Philips is known as a provider of functional, technologically advanced and at the same time affordable solutions in the mobile device segment. This brand produces excellent quality phones, which are usually referred to as classic one-piece solutions. These include the Philips Xenium E560. This device combines traditional technologies and innovative approaches in terms of implementing a number of user options. What are its main features? What are the key competitive advantages of this Philips solution?
Phone Basics
The Philips E 560 phone, reviews of which are distributed on thematic online portals, is classified as a one-piece device with support for 2 SIM-cards. The device is equipped with a display with a diagonal of 2.4 inches and a resolution of 320 by 240 pixels. It functions in standard GSM ranges, does not support Internet connection via 3G channels. It can communicate with other devices through the communication interfaces of Bluetooth, as well as USB. Equipped with flash camcorder.
Among the main advantages of such a device as the Philips E 560 telephone (reviews of it can confirm this) is the presence of a capacious battery that provides a standby time of up to 1752 hours, as well as a conversation that can last up to 39 hours.
The phone has small dimensions and weight, has a modern design in a universal concept, which allows users of different ages and professions to use the device as an element of everyday style. Let us now consider in more detail the characteristics of the phone from Philips.
Characteristics
The device has:
- communication modules operating in the GSM 900/1800/900 standard, as well as allowing sending MMS messages;
- case with dimensions 52 x 126.2 x 15.9 mm, weighing 138 g;
- slots for 2 SIM cards of regular size;
- a camera with a resolution of 2 megapixels, as well as an LED flash;
- modules for playing tunes in MP3 format, as well as FM-radio;
- standard headphone jack;
- modules for supporting polyphonic ringtones, as well as tracks in MP3 format, which can be installed on incoming calls;
- Bluetooth, USB;
- a TFT screen with a diagonal of 2.4 inches, a resolution of 320 by 240 pixels, and a color depth of 262.14 thousand colors;
- a Li-Ion battery with a capacity of 3.1 thousand mAh;
- slot for connecting a memory card in microSD format;
- a set of built-in applications - notebook, planner, alarm clock, software for playing FM radio, tunes.
How do experts in the field of communications technology evaluate the Philips E 560 telephone? Experts' feedback about the device is generally positive in terms of the availability of resources on the phone to meet the basic needs of the target audience of customers - those for whom functionality is not as important as the ability to use the device for a long time without recharging. The phone, experts say, can be sought after by tourists, summer residents, and hiking enthusiasts. Therefore, the characteristics considered by us can be considered quite consistent with the most frequent user requests.
We now study in more detail the main features of the phone from Philips. Let's start with the design of the device.
Design and Build
It looks like the phone as a whole, like most classic all-in-one devices with buttons. It is equipped with large plastic keys made in a typical style, which is implemented on many other phones from Philips. The buttons for controlling the device are metal.
The case of the device has not too large dimensions in comparison with other solutions with similar functionality. The back cover of the case is made of plastic that does not slip in the hands of the user. The perimeter of the front side of the phone is edged with dark plastic.
The USB port is located at the bottom of the chassis. At the top there is an audio slot to which you can connect headphones or a headset. On the left side of the case are the volume control keys. On the back of the case are: the camcorder lens, flash, another microphone, as well as a speaker.
The battery is located directly under the back cover of the phone. Under it there are 2 slots for SIM cards, as well as a slot for a microSD memory card. Installing both hardware components is quite simple. In general, access to the phone’s operational settings due to the high quality of its design is carried out without any difficulties.
The device is convenient and high-quality assembled: such options often act as the most important competitive advantage of telephones, especially when it comes to using devices in conditions that differ from typical urban ones - outside the city or at the cottage. Simplicity and reliability are important here, which in this case are also complemented by a quality design.
Reviews on the Philips E 560 phone in terms of build quality assessment are most positive. According to experts, there are no backlashes in the case, no creaks are heard when clicking on one or another of its elements.
Phone management
The next nuance that will be useful to consider is opinions regarding the device management tools. The Philips E 560 phone (customer reviews regarding this feature, as well as expert opinions, are very positive) has several navigation buttons that are located directly below the screen and surround the OK key. Between them there is a rather small distance, as a result of which the user may need some time to master this feature of controlling the phone.
