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Home / Cell phones
Philips wows with 639, 855 handsetsBy Anthony Newman, Monday 23 February 2004
PolyLED screens come to market in Philips' 639 clamshell mobile phone, along with a range of sound and vision capabilities, while 855 focuses on imaging.

Philips have launched a new mobile phone boasting a unique 'Magic Mirror' external display: the 639. The two-tone clamshell handset offers an external display that functions as a mirror while in standby mode, but when a message or call is received the mirror becomes a display. The phone also includes a 16-bit TFT display inside the flip.

Philips 855 focuses on imaging
The Magic Mirror can display animations as well as Philips' IconCall feature for identifying incoming callers by photo and icon, as well as by polyphonic ringtones. The handset also features Philips' BeDJ application familiar from earlier phones, allowing users to mix their own tracks and share the results by MMS.

The 639 can also accept Philips' optional VGA camera, featuring 2x digital zoom. The 639 is available in three colours: pearl, green and grey, and weighs just 85 g. Philips claim a talk-time of 4 hours and up to 400 hours of standby.

Philips' second handset is the 855, which claims another unique feature: the ability to display pictures taken with its integrated VGA camera on a TV screen via an optional TV Link accessory. The camera is not equipped with a flash, but has a Night Mode function along with a 4x digital zoom. The camera also offers a range of imaging functions including greyscale, negative and sepia effects.

The clamshell features MMS messaging with FotoTalk, allowing voice messages to be attached to messages. Specifications include 7 MB of storage space, one of the largest allocations of any phone yet. Its external colour display features photo caller ID, and the phone boasts both Java and tri-band GSM.

The handset measures just 77 cc and weighs 91 g, and is available in silver, blue, black and white. It will also offer 4 hours of talk time or 400 hours of standby when it is introduced in Spring 2004.

Additional hi-res pictures of the Philips 639 and 855 are available on the following pages.
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