Nokia imaging chief throws cold water on 41-megapixel PureView

Nokia is expected to unveil a new smartphone tomorrow featuring PureView camera technology. There's just one problem: that branding might not mean what consumers think.

In a tweet this morning, Nokia imaging head Damian Dinning said that the "PureView" branding "is NOT a single specific feature or specification." That came just minutes after he said that the technology is "about blending optics, pixels, and image processing in new and different ways to allow you to do things you otherwise cannot."

Dinning also laid down the death knell: "as said many times before, it's NOT about the number of pixels, but what you do with them." He ended that tweet with the hashtag "#getoverit."

Earlier this year, with the announcement of the Nokia 808 PureView, the company offered up a 41-megapixel camera, shocking the mobile world and establishing itself as one of the leaders in mobile imaging. Tomorrow, Nokia will hold a press event in New York City where it's expected to unveil the Nokia Lumia 820 and 920. The latter is expected to come with PureView.

Given that, most rumors suggested that the device would offer the 41-megapixel camera found in the Nokia 808. Dinning's comments, however, seem to be softening the blow that consumers might face after learning that the 920 doesn't come with the high megapixel count.

Still, Dinning's comments once again surface discussions on the importance of megapixels. In the end, cameras with more megapixels but less quality in other key areas of imaging just aren't as worthwhile a purchase as those with less megapixels and better-quality components. That's especially true in the mobile arena, where customers are less likely to need so many megapixels.

CNET has contacted Nokia for comment on Dinning's comments. We will update this story when we have more information.

(Via The Verge)