The digital buttons of the device are quite large - 12 by 6 mm, slightly raised above the main part of the case. The distance between these keys is sufficient to, in turn, confidently type numbers or text from the keyboard without special preparation. The progress of the number buttons is small, their pressing is accompanied by a quiet but distinct click. The keys are backlit with a sufficient level of brightness so that the device can be comfortably used in the dark.
Display
The device’s screen with a diagonal of 2.4 inches and a resolution of 240 by 320 pixels has a density of 166 pixels per inch. The picture, as testimonials from the Philips E 560 phone testify, the display is formed quite clear, without much pixelation. The screen is equipped with an IPS-type matrix, which makes it possible to comfortably view the screen at an angle: the picture does not lose quality. It can be noted that there is an air gap between the screen matrix and the durable protective glass.
The Philips Xenium E 560 phone (the reviews of experts regarding this option are pretty good) has a screen that is protected by glass of exceptionally high quality. This material is characterized by high strength and scratch resistance. In fact, an oleophobic coating is also present on the glass. You can easily erase fingerprints from it.
The screen resolution of the device may seem modest, but it is quite enough from the point of view of solving the main user tasks: quickly familiarizing yourself with the list of calls, reading and sending messages, checking e-mail, activating certain modules. If necessary, the files stored in the device’s memory can then be rewritten to another device with a larger display.
Battery
What are the features of the battery that the Philips E 560 is equipped with? Reviews of customers and specialists about the phone include the opinion that the battery is one of the most competitive components of the device in question. According to the manufacturer, it is able to provide phone functionality during a conversation up to 39 hours, as well as in standby mode - up to 1752 hours.
In practice, as experts and users note, the battery life indicators are quite comparable with the declared ones. Experts believe that if you talk on the phone for about half an hour a day and write about 10-20 SMS messages, then its battery will last 2 weeks.
A full charge of the battery via the USB port lasts about 6 hours, from the adapter - about 3.5 hours.
Communications
Communication functions are not the most competitive in such a device as the Philips E 560 telephone. Reviews about the device at the same time indicate that users do not always consider them paramount. The main thing - nevertheless, as we noted above, these are the indicators of the autonomous operation of the device, with which everything is in order.
Regarding communications - to the Internet via 3G channels, as we noted at the beginning of the article, you can’t get out of the phone. But it is quite possible to go online via GPRS: in some cases, its speed may be enough, for example, to send letters and small files via the Internet. For these purposes, Java applications can be involved, for example, such as Opera in a modification adapted for ordinary phones.
Another communication interface available to users of the device in question is Bluetooth, which is introduced in version 2.1. However, it is compatible with the A2DP profile. You can also connect your phone to a PC using the USB port.
If necessary, files, for example, represented by photographs generated using the phone’s camera, can be transferred to any other device through the available communication interfaces or via a memory card. In this case, the device can be described as a sufficiently universal solution. The lack of support for fast Internet on it will not always be accompanied by the emergence of significant difficulties when using the basic functions of the phone.
Memory usage
The Philips Xenium E 560 phone (reviews regarding this option are also very common and mostly positive) is equipped with a very modest built-in flash memory, which is 12.5 MB. Therefore, if the user decides to regularly take photos or download significant volumes of files from the Internet (even using GPRS, this is, in principle, possible), then most likely you will have to immediately purchase an additional memory card. The phone supports the appropriate modules in microSD format up to 32 GB.
You can manage files located in the device’s internal or external memory using a special application that the Philips E 560 phone has (phone reviews describe this solution as quite functional, allowing you to create folders on a flash drive and perform various file operations check their properties).
Camera
The device in question is equipped with a camera with a resolution of 2 MP. It is not equipped with autofocus, but is supplemented by an LED flash.
How effective is the Philips E 560 phone as a device for shooting? Reviews about the quality of camera images among users and experts are rather contradictory. There are opinions that the phone is objectively not intended even for amateur photography, but perhaps it can be useful in order to urgently shoot a certain text or advertisement.
