Carl Zeiss to produce lenses for Nokia camera phones

This is important news:  The world famous lens maker, Carl Zeiss, will produce optics for Nokia camera phones, the Nokia press release says. 

The first phone to incorporate Carl Zeiss components is a new "Nseries" (advanced multimedia capabilities) Nokia N90 Multimedia two megapixel camera phone (see below) that was launched today.

Nseries phones

The N90 is slated to be commercially available in the second quarter of this year.  Nokia says the Nseries features large color displays, HTML browsing and streaming video and is based upon its Series 60 platform.

Nokia launched several Nseries phones in Amsterdam at its "Destination Media" conference.  The other phones are: 

*  N91:  Optimized for music and includes a 4GB hard drive and USB 2.0.  Available at the end of this year.

*  N70:  The smallest Series 60 WCDMA two megapixel camera phone that also includes an FM radio and stereo audio.  Available in the third quarter of this year.

An article in Business Week reports Nokia expects to sell more tha 100 million camera phones this year.  The article also says Nokia this year expects to sell more than 25 million smart phones and more than 40 million phones with MP3 capability.

Zeiss/Dialog collaboration

In September 2004 I wrote that Dialog Semiconductor and Carl Zeiss established a partnership to develop camera phone modules with optics and sensors from Zeiss and microprocessors from Dialog.

In the article I wrote, based upon the press release, that the first product would be a "camera phone module with a high quality image sensor and integrated image processor.  As a result of its three-element lens and extremely aspheric surfaces, the lens is extremely small, with dimensions smaller than the size of a pea, and producing a very high image quality."

I've written previously whether/when camera phone manufacturers might work with major camera vendors, such as Canon or Nikon, to produce dual-branded handsets.  Although Nokia can't advertise "Canon Inside" for photo-taking cognoscenti, advertising "Carl Zeiss Inside" could be a big deal for people who know the name.

I certainly hope the quality of the camera phone photos will be worthy of the legendary German lens manufacturer.

Nokia multimedia expert blogs

Christian Lindholm, a well known Nokia multimedia expert (creator of the Nokia Navi-key interface, Series 60 interface and Lifeblog software; read his blog article about Lifeblog and "life-caching"), blogs about the Nseries phones and the N90 in particular.

It's well worth reading his blog article, so I'm publishing most of it below.  The link above takes you to the entire article, including comments from readers.

"It is the first integrating a Tessar lens from Zeiss having autofocus and 2M pixels.  It takes amazing pictures.  In my mind it is not anymore a Camera phone, but an example of an emering dominant design:  a Transformer.

"A Transformer is a device which through user action can be transformed into three or more optimal shapes for different functions.  In the case of N90 there are four key optimized shapes: 1. Close clamshell for carrying. 2. Open clamshell for talking, browsing – big keyboard, big display.  3. Turn and twist for photographs.  4. Open and twist for video or imaging.

"The first reaction from people will be: - it is too big.  The second reaction will be: - only 2M pixels. 

"I had the same reactions, but when using it and particularly the camera and the video camera and experiencing the amazing screen (416 x 352 pixels) using Lifeblog in landscape with 9 thumbnails on the screen or the superbly big keys.

"My worries left me and now I feel this is going to be an icon, a device we will look back at and saying this started something new.  So I decided that this is a Nokia device worth blogging about.

"I believe these kind of Transformers will become new dominant designs, they are an evolution of clamshells and we have seen preludes of them in Japan and Korea for some time.

"Dominant designs can be defined as a common way to assemble a product which users accept through their purchace behaviour.  There are currently three key dominant design in the mobile phone industry.  Monoblocks, Clamshells, Slidephones.

"What makes Transformers unique are the extremely sophisticated hinges, which have in the past 3 years advanced very rapidly.

"Seeing users transforming and hearing 'Click-Clack' creates a spontaneous wow and as a demo effect it is great.

"I have been using a beta device for some time and it will become my new Liferecorder.  Like something really new, it will require some user learning. Figuring out how to grip the device for the most optimal transformation.  That in my mind is not an example of bad usability or poor ergonomics.

"It is a sign of something truly new.

"I have shot some stunning pictures for example the picture of the Rembrant picture in my Timeline.  The video camera in it takes 30fps video at 352 x 288 pixels, that is rougly the quality of VHS."

Great, but...

The N90 looks like a great device.  Personally, I don't mind large cellular phones if they serve my needs -- advanced data functionality with access to hundreds, thousands of applications.  That's why I like the Treo 650 with the Palm OS.

However, the N90 lacks an important feature for me:  A keyboard.  Despite all the workarounds -- voice recognition, handwriting recognition, whatever -- the keypad is an ergonomic disaster for entering text.

