Nokia's 41-megapixel Camera Phone Not Coming to the U.S.

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No Nokia 808 for the U.S.

At the tail-end of last month, Nokia made headlines with the unveiling of its 808 PureView, a phone that packs a camera with a whopping 41-megapixel sensor. The phone was definitely a stand-out product at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. Nokia didn't mention anything about a U.S. launch but did reveal that the phone would be on sale in Europe in April and pricing was reported to be around €450. However, it seems there was a reason Nokia didn't talk about North American availability: We're not actually getting it. At least not through any carriers.

That's right, folks, if you want to take photos with a maximum 38-megapixel resolution, you'll have to look elsewhere, because you won't be able to do it with the 808 PureView. Nokia's developer site currently lists the PureView as having a global release, except for North America. Of course, as Engadget points out, it's possible that you'll still be able to get the phone unlocked and off-contract -- several retailers are apparently already listing it for pre-order.

For those that missed out on the specs last month (and are interested in picking this phone up if and when it becomes available), the 808 PureView boasts 1.3GHz single-core chip, 512MB of RAM, 16GB of storage (expandable via microSD) and a 4-inch display. Lastly, it has that all important 41-megapixel sensor with Carl Zeiss optics, 4X zoom and the ability to record full 1080p HD. Nokia is using the sensor to target enthusiasts and offer them the opportunity to take high-res close-ups and the ability to crop without sacrificing quality.

The 808 PureView is tipped to hit the UK in late April.

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Jane McEntegart

Jane McEntegart works in marketing communications at Intel and was previously Manager of Content Marketing at ASUS North America. Before that, she worked for more than seven years at Tom's Guide and Tom's Hardware, holding such roles as Contributing Editor and Senior News Editor and writing about everything from smartphones to tablets and games consoles.

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34 Comments Comment from the forums
  • darkchazz
    Bummer..
    Well you can always import it unlocked, but I suppose most people in the US are too cheap and will only pay $200 for a locked 2 year contract phone from carriers...

    Seems like the only good thing in this phone is the camera.
    The screen is absolute poo by today's standards, 360x640 res in 4 inches (=184 ppi), and it's a Pentile AMOLED :P
    Reply
  • blubbey
    I'd prefer to have the Galaxy S3. From what I recall, it has better specs (generally) and it looks much sleeker I suppose.
    Reply
  • chronicbint
    Would have ordered one already if it had Android or WP7 on it.
    Reply
  • rosen380
    "but I suppose most people in the US are too cheap and will only pay $200 for a locked 2 year contract phone from carriers..."

    As I understand it, monthly rates overseas are much less, so I don't think it is a matter of being cheap, but more a trade-off -- we get $200 iPhone 4S with $60-$100/month phone+data plans... in the UK it looks like $750 for the phone plus $25-$55 for phone+data.

    So it is more layout $550 now or pay an extra $35-45 per month.

    I think if there was a 1GB + unlimited text plus 300 minute plan here in the US for $30, you'd find a whole lot of people willing to pay full price for the phones...
    Reply
  • nukemaster
    A 41 megapixel sensor in something the size of a phone(historically small sensors do not look as good as large ones even larger sensors of lower megapixel ratings). Not sure how well this will look.

    Guess a review will be in order.
    Reply
  • jl0329
    Real photographers don't use a 41 MP phone to shoot pictures.
    Reply
  • house70
    jl0329Real photographers don't use a 41 MP phone to shoot pictures.The only purpose of this sensor is for one to be able to zoom in and crop pictures without compromising the quality of the final result. Real photographers that need to do that know this already.
    Reply
  • eddieroolz
    Smart move by Nokia. People in North America seems to have this trend of "Android, Android, Android" ingrained into their minds. Everything they demand Android. So basically from Nokia's standpoint, why spend a lot of money to bring over a handheld to a market of 300million Android-chanting fanboys when you can address a much larger, more sensible market in Europe?
    Reply
  • warezme
    eddieroolzSmart move by Nokia. People in North America seems to have this trend of "Android, Android, Android" ingrained into their minds. Everything they demand Android. So basically from Nokia's standpoint, why spend a lot of money to bring over a handheld to a market of 300million Android-chanting fanboys when you can address a much larger, more sensible market in Europe?And Nokia must have called you and told you this because???? Get a clue dude, N. America, consists of 3 large countries with only a handful of major carriers for the US and I would assume Canada and Mexico being similar with at the most 2-3 languages to deal with. While on the other hand, you have Europe, a conglomerate of many languages, demographics, borders, countires, carriers and subcarriers. Just exactly would you rather work with if you were Nokia? Think about it.
    Reply
  • frank_drebin
    The usual Nokia way.
    Reply