Throwback - Mobile camera tech was amazing even before iPhone and Android - Android

There are few things we take more for granted than snapping a quick photograph with our phones.

The rise of computational photography paired with multiple-lenses and the inherent convenience factor have made smartphones the default choice for most users. While it has been years since smartphones completely destroyed the point and shoot market, even high-end SLRs have been facing the heat.

However, the camera phone heavy-hitters of today stand on the shoulders of giants. Sure, it might seem that we’re seeing a rapid increase in the pace of photography-related innovations but you’d be surprised to know just how many of these have been attempted before, sometimes well over a decade ago.

In fact, in many ways, we’ve come a full circle. Let’s look at some of the defining moments in phone camera history and how they shaped modern camera phones.

Read more: The best Android camera phones you can buy

The first camera phones

It took more than a few iterations to get to our current definition of camera phones. When Sharp introduced the J-SH04 — the first camera phone — in Japan back in 2000, little did it know it would set a precedent for the smartphone industry.

The first camera phones shipped with paltry sub-VGA resolution cameras but they put forward the idea of on-the-go convenience and the ability to capture a moment no matter where you were.

The first camera phones had barely usable cameras but the convenience cemented the importance of smartphone imaging.

It quickly became obvious to the entire industry that cameras in smartphones were going to be a key feature going forward.

Nokia introduced its first true camera phone the following year. The Nokia 7650 was the first Nokia camera phone to integrate a VGA camera into a popular slider design and was the first device from the Finnish major to ship with MMS capabilities. Combined, it allowed any user to easily shoot and share images with friends and family anywhere around the world.

The floodgates of smartphone imaging had been opened and innovation began to flow. Thought the Asus Zenfone 6 with its flip camera was unique? Well, LG did it first with the A7150 and followed it up with a range of phones with rotating cameras that could be handily moved over to the front.

The golden age of smartphone innovation

2006 to 2009 was truly the golden age of early smartphone innovation when manufacturers were willing to take a bet on interesting form factors while pushing the limits of smartphone imaging capabilities.

When Nokia’s introduced it’s N-Series of premium phones, it established a benchmark for quality in smartphone imaging. It all started with the Nokia N90 and its whacky camcorder-like form factor making it the first Nokia camera phone with a focus on video capabilities. As a 15-year-old tech-enthusiast at the time, I distinctly remember drooling over the pocket camcorder-style form-factor and the sheer possibilities afforded by it.

Smartphone manufacturers truly embraced unique form factors and imaging capabilities from 2006-2009.

Under the N-series, it debuted crazy form factors like the N93 that combined a 3.15MP sensor with Carl Zeiss optics and an honest to goodness full-range telephoto lens.

Yes, you read that right. Introduced in 2006, the phone let you flip it over into a camcorder style format with a full-motion assembly affording up to 3x optical zoom. Even today, few phones bar the Asus Zenfone Zoom and Galaxy S4 Zoom have attempted this.

Dive deeper: Camera zoom explained: How optical, digital, and hybrid zoom work

However, the real legend proved to be the dual-sliding Nokia N95. Equipped with a 5MP camera and Carl Zeiss optics, the phone took tack-sharp images that still hold up today. The camera set-up debuted here spawned a few variants like the N95 8GB, but more importantly the Nokia N82.

The latter ended up being my first “smartphone” purchase. As a budding photography enthusiast, the incredible 5MP camera paired up with a xenon flash had me weak in the knees and I ended up saving months to be able to pick up the phone.

Running the Symbian operating system (remember that?), I have fond memories of using proto-apps to pipe up my photos to Flickr while on the go. The Nokia N82 was a constant companion due to its formidable imaging capabilities and the versatility of being able to capture quality images, no matter the lighting conditions.

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Today, the image above doesn’t stand out as special, but the versatility of the phone made me a true believer in the future potential of smartphone imaging and let me capture moments that simply wouldn’t be possible on most other hardware back in 2007.

Rival Sony Ericsson was also dipping into the expertise of its camera division and pushing out quality hardware under its K-series of phones. The K850i stands out as a particular highlight.

From Carl-Zeiss to Schneider-Kreuznach and Cybershot, the mid-2000s saw smartphone manufacturers tying up with veteran photography brands.

It drew inspiration from the T-series of compact cameras and included essentials like a quality 5MP camera and xenon flash, but played-up a renewed focus on video with triple LEDs. The camera was also capable of shooting burst mode shots of up to 9 images. Meanwhile, the automatic lens cover was a stand-out feature.