H2: The Samsung i500: A Failed Attempt in the World of Smartphones
H3: What is the Samsung i500?
The Samsung i500 was a smartphone that was announced in March 2004. It was set to be released by Samsung, a well-known and respected tech company, but unfortunately, it was cancelled before it could hit the market.
H3: The Operating System
The i500 was planned to run on Palm 5.2, an operating system that was commonly used in personal digital assistants (PDAs) at the time. This was long before the emergence of popular systems like Android and iOS.
H3: The Dimensions and Storage
Weighing 150g and with a thickness of 23mm, the i500 may have been considered bulky by today's standards. It had 32MB of RAM storage and also featured a Multimedia Card (MMC) slot for expandable storage.
H3: Network Capabilities
The i500 was designed to use GSM technology, which was the standard for mobile networks at that time. It supported two 2G bands, GSM 900 and 1800, but did not have any capabilities for GPRS or EDGE connectivity.
H3: Launch Date and Status
As mentioned earlier, the i500 was announced in March 2004 but unfortunately, it was never released due to undisclosed reasons. This left many anticipating customers disappointed as they would not be able to get their hands on this highly anticipated device.
H3: The Body of the i500
At 92 x 54 x 23 mm, the i500 was relatively small in size. It also featured a mini-SIM card and a unique 180-degree swiveling display, allowing for easy viewing from various angles.
H3: The Display and Platform
The i500 came with a TFT resistive touchscreen and displayed 65K colors. It had a resolution of 162 x 176 pixels and was powered by a Motorola MX1 200 MHz processor.
H3: Memory and Camera
The i500 had 32MB of RAM and ROM, with an additional memory card slot for expansion. It also featured a single VGA camera and was capable of capturing videos.
H3: Sound and Communication
One major drawback of the i500 was its lack of a loudspeaker. However, it did have vibration alerts and could download polyphonic ringtones. It did not have a 3.5mm jack for headphones, but it did have an infrared port for data transfer.
H3: Special Features
Some notable features of the i500 included WAP 2.0/xHTML browser, predictive text input, voice commands and dialing, voice memo, and an organizer.
H3: Battery Life
The i500 came with a removable Li-Ion 1100 mAh battery, providing up to 100 hours of standby time and a talk time of 3 hours and 20 minutes. It also had an extended battery option with a capacity of 1700 mAh, but the standby and talk time were undisclosed.
H3: Other Notable Features
The color options for the i500 were not specified, but it did have a Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of 0.57 W/kg (head) and 0.52 W/kg (body).
Conclusion
The Samsung i500 may have seemed like a promising smartphone in its time, but unfortunately, it was cancelled before it could make it to the market. Despite its impressive specifications and features, the i500 failed to make a mark in the world of smartphones. However, it will always be remembered as a device way ahead of its time, attempting to revolutionize the mobile phone industry.
Samsung i500 Full Specifications
Network
Technology
GSM
2G bands
GSM 900 / 1800
GPRS
Class 8
EDGE
No
Launch
Announced
2004, March
Status
Cancelled
Body
Dimensions
92 x 54 x 23 mm (3.62 x 2.13 x 0.91 in)
Weight
150 g (5.29 oz)
SIM
Mini-SIM
Display
Type
TFT resistive touchscreen, 65K colors
Size
Resolution
162 x 176 pixels
Other
180 degree swiveling display
Platform
OS
Palm 5.2
CPU
Motorola MX1 200 MHz
Memory
Card slot
MMC
Internal
32MB RAM, 32MB ROM
Main Camera
Single
VGA
Video
Yes
Selfie camera
Other
No
Sound
Loudspeaker
No
Alert types
Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic ringtones
3.5mm jack
No
Comms
WLAN
No
Bluetooth
No
Positioning
No
Infrared port
Yes
Radio
No
USB
Proprietary
Features
Sensors
Browser
WAP 2.0/xHTML
Clock
Yes
Alarm
Yes
Other
Predictive text input
Voice commands and dial
Voice memo
Organizer