Asus P505 Comprehensive Review of Specs Pricing Pros & Cons

Network

The Asus P505, in terms of network capabilities, operates on GSM technology. This was a prevalent choice at the time of its release, providing basic communication capabilities. The device supports 2G bands, specifically GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900. While it offers GPRS Class 10 for data transfer, it lacks EDGE capability, which was becoming increasingly common for quicker data communication during the mid-2000s.

Launch

The Asus P505 was announced in March 2006. Despite its innovative design for its time, the device is now discontinued, reflecting the rapid advancement of technology and the need for more advanced features and capabilities that modern devices provide.

Body

The physical dimensions of the Asus P505 are 108 x 60 x 22.5 mm, and it weighs 165 grams. The phone was relatively compact for its time, though considered a bit bulky by today’s slim standards. It supports a Mini-SIM, which was standard for mobile phones in the mid-2000s. Its design highlights functionality and durability over sleek aesthetics, and the weight gives it a solid feel in hand.

Display

The device features a 2.8-inch TFT resistive touchscreen with 65K colors, providing a modest screen-to-body ratio of approximately 37.5%. The screen resolution of 240 x 320 pixels translates to a pixel density of around 143 ppi. While this was adequate for its release period, the display might seem outdated when compared to modern standards, where higher resolutions and capacitive touchscreens dominate the market.

Platform

The Asus P505 runs on the Microsoft Windows Mobile OS for PocketPC, utilizing an Intel PXA270 416 MHz processor. This combination was aimed at providing a smooth user experience, allowing access to a variety of applications and features synonymous with the Windows Mobile platform. While innovative at the time, it lacked the flexibility and app ecosystem that modern mobile operating systems offer today.

Memory

The device comes with 64MB of RAM and 64MB of ROM, which can be considered minimal by today’s standards but was typical for devices at that time. The Asus P505 includes a card slot supporting MMC/SD, SDIO, allowing users to expand storage capacity, which was a vital feature given the limited built-in memory. This expandability was crucial for users who required additional space for applications, multimedia, and data storage.

Main Camera

Equipped with a single 1.3 MP camera, the Asus P505 provides basic photographic capabilities. The inclusion of an LED flash was an advantage, enabling use in low-light conditions. While it offered video recording, the quality and resolution were basic and intended more for quick captures rather than professional-quality footage.

Sound

The sound system of the Asus P505 features downloadable polyphonic, WAV, WMA, and MIDI ringtones, providing a range of alerts and notification sounds. However, the device does not have a loudspeaker or a 3.5mm headphone jack, limiting audio playback options unless external accessories are used to connect via other means such as infrared.

Comms

Connectivity options on the Asus P505 include Bluetooth 1.1, providing basic wireless communication with other devices for file transfer and peripheral connectivity. The device also features an infrared port, which was common for data transfer at that time. However, it lacks modern WLAN and positioning capabilities such as GPS, and there is no built-in radio. It uses a USB 1.1 connection for data transfer and charging, which now seems slow compared to USB 2.0 and USB-C ports seen in current devices.

Features

The Asus P505 lacks some modern features like a browser, GPS, and advanced sensors, which places it firmly in the category of mobile phones from its release era focusing mainly on voice communication and basic productivity tasks.

Battery

The device is powered by a removable Li-Ion 1000 mAh battery, offering a standby time of up to 140 hours and a talk time of approximately 4 hours. This would have been seen as average battery performance when compared to other devices during the same period, though now it may feel limited due to the high demands of modern applications and connectivity features which consume more power.

Miscellaneous

The Asus P505 was manufactured in silver, a common and popular color choice for electronics during its time of release. This simplistic color design added to its professional appearance, appealing to business users who were a key demographic for PocketPC devices using Windows Mobile OS.