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Hands-on with the Samsung i8510, an 8-Megapixel, 16GB Phone

July 23rd, 2008 by Avram Piltch  

The days of the stand-alone, point-and-shoot camera may be numbered. Last month, Sony Ericsson announced its 8.1-megapixel C905 phone and today Samsung officially announces the i8510 for Europe, an 8 megapixel handset with a strong combination of features. This Symbian-powered handset is more evolutionary than revolutionary, but we like what we see so far.

Even though there is no U.S.-release date for this phone, we had the chance to try it out at a Samsung press event this evening.  Check out the hands-on video of the i8510 in action.

In addition to taking 8-megapixel stills, the i8510 has:

  • QVGA (320×240) video: We shot a few seconds of video and, though we didn’t have time to download and view it on a computer, we were very impressed with how our movie, which was shot outdoors on a very overcast day, looked on the screen.
  • Slow-motion video shooting at 1/4 and 1/8 speeds: We tested the 1/8 speed and, as you can see in our video hands-on below, it looks really good. Slow-motion video is a fairly new feature on cell phones. In fact the only U.S. phone we’ve seen it on so far is the LG Dare.
  • A lens shutter that opens and shuts automatically: Not enough camera phones have shutters to protect their lenses from the inevitable scratches and dust they get bouncing around in your pocket or purse. Those that do have shutters usually force you to open and close them manually. The shutter on the i8510 opens when you’re shooting and closes when you’re done.
  • A bright 2.8-inch screen: The screen just looks fantastic in either portrait or landscape mode. However, it’s highly-reflective so overhead light can be an issue.
  • 16GB of storage: That’s more than enough to hold an entire vacation full of photos and videos or hours and hours of music.
  • Wi-Fi: We didn’t have an open Wi-Fi network to test with but we did notice that this 3G-capable phone also sports Wi-Fi.
  • Symbian OS: While not common in U.S. phones, Symbian is popular in Europe and Asia. We wonder whether a U.S. version of this phone might have a different OS.
  • An optical controller: You navigate around the screen by moving your finger above the control pad, which is like an inverted optical mouse. You don’t have to actually touch the pad to move, but you can if you prefer that clicking action.

Overall, in the five minutes we had with it, we were pretty impressed with the i8510, particularly what we saw of the video. We’re hopeful it comes to the U.S. (even if it’s just unlocked) so we can really put it through its paces.
 Comments (26 Responses) 

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26 Responses to “Hands-on with the Samsung i8510, an 8-Megapixel, 16GB Phone”

  1. Ole Christian, Norway Says:
    July 23rd, 2008 at 11:36 pm

    Those 8 megapixels doesn’t do anything special unless the image sensors and optics largen and improve. The cell phone industry seems to be hung up on megapixels without willingness to enlargen the telephone so that the aforementioned image sensors and optics improve; therefore giving us poorer pictures. Other than this, the phone seems to be a techno-bomb with lots of features that are wanted. A must test for everyone who likes technology!

  2. Egold Investments Says:
    July 24th, 2008 at 1:42 am

    What are this phone? The screen just means what you’re going to sell at. No matter you are trading for the LG Dare or music. This will be beneficial for you in the LG Dare.

  3. Kung Fu Says:
    July 24th, 2008 at 11:00 am

    Can you post pictures/video taken with the cam?

  4. admin Says:
    July 24th, 2008 at 11:06 am

    Unfortunately we didn’t get to store any of the pictures or video we took in the 5 minutes we had with the device.

  5. fearphage Says:
    July 24th, 2008 at 12:07 pm

    I really wish this had a full qwerty keyboard that slid out from the side. It does not have a touchscreen, correct?

  6. Ryan Says:
    July 24th, 2008 at 3:49 pm

    Currently having the N95 and it being the only Symbian phone I have owned. Are there any differences in the implementation of the OS between the two?

  7. John Says:
    July 24th, 2008 at 6:44 pm

    Would you reckon this has the best-quality video-capture of any phone currently on the market, or due on the market (i.e. SE C905 and Nokia N96)?

  8. admin Says:
    July 24th, 2008 at 6:59 pm

    We really can’t say at this point whether it has the best video capture b/c we haven’t done a full test of it. The 320×240 resolution is obviously fine for a phone, but nothing to write home about. However, if you like slow-mo, this phone and the LG Dare are the only two we know of.

  9. Mike Says:
    July 26th, 2008 at 1:27 pm

    Does anyone know what type of power connector and USB adapter it has? The older Samsung phones all have unique connectors, which means carrying cables around.

    How heavy is this phone?

    I have a Nokia N95 and the Samsung i8510 is definitely looking like my next smartphone.

