| Siemens C55 |
| General |
| Network | Gsm 900 / Gsm 1800 |
| Announced | 2002, Sep |
| Status | Available |
| Size |
| Dimensions | 101 X 44 X 21 Mm, 69 Cc |
| Weight | 80 G |
| Display |
| Type | Monochrome Graphic |
| Size | 101 X 64 Pixels, 5 Lines |
| | - Navy Key |
| Ringtones |
| Type | Polyphonic (16 Channels), Recorded |
| Amount | 22 + Custom; 7 Sounds + Record |
| Customization | Download, Record, |
| Vibration | Yes |
| Memory |
| Phonebook | Yes |
| Call Records | 10 Dialed, 10 Received, 10 Missed Calls |
| Card Slot | No |
| Data |
| Gprs | Class 8 (4+1 Slots), 32 - 40 Kbps |
| Hscsd | No |
| Edge | No |
| 3g | No |
| Wlan | No |
| Bluetooth | No |
| Infrared Port | No |
| Usb | |
| Features |
| Messaging | Sms, Ems, Instant Messaging |
| Browser | Wap 1.2.1 |
| Clock | Yes |
| Alarm | Yes |
| Games | 2 - The Prince Of Persia, Galaxy Hero, |
| Colors | 3 - Aqua, Champagne, Bordeaux |
| Languages | 20 |
| Camera | No |
| | - Mobile Java
- T9
- Calculator
- Currency Converter
- Organizer
- Changeable Cover
- User Profiles
- Built-in Hadsfree |
| Battery |
| | Standard, Li-ion 700 Mah (eba-510) |
| Stand-by | 250 H |
| Talk Time | 6 H |
|
Siemens - C55Get fluro with the Siemens C55/2128
Major features
Translucent, glow-in-the-dark CLIPit covers (front and back)
Polyphonic tones and voice ringer features for phone calls and messages
Handsfree speakerphone feature
WAP over GPRS
SMS/EMS messaging capabilities
Java application compatibility
Voice functions (commands, dialling, recording)
Logo and screen saver support (with security feature)
Problems/Issues?
Location of phone earpiece slightly too high
Sales package (should contain):
1 x C55 handset
1 x internal lithium-ion battery @ 700 mAh
1 x lightweight travel charger
1 x C55 user guide
1 x additional SAR information leaflet
1 x “Siemens Mobile Phone Warranty” leaflet
Overview
For those who may be slightly weary about mobile phones from Siemens, let me say that their latest model, the C55, will bring along positive surprises that could shift your focus back on their products. Those areas from previous models that required improvements have been addressed and the C55 is the living proof.
And for the remainder of those who consider Siemens as their brand of choice, you’ll probably be as impressed - or be furthermore inspired! :)
New/outstanding features
The C55 is the first Siemens phone to introduce the use of polyphonic tones, which will gradually become a mainstream feature on future models. Being aimed more towards a market-entry segment and towards first-time users of mobile phones, this new “C” series model comes with a host of richer features such as voice functions (commands, dialling and recording), Java application support, GPRS Class 8 support, and the ability to also record your own ringtone too!
Physical aspects
A more compact design has been given to the C55, where it also weighs at just 80 grams - 30% less than its C45 predecessor (at a whopping 107 grams!) The materials used for the CLIPit covers were quite nice to hold and easy to take on and off - even though it did feel kind of “hollow” at the back of the phone. As for looking at it, the all-white “Blue Kiss” cover colour was extremely pleasant to look at - and even glowed in the dark or under certain lighting conditions (mostly found in night clubs and discos).
There were two improvements on the C55 that I found to have made the overall user experience so much better.
Firstly, tactility of the overall keypad has been improved - where pressing each and every button boasts a similar level of certainty. On the C45, the biggest I had was with its keypad, especially with the set of arrow and soft keys above the answer button - which got quite uncomfortable when used for prolonged periods.
On the subject of these same buttons, the C55 has rid of the old, now-hideous design and employed a four-way-like set of buttons instead - which is actually the second improvement. In fact, it’s actually two soft keys (left and right) and up and down navigation together on the same button panel. The phone book icon on the “down” button allows access to this very feature from the standby screen, while holding down on the “up” button instead will activate voice commands (of course, you will need to have at least one voice command/dialling entry set up before this can be used).
User Interface & display
If you’ve used Siemens phones before, you won’t have a problem with the new C55 - which retains the traditional “look and feel”. The Siemens menu user interface (UI) is probably one of the easier ones to navigate. Its black-and-white display is quite sharp, providing a good level of readability also thanks to the use of a soft blue illumination.
One of the more prominent improvements on the C55 is the improvement in software receptiveness - or in other words, the ability of the C55 to accept keystrokes and provide screen output faster compared to previous Siemens models. Although not vital for standard usage, it becomes a pain when you begin to type faster than what the T9 predictive text system can output on the screen whilst messaging!
And if you’ve become accustomed with other phones with 4-way navigational keys, it may take a bit of getting-use-to if you decide to use the C55. As explained earlier, the left/right buttons are in actual fact the two soft keys - and only the up/down actions are available for navigational use.
