A Closer Look at the Alcatel OT-S850: A Feature Phone That Never Was
In 2005, while smartphones were still in their early stages of development, feature phones like the Alcatel OT-S850 were considered a popular choice among consumers. With its sleek design and basic yet functional features, it was expected to make waves in the mobile market upon its release.
Cancelled Release
The OT- S850 was announced by Alcatel in the second quarter of 2005, with plans for a widespread release in the coming months. However, to the disappointment of many, the phone never saw the light of day. It was later revealed that the release had been cancelled, leaving many wondering what could have been.
Basic Design and Features
The Alcatel OT-S850 was a lightweight device, weighing only 108g and measuring 19.6mm in thickness. It featured a standard mini-SIM slot and a 1.3MP main camera, making it a decent option for taking photos and videos. Moreover, its 128 x 160 pixel TFT display with 256K colors provided a satisfactory viewing experience. The phone also had a phonebook with photo call capabilities and could store up to 10 dialed, received, and missed calls. However, its storage capacity was limited to just 3MB, with no option for expanding through a memory card slot.
Bare Bones Network and Connectivity
The OT-S850 operated on 2G GSM technology and was only compatible with the GSM 900 and 1800 bands. It came with basic GPRS capabilities, but did not support EDGE. With no WLAN, Bluetooth, or positioning features, the phone was limited in terms of connectivity options.
All the Basics Covered
At its core, the OT-S850 was a simple feature phone that offered all the basic features one would need. It came with a traditional 3.5mm headphone jack and could support vibration and downloadable polyphonic ringtones for alerts. The phone also had a standard messaging system with SMS, EMS, and MMS capabilities, as well as a WAP 1.2.1 browser for basic internet browsing. It also had a few pre-installed games and supported Java apps.
Battery Life
The OT-S850 was powered by a removable 500mAh Li-Ion battery that could provide up to 60 hours of standby time and 3 hours of talk time. While this may seem low compared to today's standards, it was considered suitable for a basic feature phone at the time.
In Conclusion
Although the Alcatel OT-S850 never made it to the hands of consumers, it still holds a special place in the history of mobile phones as a promising device that never was. It may have been a basic feature phone with limited capabilities, but for its time, it was expected to be a game-changer in the market. Even though it may not have lived up to those expectations, it will always be remembered as a phone that could have been something great.