  10. Bowman Says:
    July 26th, 2008 at 5:51 pm

    Yep same here. Got an N95 but not overly impressed with the upcoming N96 so this is gonna be my next phone too.

  11. Chris Says:
    July 27th, 2008 at 12:39 am

    Please get your terms correct in your article. Shutter has a very specific meaning in photography and cameras and has to do with the speed of taking a photo. eg 1/8 -> 1/8000 of a second. What your article should say is it has a “lens cover” that automatically opens/closes.

  12. Ecnerwal Says:
    July 28th, 2008 at 12:07 am

    You can’t really expect SLR camera quality in a phone with current technology right? But we’re getting there already.

    In fact, look at digital cameras it’s still getting more n more compact + bigger megapixels. Why buy a compact digital camera when you have it in your phone? A 1 total solution multimedia device at the convenience in your palm.

    There will be a day where pin sized cameras are capable of current day SLR quality photos, and following that, future SLRs will probably able to zoom some 10miles away with total superb quality as if you’re 5mm away.

  13. Debbie Says:
    July 28th, 2008 at 6:20 am

    No TV out?

  14. Run Says:
    August 11th, 2008 at 2:15 am

    Samsung Never let you customise message tones on other models. Also there is only ring then vibrate not ring and vibrate simultaneously, unless you use mmf tones where you make the tones vibrate. Have these issues been rectified?

  15. Anonymous Says:
    August 19th, 2008 at 11:22 am

    Finally a mobile that has better photo than a normal digital camera, ive been waiting for this !
    this is the only place i could find one !

    they will definitely sell out just like the N95!

    http://www.mobiles.co.uk/samsung-i8510-innov8.html

  16. Tee Says:
    August 30th, 2008 at 6:39 am

    I think I’ll stick to my sony ericsson T610 :) LOL

  17. Tee Says:
    August 30th, 2008 at 6:40 am

    ..And no wireless?

  18. JJ Says:
    September 15th, 2008 at 4:12 am

    fao: Run
    as this runs on nokia S60 3rd edition, you can personalise the message tone
    fao: Ryan
    they are very similar, the Mrs has an N95 8Gb and they are very similar!

  19. CakePHP Says:
    October 9th, 2008 at 12:35 am

    I nothing special… my W580i is the best ;)

  20. Lucas Says:
    November 6th, 2008 at 7:58 am

    In reply to Run’s message on August 11th, 2008 at 2:15 am, you can customise message tones, you can also use vibrate and ring at the same time. The 8gb memory phone comes with 2 full game versions of Asphault Racing and Fifa 08 as standard.

    The opitcal joystick (touchscreen buttons) is a let down, it will simply frustrate you. However, whilst surfing the web (this phone has wi-fi! will connect to any wireless network around you!) you can use the optical joystick as a mouse!

    Brilliant video and picture quality (8mp), will play dvds when sent via pc (has divx and realplayer) plus very loud playback for music and videos. Comes as standard with usb connecting cable, and headphones.

    Gps: The phone also has gps! and “Navigation route 66″ amongst many many other applications which i have yet to use.

    The phone has the same operating system as previous Nokias, this is both good and bad, mainly depending on your prefences. For me, this is bad since I hate nokias but love modern Samsung layouts and operating systems. Quite peeved to be honest.

    Overall Rating: 8/10… Seems like they have rushed the making of the phone somewhat after stealing Nokia’s operating system. The camera is great but can only take still photos or they come out a blurr. Very good phone but I somehow expected a little more.

  21. shipep Says:
    November 17th, 2008 at 5:46 pm

    Sony Ericsson C905 IS THE best camera mobile in the world right now becouse it has much faster fps than the Samsung 8 megapixel adn it has much clearer fotos

  22. joe Says:
    December 20th, 2008 at 5:25 am

    tried to watch wmv in the i8510… and divx videos..it just doesnt work…it just kept saying unable to open file..any info on what’s the type of “video file” that can be watched in this phone..thanks..

  23. abd Says:
    January 1st, 2009 at 10:19 am

    currently have a i550w

    and i had a comment on the battery longitivity of this unit

    i think i need to go for i8510 soon

    i love samsung mobile

  24. achi Says:
    August 17th, 2009 at 8:05 am

    how much is that samsung phone?

  25. Lor2ie Says:
    August 17th, 2009 at 6:35 pm

    I believe the C905 is a better camera, but not must good when the sony has the earpiece bug…loved my sony but have changed to the samsung i85i0 after getting 2 sony,s ericsson c905 and both having the earpiece bug..just hope the battery on the samsung will take the amount of time I use my mobile for texting and photos..

  26. sanjay Says:
    October 31st, 2009 at 2:21 pm

    what is prize of this mobile (Samsung i8510, an 8-Megapixel, 16GB Phone)

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