Samsung E210 Full Specs Price Pros & Cons Revealed

Overview

The Samsung E210 is a classic feature phone that was released in August 2007. This mobile device offered a pragmatic mix of functionality and design, tailored for the user who needs basic mobile capabilities. With its compact dimensions and lightweight build, it served as a convenient device for basic communication and entertainment needs. Let's delve into its detailed features and specifications.

Design and Build

The Samsung E210 measures 91 x 45 x 18 mm and weighs a mere 89 grams, making it extremely lightweight and portable. Despite its small size, the phone fits comfortably in the hand, offering ease of use with its Mini-SIM slot. Its TFT display supports 65K colors, providing a modest visual presentation on a 1.9-inch screen with a resolution of 128 x 160 pixels. This screen-to-body ratio of approximately 27.7% is typical for phones of this era, focusing on functionality over expansive display real estate.

Display and User Interface

The device has a 1.9-inch display, which was standard for many non-smartphone devices of the time. Though small by modern standards, the screen was adequate for viewing basic information such as contacts, messages, and simple web content through its WAP 2.0/xHTML browser. The user interface was intuitive and straightforward, appealing to users who preferred simplicity over complexity in mobile device operation.

Performance and Storage

With 17MB of internal storage, the E210 was not designed for heavy data retention but could store essential contacts and messages. It featured a microSD card slot, allowing for expandable storage to accommodate media files. This added flexibility in data storage, though the phone was clearly oriented towards basic communication tasks rather than multimedia consumption or data-heavy applications.

Camera Capabilities

The Samsung E210 comes equipped with a single 1.3 MP main camera. This basic camera setup allows for simple photography and QCIF video capture. While far from high-definition, the camera served its purpose for casual snapshots and sharing via MMS, fitting the typical usage patterns of a mid-2000s feature phone.

Network and Connectivity

This device supports GSM technology across 900, 1800, and 1900 MHz bands. It offered Class 10 GPRS and EDGE for data connectivity, which was standard for the era but limited by current standards. The phone included Bluetooth 1.2 with A2DP for limited wireless data exchange, and a USB 1.1 connection for wired data transfer. Absence of WLAN or advanced positioning services like GPS underscores its feature phone status.

Battery Life

The E210 was powered by a removable Li-Ion 800 mAh battery, providing up to 220 hours of standby time and up to 3 hours and 30 minutes of talk time. This battery performance was adequate for users who primarily needed their phones for calls and texts, allowing full-day function without frequent charging.

Audio and Entertainment

For audio, the device featured polyphonic and MP3 ringtones with a loudspeaker for speakerphone functionality. It also included a stereo FM radio with RDS for listening to broadcast radio stations, which was a popular feature for entertainment on the go. However, the absence of a 3.5mm headphone jack limited personal audio experiences.

Other Features

The phone supported Java MIDP 2.0, allowing for basic gaming and additional app functionalities. Users could communicate using SMS, EMS, and MMS, covering the text and multimedia messaging needs of the time. Security and convenience were heightened by its phonebook capacity of 1000 entries with photocall feature, and call recording for up to 30 dialed, received, and missed calls.

Price and Market Impact

Originally priced at approximately 90 EUR, the Samsung E210 catered to users seeking practical mobile solutions without the frills of more advanced smartphones. Its discontinuation marks a time when the technology landscape evolved rapidly, moving towards more integrated and comprehensive smartphone ecosystems.

Conclusion

The Samsung E210 stands as a testament to the simpler, more focused design ethos of early mobile technology. While lacking the complex capabilities of modern devices, it offered reliability and essential functionality, embodying the core aspects of mobile convenience and accessibility. It remains a nostalgic piece for those who experienced the mobile evolution from basic feature phones to the sophisticated smartphones of today.