Nokia N86 vs Sony Ericsson Idou

The Gadget Show  Wednesday 25 March 2009

Who's the best camera phone? The Sony Ericsson Idou or Nokia N86?

It’s the cameraphone clash convergence freaks have been waiting for since their birth: the Nokia N86 versus the Sony Ericsson Idou. But which is the hot shot and which is just full of hot air? We find out…

Common sensor No contest. The Sony Ericsson Idou has a whopping 12.1-megapixel sensor. Don’t get us wrong, the Nokia N86’s 8-megapixel effort is still impressive, we just want to take pics of our fat mate and print them out life-size. You know, for kicks. Winner: Sony Ericsson Idou

Style-phile Both phones look great, but the Nokia’s just got the edge. It’s more compact with more slender dimensions (103.4×51.4×16.5mm) than the Idou’s 111×54x15mm body. It’s also got a slidey-out keypad to complement the touchscreen. Natch. Winner: Nokia N86

Screen lover! Both the Idou and N86 have awesome touchscreens, with the N86’s 2.6-inch, 320×240 effort undoubtedly impressive. Unfortunately, the Idou weighs in with a 3.5-inch beast. Not only that the 360×640 ratio means its widescreen. Love it? Yes we do! Winner: Sony Ericsson Idou

Feature frenzy Both phones pack in the usual mobile gubbinry (WI-Fi et al), and both have GPS functionality, for various geo-tagging frolics. The N86, meanwhile, boasts 8GB internal memory, with an SD card slot for up to 16GB storage. The Idou’s storage details are still under wraps, but expect it to be significant. The N86, though, can also play N-Gage games and comes with Share on Ovi and Flickr uploading abilities. It’s a close one, but for pure extra shizzle, the N86 just clinches it. Winner: Nokia N86

And the winner is… Both are awesome camera phones. If you want massive pics from your mobile, then the Idou provides the bigger picture. But if you want more bells and whistles to complement excellent snaps, then the N86 is awesome. It’s to close to call. This one finishes in a… Winner: Draw