Unveiling the Motorola E680i Specs Pricing Pros & Cons

Overview of Motorola E680i

The Motorola E680i, announced in March 2005, represented an early convergence of smartphone technology, combining various multimedia features with basic telephony in a sleek design. It was designed to appeal to users who desired a blend of personal digital assistant functions, media playback, and communication all in one device. Despite being discontinued, its contribution to the mobile phone industry remains noteworthy due to its unique features for that era.

Design and Build

The E680i was constructed with a focus on durability and portability. It measures 109 x 53.8 x 20.5 mm and weighs around 133 grams, making it relatively lightweight and easy to carry. The phone uses a mini-SIM card and showcases a TFT resistive touchscreen capable of displaying 65,000 colors. The screen size is 2.5 inches, which was considerable during its time, with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. This display size and quality provided users with a decent experience for viewing images and navigating the user interface.

Platform and Performance

Running on a Linux operating system, the Motorola E680i came equipped with an Intel XScale 300 MHz processor. This was sufficient to manage the phone's capabilities, including multimedia playback and basic smartphone functionalities. Although not comparable with today's standards, it was considered adequate for its era, providing users with a reliable and consistent performance for daily tasks.

Memory and Storage

The device featured an internal storage of 50MB, which was expandable via MMC/SD cards up to 2GB. For users who relied heavily on multimedia storage—such as music, videos, and images—the capability to expand storage was significant. The inclusion of the memory card slot allowed the E680i to accommodate more data than many competing phones at the time.

Camera Specifications

While cameras on mobile phones were still developing during the release of the E680i, it included a VGA camera with 0.3 MP capability. While modest, it allowed users to capture images and video. The phone also provided video recording, making it a versatile tool for simple media capture.

Sound and Multimedia

Sound was a standout feature for the Motorola E680i, which came with stereo loudspeakers. Users could enjoy music through polyphonic and MP3 ringtones. However, the phone lacked a 3.5mm headphone jack, making it less convenient for personal listening experiences common with current devices. Its sound functionalities earned it high praise among media enthusiasts who enjoyed using their phones for music playback.

Connectivity

In terms of connectivity, the Motorola E680i supported Bluetooth 1.1 with A2DP, allowing for wireless audio streaming. Although it did not feature WLAN, it had proprietary USB capabilities for data transfer. It also included an FM radio, a feature that was highly appreciated for providing diverse audio content on-the-go.

Network Capabilities

The E680i supported GSM technology and operated on 2G bands, specifically GSM 900/1800/1900. It provided GPRS Class 10 for data connectivity but lacked EDGE support, which limited its web browsing speeds compared to more advanced services available at the time.

Battery Life

Equipped with a removable Li-Ion battery of 750mAh capacity, the E680i supported up to 180 hours on standby and up to 3 hours of talk time. While these figures may appear modest today, they were fairly typical for phones of that period, emphasizing the need for efficient power management in early smartphones.

User Interface and Experience

With its touchscreen interface, the E680i offered a user experience that was pioneering at the time. The Linux-based operating system and resistive screen allowed users manual input through a stylus or their fingertips. It provided multimedia enthusiasts with a host of functions, including a music player and video playback capabilities.

Conclusion

The Motorola E680i remains a memorable device due to its attempt to merge entertainment and functionality in a single package. Despite its limitations by today’s standards—such as limited camera capabilities, lack of Wi-Fi, and the primary reliance on 2G networks—it laid the groundwork for future advancements in smartphone technology. With its unique operating system, sound quality, and multimedia capabilities, it served as an important stepping stone in the evolution of mobile phones.