by Suzy Stembridge

Created on: March 23, 2010

The greatest invention ever to grace mankind might be the cell phone. Taking instant communication to the next level by making it mobile made the world a lot smaller. However now that the great leap has already been accomplished, developers are finding ways to make the cell phone more attractive by adding fun, if not necessary accessories and features, such as a built in camera.  

In a nutshell, the higher the megapixel, the sharper the image. Viewing an image at an average 2.6 inches screen really doesn’t make a difference after 2 megapixels. However, people would usually want to upload images to their blogs or social online communities and perhaps even develop them into full sized pictures. Only then, does it matter when the higher the megapixel, the better the quality. Having a high megapixel camera phone also enables amateur photographer to capture breathtaking pictures whenever the moment is at hand.  

The purpose of the phone also comes into question when deciding if the megapixel value is pivotal. Most travelers would want a high megapixel phone to cater to their photography needs, capturing scenic views and documenting crystal clear memories. Regular folk might need a basic one, clear enough to provide a decent image, yet simple enough to operate without deciding the lighting or aperture level. The various phone available on the market is a testament that phones are becoming as unique as the individual that uses them. It really depends on the need of the phone. Once upon a time, all we needed was to make a phone call.  

When the camera was first included into the cell phone, there wasn’t much to boast about, from a technical point of view. The built in camera could not hold a candle against stand-alone fully functional digital cameras. It was just like having a clock display on your phone when you already wore a watch. However, it was still cool to have one. People want the latest gadget with the most function and the most buttons. Whether it actually serves its purpose is another matter.  

While the issue of megapixels is of the utmost importance in deciding on a good camera, camera phones however need not be valued on the level of its clarity. For consumers who find a high megapixel camera phone to pricey, a lower spec one can do just as good a trick. It really depends on what you’re looking for in a phone. I’m just waiting for a phone that has a battery life of a Galapagos Land turtle. 

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