The Story of the Cancelled Samsung P500
Back in 2003, the mobile phone industry was booming. Every major brand was competing to release the most innovative and high-performing devices. One of these brands was Samsung, which had gained a reputation for producing top-notch phones with sleek designs and advanced features.
Enter the Samsung P500, a phone that promised to be a game-changer in the world of feature phones. Its announcement in the second quarter of 2003 generated a lot of buzz and excitement among consumers and tech enthusiasts alike. The P500 was set to hit the market with a bang, but unfortunately, it never saw the light of day.
The Technical Specifications
The P500 was expected to have a small and compact design, with dimensions of only 90 x 46 x 23 mm and a weight of 93g. It was supposed to be a perfect fit for those looking for a lightweight and pocket-friendly phone. However, this was just one of the many features that made the P500 unique.
The device was planned to have a TFD display with 65K colors and a second external OLED display with 256 colors. It also boasted of being equipped with four-way navigation keys for easy and convenient use.
In terms of memory and storage, the P500 had 3MB of internal storage for photos and a phonebook capacity of 500 contacts with six fields and contact groups. It could also store up to 10 dialed, received, and missed calls as call records. Unfortunately, it did not have a card slot for expandable memory, which was a significant disadvantage compared to its competitors at the time.
Another highlight of the P500 was its VGA camera, which was considered to be quite advanced for a feature phone in 2003. However, it did not have a secondary camera for selfies, which may have caused some disappointment among selfie enthusiasts.
No Network, Bluetooth, or USB
The P500 was planned to operate on GSM technology and support 2G bands of GSM 900/1800/1900. It had GPRS class 8 but lacked EDGE technology. The absence of Bluetooth and USB connectivity was also a significant flaw in the P500, considering how these features were becoming increasingly popular and essential in phones.
Infrared port was the only means of transfer and communication option available on the device. It also did not have any WLAN capabilities.
Cancelled Before Launch
The Samsung P500 was announced to be released in 2003, but sadly, it was never launched. The reasons behind its cancellation remain unknown, but some speculate that it could have been because of its lack of advanced network technology and connectivity options.
The P500 was set to have a battery life of up to 120 hours on standby and 4 hours and 30 minutes of talk time, powered by a removable Li-Ion 900 mAh battery. It also came with some decent features like messaging options, WAP 1.2.1 browser, clock, alarm, and three built-in games.
In Conclusion
The Samsung P500 may have never made it to the market, but the hype and anticipation surrounding its release can't be ignored. It was a unique and promising device that could have made a significant impact in the mobile phone industry at the time. Nevertheless, the P500 remains as a forgotten model, a memory of what could have been a groundbreaking feature phone from Samsung.
