The BenQ E55: A Feature Phone That Packed a Punch in 2008
The year 2008 was a time when flip phones and feature phones were all the rage. In the midst of this mobile craze, the BenQ E55 was introduced to the market. With its sleek design and impressive features, it quickly gained popularity among consumers.
Design and Dimensions
The BenQ E55 stood out with its slim and lightweight body. At just 19mm thickness and weighing 95g, it was easy to carry around and fit comfortably in the palm of your hand. Its dimensions were 94 x 48 x 19 mm, making it one of the more compact phones during its release.
Display and Camera
The phone boasted a 2.0 inch TFT display with 256K colors, providing vibrant and clear images. It also had a second external 1-inch CSTN display for easy access to notifications. The main camera was 2MP, which may seem low compared to today's standards, but was considered impressive at the time. For selfies, the E55 had a VGA videocall camera.
Storage and Network
The E55 had 45MB of internal storage, which may not seem like much now, but could hold a considerable amount of data back then. It also had a microSD slot for expandable storage. In terms of network, it supported both GSM and UMTS technology, with 2G bands for GSM 900/1800/1900 and 3G bands for UMTS 2100. It also had a speed of 384kbps, which was decent for browsing and downloading at the time.
Features and Battery
Aside from its impressive camera and network capabilities, the E55 also had a variety of features. It had an MP3/MP4 player for music and video playback, as well as an organizer and voice memo for convenience. It also had messaging options such as SMS, EMS, MMS, and email. The phone ran on a removable Li-Ion 900 mAh battery, providing up to 180 hours of standby time and 2 hours and 40 minutes of talk time.
The Impact and Discontinuation
The BenQ E55 was released in July 2008 and quickly gained popularity among consumers. However, it was eventually discontinued due to the rise of smartphones with more advanced features. Nevertheless, it remains a memorable and significant device in the history of mobile phones.
In Conclusion
The BenQ E55 may not have all the bells and whistles of today's smartphones, but it was a remarkable feature phone during its release. Its compact design, decent camera and storage, and impressive network capabilities made it a popular choice among consumers. The device may be discontinued, but its impact and contribution to the evolution of mobile phones will always be remembered.
