| Siemens C65 |
| General |
| Network | Gsm 900 / Gsm 1800 / Gsm 1900 |
| Announced | 2004, March |
| Status | Available |
| Size |
| Dimensions | 105 X 45 X 16 Mm, 76 Cc |
| Weight | 86 G |
| Display |
| Type | Cstn, 65k Colors |
| Size | 130 X 130 Pixels |
| | - Download Assistant For Logos |
| Ringtones |
| Type | Polyphonic (40 Channels) |
| Customization | Download, |
| Vibration | Yes |
| Memory |
| Phonebook | 14 Fields, In Shared Memory |
| Call Records | 100 Dialed, 100 Received, 100 Missed Calls |
| Card Slot | No |
| | - 10 Mb Shared Memory |
| Data |
| Gprs | Class 10 (4+1/3+2 Slots), 32 - 48 Kbps |
| Hscsd | No |
| Edge | No |
| 3g | No |
| Wlan | No |
| Bluetooth | No |
| Infrared Port | Yes |
| Usb | Yes |
| Features |
| Messaging | Sms, Ems, Mms |
| Browser | Wap 2.0/xhtml |
| Games | Photopet + Downloadable, |
| Colors | Blue Shadow |
| Camera | Cif, 352 X 288 Pixels |
| | - Java Midp 2.0
- T9
- Currency Converter
- Calculator
- Stopwatch
- Reminder List
- Organizer
- Syncml
- Clip-it Covers
- Built-in Handsfree |
| Battery |
| | Standard, Li-ion 600 Mah (eba-670) |
| Stand-by | Up To 250 H |
| Talk Time | Up To 6 H |
|
Siemens - C65Serenity with the Siemens C65
Major features
Tri-band GSM 900/1800/1900MHz frequency support
65,536 colour STN 130 x 130 pixel display
Integrated CIF digital camera with still imaging
40 tone polyphonic ringtones
10MB internal memory
Serial, USB and Infrared connectivity
SMS/EMS, MMS and e-mail through MMS messaging
WAP 2.0 over GPRS browser
MIDP 2.0 Java™ games and applications
CLIPit™ covers
PIM and voice functions
Picture Viewer and Photo Editor
Problems/Issues?
Buggy firmware
Slightly slow user-interface
Extra effort required to open battery cover
Data-synchronising software not included
Sales package (should contain):
1 x Siemens C65 handset
1 x Lithium-ion battery, 600mAh
1 x Standard charger
1 x User Guide
Overview
Introduction
With the new C65, Siemens are putting picture messaging in the hands of entry-level users. With support for multimedia messaging and an integrated digital CIF camera, you can send pictures to anybody you like, no matter where you are. And with tri-band GSM capability, you could be in one of up to five continents around the world and still be connected.
Forty-tone polyphonic ringtones allow for stylish alerts to phone calls, and with a whole range of different personalisation options, such as Clipit covers and downloadable themes, wallpapers and screensavers, you can make the C65 stand out in the crowd.
Read on for more details on Siemens’ new entry-level phone.
New/outstanding features
While the Siemens C65 doesn’t really break much ground in terms of new technology or features, the outstanding part about it is that it offers many extras such as digital camera, high quality polyphonic ringtones, heaps of memory and internet access. These are things you’d expect to find on a premium handset, but they’re included in the far more affordable C65.
The amount of memory included – 10 megabytes – is plenty for this handset. Without data crunching features such as MP3 player or video recorder, the amount of space you have to save CIF photos and ringtones is outstanding. You can save more than 400 CIF size photos, 1000 medium size ringtones, 150 medium size Java applications, and plenty of themes too.
Infra-red connectivity means you don’t need to shell out extra to buy a data cable for transferring data to a PC. If you have an infra-red receiver, you can transfer data between your computer and the C65, as well as synchronise contacts between programs such as Outlook. Unfortunately, Siemens have not included the software CD required for the C65 to communicate with a PC, which is unfortunate as it means you must download it from their website and install it manually. For more information check out the problems/issues page.
Physical aspects
The C65 is a tried-and-tested candybar with a design that could be said to be typical of Siemens. It is very compact and lightweight, measuring at 105 x 47 x 18 mm and weighing 86g. The finish is very smooth and the casing is attached very firmly and tightly – perhaps a bit too tightly if you are trying to remove the battery cover. It took me a few minutes and nearly all my strength to slide the battery cover off the back of the phone. While possibly a bit too tight, it is reassuring to know that the phone is not going to fall apart in my pocket from repeated use.
On the front, the screen measures 130x130 pixels, and hence is square-shaped. You have the standard 12 numerical keys, as well as dial and hang-up keys along with two soft keys and a shortcut key, which can be assigned to virtually any function you want on a phone, from starting up a particular Java application to activating infra-red! A five-way joystick completes the key layout. Five-way means that it can be moved in four directions and can also be clicked in as an OK button. The buttons don’t require much effort to press and the joystick, in the majority of cases, will go in the direction I want it to, unlike joysticks on some other phones I have used before.
