TORONTO -- Dec 19, 2002 -- Bell Mobility, Canada's leading wireless service provider, and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung), an award-winning wireless industry leader in product design and innovative technology, today introduced the SPH-a500 to the Canadian market, adding a new dimension to the wireless world. The a500 allows users to fully experience wireless technology in vibrant, full colour with Bell Mobility's broad suite of business and consumer applications.
With the 1X ready Samsung a500, customers can wirelessly surf the Internet at speeds up to 86 kbps and with the handset's UP 4.1 web browser access important information contained in corporate or personal e-mail. The 12-line graphic display screen, which provides a larger viewing area, facilitates navigation and access to information such as stock quotes, travel itinerary and movie listings.
"The a500 phone offers our customers a large, rich, vibrant colour LCD display that surpasses any colour screen wireless phone in the Canadian market today," said Kelly Dixon, Vice President Marketing, Bell Mobility. "Each month, Bell Mobility customers download thousands of screensavers and ringtones, and now with the a500 customers have the ultimate handset to do both. Music fans will be thrilled by the new polyphonic-enabled phone and ringtones it offers as well as the pre-programmed hockey theme ringtone which has proven to be popular among Canada's sports fans."
Users can choose to further personalize the a500 by downloading their favorite songs to customize the phone's ring tone. Polyphonic ringers combine 16 tones into a single sound, giving users a higher quality audio experience for sound effects and advanced ringers. The a500 comes with four built-in colour screen savers and also supports downloadable colour screensavers, which will be available soon.
"Bell Mobility's 1X network and Samsung's a500 bring speed, colour and content to consumers' wireless world," said Peter Skarzynski, senior vice president, Samsung. "Samsung raises the bar in wireless technology by integrating high-speed voice and data technology in the a500."
Samsung is a global leader in the development of thin film transistor (TFT) flat screen computer monitors and is bringing its advancements in display screen technology to the mobile phone market. The a500 is equipped with a TFT LCD screen that gives a vivid three-dimensional feel to screen savers and games, while also improving the clarity and definition of all pictures. Text users will immediately notice the superior quality of the a500's display screen, whether navigating the phone's colourful and intuitive menus or playing wireless games.
Samsung a500 features:
The compact dual-band/tri-mode a500, weighing only 3.6 ounces, features an external LCD with a distinctive blue backlight that gives customers the added benefit of being able to identify the caller without having to open the phone.
Technical specifications for the a500 include:
- 128 x 160 pixel, colour LCD screen
- External 94 x 64 graphic LCD screen for caller ID
- One-touch Internet access
- Downloadable content for ringers, screensavers
- 20 polyphonic ringers for 16-tone electronic orchestral sound
- 5 classic ringers
- Four animated idle screen designs
- Text messaging capabilities
- 4-way navigation key for easy selection through menus
- UP 4.1 browser for access to more Internet content
- Luminescent blue keypad backlighting
- Internal multiple phone book holds up to 250 alphanumeric entries
- Tegic T9(R) text entry
- Bilingual user interface (English/French)
- Personal organizer (calendar, task list, memo pad, alarm, world time,
countdown and calculator)
- Voice activated dialing and voice memo
- GPS-enabled functionality
- Weight: 3.6 ounces
- Dimensions: (H x W x D) 3.4 x2.0 x 0.8 inches
- Digital Mode (standard battery): Talk time - up to 2.5 hours; Standby
time - up to 9 days
- Analog Mode (standard battery): Talk time - up to 1 hour; Standby time
- up to 15 hours
About Bell Mobility
Bell Mobility, a division of Bell Canada, provides a complete range of innovative wireless communications solutions: PCS and cellular, web-browsing and data, two-way messaging, paging and airline passenger communications services. Bell Canada, Canada's national leader for communications in the Internet world, provides connectivity to residential and business customers through wired and wireless voice and data communications, high speed and wireless Internet access, IP-broadband services, e-business solutions, local and long distance phone and directory services. Bell Canada is owned by BCE Inc. of Montreal. For more information please visit www.bell.ca
About Samsung Telecommunications America
Samsung Telecommunications America, a Dallas-based subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Company, Ltd., researches, markets and develops wireless handsets and telecommunications products throughout North America. For more information, see STA's website at www.samsung.ca . Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, and digital convergence technology. Samsung Electronics employs approximately 64,000 people in 89 offices in 47 countries. The company is the world's largest producer of memory chips, TFT-LCDs, CDMA mobile phones, monitors and VCRs. Samsung Electronics consists of four main business units: Digital Media Network, Device Solution Network, Telecommunication Network and Digital Appliance Network Businesses.
No need to whistle, the next time you need a taxicab, just dial
(pound key)TAXI on your cellphone. A convenient voice-activated
system will connect you to the first available taxicab company
-- in any city, anywhere in Canada. Bell Mobility is offering
this service free during the Holidays. So make (pound key)TAXI
your designated driver and have a safe Holiday Season.
CONTACT: For further information: For media information and interview
opportunities contact: Don Blair, Bell Canada Media Relations, (416) 581-3311,
1-888-482-0809, don.blair(at)bell.ca; Ann Jane Cox, Samsung, (972) 628-7743,
annjane.cox(at)publicis-usa.com;
Archived images on this organization are available through CNW E-Pix at
