Everyone is aware of the Carl Zeiss optics and the N-Series success. First deployed on the most successful phone of it’s time, the N73, this partnership was an instant hit. It has been seven years since then, and the optics have improved considerably, with the Nokia 808 Pureview latest member of the family.
A press release was “released” by Nokia showcasing the strengthening partnership.
Espoo, Finland – Nokia and Carl Zeiss today announced that the exclusive partnership between the two companies, which has resulted in some of the industry’s best camera smartphones such as the Nokia N8 and the Nokia 808 PureView, has been extended.
The Nokia 808 PureView, which starts rolling out in May, combines high-performance Carl Zeiss optics with Nokia developed algorithms and a super-high resolution sensor to set a new standard in high-end smartphone imaging.
"Carl Zeiss was a crucial partner in the creation of the first PureView experience," said Jo Harlow, executive vice president of Nokia Smart Devices. "The benefits of our ongoing collaboration will be more PureView innovation and further advancements in smartphone imaging in the coming months and years."
Michael Kaschke, CEO, Carl Zeiss AG: "When joining forces with Nokia in 2005, we wanted to push the boundaries of mobile photography. Looking back at seven years of successful partnership, we are proud of the innovations and outstanding products created in this shared journey. Today we are celebrating the extension of our collaboration with a new technology that sets another real benchmark in this sector."
But we beg to differ. If we see the light of events in the past few years, Nokia seems to rely more on the EDoF for it’s phones. In fact, more phones have been released by Nokia having the EDoF technology rather than Carl Zeiss optics.
Carl Zeiss has Sony as it’s partner for the DSLR range and Nokia for the smartphone range. It had also made some ground with a few smartphones from Sony Ericsson. But with Sony and Ericsson going their separate ways, and Nokia focusing more on the EDoF technology for bulk of it’s device, we see the future of this partnership grim. On the long run, it could be more profitable for Zeiss to focus all of its work on Sony, cutting off supply to Nokia completely.
Nokia can and will, however, continue to leverage the Zeiss brand in some of it’s smartphones, but the number would be dwarfed by the number of phones released with the EDoF lenses, and we continue to be skeptic about the nature of this press release.
What do you think?
