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| Panasonic GD55 |
| General |
| Network | Gsm 900 / Gsm 1800 / Gsm 1900 |
| Announced | 2002, Oct |
| Status | Available |
| Size |
| Dimensions | 77 X 43 X 17 Mm, 51 Cc |
| Weight | 65 G |
| Display |
| Type | Graphics |
| Size | 112 X 64 Pixels |
| | - Blue Backlight
- 20 Wallpapers
- Callerid Graphics |
| Ringtones |
| Type | Polyphonic (4 Channels) |
| Customization | Composer |
| Vibration | Yes |
| Memory |
| Phonebook | 250 |
| Call Records | 20 Dialed, 10 Received, 10 Missed Calls |
| Card Slot | No |
| | - Message Templates
- 100 Calendar Events |
| Data |
| Gprs | No |
| Hscsd | No |
| Edge | No |
| 3g | No |
| Wlan | No |
| Bluetooth | No |
| Infrared Port | No |
| Usb | |
| Features |
| Messaging | Sms, Ems |
| Browser | Wap 1.2.1 |
| Clock | Yes |
| Alarm | Yes |
| Games | 1 |
| Colors | 3 - Silver, Red, Pink |
| Camera | No |
| | - T9
- Calendar
- Calculator
- Currency Converter |
| Battery |
| | Standard Battery, Li-ion 720 Mah |
| Stand-by | Up To 230 H |
| Talk Time | Up To 8 H |
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Panasonic - GD55Micro-phone with the Panasonic GD55
Major features
Smallest Panasonic mobile phone to date
Tri-band support (for Taiwanese version only)
Polyphonic ringtones support
Ringtone composer
Wallpaper feature
Handsfree speakerphone feature
WAP over CSD
SMS/EMS messaging support - with T9
Basic organiser features
Problems/Issues?
Battery clip somewhat flimsy
Cannot download new ringtones or pictures
Keypad tones still active when locked
Phone lags on quick keypresses
Uncompleted messages in composition screen not saved
Sales package (should contain):
1 x GD55 handset
1 x GD55 charger
1 x lithium-ion battery @ 720 mAh
1 x neck lanyard
1 x GD55 user manual
Overview
The trend for miniature mobile handsets seems to be on the increase - with Panasonic being the next manufacturer to come up with something that’ll fit into virtually any purse or handbag (these are getting smaller as well!) Dubbed the GD55 “mini phone”, it comes with all the basic features one will expect from a Panasonic mobile phone - with the benefit of knowing that they’re all packed into this nifty little unit.
New/outstanding features
While “size” may seem to be the main (and only) attraction of the GD55, there are still those complementing in-phone features that make handling a small phone as interesting as any other. Some of these include polyphonic tones, ringtone composer, built-in speakerphone, WAP, and standby screen wallpaper. When you compare it with other feature-packed phones, it seems that size does somewhat matter here!
For those people interested in getting a phone that they can use wherever they go, the GD55 does come in a tri-band version (GSM 900/1800/1900). This means that not all models of the GD55 have this feature built in. Apparently, models marketed and sold in Taiwan are tri-band compatible - while GD55 handsets in other markets only come with dual-band (GSM 900/1800) compatibility only.
Physical aspects
Measuring in at just 77 x 43 x 16.9 millimetres, Panasonic’s GD55 is up there with the Siemens CL50/8008 and Sony Ericsson T600 - being excessively small but yet feasible enough for use by the average person. It retains a similar casing design and “feel” of other previous GD-based models - with the exception of a 2-way (up/down) navigation key, instead of the familiar 4-way key or 5-way joystick.
Keys on the GD55 are small enough to be pressed with fingertips, but are spaced more closely together than the average phone. Therefore, any faster-than-needed actions here may lead to mistakes due to missed keypresses or from software lags (see Problems/issues for more information).
Items such as the antenna and battery are external on the GD55, so that the phone can be offered at the smallest dimensions possible.
User Interface & display
The GD55’s high resolution, 4-line display is comfortable enough to read thanks to its wide screen design and blue-coloured backlighting (yes, the keypad uses blue backlights as well!) While the standby screen is displayed, the top line is used for signal and battery level gauges and alarm/divert/roaming/silent/vibrate indicators. Soft key indicators usually occupy the lower line when menus are listed.
Its menu system resembles most of those found on other Panasonic GD-based phones - but navigation is 2-way (up/down) only.
Some shortcut keys are also available on the GD55 - providing quick and easy access to most commonly-used functions. Holding down the left or right soft keys will bring up the profiles or messaging menus respectively, while having the hash key held down will traditionally put the phone into silent mode immediately (this mode is not listed within the profiles menu).
Making and receiving calls
Alike other Panasonic GSM phones, there are three ways that you can conduct a telephone conversation with the GD55 - directly via the earpiece, using an optional headset (sold as an accessory), and the handsfree speakerphone feature. Sound quality is pretty okay through the earpiece and provides sufficient volume in any environment. The handsfree speakerphone provides similar performance - no complaints there, since the GD55 is the smallest phone around fitted with this feature.
Probably the weirdest thing is to try and take the phone with the GD55 next to your ear. Sometimes, you try and figure what’s the best way of holding it so that the other person will hear you clearly (since the distance of the phone’s microphone from your mouth is kinda far). But in the end, you’ll just give up trying and use it as you would with any other mobile.
