All About the Vega by Benefon: A Blast from the Past
The year was 1999 and the mobile phone industry was rapidly advancing. The Finnish company, Benefon, released a new device that caught the attention of many – the Vega. Let's take a trip down memory lane and explore this iconic device and its features.
Design and Dimensions
The Vega may seem chunky and heavy by today's standards, but back in 1999, its weight of 190g and thickness of 23mm was quite impressive. It featured a classic candy-bar design with dimensions of 145 x 56 x 23 mm.
Display and Memory
The display of the device was a simple monochrome graphic type, with a resolution of 6 lines. However, what made the Vega stand out was its inclusion of Cyrillic characters, catering to the Russian market. On the other hand, the device did not have a card slot for expandable storage and only allowed for SIM card contact storage.
Camera and Sound
The Vega did not have a camera, which is a far cry from the dual or even triple camera setups we see on modern devices. It also had no loudspeaker and instead used vibration and monophonic ringtones for alerts. This may seem basic compared to the polyphonic or even customizable ringtones we have now, but it was a step up from the earlier mobile devices that only had a simple beep for an incoming call.
Communication and Features
In terms of communication, the Vega operated on the GSM network and had support for GSM 900 2G bands. It did not have any advanced features such as GPRS or EDGE, which are staples on modern devices. Nevertheless, it did have basic messaging capabilities through SMS.
The Vega also featured an organizer, which allowed users to keep track of their schedules and set alarms. However, the device did not have advanced features such as a browser or games. It did have a clock, which seems like a given today, but was not always standard on earlier mobile devices.
Battery and Misc
The Vega was powered by a removable Li-Ion battery, which provided a standby time of 3 to 6 days and talk time of 4 to 10 hours. It did not have any colors to choose from, but its simple and sleek black design was enough to make a statement.
Although the Vega may seem like a basic feature phone now, it was a revolutionary device during its release in 1999. It may not have had all the bells and whistles of modern devices, but it paved the way for future mobile technology developments.
Unfortunately, the Vega is now discontinued, but it will always hold a special place in mobile phone history as one of the devices that kickstarted the advancement of technology. And who knows, maybe one day it will make a comeback and take the world by storm once again.
