Thread: New iPhone Released

If you're into photography, some bloke here compares the 4S camera with the Nokia N8...

For those who were wondering about the Apple iPhone 4S's camera vs the N8

Published by Steve Litchfield at 5:43 UTC, October 5th 2011
As many people will know, the Apple iPhone 4S was announced last night, with one of the chief improvements being a better camera with better Back Side Illumination, wider aperture and an extra optical element. Leaving aside other elements of the iPhone 4S (which, interestingly, retained its 3.5" screen), such as the Siri voice control, I thought you might be interested in a comment or three on the 4S's camera, as it compares to some of Nokia's camera phone units.
Primarily, its crucial light-gathering ability, by far the biggest factor when considering how a smartphone camera performs when the light is less than optimal (i.e. not sunny!)

Using the table format from my original article:
Again, I've used some homegrown maths, calculating the sensor area of a number of comparable camera smartphones, allowing for the lens aperture size used (the 'F' number), and then allowing an extra percent (as appropriate, using the original manufacturer claims) for the recent crop of devices with BSI (Back Side Illuminated sensors):

Device Sensor size F stop (max aperture) Year Raw Light gathering ability 'quotient' Light gathering ability (BSI-compensated) Nokia N8 1/1.83" 2.8 2010 3.81 3.81 Nokia N86 1/2.3" 2.4 2009 3.28 3.28 Apple iPhone 4S 1/3.2" 2.4 2011 1.70 2.88 Samsung Galaxy S II 1/3.2" 2.2 2011 2.02 2.62 Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc 1/3.2" 2.4 2011 1.67 2.17 Nokia N82 (and N95) 1/2.5" 2.8 2007 2.04 2.04
Apple's keynote claim, that the Back Side Illumination means up to 70% more usable light reaching the CMOS sensor, is extravagant but possible. Essentially, BSI involves changing the position of the sensor's wiring so that no unwanted reflections or obstructions mar the photon detection. With BSI compensation, you can see that the iPhone 4S's camera could potentially produce better results in indifferent light than even the Galaxy S II - but it's still some way short of the raw light gathering potential of the two year old N86 and far short of the one year old N8.
Add in the use of Carl Zeiss optics in the N8 and add in the Neutral Density filter (for handling bright sunny conditions and ensuring that too much light doesn't get through to the sensor), and the N8 stays even further in the lead.
Then add in the proper Xenon flash, almost unique these days to the Nokia N8, which takes care of indoor, low light situations (parties, events, meets, living rooms, clubs, etc) and, on the camera front at least, the N8 and iPhone 4S are still some way apart.
Just in case you were wondering!
You may also be puzzled that the N8 has a comparatively high 'F' number, meaning a smaller aperture, when compared to the newer Galaxy S II and iPhone 4S cameras. The latter two devices have deliberately larger apertures, again to try and capture more light to fall on their physically limited 1/3.2" sensors. This is a valid approach but does have the disadvantage that there will be significantly less depth of field. Great for arty portraits and macro shots where you want everything blurred in the background, not so good for generic photos. Balancing F 'stops' and shutter speed has always been part of the art of traditional photography - it's no surprise to see different manufacturers tinkering with a different balance/formula in smartphone camera technology.
On the video/camcorder front, the iPhone 4S also introduced 1080p video capture with image stabilisation - good to see, though it should be pointed out that the quality difference (at this sensor size) between 720p capture and 1080p capture is marginal and that, contrary to some commentator comments during the Apple announcement, image stabilisation isn't something new. The Nokia N95 had this in 2007, as have most Nokia camera phones since.
The N8's video will still be better overall, for most people, because of the stereo digital sound and intelligent digital zoom, both features which are still, as far as I know, unique to the N8 (and N86).
Please note that this is not me 'having a go' at the new iPhone - which I see as a nice evolution on the existing iPhone 4. I just wanted to update my table and comparison comments in the light of the new smartphone announcement. The iPhone 4S has plenty of unique (mainly software) features of its own, of course - which are covered on plenty of other sites around the web.

Steve, AAS, 5th October 2011

The table didn't format properly, so you can see it here

And if you were wondering how it stacks up against the competition (which globably at the moment is certainly the SGSII)....

Originally Posted by Little Chuchok

You prattling on so hard about how shitty they are makes me think that you secretly covert <eh?> Apple.

It's a bit like the blokes going on about about poofs all the time....they probably want one fair square up the arse. Is this you Harry?

There are probably other forums where you can satisfy your weird perversions; perhaps you should ask ButtPlug, I'm sure he has the answers you seek.

Mind you, I'm not surprised coming from someone whose nick is probably pronounced "Chew Cock".

harryb, do your coming out, your obsession with the iPhone is revealing your latent homosexuality

it's only a small step from phone hack to phone queen, you know you can do it

I give you my full support, do it man

Originally Posted by Butterfly

harryb, do your coming out, your obsession with the iPhone is revealing your latent homosexuality

it's only a small step from phone hack to phone queen, you know you can do it

I give you my full support, do it man

Again, I don't own an iPhone, Butters. You do, remember?

I wouldn't have an iPhone or anything of that sort. I don't want a computer so small or a phone so complicated.

