Foreword

Good smartphones there across all price and feature classes now like sand on the sea. Who so really wants to see as a manufacturer in the competitive market, must come up with something. With the Pixon 12 Samsung jumps up fully against this background on the train of megapixel delusion, which almost as violently, the mobile phone industry determines the business with digital cameras and for one to two years for quite some time.

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Pixon 12 – half Smartphone, half camera?

The Bill that make those responsible with the newer Pixon is very simple: you take a good ausgestattestes on paper device and overpairs there with a camera, which brings rich 12 megapixel along with a lot of bells and whistles – the best seller is ready. The following will be investigated whether the camera function of Samsung aspirant actually holds promise, and whether it can convince the Smartphone away from this aspect.

Specifications

Pixon 12 at a glance

Optics & processing

The Pixon 12 is in a surprisingly sleek and at the same time stylish clothes because – especially when you consider that it is a device, which potentially is to eliminate the digital camera from Otto-normal consumers: with masses of 108 x 53 x 14 (L x W x H in mm) and a weight of 120 grams, the Pixon is moving pretty much exactly in the size and weight climes of the common competition.

The built-in camera has a small disadvantage but then in terms of ergonomics. Heraussteht the lens on the back pretty far, but of course not everywhere is adapted to this depth, the Pixon on the back is never plan. The resulting tilting effect is made bet by a discreet plastic coating on the rear underside in parts – is completely flush the Smartphone not located on but still.

This ensures (in this case to rather negligible) aesthetic and tangible practical concerns, because the lens mount is always on edge. After nearly three weeks with the Pixon 12 no definitive statement can be to the compatibility of this fact for the processed material of course meet – medium and long term a post vulnerable – at least for scratching – could be found here but quite.

Apart from that, the Pixon with a view to processing makes a very good impression. While the front next to a narrow button series almost entirely by the 3.1 inch wide, very convincing AMOLED display taken is (see next section), shine the pages with chrome strips, and the back with brushed, black grey metal.

All in all have succeeded “Optics & processing” in particular in the light not easy integration of the potent camera so excellent Samsung.

Operation & surface

It is operated via the already mentioned AMOLED display, which represents a size of 3.1 inches with good 480 x 800 pixels. Angehmer way the Pixon 12 is actually a good example of this that the OLED technology in spite of some difficulties in production and prices high clear front has the nose: maximum brightness is to see clearly the difference between a conventional TFT display thanks to bright, brilliant colors. And also in other respects, the Pixon is a good example: namely that that also resistive touch screen without stylus can smoothly.

In addition to the fairly brisk – thanks to the responsive displays and powerful processor (800 MHz) – operation via touch can be used on a “call arrival” or “reject” button and a prangende which menu button. These physical buttons manifest very positively as with many competitors also – as additional controls. Is a shame in this context, that the menu button has no function of the trackpad.

All in all you hardware thus to control appealing tempo the Pixon 12. The positive impression continues also in looking at the surface and comes even though we were quite skeptical about what the functionality of the Samsung proprietary as for, on the Pixon as the operating system used.

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Pixon 12: desktop 1 of 3

The said doubts were however unfounded, because the Samsung system meets all criteria for at least fundamentally good to be evaluated. So, the user by known finger wiping can have three customizable desktops, which can accommodate from direct access to the calendar and the photos of program shortcuts of also shortcuts to settings such as the Wi Fi connection. The why can be arranged at will on desktops in this and moved. Striking is the fact that these and all other menus are strikingly discreetly kept so they – work pleasantly cleaned up just as compared to the nested Windows Mobile 6.x-. Who should succeed in spite of ample space constraints to occupy all desktops can have in addition to a menu in the left pane of the display to this to the expand, which lists the most commonly used widgets.

Thanks to a frust free, liquid handling and a comfortable, uncluttered user interface is also for this section to say that Samsung with the Pixon 12 do everything correctly.

Multimedia & Office

Officially the Pixon 12 makes unique his camera of course, because after all you have to do that with 12 megapixels, so in a resolution of 4000 x 3000 pixels, takes photos here with the at that time first Smartphone. As well as in digital cameras, you have this value also in this case especially the pretty misleading marketing industry due to, that feed is doing in terms of megapixels of a “much helps much” setting in the target group.

One leads to the actual use of 12 megapixels for quality in mind (this is low or even non-existent but rather dependent on other factors such as for example the quality of lens for a mobile phone camera), so these are so exactly just a Word of technical feature, which is very little about the actual says quality of the image of Pixons.

Fortunately, the device but still revealed as potent Smartphone for all those who want to retain the environment with their mobile phone camera and on.

For detail lovers is the first reason for this statement in the diverse options to find. In addition to five color effects, face detection, 28 mm focal length, a digital image stabilizer and a self-timer may also to a macro, Panorama mode, and a total of 13 predefined programs as “Night” or “Dawn”, or be used. All relevant settings can also by the exposure of the saturation and sharpness to the contrast manually adjust, with also a white balance can be carried out. Also videos can be recorded in a resolution of 720 x 480 pixels at 27-30 frames per second – the quality white to convince again thanks to the auto focus.