If you take a look at the back you’ll see the camera lens just above the centre of the phone, with a socket for an external antenna just above it and to the left. The coloured battery cover contrasts against the standard grey of the rest of the phone and is easily noticeable. As mentioned earlier, it is quite frustrating to remove this back cover but once you do you will be able to access the battery and the SIM card slot. The SIM card simply slides in when you insert it, without needing a latch to lock it in.
The external communication socket is in the traditional position at the bottom of the phone, and does not come with a rubber cover such as other recent phones have. This socket doubles as a battery recharge and data cable socket, and if you plug the C65 into the desk holder accessory, it can do both at the same time! The desk holder accessory is not included in the package.
User Interface & display
Take a closer look!
The upgrade of the screen to a 65,536 colour screen makes viewing pictures a much more pleasant and practical experience. It is unfortunate that Siemens didn’t go one step further and make the screen a TFT one, but as this is an entry-level model it can be overlooked. The screen measures 130 x 130 pixels and is based on passive matrix STN technology.
The user-interface is based on a 3 x 3 grid of icons, which is quickly becoming the standard way of displaying a menu. This is the default method, although you can change it to the Nokia look of displaying one icon at a time. The nine icons displayed in the main menu are Address Book, Call Records, Surf & Fun, Camera, Messages, Organiser, Extras, My Stuff, and Setup.
Beyond the first level of menus the layout used is one of text lines. The screen is large enough to display five lines of menus at the standard font size, and you can change to a jumbo font size where only one line fits the screen, if the standard font is too small. In addition, some menu items have a help function that is accessible with the left softkey, explaining what the function does. I can’t quite understand why only some menu options and not all of them have help.
Unfortunately the screen just doesn’t live up to expectations when displaying pictures. Colours are all washed out and pictures are displayed much darker than they actually are, making them very hard to see in bright light. This is strange considering that with 65,000 colours pictures should be displayed quite well.
Making and receiving calls
Calls on the C65 can be done the regular way, through the integrated speakerphone, or through a wired handsfree which is available separately. Calls done the regular way are very clear, you can hear the person on the other side very clearly through the earpiece on the phone. Volume is adjusted using the joystick as there are no dedicated volume adjustment buttons.
Calls made through the handsfree speakerphone also work well. Volume can be made loud enough to be heard clearly while travelling in a car. The same can’t be said for the person on the other side though, as you need to keep the phone close to you for the person on the other end to hear you clearly.
Calls are answered by default in traditional mode when you press the green dial key – to activate speakerphone you press the right softkey. Annoyingly the phone asks to confirm that you want to activate speakerphone by pressing the right softkey again. This is frustrating, because usually when you want to activate speakerphone you want to do it immediately.
The phonebook can store up to four phone numbers and one email address per name, as well as an address and portrait sized picture, which blinks when an incoming call comes through. With the current firmware though, searching the phone book by entering letters was impossible. No matter what letter I typed in, the phone would jump to the end of the phonebook rather than the first entry beginning with the letter I typed. More information on the phone’s buggy firmware in the problems section.
Messaging
SMS, EMS and MMS are fully supported on the C65. With concatenated SMS, large SMS messages of up to 760 characters can be created and sent, and will be received probably if the person’s phone you are sending to is reasonably new. EMS support allows sending and receiving of old-style picture messages and monotone ringtones to other phones, although support for EMS from other phones is limited.
MMS is fully featured, with support for text, pictures and sound. Slides are also supported, meaning you can attach multiple pictures and sounds up to a maximum of 100KB. There is direct access to the camera from the MMS entry menu, in case you want to take a picture to send there and then.
While there is no email client on the C65, you can send email via MMS to any email address, although due to the nature of MMS you normally can’t receive a reply back to your phone from an email address.
Connectivity
The C65 has support for three of the four GSM bands – 900, 1800 and 1900MHz bands. This means the C65 can be used almost anywhere around the world. GPRS Class 10 support means you can access the internet at speeds of around 36 – 48 kbps, and the browser installed is an Openwave internet browser which supports WAP specification 2.0. WAP version 2.0 allows for viewing of pages in colour with pictures and animation.
For connectivity to PC, the C65 supports USB and serial cables, as well as infra-red connectivity. Using either method you can transfer files as well as synchronise phone books and send SMS directly from the PC.
Build quality
As mentioned earlier, the C65 casing latches together very well, to the point of being very difficult to remove the back battery cover to change the battery or SIM card.
The C65 measures 105 x 45 x 16 millimetres, and weighs 86 grams. It’s quite compact and lightweight, and fits within one’s pocket without any fuss.
Battery life
The 600mAh Lithium-ion battery provides up to 250 hours of standby time and up to 300 minutes of talk time, according to Siemens. In my test it was able to last two full days of mixed usage, which included about 30 minutes of phone calls, one GPRS session on Vodafone live and about 20 minutes of game playing.
