There’s a lot of buzz about the Facebook phone from Vodafone, 555 Blue. After reading about the phone on Internet, I decided to compile the scattered information in to one blog. I am still waiting to get my hands on this affordable wonder phone from Vodafone, but we can at least talk about the obvious things this phone comes with.
Overall Appearance
Resembling HTC Chacha, Vodafone 555 Blue comes with a dedicated Facebook button and the operator is even giving one year free FB access to Vodafone subscribers with this phone. Looking at the close-up shots of the phone, I can make out that build quality isn’t that great. Just 12mm thick device has nice silver and white matt finish and 4 soft keys plus a trackpad just below the screen. The phone doesn’t have a full QWERTY keypad but the keys are big enough and suitable for easy texting.
On the sides – The phone has volume control and camera key on the right side, a microUSB port on left side, and loudspeaker at the back.
It’s All About Facebooking
The social networking phone has a shiny dedicated Facebook button. When you will start the device for the first time, you will be taken to Facebook sign-in screen and from there on, you will find Facebook everywhere. There’s a FB status update bar too, which will keep you posted about the FB updates you and your friends are making.
The Facebook content will get synchronized in every 20 minutes and neon blue light will blink, whenever a notification will appear.
The Performance
Yes, It’s a no 3G and Wi-Fi phone. I guess Vodafone was more concerned about making it an all economical device, therefore, the company opted for 2.5G and Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity. Again, the terribly low processor speed of 200MHz is going to spoil your smooth surfing experience.
One thing I liked about the phone is 2MP camera that comes with LED flash. You will at least be able to click decent images in bad lighting conditions (again the quality of lens comes in the picture). Then there are different image clicking modes like night mode and brightness adjustment in the phone. You can also upload the pictures clicked from phone directly to your Facebook profile, but there are data restrictions too.
I have been told that watching videos is not going to be a good experience on the 2.4 inch low resolution screen of Vodafone 555 Blue. Plus, the talktime offered isn’t that great and the maximum you can talk over phone is for 3 hours.
And What Else?
There’s Opera Mini browser, Palringo, FM radio, and Java client in the phone. Vodafone is expected to introduce more apps via Over-The-Air updates.
Final Word
Vodafone 555 Blue is undoubtedly a pocket friendly phone but I would suggest you not to go for it unless you are a die-hard Facebook addict. The dedicated FB button, synchronized 20 minutes updates, and FB friendly home screen are 3 major attractions, but Vodafone could have given more with this phone.
The camera is average 2MP when other phones in the similar range are coming with 3-5MP camera options. Can’t comment on missing Wi-Fi, but 3G should have been in the list. Then, processor speed is low and how can I miss out on the poor video playback ability of the device. These are just a few suggestions, which should be taken care of, when the manufacturer comes up with its next model. There are people who won’t mind shelling out only Rs.5,000 for a decent looking QWWERTY device that is meant for Facebook lovers.
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