Quick reply...
Camera in N900 is theoretically upgradeable (the service manual for the N900 indicates that the camera can be replaced), and in article about CPU it's mentioned that there is a hardware On-the-fly JPEG compression unit, which can cope with up to 12MP cameras.
So, can somebody try it out?

Tried it in a store, the UI is still the old one but pretty fast and fluid. In general nice to use, especially one-handed. And everything can be used in landscape-mode, which is just the nicest way to use a touch phone with two hands (iOS und Android do not offer landscape everywhere, which is pretty annoying).

Browser is pretty bad, ovi store is a WRT-App, not convincing, Ovi Maps is rich in functionality but some parts are WRT-based, and overall could be faster.

So still some work to do.

Just a quick note that with alternative software, the N900 camera can take *much* better pictures than with the default camera app. I am very impressed with the shots taken by BlessN900 in dark places.

I received my N8 on the 11th of October. There is incredibly little noise in the photos I've taken. It blows away the ~$175.00 Nikon camera I've been using. Video is smooth and sound is quite good as well. Pictures look really good on the AMOLED display.

This is a fast phone. Applications open quickly, close quickly. It's hung on me exactly once since I've gotten it. It gets T-Mobile and AT&T 3G just fine. Sound quality is super on calls.

I miss the additional pixels that were on the N900's display. I also miss the zooming gesture used with the N900. I felt a bit stupid using that on the N8 and getting no results other than the web page bouncing around inside the display.

This is a big improvement over S60v5. I am liking it alot.

getting N8 as a second phone is fail..Rather get a good Camera.. :-/
as thats what the N8 does best only.

Yes but can we reflash it with Maemo or Meego?
If not, then it is a dead-end device...

Camera software is a separate topic...

I see... I don't need photographing in dark places yet, and I don't like non-free applications (both default camera and BlessN900 seem to be non-free), but I see the point.

Who knows a camera application which would be:
1. open-source;
2. having automatic and manual modes;
3. having not less but more features than the default camera;
4. taking better (more realistic, naturally colored, less distorted) photographs under _any_ possible circumstances (close or far away object, bright sunlight or dark night, fast movements of objects) in automatic mode.

Video isn't necessary. Consequently taken (say, 1 fps) photographs are better, they can later be joined into a video, and each of them has better resolution than video frames.

Using accelerometer data/ GPS data (if you are moving fast, in a car/plane) / advanced algorithms could allow stitching photographs into large panoramas.

Consecutive photographs with different focus distance could be united into one photograph where everything is in focus (mostly suitable for non-changing landscape where you want to have both nearby tree and far-away mountain in focus).

I just will have to see what fcam-drivers and Fcamera look like, and take a look at Knips. What else would you recommend?

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About N8: does it support both portrait and landscape mode? does it understand when you keep it head over heels (normal position + 180 rotation)? How does virtual keyboard in portrait mode look and feel? Do you have/need handwriting recognition? Is camera application better/worse than on N900? Is photographs quality better/worse than you would expect from 12 MP? What are weak and strong points of N8 compared to N900?

Why do people keep on stressing N8 'only' has a good camera? Why forget the HDMI port? USB-OTG? Anodized aluminum case? The brilliant Broadcom GPU which is on par with iPhone's SGX535? Give credit where it's due. Gigahertz aren't everything. None of the current crop of high end phones match N8's hardware and specially the price it's available at, makes it one of the most attractive phones around. Infact, it's one of the most complete phones currently available imo.

"It just works."

HDMI port?
What is that? Oh, better TV Out. I don't have a TV, so I haven't noticed that.

USB-OTG?
Very well, it's something N900 developers try hard to get; it should be something attractive. It's ability to connect to USB keyboards, USB flash drives, etc. Yes, it IS a good feature. But, you will still need USB adapter cable, and it is comparable with mobidapter.
http://mobile.allaboutsymbian.com/re...Mobidapter.php

Anodized aluminum case...
Looks well, protects well.

None of the current crop of high end phones match N8's hardware and the price it's available at; one of the most attractive phones around; one of the most complete phones currently available.
Agree about hardware (I'm not a competent authority). Add MeeGo as operating system and qwerty slide-out keyboard (or second touchscreen to be used as a keyboard), then I will truly envy the device.

Until then, I dream about putting 12 MP camera into N900, and solar charger is welcome. I have had N900 for a short time, I am not tired of it, its capabilities are not exhausted, in many respects it's better than a computer.

If I didn't have N900, I could take either N8 or N9.