The Sendo M550 was released in 2003, during the second quarter of the year. It was ahead of its time, with its sleek and lightweight design weighing only 77g and measuring 20mm in thickness. Despite its small size, it was packed with features that made it stand out amongst other feature phones of its time.
Network Technology
The Sendo M550 was a GSM phone and supported 2G bands - GSM 900 / 1800. It also had GPRS class 8, allowing users to access basic internet services on their phone. Unfortunately, it did not support EDGE technology.
Launch and Status
The Sendo M550 was announced in 2003, but was later discontinued. It may have had a short lifespan, but it definitely made an impact on the market.
Body and Display
The phone had dimensions of 82 x 45 x 20 mm and weighed 77g, making it easy to carry around. It also had a mini-SIM card slot. The display was a CSTN screen with 4096 colors. The resolution was 128 x 128 pixels with a 1:1 ratio. It even had a second display with inverse colors and a resolution of 96 x 64 pixels.
Memory and Camera
Unfortunately, the Sendo M550 did not have a card slot, so users had to rely on dynamic memory storage. It did, however, have a phone book that could store up to 500 contacts and could record 10 dialed, received, and missed calls. It did not have a camera, which may be surprising considering its release date in 2003 when cameras were becoming popular on phones.
Sound and Communication
The Sendo M550 did not have a loudspeaker, but it did support vibration and downloadable polyphonic ringtones. It also did not have a 3.5mm jack, so users had to use the phone's built-in speaker or connect a headset using the provided USB port.
When it came to communication, the Sendo M550 did not have any advanced features like WLAN, Bluetooth, positioning, or even a radio. It did, however, support basic messaging through SMS and EMS and had a WAP 1.2.1 browser for internet access.
Features and Battery
In terms of features, the Sendo M550 had a predictive text input, making typing messages on the phone easier and faster. It also had a clock and alarm, as well as three games - Ten Pin, KombatClub, and Splat. Unfortunately, it did not support Java applications.
The phone ran on a removable Li-Ion battery that had a standby time of 180-400 hours and a talk time of 2-5 hours.
In Conclusion
The Sendo M550 may have been discontinued, but it definitely made its mark as a feature phone ahead of its time. It was slim, lightweight, and had features that were not common in other feature phones of its time, making it a popular choice amongst users. It may not have the advanced features we have now, but it remains a nostalgic piece of technology that paved the way for future phones to come.
