Comprehensive Review Motorola E380 Specs Pricing & Features

Introduction to Motorola E380

The Motorola E380 is an iconic mobile device from the early 2000s, specifically announced in 2003. This feature phone marked a significant era in mobile technology with its simplicity and functional design, ideal for basic communication needs. As mobile technology was rapidly evolving, the Motorola E380 catered to a segment that prioritized affordability and essential features over advanced functionalities.

Design and Build

The Motorola E380 was designed with a compact and robust form factor. Its dimensions were 115 x 44 x 21 mm, making it a comfortable fit for the pocket, yet large enough to offer ease of use. Weighing just 85 grams, it was a lightweight device, which was advantageous for users who preferred minimalistic phones. The phone came in a sleek "Sapphire blue" color, giving it a distinct and stylish look.

Display

The display of the Motorola E380 was a CSTN screen capable of displaying 4096 colors. This was quite standard for phones of that era, providing a basic color display. The screen resolution was 96 x 65 pixels, which might sound modest today, but served its purpose at the time. It displayed up to 4 lines of text, which included essential information such as signal strength, battery status, and incoming messages.

Network and Connectivity

The Motorola E380 operated on GSM technology, supporting the GSM 900/1800 bands, which were quite common. This allowed users to enjoy basic mobile connectivity for voice calls and text messaging. While it did not support advanced data connectivity options like EDGE or 3G, it did offer GPRS for simple internet browsing, which was increasingly becoming important around that time.

Memory and Storage

Storage on the Motorola E380 was limited, consistent with other feature phones of its generation. It did not support memory card slots; hence, storage expansion was not an option. However, it had a built-in phonebook capable of storing up to 250 contacts, which was satisfactory for most users. Call records were also modestly supported, with the ability to store up to 10 dialed calls, 5 received calls, and 5 missed calls.

Sound and Alerts

Regarding sound, the Motorola E380 did not include a loudspeaker or a 3.5mm audio jack, which was typical for feature phones. However, it supported various alert types such as vibration and downloadable polyphonic ringtones. Users could enjoy a slight level of personalization with these downloadable tones, which added a modern touch to the phone's functionality.

Communication Features

In terms of communication, the Motorola E380 was equipped with messaging capabilities that included SMS, EMS, and MMS. The ability to send multimedia messages was a step forward in mobile communication at the time. The phone also featured a WAP 2.0/xHTML browser, making it capable of accessing simplified web services, which was becoming increasingly popular.

Games and Applications

The Motorola E380 offered entertainment through downloadable games, which could be added to the phone via its basic internet capabilities. Moreover, it supported Java applications, opening the door for simple third-party apps to enhance the user experience. This feature was particularly appealing to younger demographics interested in gaming and applications beyond basic communication.

Battery Life

The Motorola E380 was powered by a removable Li-Ion 600 mAh battery. This provided a reasonable battery life, with a stand-by time of up to 150 hours and talk time of up to 2 hours and 30 minutes. Such a battery capacity was typical of feature phones, where extensive multimedia usage was limited, thus conserving energy effectively for basic tasks.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Motorola E380 was a product reflective of its time, focusing on delivering essential mobile functionalities while keeping affordability and simplicity at the forefront. Its features, though basic compared to modern smartphones, were adequate for the typical needs of users in the early 2000s. This model serves as a nostalgic reminder of a pivotal era in mobile communication, showcasing how far technology has come since the introduction of such feature phones.