Now Siemens C class delights by the quantity of additional features. If
you prefer a tiny mobile with many functions included while avoiding to
spend a large sum of money, your search is finished.
Finally we
got hold of the first Siemens 55-class mobile phone and we never got
dissapointed. Siemens C55 practically includes everything expected from
the mobiles of such class, and it's eye-pleasing design assures it to
be a hit. The replacement of function keys under the screen by a single
four-direction navigational key is also one of the new features. The
casing is replaceable so you wouldn't drown in a sea of identical
phones around you. Just pick the one you like most and be unique.
By
it's 80 g weight, provided by the included Li-Ion battery, this model
is also amongst the lightest on the market. The included battery with
it's 700 mAh capacity should provide, according to specifications, 60
to 300 hours of stand-by or 90 to 360 minutes of conversation – doesn't
say much of a battery, one should admit.
Mobile GamingJava
was also included into this model, which proves Java's great success as
a mobile-application platform. C55 is delivered with two games - Prince
of Persia and Galaxy Hero – and two applications included. A RemindMe
application helps you assemble a list of items to pack for a trip or
stuff to shop for, and Unit Converter should aid you in English,
American or European measurement units conversion, ranging from length
measuring units to collar or shoe sizes. All the games and applications
can be erased or replaced by the newly downloaded ones from the
Internet. Naturally, if your communications provider offers GPRS and
you are a prepaid subscriber, you would have to perform the same trick
as you would have used with M(T)50 models – look for the last Mobile
issue.
Poliphony at WorkSiemens
began implementing poliphonic ringtone abilities with this model, and
one must admit – they sound really great! You have 41 built-in melody
to begin with, and additional ones can be recorded on your own or
downloaded from the internet via WAP service. You can record your
favourite tune from the radio in a satisfying quality level. Speaking
of call alerting, you can choose between six different vibration modes,
and you can also turn the Light Effect on which turns the light on and
off in correspondence to a chosen vibration mode.
Other FunctionsNothing
new concerning SMS abilities. The EMS support is naturally included,
enabling you to send small pictures, animations and melodies, write
long messages and easily format text. T9 provides a predictive text
input, still available only in English and other main languages. Keys
are of a satisfying quality, but a small remark addresses a noisy
typing sound that could prove inappropriate in some situations.
Pictures and animations inserted into a message can also be set up
either as a logo or a screensaver, with new ones being downloadable
from the Internet.
The calculator, previously excluded in C45
and M(T)50 models, was also included back, together
with the currency
converter. Besides the calculator, we were also given some new
functions, previously unavailable in lower-class models. These are
voice dialling and voice commands that can handle certain options, and
a handsfree ability that can be activated during a call. Voice marks
don't use the phone's flex memory and 20 of them can be recorded, which
should suite the average user's needs.
The built-in memory has a
376 Kb capacity and is intended for storage of Java applications,
pictures, animations and SMS messages. Regretably, the phonebook
doesn't use the same memory and can thus store only 50 numbers, and
assign pictures (or animations) to the phonebook entries. Names can be
divided into eight groups and to each of them a different ringtone can
be assigned, a group SMS message dispatched or a conference call made
with the members of a specific group.
Be More Organized!The
built-in organizer outrises it's own class. It includes an alarm,
greetings, appointments and short notes limited to 50 characters. What
would a difference between the alarm and the appointments be, you must
wonder. Using the alarm you can set the time and the day of the week up
for a phone to notify you with the limit of one timing only.
Appointments can be set up for any date and time, and the phone would
take care of reminding you of a certain event twice - 24 hours before
the appointment date, and at the time you have set up. Any component of
the appointments can be set up in daily, monthly and annual intervals.
Greeting menu enables you to enter birthdays, anniversaries etc. that
shouldn't be neglected. The only thing missing is a calendar, but
differences between classes have to exist so we won't hold as a serious
remark.
Profiles were also included. There are six profiles
available adjustable at will with specific settings – ringtone
melodies, call screening, group alerting etc. A larger font for
displaying menus is also selectable, so persons of a weaker eyesight
can avoid reading problems.
ConclusionThe
phone we tested doesn't provide a Croatian language menu, which is
logical since that model is still officially unavailable in Croatia at
the time of this article, although it can be found in some shops. We
suggest you check this option out before purchasing the phone. The
price isn't officially formed yet, but if it would fit the C-class
price range, it would definitely be a hit. Worth mentioning to finish
with – if you own some older-generation Siemens accessories (handsfree,
car kits etc.) you would have to purchase an adapter or buy new
accessories, due to different connectors being built-in.
CompetitionSiemens M(T)50:
It is odd to see an in-house competition. M(T)50 also offers both Java
and GPRS with many features missing. C55 is better looking, smaller,
lighter and more functional. The choice is really simple here.
Nokia 3410: In
despite of the implemented Java technology, this model never reached
the popularity of his Nokia 3xxx-series ancestors. We don't know why,
but there must be a reason.
Test model provided by:
Siemens MobilePro et Contra
+ weight, Java
- phonebook, noisy keys
