The Alcatel OT 557: A Basic Feature Phone Released in 2004
If you're a tech enthusiast, you may have heard of the Alcatel OT 557 - a feature phone released in the third quarter of 2004. While it may seem outdated now, it was once a popular device among those looking for a simple and affordable option.
About the Device
The Alcatel OT 557 is a product of Alcatel, a multinational company known for manufacturing telecommunications equipment. The device weighs 93g and has a thickness of 21.4mm, making it compact and lightweight. It may not boast of any impressive features or specs, but it served its purpose well during its time.
Features and Specifications
Unlike smartphones today, the Alcatel OT 557 has limited storage capacity with only 2MB and no card slot for expansion. However, it does have a Mini-SIM to make calls and send text messages. It also supports GSM technology with 2G bands, specifically GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900 and GSM 850 / 1800 / 1900 for the Alcatel OT 557a variant.
The device features a CSTN display that provides 65K colors. Its screen resolution is 128 x 160 pixels, and users can download logos to personalize their home screens. The phonebook can hold up to 500 contacts, and each entry can have 20 fields, including a photo for caller ID. Additionally, users can view their call records for incoming, outgoing, and missed calls, with a limit of 10 entries for each category.
As for its camera, the Alcatel OT 557 has a single VGA camera. While it may not take crisp and clear photos, it was still a convenient feature to have on a basic phone. Sadly, there is no video recording option, and it does not have a selfie camera.
Other Features
The Alcatel OT 557 does not have a loudspeaker or a 3.5mm jack for audio. However, users can download polyphonic ringtones or use the built-in composer to create their ringtone. It also does not have features that we now consider as essentials on smartphones, such as WLAN, Bluetooth, or GPS.
The device also does not come with pre-installed games. Instead, users can download the popular games SpeedDevils and GylosTale. It also supports Java, which allowed users to download and use various applications.
Some other notable features of the Alcatel OT 557 include a video player, predictive text input, SyncML for data transfer, an organizer, voice memo, and voice dialing.
Battery Life and Other Information
The Alcatel OT 557 is powered by a removable Li-Ion 800 mAh battery. This battery capacity may seem small compared to modern smartphones, but it was enough to last up to 285 hours on standby and up to 7 hours of talk time.
The device comes in different colors, although specific options were not mentioned. It also supports messaging through SMS, EMS, and MMS, as well as basic internet browsing through a WAP 2.0/xHTML browser.
In Conclusion
The Alcatel OT 557 may not be a groundbreaking device, but it served its purpose as a basic feature phone well. In today's world, where smartphones are the norm, it may seem outdated and obsolete. However, it remains a significant part of the evolution of mobile phones, and many current devices have undoubtedly been influenced by its simplicity and convenience.
