Posted by goldenface
14MP Camera Phone from Altek
Altek is an unknown company that has produced many famous cameras. The phrase does sound a little strange but it’s true. Altek has probably built more digital cameras that one could imagine.
There is a good chance that you might have used an Altek manufactured camera at least once in your life.
The reason that the company is not known is that it usually produces its cameras and gives them to other companies who rebrand the products with their own trade mark before selling. But now the quiet giant is ready to enter the market with full force. But it’s not going to be the digital camera market; it’s going to be the cell phone market. One may wonder what the company is planning to do to enter the already highly competitive cell phone market.
Well the answer is that Altek is going to enter the market using its first cell phone called the Leo and this cell phone is going to be a smart phone. Being a smart phone isn’t enough to stand a chance in an industry that’s dominated by HTC and Nokia, but no HTC or Nokia smart phone has a 14 mega pixel camera. That’s right; the Leo is going to feature a 14MP camera with 3x optical zoom and Xenon plus LED flash. All of this is going to be handled by a big OS, probably the Android.
The resolution is high enough to make big boys like Nokia cry, and the big lens and optical zooming would make Sony Ericsson bang its head in a wall.
Let’s just hope the Leo doesn’t turn out to be a typical cheap made “China” phone.
Posted by ceaser2008
Wow
If this is true, thats shocking news. Cause by looking at a pic, how would the lense accomodate in phone ? Just check the thickness of phone and the lense. How would it slide in and out. If not, how can we put those bulged back phone in the pocket? 
Posted by goldenface
Looks to me like it 'slot' on to the phone so you might have to carry the lens around as a spare part.
Posted by mriley
@goldenface
Thanks for posting this
I thought the mega-pixel race was gonna stop at 12, apparently not
Would anyone actually buy that?
Posted by goldenface
Me too. This looks like 70% camera and 30% phone though. I'm wondering what the OS is.
Posted by Bonovox
14 mega pixels
Posted by goldenface
That is one huuuuge lens. I guess this will probably be the winner of the megapixel war.
Posted by mriley
It's probably the most ridiculous phone I've ever seen
It doesn't look as good as the AMOLED, which was kinda the start of the phone-camera thing. Next thing you know Sony will be releasing digital compact cameras with phone functionality
Posted by goldenface
I think it looks better than the AMOLED, with its brushed aluminium finish and all that, but it looks like it weighs a tonne.
Still, it's the quality of the pics that matters with a monster like this.
Posted by Dups!
Hmmm... I get a feeling the one or two mainstream manufacturers will unveil a 14mp camphone despite them saying the megapixel war is over.
Such phones (Altek) tend to twist other manufacturers's hands and it is only a matter of time before we see something like this from the top 5 manufacturers.
Posted by Bonovox
I would never buy something like this. Anyway Samsung have already done this but not released it here & who needs 14 mega pixels? I am more looking forward to the N8 than this. I bet that lens ain't even wide angle even Nokia managed wide angle in a tiny lens in the N86. And who is Altek? That's the name of the 2nd hand pc shop on my road
There is going to come a time when phones will no longer even be phones no more I think it's OTT myself but that's just my opinion. I am quite happy with my 5 mega pixel phone that produces great quality & my Canon 10x optical wide angle zoom lens 
Oh & that lens protruding out from the back of the phone may look fancy but who is the lens made by? Could be some cheap crap lens with a rubbish image processor inside don't get excited yet.You think of how the price of normal compact cameras have come down in price. Any cheap Chinese company can throw out stuff like this. I shall stick to 
thanks. I shall go now before you all start throwing things at me [ This Message was edited by: Bonovox on 2010-05-28 13:16 ]
Posted by goldenface
Are you joking about the lens? Look at the size of the thing? I wouldn't like to be hit over the head with it.
Like Dups! said, it wouldn't surprise me at all if one of the top five surprised us with a high end snapper.
I don't think the N8 is gonna sell. Android is booming. Even the N900 had lukewarm sales.
Posted by Bonovox
No I am not. Yes it's big for a phone but in proper real compact or DSLR terms that lens is small zoom
As for the N8 well Nokia is still doing well in their smartphone sales although I think the N900 was lukewarm cos it's not what people know.[ This Message was edited by: Bonovox on 2010-05-28 13:19 ]
Posted by mriley
Does anyone else think this thing is completely pointless?
It's too big to be a convenient phone and 14MP is ridiculous and will only make night photos terrible quality.
Posted by goldenface
I don't think I'd get one but I guess you'll have to see how it compares with other cam phones to see if it really has that much appeal. It might have excellent video recording abilities.
Posted by Bonovox
I am wondering if in future these cheaper Chinese companies are going to start taking over the whole market flooded with Chinese & Korean phones throwing out stuff like this. Who knows? I hope not
One of my brothers has a 14 mega pixel Olympus camera quite pricey but pictures are shite 
I know it's nice to have a phone in the hand which you can feel but some day we are going to go back to the 1980's with mobile phones so huge with massive 20x optical zooms on If you want higher mega pixels you don't put them in phones or compacts use a DSLR 
14 megs or higher in a phone or compact & pictures suffer[ This Message was edited by: Bonovox on 2010-05-28 13:31 ]
Posted by goldenface
Techradar seems to think it could be running Android.
Posted by phonecrzy
http://www.techradar.com/news[....]ff-running-android-too--692837
runs android, sweeettt nice looking too, first android phone with a good camera