Samsung Memoir: The phone the Pixon could have been

Just when you thought you've bought the best phone in the world, another one comes out that's a little better. Enter the Samsung Memoir, an 8-megapixel camera phone that looks strikingly similar to the Samsung Pixon -- but crucially, it packs a xenon flash. The Memoir is only being launched in the US, so you wouldn't be able to buy it anyway, but Samsung is likely to launch something similar here soon.

Similar to the Pixon, the Memoir packs a large colour touchscreen and a camera that juts out slightly on the back. It also has built-in GPS, HSDPA (3.5G) but still no Wi-Fi -- why, Samsung? Why? What have we done to deserve this?

Our delightful colleagues over at CNET.com had some hands-on time with it and said the photo quality is great -- they also mention the Memoir's ability to shoot slow-motion video and geo-tag pictures.

A xenon flash might only be a small improvement over the Pixon, but it makes a huge difference when you're taking pictures in the dark. According to CNET.com, the Memoir runs Samsung's proprietary TouchWiz user interface and offers up the same drag-and-drop widgets you find on the Pixon. We sincerely hope Samsung makes a phone running Android, as the TouchWiz doesn't really do it for us.

The Memoir's 8-megapixel camera is situated at the top, in a similar position to the Pixon's. At the bottom there's a small grip that sticks out, just like a standalone camera's design.

The Memoir's xenon flash is a small improvement, but it makes a big difference when you're taking pictures in the dark. We simply don't think the LED photo lights cut the mustard and want to see more xenon flashes on phones in the future.