However, the device can be evaluated by experts, first of all, subject to comparison with competing solutions. In this case, the quality of the pictures against the background of those that are formed using cameras of other devices in the corresponding segment may well be decent.
Using a Philips phone’s camcorder, you can also create videos, but their resolution will be quite modest, 320 by 480 pixels. The video speed will be 5 frames per second. Soundtrack can also be recorded. Camera control is carried out through built-in applications.
Applications
Considering the main features of such a device as the Philips E 560 phone (specifications, device reviews), you can also study the features of the software that is installed in it.
The device operates on proprietary firmware from the manufacturer. According to experts, the phone’s operating system works without failures, does not freeze. Actually, the quality of the software that is installed on the Philips E 560 phone (reviews on the reliability of the device confirm this) is one of the main factors that determine the acquisition by users of an appropriate solution when comparing its capabilities with competing devices.
Applications installed on the phone also function flawlessly and load pretty quickly. The main built-in options of the operating system of the device in question:
- application management;
- network connection;
- the use of multimedia - an audio player, video player, file gallery, voice recorder, and FM radio (in order to activate the corresponding module, you need to connect headphones to the phone);
- camera control;
- sending and receiving messages;
- file management;
- use of organizer, contact list, profiles;
- use of bluetooth;
- call management
- adjustment of settings.
As users note, the procedure for using these options in the E 560 is generally similar to what characterizes the use of other devices from Philips.
Sound
Another important function of the device is sound reproduction. It can be represented, as we noted above, by a polyphonic melody, an MP3 file or a radio broadcast. How do users evaluate the Philips E 560 telephone in terms of sound reproduction quality? Reviews (advantages and disadvantages are often found in the context of the same options, therefore, the presence of not too positive ratings for any device function should not be clearly interpreted as a negative rating by the user) indicate that users consider sound quality, played by the phone, in particular using headphones, excellent.
According to the owners of the phone, the melodies are played at a high volume level, the sound is clear, both the bass and the high notes feel good. The polyphonic speaker is also rated by users as being sufficiently loud.
Of course, to obtain high-quality sound, the user must use the appropriate equipment - headphones or a headset. Moreover, it is important that they support the reproduction of the same bass and high frequencies: it happens that specific types of headphones or headsets are not very optimal for listening to tunes in which the first or, conversely, the second prevail. In this sense, when listening to the same files, different users may receive different sensations in terms of perception of sound quality. Therefore, if you test this option of the phone, it is worth experimenting with different types of headphones and headsets.
Summary
So, we have studied what the Philips E 560 telephone is, technical specifications and reviews about this device. What conclusions can we draw by examining the basic information about him?
First of all, it should be noted that, despite the lack of a number of features demanded by the modern user, such as, for example, the presence of a communication module for communicating with the Internet via the 3G channel, the phone is a sufficiently functional device. It allows, apart from negotiating and exchanging messages, to carry out photo and video shooting, to listen to radio broadcasts. If necessary, of course, you can go online, though only through a rather slow GPRS channel. But in this you can find an advantage in the form of saving traffic.
The main, probably, advantage of the device is its extremely capacious battery. The battery life that the Philips Xenium E 560 phone has (expert and user reviews can confirm this) can be considered outstanding for modern models of mobile devices.
The device also copes with the function of a music player. It is desirable, of course, that the equipment in the form of headphones or a headset is used in this case of good quality.
Thus, as evidenced by the characterizing capabilities of such a device as the Philips E 560 telephone, this device has reviews, advantages and disadvantages. Among its indisputable advantages include:
- Extremely capacious battery, providing long-term battery life;
- high build quality of the device and materials;
- stable working software;
- the ability to connect an external memory card;
- good sound quality;
- the convenience of numeric keys.
- USB Bluetooth. , , « 560», , . :
Of course, the practical experience of using the capabilities of the phone E 560 from Philips for all users will be different. Therefore, reviews characterizing the Philips E 560 phone can vary significantly. And a phone review conducted even by an experienced expert can be based on his subjective feelings. It is important that the device has a number of undeniable competitive advantages, and against their background, its disadvantages may not be too noticeable.