Motorola V690 Complete Specs Pricing and Insights

Introduction to Motorola V690

The Motorola V690, announced in the third quarter of 2003, represents a fascinating piece of mobile technology history. Coming from a period when mobile phones were transitioning beyond just voice communications, the V690 offered a mix of basic functionality with some forward-looking features. Its design and capabilities provide insights into the evolution of mobile phones during the early 2000s.

Design and Build

The Motorola V690 is compact and lightweight, with dimensions of 90 x 47 x 23 mm and weighing just 93 grams. Its size made it portable and easy to carry, fitting snugly into pockets. The craftsmanship was typical of early 2000s flip-phones, using a durable outer shell that was available in gold and orange colors. The inclusion of a Mini-SIM slot was standard for the time.

Display

The phone featured a TFT display capable of showing 65k colors, which was quite vivid during that era. Although the screen size is unspecified, its resolution was 128 x 160 pixels. The ability to showcase nine lines of text was enough to view SMS messages and navigate through the phone's menus comfortably.

Network and Connectivity

Operating on GSM technology, the Motorola V690 supported 2G bands including GSM 900, 1800, and 1900, providing decent coverage for voice calls and basic data services like GPRS. However, it lacked advanced connectivity options such as EDGE, Bluetooth, WLAN, and positioning systems, which were not yet widespread in mobile devices of its kind.

Camera

The Motorola V690 was equipped with a VGA camera capable of capturing images at a resolution suited to the standards of the time. While the camera had an LED flash, it lacked video recording capabilities. The absence of a selfie camera typified devices from this period, where front-facing cameras had not been introduced yet.

Sound and Alerts

Sound management on the V690 featured vibration and downloadable polyphonic ringtones, but it lacked a loudspeaker and a 3.5mm audio jack, limiting its multimedia potential. This choice reflected the phone's primary function as a communication device rather than a multimedia hub.

Battery Life

The phone used a removable Li-Ion battery, a common feature that provided ease of replacement. Users could expect up to 150 hours of standby time or up to 2 hours and 30 minutes of talk time. This battery life was suitable given the hardware limitations and usage patterns of the era.

Software and Features

The V690 ran on a feature phone operating system with a variety of messaging options including SMS, EMS, and MMS, reflecting the increasing importance of text communication. Browser capabilities via WAP 2.0/xHTML allowed for basic mobile browsing. Additionally, the device supported Java, enabling the download and use of Java-based games and applications.

Memory and Storage

The absence of a card slot meant that storage was limited to the phone's internal memory, which was typical for feature phones of the time. While this limited the amount of data and applications that could be stored, it aligned with the device's intended use as a simple communication tool.

Conclusion

The Motorola V690 provides a snapshot of early 2000s mobile technology, balancing essential communication features with a few advancements of the time. While lacking many of the advanced features of modern smartphones, it delivered reliable performance for its intended purpose. Its simplicity is a reminder of the days when mobile phones were primarily tools for direct communication, underscoring the significant evolutionary leaps that mobile technology has made since then.