The EF91 throws down the gauntlet with HSDPA and a 3.2 Megapixel camera; the S81 crams 3G and multimedia into a 13 mm thick shell; and the EF51 is all about the music.
BenQ-Siemens EF91 hands-on impression
Feature-rich at the expense of form, the EF91 is the ugly step child of BenQ-Siemens' new and extended phone family. Equipped as it is with HSDPA and a 3.2 Megapixel camera, it rear-ends much of the competition with good performance across the board, falling short on only a few vital points including design and viewfinder size. To use its camera, users must either opt for the standard open flip mode or the positively diminutive external display; not an ideal scenario for a camera phone.
Specifications
Merging a 3.2 Megapixel camera with autofocus and HSDPA for data transfer speeds six times that of current 3G handsets, BenQ-Siemens' new EF91 clamshell looks set to offer the Samsung
SGH-Z560 and
SGH-Z710 - also unveiled today - serious competition. A high-resolution, 2-inch display with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels and 262K colours further ups the ante, whilst a microSD card expansion slot lets users offload downloaded content.
Equipped with a music player supporting the MP3 format, the EF91 also boasts virtual surround sound capabilities, as well as stereo audio streaming with remote control courtesy of Bluetooth support.
Price and availability
To be available this summer in several different colour schemes, pricing for the EF91 has yet to be announced.
BenQ-Siemens S81
Aiming for a spot in the growing market for super-slim mobile phones, the S81 faces heavy competition from entrants such as the
Samsung SGH-Z150. Incorporated into its 13 mm thick shell is 3G connectivity and video calling courtesy of teamwork involving a 1.3 Megapixel and 0.3 Megapixel camera duo as well as the handset's 2-inch screen with a resolution of 176 x 220 pixels.
Multimedia functionality is extensive, with the handset supporting streaming and downloading of video clips in H.264 format, as well as an audio player which handles MP3, WMA and AAC formats. Also, the handset is - like the EF91 - capable of streaming stereo audio via Bluetooth, and offers a microSD card expansion slot for when the 30 MB of onboard memory has been maxed out. Lastly, the S81 also offers PIM synchronization with Outlook on a PC.
Price and availability
The BenQ-Siemens S81 will be available in the second quarter of 2006 with pricing yet to be determined.
BenQ-Siemens EF51 hands-on impression
For a music phone, the EF51 fails to impress. Although audio quality proved good, the music management capabilities of the handset were distinctly sub-par as compared to other dedicated music phones, while controls were difficult to distinguish and poorly laid out. In fact, the EF51 gives off a rather cheap overall feel, which is further solidified by its cramped display and 1.3 Megapixel camera. Lastly, we can't say we cared much for the push-through solution chosen for the music flip which affixes to the similarly so-so keypad.
Specifications
Where the S81 leaves off, the EF51 picks up with a primary focus on multimedia. Fitted with dedicated playback controls, the handset supports MP3, WMA, AAC and AAC+ formats, and also integrates a stereo FM radio. Virtual 3D surround sound makes an appearance, as does a 6-band equalizer for individual song arrangement and a 'Display Lyrics' feature which, in a rather self-explanatory fashion, displays lyrics belonging to music being played - although the company did not go into detail as to how this feature will work.
Another unusual feature is represented by voice-operated music selection dubbed Speech-to-Music, which operates similar to voice dialling but has users saying the names of songs out loud to initiate playback. Other highlights include a 1.6-inch colour scree, USB connectivity and a miniSD card slot for memory expansion, as well as stereo audio streaming over Bluetooth and a 1.3 Megapixel camera.
Price and availability
The BenQ-Siemens EF51 will be available in the second quarter of 2006 in white and black colour schemes. Its pricing has yet to be disclosed.
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