Sample pictures from the Nokia N9 camera

The Nokia N9 is a conundrum. On one side you have this innovative three-pillar UI powered by MeeGo, but on the flip-side Nokia, specifically its CEO Stephen Elop, has pledged allegiance to Microsoft and its Windows Phone platform effectively sealing the fate of MeeGo as the platform that could’ve been.

But enough talk about what could’ve been. The N9 is here now. It’s a tangible device that will soon be released to the world. So let’s focus on the device and not what it represents, and what a delicious device it is — the 8MP camera at least.

Follow the link to see unedited pictures taken using the N9’s 8MP Carl Zeiss optics camera. While our sentiments of this confusing Nokia device remains, we can’t help but be blown away by the performance of the N9’s camera. You have to see it to believe it.

The sample pictures establish Nokia’s leadership position when it comes to engineering cameras in mobile phone that puts to shame some dedicated cameras. There’s no doubt when it comes to hardware, Nokia is just as good as the best of them. But when it comes to strategy, foresight and platform/ecosystem development Nokia (to us at least) looks to be desperately lost.

Full gallery of pictures shot using the Nokia N9 camera can be viewed here.