The Samsung B500: A Simple and Affordable Feature Phone from 2008
Released in March 2008, the Samsung B500 was a budget-friendly feature phone that offered basic functionalities for its users. Let's take a closer look at this device from Samsung, which was announced in February of that year and has now been discontinued.
The Specs
The Samsung B500 may not compete with today's smartphones, but it was a reliable and simple device during its time. It weighed just 79g and had a thickness of 17.9mm, making it lightweight and easy to carry around. As a feature phone, it had limited storage with only 1MB and did not come with a card slot for expandable memory.
The Network and Launch
The Samsung B500 operated on GSM technology and supported 2G bands of GSM 900 and 1800. It also had Class 10 GPRS, but did not have EDGE connectivity. The device was announced in February 2008 and released in March of the same year. However, it is now discontinued and no longer available in the market.
The Body and Display
The dimensions of the Samsung B500 were 88 x 43 x 17.9 mm, with a weight of 79g. It also had a Mini-SIM card slot. The device had a small CSTN display with 65K colors and a size of 1.67 inches, giving it a screen-to-body ratio of about 23.2%. The resolution was 128 x 160 pixels, with a density of approximately 123 ppi.
The Memory and Camera
As mentioned earlier, the Samsung B500 had limited storage of only 1MB and did not have a card slot for expandable memory. It could store up to 500 entries in the phonebook and had call records for 30 dialed, received, and missed calls. The device also did not have a camera feature.
The Sound and Communication
The Samsung B500 had a loudspeaker and supported vibration as well as downloadable polyphonic and MP3 ringtones. However, it did not have a 3.5mm jack for headphones. The device did not have WLAN or Bluetooth connections, but it did have a built-in FM radio and a proprietary USB port.
The Features and Battery Life
Some of the features of the Samsung B500 included SMS, EMS, MMS messaging options, WAP 2.0/xHTML internet browsing, and Java support. It also had games and predictive text input for convenience. The device had a voice memo feature for note-taking and an organizer for managing tasks. The battery was a removable Li-Ion type that could last up to 200 hours on standby and up to 3 hours of talk time.
The Colors and Price
The Samsung B500 was available in three colors: blue, black, and gray. In Europe, it had a specific absorption rate (SAR EU) of 0.64 W/kg (head). The price of the device was around 80 EUR at the time of its release in 2008.
In Conclusion
The Samsung B500 may not be a cutting-edge device by today's standards, but it was a reliable and affordable option for those looking for a simple feature phone in 2008. Its basic features and low price made it accessible to many, and its lightweight design made it easy to carry around. Although it is no longer available, the Samsung B500 will always hold a special place in the hearts of its users for being a dependable phone during its time.
