Difference Between Nokia N8 and Samsung Captivate

Touch screen smartphones are all the rage nowadays and every phone manufacturer is struggling to produce the perfect touch-centric device that can deliver both performance and ease of use. The Nokia N8 and Samsung Captivate are just two of these high-end touch capable devices. The biggest difference between them is availability. The N8 is being offered by many telecoms while the Captivate is a phone exclusive to AT&T. It is their version of the Galaxy S and is offered by no other telecom. Aside from availability, the differences between the two are pretty much like the differences between the N8 and the Galaxy S.

The operating system of the N8 is Symbian^3 while that of the Captivate is Android. Android is a totally new operating system but it has garnered lots of support and its development is very rapid. Although Symbian is already a familiar name in smartphone OS, Symbian^3 is also very new and can only be found in a handful of handsets. Their processors also differ significantly as the Captivate has the more powerful 1Ghz ARM processor while the N8 is powered by a relatively weaker 680Mhz ARM processor. Symbian is well known for its efficiency and still provides a responsive UI despite having a weaker processor.

The screen of the Captivate is simply bigger and better than that on the N8. It measures 4 inches and has a resolution of 480×800 compared to the N8’s 3.5 inches and 360×640 resolution. Both screens do have all the high-end trappings like AMOLED and gorilla glass.

When it comes to the camera, the Captivate doesn’t hold a candle to the N8. The Captivate has a 5 megapixel camera while the N8 camera has 12 megapixels. The N8 takes better pictures than the Captivate and can even rival shots from a digital camera. Both cameras are able to record HD quality video at 720p though. Lastly, the Captivate lacks a front-facing camera that is intended for video calling. The N8 has a VGA camera situated just above the display for that purpose.

Summary:

1. The N8 is available on all major telecoms while the Captivate is exclusive to AT&T
2. The N8 runs on Symbian^3 while the Captivate runs on Android
3. The N8 has a slower processor than the Captivate
4. The Captivate has a bigger and better screen than the N8
5. The N8 camera is better than the Captivate camera
6. The N8 has a secondary camera while the Captivate doesn’t