I bought an iPad because my current Acer laptop running Windows 7 is slowly growing dimmer. The first week I had this iPad, I thought I had made a mistake, that it didn't do everything I needed it to do. After I read the instructions and played with it for a while, I found out is much easier than the laptop.

Now I look at that laptop and think 'what a dinosaur.'

Harold, you are much worse than those Apple junkies.You can't help yourself.If you say that they are loopy, what does that make you?Surely you can see that the continual obsessive behaviour is not normal?

I'm sure that you are not like this in real life. You must have posted 15 replies in this thread...just to yourself?

Originally Posted by Little Chuchok

Harold, you are much worse than those Apple junkies.

he is, isn't it ? it's hilarious, what a tard

Awww look, Butters has a new playmate.

I don't know, with you two ganging up on me, I feel sorta like this:

^You're a funny man Harold, a funny man....

^^ don't worry, bsnub will be here shortly, hoping on your leg like a little poodle

Originally Posted by Little Chuchok

^You're a funny man Harold, a funny man....

playing the XBOX and rootkitting phone gadgets all day will give you a certain sense of humor that nobody else will get,

Have made the transition from iPhone 4 to Galaxy SII.
I only wished I had done it sooner.

555 Harry in overdrive. Classic. I would love to see the scowl on his face as he walks past an apple shop mumbling to himself....How long till you start a thread comparing it to Android with your little graphs to prove it? Carry on.

Originally Posted by Bung

555 Harry in overdrive. Classic. I would love to see the scowl on his face as he walks past an apple shop mumbling to himself....How long till you start a thread comparing it to Android with your little graphs to prove it? Carry on.

I think the sales will speak for themselves bung.

Apple have fucked up on this one. I expect Stevie J. is glad he wasn't there.

Look Harry Look....An Apple picture.Please take meds before responding....

^ he ran out of meds a long time ago, why do you think he has those homosexual surge ?

Originally Posted by Butterfly

^ he ran out of meds a long time ago, why do you think he has those homosexual surge ?

Oh dear I dread to think....

All is not lost, ButtPlug, here you go!

"iPhone 5" on sale in China
Posted: 05 October 2011 1911 hrs





BEIJING: Several Chinese online stores are offering die-hard Apple fans the opportunity to buy the much-anticipated next-generation iPhone 5. There's just one catch -- the US tech giant hasn't released it yet.

The fake smartphones are available for as little as 200 yuan ($31) on hugely popular websites such as China's largest online marketplace Taobao.com, which has 370 million registered users.

Customers who left comments online appear to have brushed aside the fact that Apple failed to unveil the iPhone 5 on Tuesday, despite expectations it would. It instead launched an updated, improved version of the iPhone 4.

"It's really great, I've already used it for a few days and it's good value for money," one customer who purchased a fake iPhone 5 said on Taobao.

Some of the smartphones offered are billed as "HiPhone 5" in a bid to avoid accusations of counterfeiting, but photos of the devices show the Apple logo on the back of the phones and "iPhone 5G" printed in the battery compartment.

Even before Tuesday's launch of the iPhone 4S at Apple headquarters in California, Chinese authorities had seized fake versions of the US firm's supposed latest offering.

Commerce department inspectors in the southeastern city of Fuzhou found 61 iPhone 5s on sale that featured new capabilities such as dual sim cards, the official Xinhua news agency reported earlier this week.

Vendors said the phones had been manufactured in the southern boomtown of Shenzhen, the report said. The Fuzhou trade and commerce bureau was unavailable for comment.

The craze for all things Apple in China -- which has the world's largest online population with over 500 million users -- has triggered widespread cloning of iPhones and iPads.

In July, an American blogger even uncovered fake Apple stores in the southwestern city of Kunming. Even staff working there did not appear to know the shops were fakes.

Some Chinese fans queue for days to get their hands on the latest Apple products.

Apple has five official stores in mainland China -- two in Beijing and three in Shanghai -- although more shops are authorised to sell its products, while others offer those smuggled in from overseas markets.

And here's Rob, the world's biggest plonker....

The first person is already in the queue for an iPhone 5

04 Oct 2011


This is Rob Shoesmith, the first person in the queue for the as-yet-unannounced iPhone 5. He’ll be waiting in that line (well, line-to-be) until the doors officially swing open for the first customers to run in and buy Apple’s latest smartphone, come wind, rain and snow.
Luckily, our Rob’s got a load of tech on his side, and he’ll be writing an exclusive daily blog for Stuff.tv charting his progress. Course, if the Apple Store starts selling the iPhone 5 (or iPhone 4S) tomorrow, it won’t be much of a story. But we think Rob’s going to be in for a longer wait than that.
Keep up to date on Rob’s queueing activities by checking Stuff.tv daily or visiting Rob’s own iPhone 5 Experiment site. Oh, and wish him luck…

^ could have been you with the new XBOX, an inspiration for your next toy

8:41 pm "Today we're announcing a new app called 'Find my Friends.' Now when I'm at Disneyland, I can easily see where my family is. Or I can see if my son made it to school today."

Err, Google Latitude, innit? Or foursquare, or any other of a dozen android apps.