Twelve megapixels is, I think, enough for covering most applications most customers need...we have no intention to compete in the megapixel wars for E-System.

He's referring to cameras like the $700 Olympus E-620, which like most cameras, could benefit a lot more from an engineering focus on low-light performance and color reproduction than just some extra megapixels.

Now if only we can explain that more megapixels isn't always better to every consumer at best buy picking out a camera from an endless line of point and shoots. [ZDNET via bbGadgets]

The Price: $250 with two-year contract, $50 rebate and qualifying data plan

The Verdict: A pretty damn good cameraphone. The TouchWiz UI is pretty much the same as the version on the Samsung Behold. In short, it's more usable as a touchscreen phone (keyboard is fairly decent) than Windows Mobile phones, but not quite as good as say, Android or the iPhone. It does have haptic feedback, meaning there's a slight rumble as you press down on the screen. And yes, that implies that the Memoir doesn't have capacitive touch. You still have to press down when you want to click things. Let it be known that Jesús Diaz does not like some Samsung touchscreen UIs.

The front of the phone looks like a Samsung touchscreen phone, but the back actually looks a lot like a Samsung camera. Which is kind of the point. The 8-megapixel camera is very good. So good, in fact, that it's (give or take) about as good as my Samsung NV3 point and shoot from a few years ago. The gallery below has comparison shots.

And here's how well the Memoir's Xenon flash works in complete darkness. Spoiler: Pretty damn well.

I haven't had enough experience with Nokia's high end N-series cameraphones to say whether or not the Memoir is better. We've already established that more megapixels isn't always better, but if the Memoir can take photos that are just about as good as Samsung's NV3 (which doesn't take FANTASTIC images, we have to admit), it's a great alternative for a point and shoot camera.

[DVICE]