Price and specifications of Samsung W850 advantages, disadvantages, and a comprehensive explanation

Introduction to Samsung W850

The Samsung W850 is a device that made its debut in June 2009, marking another chapter in Samsung's journey through the world of mobile devices. Although it is now discontinued, the W850 still remains a testament to the era of feature phones when innovation was being pushed in different and interesting directions. This comprehensive review will take you through all the different facets of the Samsung W850, exploring its specifications, design, performance, and other notable features.

Network Capabilities

The Samsung W850 supported GSM and HSPA technologies, making it a viable device for different network configurations. It worked on the GSM 850, 900, 1800, and 1900 bands for 2G connections, and utilized the HSDPA 2100 band for 3G connections. This allowed users to achieve data speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps on HSPA networks, which was quite impressive for its time.

Launch Details

Announced and released in June 2009, the Samsung W850 quickly garnered attention for its design and feature set. Although this model is now discontinued, it still holds a place in discussions about feature phones due to its unique offering at the time.

Body and Design

The device measured 115.2 x 58.3 x 13.1 mm and weighed 120.8 grams, making it relatively compact and lightweight. The Samsung W850 supported a Mini-SIM card, which was the standard back then. The size and weight made it comfortable to handle, catering to users' needs for portability and ease of use.

Display

It featured a 3.5-inch AMOLED resistive touchscreen capable of displaying 16 million colors. The screen boasted a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels, resulting in a pixel density of approximately 267 ppi. While resistive touchscreens were common at that time, AMOLED technology provided vibrant colors and clear images.

Platform

Powering the Samsung W850 was the Qualcomm MSM6246 chipset, equipped with an 800 MHz ARM 11 CPU. Although basic by today’s standards, it was sufficient for running the applications and functionalities that users typically needed from a feature phone.

Memory and Storage

The device came with 440MB of internal storage, which was relatively decent for storing essential files and applications. It also featured a dedicated microSDHC slot, allowing users to expand storage further and store additional media.

Camera Features

The Samsung W850 included a 5 MP main camera with autofocus and an LED flash, a strong offering for photography at the time. The camera supported video recording, although the quality would be modest by today’s standards. It also featured a selfie camera, though details about it were minimal.

Sound and Multimedia

The device came with dual multimedia capabilities, including a loudspeaker and a 3.5mm headphone jack. This allowed users to enjoy audio through the built-in speaker or connect headphones for a private listening experience.

Communication Features

Even though the Samsung W850 lacked WLAN capabilities, it offered Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP for wireless connectivity, GPS with A-GPS for navigation, and a stereo FM radio with RDS for entertainment on the go. A microUSB 2.0 port facilitated data transfer and charging.

Additional Features

The phone’s feature set included sensors like an accelerometer and proximity sensor. Users could engage in SMS, MMS, Email, IM, and Push Email for communication. The built-in WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML browser catered to basic internet browsing needs, while downloadable games and Java MIDP 2.0 support provided entertainment options.

Battery Life

The device was powered by a removable Li-Ion 1200 mAh battery, which supported up to 400 hours of standby time on 2G networks and up to 450 hours on 3G. Users could enjoy talk time of up to 3 hours and 40 minutes on 2G and up to 5 hours and 10 minutes on 3G networks.

Miscellaneous Features and Pricing

Available in colors like Rose Black, Snow White, and Valentine Pink, the Samsung W850 offered stylish choices for users. At launch, its price was approximately 150 EUR, positioning it as a competitive option in the feature phone market.

Conclusion

The Samsung W850 stands as a significant model from an era of feature-rich phones before smartphones became the norm. Its mixture of solid network capabilities, decent storage, robust design, and notable multimedia offerings provided a comprehensive package for users at the time. Though it’s no longer in production, the W850 remains a noteworthy piece of mobile technology history.