Unveiling Toshiba TG01 Specs Pricing Pros & Cons

Network

The Toshiba TG01, a notable release from 2009, supported GSM and HSPA technology, facilitating a smooth communication experience common at the time. It operated on 2G bands GSM 850/900/1800/1900 and 3G bands HSDPA 2100, making it compatible with international telecom standards. Users of this device could benefit from HSPA speeds, providing download speeds up to 7.2 Mbps and upload speeds of about 2 Mbps, which was impressive for mobile internet standards during its prime years.

Launch

Announced in January 2009 and officially released in June of the same year, the Toshiba TG01 entered the smartphone market at a time when Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional was gaining traction. However, despite the initial excitement surrounding its release, the device has since been discontinued.

Body

This device had dimensions of 130 x 70 x 9.9 mm, making it one of the more prominent phones in terms of size during its release era. At 129 grams, it balanced the feel of being both lightweight and solid, a suitable combination for regular use. It also used the Mini-SIM format, which was standard before the widespread shift to micro and nano SIMs.

Display

The TG01 featured a 4.1-inch TFT resistive touchscreen capable of displaying 256K colors (though effectively 65K colors). With a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels and a density of roughly 228 ppi, the screen provided clarity and acceptable viewing angles, though it did not reach the vividness of later capacitive screens. The screen-to-body ratio was approximately 52.6%, popular for that period.

Platform

Powered by the Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional operating system, the device was later upgradable to Windows Mobile 6.5, offering improved features and fixes over time. At its core, the TG01 was driven by a Qualcomm QSD8250 Snapdragon S1 chipset, a 1.0 GHz Scorpion CPU, and an Adreno 200 GPU. This combination was robust for the demands of the time, providing reliable performance for applications and multitasking within the constraints of the Windows Mobile environment.

Memory

The device came with 256MB of RAM and 512MB of ROM, offering moderate performance for running applications and storing essential data. Additionally, it supported memory expansion through a microSDHC card, allowing users to extend the storage capacity for more applications, media, and files.

Main Camera

The main camera of the TG01 was a 3.15 MP autofocus lens, capable of capturing photos and videos at 480p at 30 frames per second. While not particularly advanced by modern standards, it provided adequate functionality for capturing moments on the go, serving its purpose before the era of high-megapixel smartphone cameras.

Sound

The sound profile of this device included a loudspeaker, but notably omitted a 3.5mm headphone jack, requiring users to adopt Bluetooth or use an adapter. This decision might have seemed forward-thinking, aligning with later trends towards wireless solutions despite being a disadvantage in that era.

Comms

For connectivity, the TG01 included Wi-Fi support on the 802.11b/g standard, Bluetooth 2.0 for wireless communication, and GPS with A-GPS capabilities for navigation. However, it lacked FM radio, which was, at the time, a common feature in mobile phones. Connectivity with computers and other devices was facilitated through a microUSB port, prevalent in devices of that period.

Features

Among its features, the TG01 included an accelerometer sensor for orientation detection, a significant ability needed for applications and games. It also included a browser supporting WAP 2.0/xHTML and HTML through Internet Explorer, which was the default for Windows Mobile, offering a somewhat limited web-browsing experience by today's standards.

Battery

Equipped with a removable Li-Ion 1000 mAh battery, the Toshiba TG01 promised up to 276 hours of standby time on 2G and up to 220 hours on 3G networks. Talk time was rated at up to 5 hours on 2G and 4 hours on 3G, reflecting the power consumption norms for devices of its kind.

Misc Features and Pricing

Available in black and white color variants, the TG01 adhered to SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) standards, with values of 0.37 W/kg for head exposure and 0.44 W/kg for body exposure, indicating it was safe for consumer use by regulatory standards of the time. Priced around 500 EUR upon release, it positioned itself within the higher tier market segment, aiming at users seeking a premium Windows Mobile experience.

Summary

The Toshiba TG01 was a notable device in the evolution of smartphones. Its release represented an era of transitions, both in operating systems with Windows Mobile and in hardware specifications pushing boundary limits then. Today, it serves as a reminder of how far mobile technology has come and remains a part of the lineage contributing to current advancements.