A blue and orange backlight combination, similar to the blue version of the M50, is adopted for the C55 - blue for the display area, and orange traditionally retained for the keypad. Coincidentally, where the blue and orange backlight mixes, a soft lilac colour is emitted around the answer/end and 4-way set of buttons, where it is more obvious.
Making and receiving calls
The C55 allows phone calls to be taken either traditionally through its earpiece or via the handsfree speakerphone feature. Either way, you will get good audio quality levels - and no “the speakerphone is not loud enough” problems here! :)
A portable handsfree headset accessory is also available for the C55, which is sold separately.
Messaging
Both SMS and EMS messaging standards are supported on the C55. Also included on the phone is a library of objects that include pictures, animations and sounds. When you feel like composing something colourful, simply press the “options” right soft key from the message composition screen and choose the “picture & sound” option.
With the improved keypad design/tactility and software receptiveness, typing messages with T9 predictive text input is better than ever! You should not have problems with lags and missed characters when composing your communiqués, as some may have experienced this on previous Siemens handsets.
Build quality
I found the core body of the C55 being quite solid, which should provide sufficient protection if you were to accidentally drop the phone on a hard surface. Even though the CLIPit covers were quite easy to attach and remove, they inadvertently gave off a slight sense of flimsiness mostly felt at the edges and the bordering gaps around the phone where the top and bottom covers met.
Battery life
Talk and standby times on the C55 are pretty much in line with the average GSM handset - gaining approximately 2-3 hours and 3-4 days respectively on an average use pattern. Where the battery has yet to receive its first run-in charge, there may be slight improvements in performance after several more charges.
Major features...
Take a closer look!
Translucent, glow-in-the-dark CLIPit covers (front and back)
One of the selling points of the C55 is its unique translucent covers that have glow-in-the-dark abilities. Both the front and back covers can be removed and replaced with other designs, sold separately as original accessories from Siemens - ranging from different translucent designs to coloured and patterned covers. Best of all, they are extremely easy to remove and replace!
Polyphonic tones and voice ringer features for phone calls and messages
The C55 comes with the ability to play polyphonic (MIDI-based) tones for ringing and message tones. In addition to the built-in tones available, the C55 provides the ability of downloading new polyphonic tones via an Internet connection (either through CSD or GPRS) from the “Sound Manager” menu. You can also record your own ringtone as well, which is saved in a WAV file format on the phone’s memory.
Handsfree speakerphone feature
An alternate method of using either the actual phone or a headset to take phone calls is via the C55’s handsfree mode, which can be activated when a call is in progress. Audio quality using the handsfree speakerphone feature is quite good, and can be activated by pressing the “Handsfr.” left soft key and selecting “yes” to confirm the change in mode.
WAP over GPRS
The C55 comes with support for WAP browsing, where normal dial-up (CSD) and high-speed (GPRS) connections can be established. With the optional data cable accessories (sold separately), you can connect an external PC and have it access the Internet through the C55 at these same data speeds.
SMS/EMS messaging capabilities
A host of messaging capabilities are available on the C55 - including canned/concatenated/group SMS messaging support, and the ability to insert sounds, pictures and animations with basic text messages which ultimately becomes an EMS message.
Java application compatibility
The C55 has the ability to open Java-based applications that are designed for use on mobile phone platforms, and can be downloaded via the phone’s WAP browser. Java applications are made available for many different purposes - for example, it can be a game, utility or personal management software. Several applications have been pre-loaded onto the C55 that can be deleted and replaced with others.
Voice functions (commands, dialling, recording)
There’s also support for a broad range of voice functions on the C55 - ranging from the ability to assign voice tags to phone book entries, doing some short voice recordings, and allocating voice commands to specific phone functions made available by the phone.
Logo and screen saver support (with security feature)
You can also assign a logo (or background picture) for the C55’s standby screen instead of having the operator name displayed. A screen saver feature is also available, ranging from a choice of static and animated pictures, as well as the traditional analogue clock display (wish they would include a digital one too!)
Problems/Issues?
Location of phone earpiece slightly too high
There was one thing that kept bothering me when I took calls with the C55 - and that was the ability of holding the handset comfortably during a phone conversation. No, it wasn’t because the handset didn’t have good enough ergonomics or that it had an issue with weight.
You could sit the phone on the ear in a comfortable position, which I believe is the natural position that most people would choose. But the only problem then is that you may not hear anything at all because the earpiece is located at a higher position than it needs to be. Therefore, you would have to move the phone slightly lower - which ultimately sacrifices comfort. If only the earpiece hole was on the lower side of the ellipse (see picture right).
I suppose the only way around it is to get use to it eh?
In Summary
Over the course of the review, I actually found the C55 to be one of the better Siemens phones that I’ve come to use. In the past, I found Siemens mobile handsets to incorporate a good set of features and UI - but lacked a good level of physical usability, although acceptable. Should you decide to choose the C55, you may also find the phone growing to you and your needs - which is indeed a plus.
If future Siemens phone models carry some of the similar characteristics of the C55, we may be expecting some changes in the dynamics of the mobile handset market. Of course, that is yet to be seen… :) |
| Common misspellings on this brand: sidemens , siemebs |
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