| Philips Fisio 820 |
| General |
| Network | Gsm 900 / Gsm 1800 |
| Announced | 2002 |
| Status | Available |
| Size |
| Dimensions | 98 X 47 X 21 Mm |
| Weight | 85 G |
| Display |
| Type | Stn, 256 Colors |
| Size | 120 X 130 Pixels, 9 Lines |
| Ringtones |
| Type | Monophonic |
| Amount | 20 |
| Customization | Download, |
| Vibration | Yes |
| Memory |
| Phonebook | 500 Entries, Photo Call |
| Call Records | 10 Dialed, 10 Received, 10 Missed Calls |
| Card Slot | No |
| | - 500 Kb For Contacts
- 7 Fields Per Contact |
| Data |
| Gprs | Class 10 (4+1/3+2 Slots), 32 - 48 Kbps |
| Hscsd | No |
| Edge | No |
| 3g | No |
| Wlan | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Infrared Port | No |
| Usb | |
| Features |
| Messaging | Sms, Email |
| Browser | Wap 1.2.1 |
| Clock | Yes |
| Alarm | Yes |
| Games | No |
| Colors | 3 |
| Camera | No |
| | - T9
- Voice Dial
- Voice Memo
- Organiser
- Calculator
- Euro Converter
- Snap-in Front Cover |
| Battery |
| | Standard Battery, Li-ion |
| Stand-by | 400 H |
| Talk Time | 5 H |
|
Philips - Fisio 820"Game-Boy" joystick with the Philips Fisio 820
Major Differences
High resolution colour LCD screen
Built-in Bluetooth support
WAP over GPRS
Unique 5-way navigational support and “carousel” menu layout
T9 predictive text input
Concatenated (long) SMS and email messaging support
Voice functions (commands, dialling, memo/recorder)
Organiser functions Problems/Issues?
Average visibility from colour LCD screen
Key sound volume cannot be adjusted
Phone book cannot be erased all at once
Sales package (should contain):
1 x Philips Fisio 820 handset
1 x standard battery
1 x travel charger
1 x user manual
1 x Philips “international guarantee” booklet
Overview
I was trying to remember the very last time I had the opportunity to use a Philips phone, which I think was a couple of years back. Since then, none of the models released by the company have yet to raise an eyebrow - until now, with the Fisio 820.
If you have used a Philips phone before, you will expect similar levels of innovation as per previous models. In addition, you will also find a level of usability that was missing before - giving its users convenient and easy access to phone features without the need to think it out. For many of those who have given up on Philips phones, the Fisio 820 is one good reason why you should reconsider.
"Colour LCD screen comparison with other phones"
New/outstanding features
Considering that Philips have been somewhat less-than-active in the field of mobile phones, the Fisio 820 boasts a complete set of features where one would yet to find on most other mobile phones that are currently available. Some of the major ones would include a high-resolution colour LCD screen, internal Bluetooth support, WAP over GPRS and voice functions. Access to these features is made simple thanks to the unique 5-way navigational interface and “carousel” menu layout.
Something else that I found surprising about the Fisio 820 was the ability to access phone features and functions without the need for a SIM card to be inserted into the phone. I have yet to come across a GSM phone (excluding the Nokia Communicators, since they can operate in PDA mode independently) which can do this. The only reason I can see why Philips have allowed this would be the ability for a user to synchronise the phone’s data via Bluetooth without the need of a SIM card, and to be able to access organiser functions as well.
Physical aspects
The Fisio 820 is conveniently sized and fits comfortably in virtually any user’s hand. What I found most exciting about this phone is the unique keypad layout - where the traditional 12-key digit keypad has been partially refurbished to look something like a 5-way navigational key found on other phones. Also, some may notice that there are no answer/reject buttons on the phone - where they have been replaced by permanent “clear” and “menu” buttons instead.
I found using the menus with the larger-sized set of navigation keys more relaxing, since I can press the directional keys with any part of my thumb (and not having to squeeze the sides of them like on other phones!)
As for the looks, I found the design to be very unique (thanks again mainly to the design of the keypad area). The overall dimensions of the phone would probably be perfect if it was less on the width and depth - but then it wouldn’t be as good to hold.
On consulting several of my friends for their opinion, most of them gave the thumb up on looks. But colour-wise, I think there will be a segmentation of users going for the two different colours (Sahara Gold and Mars Red). Also, the type of paint used on the Mars Red version of the Fisio 820 will leave fingerprints behind - which may mean many spending half their time rubbing off these prints and the other half using the phone instead :)
User Interface
In conjunction with the refurbished keypad and colour LCD, the Fisio 820 has a “carousel” style menu system which utilises icons to represent individual menu items. I found the user interface on this phone to be unique and simple to use compared to other brand of phones. But you do start to get a bit confused (as to where you actually are) when you go deeper into the menu levels.