The functionality is rounded off by a little gimmick: use of object tracking, it is possible to shoot moving targets relatively sharp. This works surprisingly well for larger, rather slow objects, but is smaller, speedier objects such as for example birds despite the good functionality of the touch screen to its limits. Overall, you have to do it, which is ranked in the “nice to have” with a function.

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Camera operation: separate trigger and zoom rocker

A second reason the uncomplicated is, to name a few liquid handling: the operation is over thanks to a separate shutter button on the right side of the case, and thanks to the fast one zoomens from the volume rocker (see picture above) intuitive and easy. It is also positive that the Pixon 12 mostly within one to two focused seconds and a second saves the images despite the size in a split – so a photo journey is fun!

A third and decisive reason is basic photo quality to name a few. Although stands with a view on some color noise and some blur not up for debate, that a full-fledged camera clearly suggests the Pixon 12; But if one considers the quality compared to what has to offer the Smartphone competition, so it goes without saying that the Samsung aspirant with an excellent sharpness, great contrasts and a convincing fidelity belongs to the premier class.

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Pixon 12: convincing examples of photo

This is true but as portrayed only if it is not mistakenly preparing, to compare the Pixon with a genuine, high-quality camera. In this comparison the Smartphone would cut off namely rather poorly, which can be attached in two aspects: in moderate light conditions, the built-in xenon flash makes workaround – although only up to a visibility of one and a half meters. The same applies to the zoom: the Pixon offers no optical, but only digital zoom, which quickly should spoil the mood ranged photographer due to the loss of quality. The era predicted by a CEO of Nokia in the Smartphone replaces the digital SLR camera, have not come so still long.

Despite these limitations should be stressed at this point once again that the comparison with a real camera – although as indicated more often from the industry suggests – is hardly appropriate. In this respect may be issued to the camera of the Pixon 12 in direct comparison with the offer of the competition, even with cheaper compact camera being excellent testimony.

However, this does not apply the browser that leaves a bitter taste in the overall assessment as a single component. Also this is an in-house development, after all five tabs and Flash Lite support. While you can still overlook that the performance using the Flash significantly goes to its knees, the portly zoom function just for frequent readers despite the at least four zoom levels is more of a horror. As small displays Web pages as the mobi version of computer base via WLAN and UMTS/HSDPA pretty fast 13 seconds – here the Pixon in turn has predicted something many competitors.

The feature presents itself away from the attractive visual processing in the form of a successful Coverflows at an average level. As a 3.5 mm jack connector is missing, the included headphones as well as any own periphery via adapter must be connected. The sound quality is both acceptable but not outstanding. Annoying is the fact that the Preset Equalizer not can be customized. GPS also exists, which is due to the proprietary operating system only a few real navigation solutions available, so that the majority of users with Google maps will be satisfied. The ability to capture the location of Geotagging photos is nice.

From the perspective of the Office, the Pixon 12 offers the common repertoire: How can Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF files be opened and viewed. Setup an email account is relatively easy, there is a connection to Microsoft Exchange Server for real time forwarding.

Communication

Even with the necessary communication facilities, Samsung is no slouch. In addition to the compulsory quadband GSM/GPRS and EDGE, the Pixon offers 12 UMTS (HSDPA / HSUPA), Wi-Fi (802.11 b / g) and Bluetooth A2DP profile for transferring wireless stereo signals, so you should be set to all eventualities including.

Transit times

The terms represent a sensitive issue in many Smartphones of these days, finally it is features in the design always to bring Akkugröße and weight in line. Also here we advance when looking at the datasheet of Pixons a little skeptical, because after all Samsung take a comparatively small battery with 1,000 the device mAh.

The manufacturer’s instructions (see graph above) in all the honors, not aims at this point as always, to discuss the values determined safe under optimal conditions. Instead, the reference is sufficient, that despite these concerns, the Pixon runtime not very noticeable and that neither positive nor negative. This means that you can expect a moderate use, that the device will last up to two working days, until one and a half hours must be loaded for good.

Conclusion

There are good reasons to recommend the Samsung Pixon 12 away from the conditional marketing terms 12 megapixel? The answer to that final question is: Yes. What is it based?

On the one hand, the Pixon 12 overall makes a very good impression. In times where many Smartphones are users with a hakeligen operation into madness, in particular the well structured surface and the liquid handling of the device is to be commended, especially since here a Samsung own creation is used, the development of which was certainly not too elaborately operated. If you like a clearly structured but decent surface, will love the Samsung system together with the supplied widgets so.

A significant limitation is however to note: for the browser: mobile frequent surfers and especially readers should rather consider due to moderate (zoom) use the contract for a different model.

Secondly, the Pixon 12 in total brings an equipment with it that even months after the release must not hide. With a brilliant, responsive display, as well as an excellent connectivity and camera, in this respect there is actually nothing to gripe. Only sound enthusiasts should provide hardware may, as the quality of the play, seemingly regardless of the used headphones only average level moves.

The Pixon 12 is quite interesting in the context of a purchase decision for a broad and price performance-conscious audience. This is particularly true if it is to snapshot lovers with penchant for quality – but only, if they are not at the same time power surfer.

Availability & prices

The Pixon 12 is available already for quite some time and can be bought from the usual providers in the context of different tariffs accordingly to varying prices. In the free version can be expected after pretty expensive entry prices by the 600 euros now with a moderate price of currently around 320 euros upwards (current price).