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| Panasonic GD95 |
| General |
| Network | Gsm 900 / Gsm 1800 |
| Announced | 2001 |
| Status | Available |
| Size |
| Dimensions | 120 X 45 X 14 Mm, 90 Cc |
| Weight | 85 G |
| Display |
| Type | Monochrome Graphic |
| Size | 11 Lines X 16 Chars |
| | - Lcd Illuminates In 3 Different Colours |
| Ringtones |
| Type | Monophonic |
| Customization | Composer |
| Vibration | Yes |
| Memory |
| Phonebook | 200 |
| Call Records | 10 Dialed, 10 Received, 10 Missed Calls |
| Card Slot | No |
| | - Message Templates |
| Data |
| Gprs | Class 8 (gd96 Only) (4+1 Slots), 32 - 40 Kbps |
| Hscsd | No |
| Edge | No |
| 3g | No |
| Wlan | No |
| Bluetooth | No |
| Infrared Port | No |
| Usb | |
| Features |
| Messaging | Sms, Email |
| Browser | Wap 1.2 |
| Clock | Yes |
| Alarm | Yes |
| Games | 2 |
| Colors | 2 |
| Camera | No |
| | - T9
- Voice Memo
- Pim Functions
- Dictaphone
- Calculator |
| Battery |
| | Standard Battery, Li-ion 690 Mah |
| Stand-by | Up To 90 H |
| Talk Time | Up To 5 H |
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Panasonic - GD95Big viewer with the Panasonic GD95
05 April 2002
Written By Kinny Cheng
iMobile would like to thank Panasonic (Australia) for supplying us with the Panasonic GD95 for our review
Take a closer look!
Major Differences
Portrait-orientated LCD screen
5-way directional joystick
Polyphonic (harmonic) ringer with voice ringer feature
Downloadable polyphonic ringtones, melody composer and voice ringer feature
Desktop handsfree function
WAP over CSD
Multi-coloured backlight system
Voice dialling and memo (Dictaphone) functions
Email (POP3/SMTP) capability
T9 predictive input system
Organiser functions Problems/Issues?
Slow predictive SMS output
Vibrate and ring cannot be enabled together
Sales package (should contain):
1 x Panasonic GD95 handset
1 x Panasonic GD95 Li-ion battery
1 x Panasonic GD-series phone charger
1 x Panasonic GD95 user manual & supplementary documentation
1 x hand strap
Overview
Panasonic has once again come up with something special for us mobile phone users. The GD90 was one of the first phones to offer a set of different coloured backlights for the LCD display, while the GD92 gave us a look at what we’re going to see more of very soon - polyphonic (or harmonic) ringers. Up till today, I still consider the GD92 as one of the best Panasonic phones to date.
And now we have the GD95 - Panasonic’s latest upgrade to the GD9x-series of phones. One of the most striking features of this phone - love it or hate it - is the adoption of a larger, portrait-orientated LCD allowing for up to a whooping 10 lines of text. Fortunately, the text size was not too small and was easy enough to read - not having to squint at the screen! The benefits of having a larger screen means also that you will be able to see more of a WAP page than on other phones (this is something that I find annoying when using WAP!)
Something else to complement the big screen is the new 5-way directional joystick located right below. This joystick replaces the 4-way button, “clear” and “application” buttons used on previous GD models - and also makes navigating around the phone somewhat easier than previously since controlling most movements are done with the joystick. The joystick’s sensitivity level is also quite good.
"A one-line network description (for example, AUS VODAFONE)"
Although the GD95 is sized somewhat larger than its predecessors, mainly because of the extended screen size, the phone is still very comfortable to hold - thanks to it being lightweight (84 grams) and having a more appropriate width compared to the GD92 phone.
After turning on the phone and logging into the network, the standby screen was able to display the signal strength and battery level indicators, a one-line network description (for example, “AUS VODAFONE”), a description line for the soft buttons and joystick, and the remainder of the area used for the screen image set - which is more area than your average phone can use for such a display. The screen image set was an analogue clock with a full date - being sufficiently clear when looked at from afar.
Similar to the GD92, the GD95 has an iconic main menu with selection lists in lower menu levels. Thanks to the bigger screen, the icons used throughout the phone are larger than before and are easier to depict thanks to the use of animation effects. Using the joystick to set options and enable/disable features is made easier than using previous GD models.
Some new features of this phone includes the addition of a WAP browser, voice dialling functionality, idle (standby) screen image (wallpaper) function, SMTP/POP3 email capability, and downloadable polyphonic ringtone feature. Being a phone that is positioned towards business people, the inclusion of these new features makes the phone somewhat friendlier and more “easy-going” to use - than simply just offering what a business person really needs.
One thing I had expected from the GD95 was the same number of screen backlight colours available. Unfortunately, for those who have used either the GD92 or GD93 will be somewhat disappointed to know that there are now only three colours - white, soft orange, and green.