And if you’re wondering if the polyphonic ringtones on the GD55 are loud enough or not, let me assure you that they most certainly are! :)
Messaging
Not to say that messaging isn’t possible on the GD55, but you may just find it slightly difficult to get yourself accustomed to the small keypad buttons that don’t have much height off the front cover. Using your fingertips is the key thing to remember.
Next thing to consider is how the T9 system is slightly different from other Panasonic phones. If you’re an existing Panasonic user, you may need to revisit the training ground a bit.
Build quality
The GD55 comes with a pretty solid build - since the phone does not come with removable front or back covers and no moving parts. Its external battery fits on quite snugly, and the external antenna is tightly attached to the main phone body.
Battery life
Amazingly, I was able to get very good talk and standby times from the GD55 - all thanks to the 720 mAh lithium-ion battery. On average use, I was able to attain approximately 4-5 days standby and up to 4 hours worth of talking time.
Major features...
Smallest Panasonic mobile phone to date
The GD55 is Panasonic’s smallest mobile phone available to date, measuring in smaller than the majority of the competition. If you’re looking for something neatly compact, look no further. But if small buttons and displays are going to be a problem, this “mini phone” may not be your cup of tea.
Tri-band support (for Taiwanese version only)
GD55 handsets marketed and sold in Taiwan comes with support for the three major GSM bands supported around the world - including 900 and 1800 (for African, Asia-Pacific and European countries), and 1900 MHz (supported in North American countries). A band selection option is available in the phone settings menu if tri-band support is available.
Polyphonic ringtones support
Up to 30 preset polyphonic ringing and message tones are available for choosing, with an additional 5 customisable tones for personal compositions.
Ringtone composer
Since it’s not possible to download new tones onto the GD55, the only choice could be to compose your own tones. Up to 5 slots are available for such tones.
Wallpaper feature
You can replace the typical standby screen (network name, time and date) with a list of available preset wallpaper choices. Even though it’s not a colour screen phone (we wish!), these wallpapers will provide the phone with some kind of personality.
Handsfree speakerphone feature
The GD55 is probably the smallest phone around that comes with a handsfree speakerphone function, allowing its user to conduct phone conversations without the need to have it next to their ear. Not to say that the phone will weigh your hand down, given that it’s only 65 grams heavy!
WAP over CSD
A WAP browser is built into the GD55, allowing access to Internet-based WML pages. Normal GSM data speeds of up to 9.6 kbps only (CSD) are supported.
SMS/EMS messaging support - with T9
Messaging is another application that a lot of us have taken granted of, and cannot be a missing feature from today’s mobile phones. The GD55 comes with concatenated (long) SMS support plus the ability to insert sounds, pictures and animations alongside the text in a message (EMS). T9 predictive text input is built-in to make the message-typing experience a quicker and more efficient one.
Basic organiser features
The GD55 probable comes with enough organiser (PIM) features for the typical user (who would use this phone) - including a 250-number entry phonebook with caller group support, calculator and currency converter, and scheduler. An auto phone power-off feature is also available.
Problems/Issues?
Battery clip somewhat flimsy
Not that many people will go out and get a second battery for this phone. But if you do decide to, or have a habit of changing SIM cards on a regular basis, take note that the clip that holds the battery does not lock fully even when it is positioned properly in its slot. Make sure the clip has gone all the way down (see right), as there may be a chance if the battery coming off during use if it’s not.
Cannot download new ringtones or pictures
The GD55 does not have the ability to download any new polyphonic ringtones or graphics (such as wallpaper) from external sources. There are no connectivity options physically available on the GD55, where WAP is the only way for the phone to communicate with the outside world. Even so, the phone does not provide a facility to store possible ringtone or graphic downloads - which is a shame.
Keypad tones still active when locked
When you have your phone’s keypad locked, you wouldn’t expect it to make any sound since it’s supposed to be temporarily deactivated. Queer enough, enabling the keypad lock on the GD55 does half of the job - disabling the keypad from accidental, but not killing off the keypress sounds.
Phone lags on quick keypresses
Maybe it’s not such a good idea to operate the GD55 with both hands - as the phone does have trouble, sometimes, in accepting all the keypresses if they have been entered too closely together. This applies during all entry situations, including messaging with tap or T9 methods.
Uncompleted messages in composition screen not saved
If you’re deciding to finish off an SMS message later and exit from the composition screen, you better think twice before doing so. Once you go back to the messages menu by pressing the END (or red) button, your partially-finished message will not be retained in memory or saved to a drafts folder (there’s no such thing on the GD55).
A suggestive measure would be to choose the MENU option (while still inside the composition screen) and choose “save”. This will make a copy of the current message and have it stored under the “Send List” option in the messages menu.
In Summary
This cute little phone from Panasonic does what it’s designed to be quite well - and that is to be a “mini phone”. Although, on initial impressions, the GD55 does seem to be extremely petite where one may probably deem it impossible to use, a change of heart may progressively set in.
At the end of the day, Panasonic’s GD55 isn’t what everyone may be after - but there are those who will succumb to its miniature design and become satisfied to what it has to offer. Not everyone needs to WAP at GPRS speeds or do voice recordings with their mobile phones. The GD55 satisfies the needs of a typical mobile phone in the mobile world of today, but probably not that of tomorrow’s… |
| Common misspellings on this brand: panasonc , panasonkic , pznasonic , panasoniuc |
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