2007 was the year of the 5 megapixel mobile phone, without a doubt. But times move on, and as we head towards Christmas, it seems appropriate that 2008 is the year of mobile phones with EIGHT megapixel cameras. Of the first two announced, one from Sony Ericsson, one from Samsung, which one is the best? Which should you spend your money on?

Sony Ericsson C905 - packed with Cyber-Shot goodness

First out the trap is the first mobile phone with an 8 megapixel camera to be announced in the UK, the Cyber-Shot powered Sony Ericsson C905. And let's be honest, as mobile phones go, it's a beauty! Ok, granted, it's always going to be remembered best for its camera (more on that in a minute), but there's a lot more to love in this superb mobile phone from Sony Ericsson. It's got HSDPA and WiFi, it's got a fantastic media player (nicked from... sorry, inspired by... the Sony PSP), and it has GPS. It's also got a gorgeous sliding form factor, making the Sony Ericsson C905, as far as I'm concerned, one of the best looking camera-equipped mobile phones I've seen in a very long time.

And then, there's the camera, and dear lord what a camera the Sony Ericsson C905 has! Coming in at a whopping great 8 megapixels, it's also got the xenon flash, the autofocus, the image stabiliser, the low-light modes, and all the other good stuff you expect from Cyber-Shot mobile phones. Having seen some demo photos from a prototype Sony Ericsson C905 (get them Googled, you know you want to), I can honestly say the camera surpasses absolutely anything I've ever seen on any mobile phones ever.

However...

...the Sony Ericsson hasn't got it all its own way, because there's another 8 megapixel mobile phone on the market, and this one is even more advanced (plus, it's already on sale, neatly getting a heads up on the Sony Ericsson). It's the shiny, the sexy, the powerful, Samsung i8510 INNOV8.

Samsung i8510 INNOV8 - the smart shooter

Sticking a great big fly firmly in Sony Ericsson's ointment is the i8510 INNOV8 from Samsung, a mobile phone that takes the concept of having an 8 megapixel camera, and puts it in a top-end smartphone. Result: a camera that can match the Sony Ericsson, in the body of a far more powerful mobile phone. That's the big area where the Samsung wins hands-down: the operating system, since it's Symbian. And that means it's a proper fully fledged smartphone, will let you download and install your own software, and is generally far cleverer than the Sony Ericsson. The only thing going against the Samsung is its size, since it's also smartphone-sized (i.e. big). What it all comes down to, then, is what you want from whichever of the mobile phones you go for. Do you want a brilliant camera, in a mobile phone that may not be a top-end smartphone, but is nice looking, and easy to use? Then go for the Sony Ericsson C905. However, if you want the absolute most powerful 8 megapixel camera phone currently available (and if you want it before the Sony Ericsson is released, of course), then get yourself the Samsung.