I was able to get around 2-3 days worth of standby from the GD95 on average use. These really vary once you use the phone a bit more.
Major differences...
"Bigger LCD can be displayed on the screen (up to 10 lines)"
Portrait-orientated LCD screen
One of the selling features of the GD95 is the bigger LCD screen incorporated into the phone’s overall design. Although it may look funny to some, the larger screen means that more text can be displayed on the screen (up to 10 lines) - useful for displaying WAP pages and also makes browsing the phone’s menu somewhat easier. Even with the longer display, it did not make the phone too long compared to predecessor GD models.
5-way directional joystick
The GD95 uses a joystick as the primary navigational device for the phone’s menus and its features. Allowing for 4-way movement (left, right, up, down), you can also depress down onto the joystick to confirm menu actions and selections. The idea of this is that a user does not have to lift his/her finger off the joystick to perform an action on the phone.
"The built-in handsfree function allowing a user to talk on the phone while having it placed nearby"
Polyphonic (harmonic) ringer
Adopted from the GD92, the polyphonic (harmonic) ringer plays high-quality ring tunes from its speaker located at the back of the phone. Up to 20 built-in ringtones (pre-defined - 5 replaceable/downloadable) and 3 variable ones (2 voice ringers, 1 editable by composer) are available.
Downloadable polyphonic ringtones, melody composer and voice ringer feature
The GD95 is one of the first phones that can download polyphonic ringtones from the Internet. Up to 5 can be downloaded onto the GD95, replacing 5 pre-defined tunes. In addition, the GD95 comes with the feature of letting a user compose his/her own tunes or make a recording that can be used for the ringer too!
Desktop handsfree function
Another feature adopted from the GD92 is the built-in handsfree function allowing a user to talk on the phone while having it placed nearby (for example, in front of you on the table, next to you on the bed, etc). The difference here compared to other handsfree functionality offered is that you do not need to wear a headset - as the earpiece is the actual speaker (used for the polyphonic ringtones as well) located at the back of the phone.
WAP over CSD
The WAP browser is complemented very well by both the larger screen and the navigational joystick - allowing for seamless viewing of WML pages and ease of browsing without having to endlessly press buttons to move the page. A counter provides the convenience of knowing how long you have spent browsing online - something useful as you can keep track of the time spent online.
Multi-coloured backlight system
The GD95 offers three different backlight colours for the LCD display (the keypad area uses only a standard green backlight) - white, soft orange, and green. It is unfortunate that they did not include all the backlight colours that were able on the GD92.
Voice dialling and memo (Dictaphone) functions
As with most new phones, the GD95 offers voice dialling capabilities for up to 5 numbers saved within the phonebook. Additionally, the phone also offers a feature that allows you to do a short voice recording during a call - of up to 16 seconds.
Email (POP3/SMTP) capability
You can send and receive email messages from the GD95 - even if it means logging into a local Internet Service Provider. Typing these same email messages are made easier thanks to the use of T9 for this function as well.
T9 predictive input system
Typing messages become less of a nightmare thanks to the availability of the T9 predictive input system - where a built-in dictionary “predicts” the words that you are typing without having to tap the same key many times before getting the correct letter. T9 is available for use in writing SMS messages, emails and also phone book entries.
Organiser functions
The GD95 comes with a set of simple organiser features - including a full-view calendar function, calculator and currency conversion functions.
Problems/Issues?
Slow T9 output
Although the GD95 comes with the T9 system for the inputting of words, the downside realised was the lack of speed when it came for the phone to output these same characters onto the screen. If a user were to type somewhat faster, he/she may have to wait for the text to be displayed before continuing. Although the phone now knows how to buffer keystrokes, it is annoying when - after all the words have been displayed - you find that there was a spelling mistake back on the first line. If it had displayed the inputted words faster, then errors can be corrected beforehand.
Enabling both ringer and vibrate together
Trying to have both the ringer and vibrate work together isn’t all that easy on the GD95. When you do a long press on the hash button, vibration mode is enabled - which disables all tones. But what if you want both vibrate and tone enabled? Easy, just go and set the volume for the ringer from zero to the level you want. But wouldn’t it be easier if you simply had a “ring and vibrate” option in the setup instead of having to go through this process?
In Summary
Apart from the larger-sized screen, the Panasonic GD95 looks like a typical mobile phone with all the necessary features required in today’s day and age. Features, such as voice ringers and downloadable polyphonic ringtones, are beneficial extras to make this phone unique to others. Other extras, like email accessibility and an internal modem, are essentials for business people who are always on the move and would like to access the Internet anywhere, anytime.
The GD95 retains a similar interface and level of functionality, where previous GD users migrating to this phone would find it very simple to use. As for others, using the GD95 is anything but painful. If you don’t mind something larger in size and offers a host of useful features, then this may be the phone for you. |
| Common misspellings on this brand: panason9c , panaosnic , paqnasonic , pajasonic |
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