Mobiles Review

It is the first time for very long that I write a review with lyrical digressions, thoughts and market observations. The product that prompted telling so much is significant and is a kind of a milestone for the company and the whole mobile market. In some way such words sound too pompously and are more suitable for press releases than for an ordinary review. But only two-three phones a year make you forget everything and “play” with them for long, they really attract from the first minutes. None of the phones of 2004 may compete with Samsung D500 in its power of impression and emotions. So, you’ll have to be patient and try to read everything below. I’ll note that as for me ideal phones do not exist and D500 is not an exception. But this model is the closest to the ideal mobile phones but not a smartphone. Let’s try to understand what made the company create the device now but not a year earlier.

For years Samsung had been attracting people with a vivid screen, good polyphony, unordinary for a European market design. The company created its name on such products; the main bulk of impact was clamshells and then after a model with customary forms appeared. Against a background of Samsung other Korean manufacturers grew and a peculiar mobile manufacturing fashion was formed in the country. Just look around how many models by Korean manufacturers may be found in the market. There are LG, Pantech, Innostream, Sky (now only CDMA, but GSM terminals will be available next year). There is no such a great amount of companies manufacturing similar devices in other countries, the only exception is Japanese market but this is a peculiar case. The fact that is not wide known is that many Korean companies manufacturing phones employ engineers that started working for Samsung and let alone marketing positions, there is a mass of them. The company starts forming the market in some kind and turned into a global gamer that creates tendencies, forms style. This fact is not still realized by many of the market gamers. In February a leader of one manufacturing companies told his opinion on a phrase that Samsung will soon dominate in the market. In short he told that Korean manufacturers might offer only outer shine but functionality would remain low for years. Let me even cite him: “They do not have that amount of patents as we do. But the matter is not even patents but the potential of our engineers, our team creating products and promoting them. It’s impossible to create production of high-tech models that will be leaders for today from nothing for some years, it takes dozens of years. Understanding the demands and wishes of usual customers is necessary and today we are those who form the style for mobile phones, though Samsung tries to play this game. This is a weak position, selling beautiful cover empty inside”.

I couldn’t agree with the opponent’s arguments then and still can’t do it now. To understand the company’s development one should exactly know what it is producing now and what for. Average person will show their knowledge and will certainly name such goods as mp3 players, washing machines, TV sets. The one dealing with IT will remember memory production and really the company is one of the leading in the world market. But the list is not finished with these points, the company also produces matrixes for PCs, mobile devices, processors and various micro electronic devices. Today there is no any manufacturer in the market that could apply its own componentry so much. Its rivals have to buy that componentry and sometimes do not even have any choice. Do not get surprised having known that your phone by European manufacturer is equipped with a screen by Samsung, these screens are bought in great quantities. Technologies for sale do always differ in worse characteristics from those applied in own products. No doubt, a customer may get the newest screens (the ones left) but the price will be extremely high. Inside the company the price for them is minimal and that allows decreasing the price of its goods. The margin of a number of high price devices may exceed 100 per cent (from the price of manufacturing the phone and R&D expenditures). No any manufacturer may boast with such results and what is evident even Samsung does not demonstrate them in public.

Slip into style
The tiny Samsung D500 on Vodafone is Samsung’s first phone with Bluetooth and a 1.3 megapixel camera. It is a creative and cool handset, outfitted with a soft-touch slide design, high quality camera and a flash for taking better pictures. This combines all of the most powerful features available in mobile technology today with a stunning design.

Large memory
The Black Samsung D500’s 80MB of storage supports and expands the business capabilities of the user. The dynamic shared memory allows people to store over 1,000 images, capture 60 minutes of video, save 15 to 20 MP3 or AAC songs, enter up to 60 minutes of voice recording or just use the space for receiving and sending attached files.
Built-in Digital Camera
The Vodafone Samsung D500 is not only a phone - it’s also a 1.3 megapixel digital imaging device. Point, use the colour display as a viewfinder, snap a picture, and share the moment.
Sounds amazing
The Samsung D500 uses the new hi-fi ring tone technology called “polyphonic”. Its obvious that a great deal of research has gone into making the most of the amazing sound quality, the clarity and loudness of the sound at full volume simply defies belief.

Bluetooth
The D500 supports Bluetooth wireless connectivity which allows the phone to communicate with other Bluetooth devices such as headsets, digital cameras and laptops without any wires and up to 10m away.

MMS
The Samsung D500 on Vodafone supports MMS (Multimedia Message Service) for Multimedia text messaging. This new technology allows you to send sounds, pictures, animations and formatted text in your message. These messages can then be exchanged between friends and family with MMS enabled mobile phones

Triple band
The Samsung D500 is designed around an internal triple band antenna which allows it to be used all around the world, including Europe, the USA and Canada on 900, 1800 and 1900MHz frequencies.

Mobile Internet
Incorporating the latest technology for WAP 2.0 mobile internet, you can use WAP to access a range of information from the Internet, via your D500’s, high-resolution display, including news, travel and information.

GPRS
As the Vodafone Samsung D500 supports GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), you will be able to take advantage of this virtually permanent data connection, and you will only be charged for the amount of data that you transfer, and not the amount of time that you’re online.

Java technology
Thanks to Java technology, you can further enhance your Black Samsung D500 mobile phone with interactive, vibrant games, which can be downloaded and stored in the handset. They are easy to delete, so you don’t have to worry about cluttering up your memory.
Almost everyone has downloaded wallpapers and ring tones to their mobile phone at some time, and now with this added Java technology, this should provide hours of fun and entertainment for everyone.

Samsung D500 Specifications

Dimensions
93.5 x 45.7 x 23.5 mm

Weight
99 g

Memory
1000 names & numbers
80 MB shared memory

Main Display
TFT LCD
256k colour graphic

Features
Integrated digital VGA camera
Video and flash
Organizer
To do List
Stopwatch
Calculator
Polyphonic sounds
Tri band
GPRS
Bluetooth
MP3/MP4/AAC player
SyncML
Voice memo
Built-in handsfree
USB port
Java
WAP 2.0
SMS
EMS
MMS
T9