HTC beat Nokia at it's own game.

[Winterfang]

There is no hardware component in a HTC device that is technologically unique. It is unlikely there ever will be, because HTC does zero research. .

2MP, full 1080, big apperture wide front facing camera is something that's not there before. The difference is quite dramatic over the competition. There's Beat audio also.

 

[a5cent]

2MP, full 1080, big apperture wide front facing camera is something that's not there before. The difference is quite dramatic over the competition. There's Beat audio also.

Hey Winterfang, you are missing the point.

Look, even I could put together that oh-so-extrodinary FF camera if I wanted to. Sure, I would need to fork over a lot of cash for a custom built, small, wide angle lens, but the really complicated part, the 2MP light sensor, is very low-tech equipment I can buy off-the-shelf. There is nothing technologically spectacular about it... at all. Any smartphone manufacturer could spec-out the parts required and place their orders within hours. The only reason other manufacturers haven't included it, is because some cost-benefit calculations of theirs tell them it isn't worth it (rightly or wrongly).

However, the reverse case is entirely different. Again, the technology behind the marketing label "ClearBlack" holds the record for being the worlds least reflective display tech. Nokia spent years on optics and material research in their labs. They spent years optimizing it. They patented it and only their devices will get it. ClearBlack is obviously just one example. Many others exist. HTC will never have access to that kind of tech, because HTC isn't in the business of inventing things themselves. Basically, they just buy and assemble parts.

That was my point. Nothing more, nothing less. You can still build a good device with off-the-shelf parts, it just becomes harder to differentiate yourself from the competition. That, by the way, is exactly the reason HTC gets their devices Beats Audio certified... it's not really about good audio circuitry, it's about differentiation through branding & marketing (my opinion here).

Beyond that I'm not getting involved in arguing over the benefits of a 2MP FF camera (or the lack of benefits) nor over the audio capabilities of the HTC devices. At this point we really know nothing about either beyond what marketing departments have released. The audio amp in the 8X does have the potential to make a real difference, but it can go either way (a **** of an amp, or the best thing since sliced bread).

 

[Winterfang]

So what are you saying? That just because HTC didn't gave the front facing camera a fancy name isn't ground breaking?

Is something different, Nokia didn't though of improving the ffc by giving a wide angle lens, HTC did research and found out that this was missing and improve it that way. You give HTC too little credit.

 

[a5cent]

So what are you saying? That just because HTC didn't gave the front facing camera a fancy name isn't ground breaking?

No! I couldn't care less about fancy names. I do care about the technology behind those names though.

That is exactly why I couldn't care less about Beats Audio (which really isn't much more than a fancy name). The 8X's audio amplifier is the real audio feature, but it's too early to write home about... wake me up when we get signal to noise ratios, THD and output power measurements/comparisons. Until then, anyone proclaiming an audio winner is just wasting our time.

Is something different, Nokia didn't though of improving the ffc by giving a wide angle lens, HTC did research and found out that this was missing and improve it that way. You give HTC too little credit.

Look Winterfang. The lens angle isn't really an improvement. It's just different. It may be an improvement to you, and that is fine, but it won't be the best choice for everyone. Some people will prefer the wider angle lens and others wont. The notion that fitting the FF camera with a wider lens required any amount of research is quite ridiculous (unless you're talking about market research which I couldn't care less about). If there was such a thing as the perfect lens angle everyone would already have implemented it... it's just too simple to not do. Also, keep in mind that wide angle lenses have their own problems, like perspective distortion. Like I said, there is no perfect lens angle. It's like color and design... everyone is entitled to their personal preferences... all fine and dandy.

You accuse me of giving too little credit to HTC for their 2MP FF camera, but I honestly wouldn't know how to do that. At this point, we have nothing to base our evaluations on beyond marketing materials, and I'm just not in the business of giving credit to anyone for writing a nice spec-sheet. As we all know, camera image quality involves a lot more than just the MP count. That is why I'm not participating in the comparison of specific devices at this time.

With my previous two posts, my intent was only to point out the differences between HTC's and Nokia's approach to R&D (both good and bad). It has nothing to do with the individual devices.

 

[Winterfang]

Look Winterfang. The lens angle isn't really an improvement. It's just different. It may be an improvement to you, and that is fine, but it won't be the best choice for everyone. Some people will prefer the wider angle lens and others wont. The notion that fitting the FF camera with a wider lens required any amount of research is quite ridiculous (unless you're talking about market research which I couldn't care less about).

So you are telling me, it's not an improvement because is a feature you don't care about? I live in the Caribbean and will never have to use my phone with gloves, but Nokia's sensitive screen is an improvement. There was an issue there and Nokia address it, just like HTC did with the camera.

The world doesn't revolve about you, someone out there needed that feature and HTC though of it, by research. You make not care for it but that doesn't mean no one asked for it or it isn't innovation.

You are fanboying hard.

 

[a5cent]

So you are telling me, it's not an improvement because is a feature you don't care about? <snipped>

No. Nowhere did I say I don't care about a wide angle lens. Nowhere did I mention anything about gloves. Nowhere did I say super screen sensitivity was a general improvement. Either your reading comprehension skills are lacking, you don't know what ClearBlack refers to and are unwilling to look it up. I don't know which and don't have the patience to deal with either.

I was honestly and sincerely attempting to explain something to you. I certainly wasn't bashing HTC. If all I get for that is being accused of "fanboying", ironically by you, then that is your loss more than it is mine. Make of it what you will. At this point I don't care anymore.

P.S. As far as I'm concerned, the more people find a suitable WP8 device, the better. As long as it's WP8 I don't care which device you prefer.

 

[scottcraft]

This thread has run it's course. Closed.