Basic Features

Running on Cingular's network, the Siemens S66 is tri-band GSM 850 / 1800 / 1900 MHz and has a 750 mAh Li-Ion battery rated at 5 hours and 250 hours of talk and standby times respectively. However, those are under optimal conditions.

When handset manufacturers and mobile phone carriers list talk-time and standby-time ratings, they usually include disclaimers about variable performance and often refer to the times they publish as maximum times.

Screen

Featuring a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) screen, the S66 is capable of displaying 65K colors at 132 x 176 px resolution. Larger than most displays on the market, the S66's screen is vibrant and responsive, clear in both indoor and outdoor conditions.

Since its circuit transistors are placed directly on the glass, refreshing does not require the scanning of pixel locations; providing quick response times needed for using the LCD as a viewfinder in camera mode.

Audio

The S66 is able to play polyphonic ringtones at up to 40 simultaneous instruments. Utilizing the MIDI format, users can compose and edit melodies by overlaying chords, playing "musical notes," much like in an orchestra. The more simultaneous chords supported, the better sounding the music.

Unfortunately the S66 doesn't support MP3s. Fast becoming the new standard in ringtones, MP3s allow users to record an exact duplicate from an audio source, including music with lyrics or recorded voice.

Messaging

Text messaging functions are standard nowadays, supporting SMS (Short Messaging Service), EMS (Enhanced Messaging Service), and MMS (Multimedia Message Service), and the Siemens S66 is no different.

With EMS users can format their messages with attributes such as style, size, alignment, and paragraphs, while MMS goes one step further by allowing users to add graphics, sounds, videos, and time-based sequencing.

Combined with the built-in camera, users can take pictures and videos and attach them as text message greetings or vacation postcards. Additionally, with SMS Zoom, users can select three font sizes, displaying 6, 9, or 11 lines of text at once.

Similar to predecessors, the S66 comes with a fully functional email client supporting POP3, IMAP4, and SMTP protocols. Unlike other phones with watered down email clients, the Siemens S66 supports up to 5 email accounts.

With T9 predictive text, messages can be typed quicker. Instead of having to press keys several times for a letter, the S66 chooses from a dictionary of words and phrases and anticipate what is being written.

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