The year is 2006. Flip phones rule the market, and NEC introduces its own take on the popular trend - the N500i. This candy bar-style feature phone boasts a sleek design, impressive features, and solid performance, making it a fan favorite for many years to come.
Release Date and Specifications
The N500i was released in February of 2006, making it over 15 years old now. Despite its age, this device remains a classic among those who remember its glory days.
Coming in at just 99 grams and 25mm thick, the N500i is light and compact enough to fit into anyone's pocket or purse. It also offers 54MB of internal storage, which was considered a decent amount back in the day. Unfortunately, there is no card slot available for external storage.
Network Technology
The N500i operates on GSM technology, specifically on the GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900 bands. It supports both GPRS and EDGE with Class 10 speeds, allowing for reliable and quick data transfer.
Display and Camera
The phone features a 1.9-inch TFT display with a resolution of 176 x 220 pixels and support for 65K colors. In addition, it has a second external OLED display, with 4096 colors, making it convenient for users to see incoming calls or messages without having to flip open the device.
The main camera of the N500i is a 1.3 MP shooter, which may seem low compared to modern-day smartphones, but was considered top-notch back then. It even comes equipped with an LED flash for brighter photos in low light situations. However, there is no front-facing camera for selfies.
Connectivity and Features
Although the N500i has no Wi-Fi capabilities, it does have Bluetooth for wireless file transfers and data sharing. It also offers a convenient feature called "i-mode," which is a mobile internet service that was popular at the time.
The phone includes an MP3/AAC/MP4 player, along with support for downloading games and other apps. It also has predictive text input, organizer and voice memo features, as well as syncing options through SyncML.
Battery Life
The N500i comes with a removable Li-Ion 850 mAh battery, which offers up to 200 hours of standby time and up to 2 hours and 50 minutes of talk time.
Final Thoughts
The NEC N500i may not be a smartphone, but it certainly packs a lot of punch for a feature phone released in 2006. Its stylish design, solid performance, and impressive features made it a must-have for many at the time. Even though it has been discontinued, it remains a beloved device among those who still hold on to their memories from over a decade ago.
NEC N500i Full Specifications
Network
Technology
GSM
2G bands
GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900
GPRS
Class 10
EDGE
Class 10
Launch
Announced
2006, February
Status
Discontinued
Body
Dimensions
93 x 46 x 25 mm, 80 cc (3.66 x 1.81 x 0.98 in)
Weight
99 g (3.49 oz)
SIM
Mini-SIM
Display
Type
TFT, 65K colors
Size
1.9 inches, 30 x 37 mm, 11.4 cm2 (~26.6% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution
176 x 220 pixels (~148 ppi density)
Other
Second external 4096 colors OLED display
Memory
Card slot
No
Phonebook
500 entries
Call records
20 dialed, 20 received, 20 missed calls
Internal
54MB
Main Camera
Single
1.3 MP
Features
LED flash
Video
Yes
Selfie camera
Other
No
Sound
Loudspeaker
No
Alert types
Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic ringtones
3.5mm jack
No
Comms
WLAN
No
Bluetooth
Yes
Positioning
No
Radio
No
USB
Proprietary
Features
Sensors
Messaging
SMS, EMS, MMS, Email
Browser
i-mode
Games
Yes + downloadable
Java
Yes, MIDP 2.0
Other
MP3/AAC/MP4 player
Predictive text input
Organizer
Voice memo
SyncML