Full specification