Siemens provide a travel charger in the retail pack which will work on either 110 or 240 volt power systems, so you can plug it in anywhere around the world as long as you have a plug converter. It takes up to two hours to completely recharge the phone when the battery is drained.
Major features...
GSM 900/1800/1900MHz frequency support
The C65 has full triband support, meaning it will work in Europe, Asia and North and South America. It will automatically switch between bands so the only thing you’ll have to worry about when travelling is making sure you connect to your operator’s roaming partner.
65,536 colour STN 130 x 130 pixels display
The square shaped colour display does wonders for the menu, wallpapers, themes and webpages, and is large enough to display multiple lines of text when messaging, depending on your preferred font size. Strangely however it doesn’t display photos as well as expected of a 16-bit colour display.
Integrated CIF digital camera
With a camera in your pocket whenever you have your phone, taking photos at the spur of the moment becomes a breeze with the C65. It captures still pictures at a maximum resolution of 352x288 (CIF), which works well for backgrounds, phonebook portraits and sending via MMS.
10MB internal memory
With such a huge amount of memory you can store hundreds of CIF size photos, polyphonic ringtones and Java applications and games. You can even store themes, which customise the entire look of the handset.
Class 10 GPRS packet data
With connection speeds of 36 – 48kbps, viewing internet webpages is rather simple and not too expensive. Besides being able to access operators’ main webpages, extra content for the C65, such as pictures and ringtones can be downloaded from Siemens’ website.
Serial cable, USB and infra-red connectivity
There are many methods of connecting to a PC, and if you have a serial cable you can also update the phone’s firmware without having to take it to a service centre as long as you know what you’re doing. Data can be copied between the phone and PC, and phonebooks can be synchronised as well.
SMS/EMS and MMS messaging
The C65 supports the full suite of mobile phone messaging standards. You can send SMS with up to 760 characters thanks to concatenated SMS support, and can attach simple pictures and monotone ringtones through EMS support.
MMS messages of up to 100KB in size can be sent and received, and can have multiple pictures and sounds attached. Photos can be taken with the integrated camera and sent almost instantly. Email can also be sent, but through MMS only.
Java™ games and applications
Java games and applications can be installed and used on the C65, and some come pre-installed ready to use the moment you open the box. More applications and games can be downloaded from Siemens’ website and be installed directly onto the phone, or from third party websites and installed using Siemens’ PC software using infra-red or a data cable.
CLIPit™ phone cases
The C65’s case can be customised to one of your choice. Both the front and the back of the case can be customised, with cases available from Siemens and third-party retailers.
PIM features
Use the calculator for quick calculations, or take notes using the calendar software. You can set the calendar to alert you to important functions or events. Phonebook synchronisation between a PC is also possible with the Siemens PC software. This software is not included in the retail package and must be downloaded from Siemens’ website. A voice memo feature also allows you to record short voice clips.
Problems/Issues?
Buggy firmware
What may ultimately be the Achilles Heel of the C65 is its buggy firmware. During my testing I had one case of the phone completely freezing while the camera was turned on, and I could not even turn it off. I resorted to removing the battery to reset the phone. On another day I was using the phonebook when the message “Cannot find SIM card” showed up, and the phone stopped working. This time however I was able to switch it off and back on successfully.
Firmware can be updated by taking your phone to an approved Siemens service centre, where they will usually keep your phone for a few days before returning it to you with the updated firmware. Be sure to backup your data when you do this because you will usually get back a phone that is completely reset. Another method to update the firmware is to download it from the Siemens website and install it yourself, but you need the optional serial cable to connect the phone to the PC, as the USB cable and infra-red are not capable of updating firmware. In addition you need to be very careful as you can completely destroy a phone by installing the wrong firmware on it. If in doubt, take it to a service centre.
Slightly slow user interface
When navigating menus, the phone can sometimes delay up to a second in responding to keypresses. It does not affect messaging, but otherwise can be annoying when trying to use the phone.
Extra effort required to open battery cover
When you’ve decided what SIM card to use in the C65, make sure you’re never going to remove it again. Opening the back cover is a process that requires much muscle and strength. When I first opened it I was worried I was going to damage the cover. This is a credit to the build quality of the phone, but I would have liked the cover to be easier to open.
Data-synchronising software not included
With the phone featuring infra-red connectivity, it would have been convenient for Siemens to include the PC software CD in the sales package as it is all that’s required for synchronising with a PC. Unfortunately there is no CD in the sales package, meaning if you want to transfer data from your phone you will need to download the 30 megabyte installer file from Siemens’ website.
In Summary
The Siemens C65 is a great phone that will appeal to many people looking for a stylish yet traditional looking phone, but one that is also abundant with features. Compact and lightweight, the C65 packs a camera with MMS messaging, internet access and Java support amongst other things. Provided that Siemens can repair the software problems plaguing the handset, the C65 is an enjoyable handset to use and more than adequate for most people. |
| Common misspellings on this brand: sie3mens , suemens |
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