Sound Quality
 The
Siemens S55 has sufficiently loud volume in normal mode and loudspeaker
mode. However, in terms of sound quality, the S55 falls short. As far as
sound quality, the S55 suffers from significant background noise and hiss.
Now when we say significant, it's not to the point where you won't be able
to hear yourself, just that it will definitely be noticeable.
Much of this can be attributed to the internal antenna and GSM technology.
It has been discussed before that GSM tends to be more prone to distortion
rather than CDMA due to the packet transfer in the technology. Thus a buzzing
sound is commonly heard in the earpiece of the phones.
RF Performance
On RF performance, the Siemens S55 did slightly better. The S55 doesn't
drop small signals as much as the T68i, but it's not exceptional. It holds
signals, and picks up small signals fairly well.
If you're looking for a phone with exceptional reception and clarity,
then another phone might suit you better than the Siemens S55. However,
if average is good enough for you, or you are willing to overlook it, then
the S55 passes the test. Overall, we give the Siemens S55 a reception rating
of:
Average
Pros
· Connectivity. Bluetooth, IrDA, GPRS, XTNDConnect PC, etc. This phone
has it all. You won't have problems getting connected to a PC or transferring
files.
 ·
Great set of applications and features. POP3 and IMAP4, the Siemens S55
has a fully functional email client, robust organizer, MMS, T9, etc.
· Best camera we've seen so far. Even though it doesn't come built into
the phone, if you like camera phones, you definitely won't be disappointed.
You can take great pictures with this camera with or without flash at up
to 640 x 480 pixels!
· Decent polyphonic ring tones. The S55 supports both mmf and midi file
formats. At 16 instruments, it sounds pretty good.
Cons
· Screen colors and resolution are a bit outdated. In a time where 65,000
color screens, the 256 color 101 x 80 pixel screen is 6 months behind schedule.
· WAP 1.2.1. You might have problems browsing some WAP pages with this
version.
· Crappy preinstalled games and applications. Don't worry though with
J2ME you can promptly download new ones.
Conclusion
The Siemens S55, while not the most stylish phone, is a workhorse. With
a robust library of functions and features, this phone is great for people
who want PDA-like features on a cellular phone. It has all the features
you've come to love. Voice dialing, GPRS, MMS, J2ME, it's all here. Hard
to beat that.
With all the applications the S55 has, you'll definitely need to synchronize
it with a computer or PDA. Siemens didn't let us down. The S55 has every
connection possible. Few phones on the market today have Bluetooth enabled.
This allows you to use Bluetooth headphones, USB adapters, and other devices
to link accessories or transfer data. Don't fret if you don't have Bluetooth
accessories either, the S55 comes with a built in IrDA port. Add to that
XTNDConnect PC to synchronize your email and contacts to Outlook or Lotus
Notes. Quite a bundle.
This phone isn't without its flaws though. While it's strong in the applications
features, it lacks in multimedia. At 256 colors, the S55 doesn't match up
with phones being released these days. Most are 4,096 if not 65,000 colors.
The resolution is a measly 101 x 80 pixel. At the time of this review, most
phones are at least 128 x 128 pixel. Ring tones on the other hand are at
par with everyone else. While not at the high end like Samsung's 40+ instruments,
it's not on the low end of monophonic ring tones. Regardless, polyphonic
ring tones are polyphonic ring tones. And they sound pretty good.
Overall, Siemens seems to have the business consumer in mind when designing
the S55. Most of the talking is done through its well rounded application
set as opposed to flashy designs and appearances. If you don't care much
about looks and more about what a phone can do then you might want to consider
the S55. The Siemens S55 gets an overall rating of:
Average
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