Making and receiving calls
Audio quality on the Fisio 820 wasn’t top-notch - where I found the earpiece speaker to be a bit too noisy. Something else that I found irritating was that I wasn’t able to access my last dialled list with the touch of a button - since there wasn’t any “answer” button for me to press. Instead, I had to go into the menu and look for the call list feature instead (which was more than one keypress!)
On the other hand, if you used a headset on the Fisio 820 (an Ericsson HBH-20 Bluetooth headset was paired and used successfully) the audio experience is somewhat better compared to that with the on-board earpiece speaker.
Messaging
The Fisio 820 comes with T9 predictive text input and the ability to send concatenated (long) SMS messages. Typing messages on the Fisio 820 keypad was a breeze - but you may need some practise in getting use to where the “clear” button is.
Battery life
Usage time on the Fisio 820 is pretty much similar to those found on other phones. On average usage, I was able to get around 2-3 days’ worth on a single charge. But if you are like me and use Bluetooth, you will find these times a tad less. This will depend on whether you choose to have Bluetooth on all the time or on automatic mode (which saves the most battery power if using this wireless feature).
Major differences...
"Image can be used as either screen savers or wallpaper"
High resolution colour LCD screen
The Fisio 820 sports a high resolution colour LCD screen which allows for a more fruitful experience while using the phone’s features. Images can be imported into the phone’s memory where they can be used as either screen savers or wallpaper.
Built-in Bluetooth support
Although lacking IR support, the Fisio 820 comes with built-in Bluetooth wireless support, which allows a user to connect up compatible devices (for example, headsets and notebook computers) at a range of up to ten metres without line-of-sight.
WAP over GPRS
High-speed access to WAP and other Internet services can be achieved through the use of GPRS, which can achieve data speeds higher than those gained from a normal dial-up connection from a standard mobile phone.
Unique 5-way navigational support and “carousel” menu layout
One of the more stunning features of the Fisio 820 would be the unique keypad layout depicting a 5-way navigational system - allowing for easy and seamless access to the phone’s menu and features. Complementing this is the “carousel” style menu, which incorporate icons for easy identification of features and functions.
T9 predictive text input
The Fisio 820 comes with the T9 predictive text input system, giving users the ability to complete their SMS messages more quickly and efficiently than tapping letter by letter into the phone’s keypad.
Concatenated (long) SMS and email messaging support
If you hate the feeling of having to finish what you’re saying in those SMS messages because of that 160-character limit, you will be happy to know that the Fisio 820 will let you finish your train of thought, and maybe add a little extra at the end, thanks to concatenated (long) SMS support. Where SMS may not be appropriate, you can also have the Fisio 820 send an email message instead. T9 predictive text input is supported for both SMS and email messages.
Voice functions (commands, dialling, memo/recorder)
The Fisio 820 comes with voice features, including commands, dialling and memo. Up to 40 voice command and dialling tags can be saved. A voice memo of up to 30 seconds can be saved when the phone is in standby mode.
Organiser functions
The Fisio 820 comes with simple organiser functions - such as a day/week/month view calendar and calculator functions.
Problems/Issues?
"Need to position the phone at a certain position to gain maximum visibility"
Average visibility from colour LCD screen
Compared to other colour LCD models that I have reviewed previously (for example, Ericsson T68, Sony Ericsson T68i and Samsung SGH-T100), the visibility of the one on the Fisio 820 comes last. If you use this phone under an average light source, there doesn’t seem to be a problem. But when you rely on the built-in backlight, you will need to position the phone at a certain position to gain maximum visibility. At other angles, all you will see is the reflection of the backlight instead.
Key sound volume cannot be adjusted
If you enable the keypad sound (the short beep produced on each keypress), you will not be able to adjust its volume. I find it to be a concern because this beeping sound is quite loud, and when you’re on a phone call and want to access the menu, the other party is going to hear this very-distinct beeping sound as well.
Phone book cannot be erased all at once
The Fisio 820 does not offer a function which allows for a user to erase an entire phone book at once. Instead, you will have to individually confirm the erasure of each entry manually. So, if you have 50 phone book entries and you want to erase them all, you may want to consider putting aside 5-10 minutes of your time in doing so.
In Summary
Overall, I found the Fisio 820 to be a very unique in its own way. Although many of its features are common to those found on many other phones, it is the way that these are presented by the phone itself. What I enjoyed using most was the menu system on this phone in tandem with the 5-way navigational keypad. Being someone who goes through the menus a lot, having them laid out clearly and easy to follow is vital in supporting the overall features of the phone. Unfortunately, the colour LCD screen didn’t win my vote. Over time, I must admit that I have accustomed myself to its level of clarity - but still I would prefer something sharper.
But if you’re looking for a phone that has a colour screen and fulfils your list of feature requirements, the Fisio 820 is definitely a viable choice and a phone you should be happy with for some time to come. |
| Common misspellings on this brand: philijps , philipsx |
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