I'm not satisfied with writing a few words or even a sentence or two.  I want to write paragraphs, pages of information.  I can't do that with a keypad.  That's one reason I carry a Research in Motion BlackBerry (with the complete QWERTY keyboard), arguably the best wireless e-mail device on the planet with one of the best keyboards of any wireless handset.

Comments

[Richard]

how much is this phone N91

[barrie harrop]

This is a potential repeat of their failed Kodak/HP venture this time by HP- the past project "Phogenix"

Mr. Joshi lead the last mess with a HP/Kodak kiosk venture, they spent millions of dollars, built a new plant-went to market with poor response to these kiosks then shut it down before they where delivered to handful of customers, saying they where in the “wrong space”-and home printing was where they should be--expect this is panic move to shore up sliding home printing.

Ink jet in the public space just is not good enough quality at a retail level--it has lots of problems with getting the right mix of colors on prints-and with paper having to absorbed the ink at high speed-there will be issues and un happy customers, let alone archival quality of about 20-30yrs these prints begin to fade within 2yrs, our 100yrs archival values at pxidigital®, we offer customers “instant gratification”® expect our customer turn around time will be 2-3 times faster than the HP kiosk, with superior quality digital prints, just spent 14mths retail testing with fantastic customer responses most say we are way in front of the Kodak on demand kiosk quality.

The above are registered trademarks of Velocitimage Group Pty Ltd.

[barrie harrop]

Velocitimage Group Pty Ltd, is about to go to production rollout phase within next 6 weeks with our pxidigital® digital kiosk hub customers will be enjoying “instant gratification”® with the world’s fastest kiosk printing better than minilab quality in 2.9secs per 6”x4” digital print.,from any digital camera or camera/phone media.

With more than 50% of customers claiming, we are so far in front of Kodak Kiosk print quality and speed, and ease of use, see image of customers using pxidigital® kiosk at our first major mall installation www.westfield.com Penrith ,Sydney.

Barrie Harrop said “We are planning to franchise pxidigital® kiosks, across the global market, with first country rights deal for China already in place”.

Barrie Harrop said “Our customer turn around time is up 2 times if not 3 times faster than our competition; it is a combination of our very clean GUI, easy to use appealing to non-PC savvy customers and new high-speed engine technology”.

Barrie Harrop said “We will be able in production models to print in “print all” mode do up to 50 6”x4” prints in 3 mins-or over 900 per hr-this from a stand-alone kiosk that requires no out side assistance, operates out in busy mall spaces, just like an ATM”.

We will be network connected, payment via all bank-credit cards, prepaid, or loyalty cards.
Velocitimage, pxidigital,”instant gratification” are trademarks of Velocitimage Group Pty Ltd.

About Velocitimage Group Pty Ltd, founded in 2004, has created a global branded high-speed digital kiosk venture-that offers better than lab quality instant digital prints, assembly capability up 500 kiosks per week, in UK/EU, Asia/Pacific, with attractive vendor financing options for major rollouts.(subject to approval process)

Media Contact Barrie Harrop, CEO Velocitimage Group Pty Ltd,level 6/165 Walker Street,Nth Sydney,NSW, Australia,tel+61418818423,bharrop@ozemail.com.au

[barrie harrop]

Photo kiosk-update last week Velocitimage® with its pxidigital® digital kiosk hub ,created a new world record one customer printing 1,200 better than minilab digital prints from our on-demand kiosk hub-that day we did over 4,000 prints.-proving our “instant gratification”® to be a huge hit with customers looking for quick easy digital print solution,in a wireless telco store.
bharrop@ozemail.com.au

[barrie harrop]

Yesterday we did some print testing with the new Nokia N90, with our Velocitimage® digital kiosk hub-the print quality is simply going stun the imaging industry-we where printing 6”x4” at 4secs per print- images from this handset with our best imaging in the world from an on-demand kiosk “instant gratification”® offer, coupled with our leading edge imaging enhancement IP, we produced very sharp true to color prints -this is not just the biggest thing happening in the wireless Telco space, it’s the biggest thing happing in all imaging.
We will create a significant footfall driver for wireless stores-as their sales team will be able to demonstrate that these new generation camera/phone handsets are no longer about “toy quality” digital prints anymore, we have a number of other applications to drive repeat visitation to these stores.
The wireless Telco stores no longer need to have their staff train their customers to go off to Kodak-Fujifilm they can retain their customers extend their valuable brands into the digital space with our co-branded solution-we can even brand the media so it become say a “3” print.
bharrop@ozemail.com.au