The chameleon clamshell for Siemens CFX65

The chameleon clamshell for Siemens CFX65 - Siemens takes entering the field of flip phones really seriously. After introducing the basic model CF62, which soon became very popular, Siemens comes with the new CFX65 flip phone. It is one class higher from its predecessor and will surely attract new customers with its quality address book, VGA camera, eye-catching chameleon effect and low weight.

Another clamshell with a loop antenna

The phone is decided in two color variants - ivory or classic silver. We had the silver model with blue complements. Covers aren't replaceable so it won't be possible to change the look of the phone.

Siemens CFX65 represents a silver box sized 97 x 48 x 23 mm. The phone isn't among the smallest clamshells but weight of 88 grams is quite agreeable. Its untraditionally designed loop antenna will surely capture fans. In my opinion this solution is much more elegant than the antenna, which is rising up from the phone. Furthermore it can be used as a hanger for a strap to wear the phone on your neck.

Another striking design feature is the blue stilliform area on the top, which defines the outer display area. The light blue color is changing to richly violet shade if you look at it from a different angle. The producer's logo is also situated within. This color surface is bordered by a chrome frame, in the bottom of which a camera lens and a diode are placed. The diode will be certainly more useful than the standard mirror for self-portraits.



The rest of the phone look like silver, but you can see at first sight that it's made of plastic, which spoils the overall impression. The combination of silver, light blue and shiny chrome seems a bit slushy and reminds me of a toy. That's basically applies to every stylish phone; some people like it and some don't.

The back part is spared of designer's eccentricity. The battery cover, which is decorated with a piece of a stilliform, occupies the bigger part. We can also find a round grid of a loud speaker there.

The side lines are modest in a German way. There are no waves or striking curves as it is with Asian phones. On the left side we can find buttons for turning up and down the volume during calls. By longer press these buttons start the camera or the lighting diodes. The functions are respectively indicated with symbols. On the right side there is only the small window of the infrared port.

A classic Siemens system connector is placed traditionally in the bottom edge. There is also a mini aperture with a microphone. The loop antenna is dominating the top part.

The construction of the phone, including the hinge, is solid and creaks only on a firm clasp. The back battery cover is also strongly attached. It covers a Li-Ion battery with capacity of 600 mAh, which should last up to 200 hours in standby mode and 200 minutes of speech. This is not much, but quite good for a clamshell.

Read more > The chameleon clamshell for Siemens CFX65

Siemens SF65 Tge Apple is an inspiration

Siemens SF65 Tge Apple is an inspirationSuch practice has already become standard for the mobile phones business as well. The new Siemens SF65 works on the same constructional principles like Philips 760. Both telephones are equally equipped with the outlook being the only feature that differentiates them. A quick glance is enough to reveal that this phone has been developed in Philips' workshops and that the only job Siemens did was to design cover versions and user's environment of its own

Key benefits

Stylish design and a construction with a spinning display
A very good quality megapixel camera
TFT display, 128 × 160 pixels, 65K colors
Built-in 21 MB memory

Main drawbacks

No character counter when writing SMS
No video recording
A second small display would have come in handy
No MP3 support
No Bluetooth support

Apple is an inspiration

One would hardly deny that the new Siemens' SF65 elegancy is remarkable. The even glossy covers with their slightly oval edges and decently embedded elements give the strong impression of an integrated and compact device. There is no doubt that this smallish cuboid will become a thorn in the flesh of many manufacturers of luxurious and stylish mobile phones for this is the first time that Siemens makes a serious step into their "territory". Nevertheless, it once again proves the old statement that power comes with simplicity.
The phone is going to be launched in two color versions - black and white; just like the music player Apple iPod, whose design may have served as an inspiration for Siemens developers. The famous designer Ora Ito has also let himself get inspired by the same device when creating the new Sagem myX-8. To cut a long story short, the "ala apple" design is cool these days.
When closed, the new Siemens takes up space of 91 × 41 × 23 mm and weighs 97 g and thus fits into the common average class of mobile phones. Its cuboid form has been carefully elaborated with the edges being slightly round. Under the detachable cover, which actually serves as the phone's back cover, you will find a Li-Ion battery of 660 mAh capacity, which is expected to supply the phone with energy for up to 240 minutes of calling and up to 400 hours when in a standby mode. Unfortunately, we did not have the opportunity to test phone's real durability time, but according to our first establishments it must be quite tolerable - do not forget that it is a dressed up Philips we have the honor to deal with.
The construction gives a solid general impression. No creaky sounds were to be noticed when opening the clamshell or spinning the display and the moving portion would always gently bottom when closing the phone. However, when I constricted the device, the front and the rear covers gave out some quite unpleasant sounds.
The majority of all Philips clamshells suffer from a bit strange infirmity - the display portion is usually so heavy that it does not allow the phone to stay still on its bottom part when in an open mode and it outbalances easily. The new Siemens SF65 is no exception from this rule.

Read more > Siemens SF65 Tge Apple is an inspiration