Nokia 808 PureView available and ships next month for $785 in Italy

The Nokia 808 PureView that was announced nearly two months ago? It was Nokia’s 41 megapixel camera that set the internet on fire. Not everyone believed that number at first, but after enough time had passed, and enough questions were answered, we found out that yes, the 808 does indeed have a 41 megapixel image sensor that can capture - 38 megapixel photos. By default however, the camera takes 5 megapixel images. Nokia uses roughly 38 megapixels worth of data to give you a crisp and clear 5 megapixel image, which is something we totally approve of since the internet wouldn’t know what to do with itself if it had to deal with 41 megapixel photos. In fact, just today we heard that Nokia is going to a Windows Phone later this year with a 12 megapixel PureView camera, meaning the resulting photos would be somewhere between 1 megapixel and 2 megapixels large. More than enough for Facebook/Twitter/email.

But enough about the future, let’s talk about the 808. According to Nokia Italy, it’s going to ship next month. We don’t know when exactly, but we do have a price tag: 599 EUR, which translates to roughly $785. That’s a lot of dough for a Symbian device, but you have to understand that the 808 is a science experiment more than anything else.

Now for the important question: Should you but it? If you’re looking for the best camera phone ever invented, then the answer is blindingly obvious. If on the other hand you’re looking for the best all-around smartphone, one with a great camera, but also great applications, web browser, call quality, etc., then the Apple iPhone 4S is right up your alley. Too small? Then Samsung’s Galaxy S II will make you just as happy. We honestly don’t think the 808 will be a massive success, but like the Nokia N9, which flopped, Nokia will learn a lot from it.