Sony Ericsson K500
| Compatible networks | GSM 900/1800/1900 |
|---|---|
| Successor | Sony Ericsson K510i |
| Related | Sony Ericsson K700 |
| Dimensions | 102 mm × 46 mm × 14 mm (4.02 in × 1.81 in × 0.55 in) |
| Weight | 88 g (3.1 oz) |
| Memory | 12 MB Internal |
| Battery |
BST-30 Li-Ion 700 mAh |
| Display | 128x160 pixels 65,536 Color TFT LCD |
| Rear camera | VGA (640x480), 4x digital zoom |
| Connectivity | GPRS, IrDA, USB |
The Sony Ericsson K500i was a mid-range, tri-band mobile phone released in Q2 2004, as the functionally-reduced version of the Sony Ericsson K700i, which was being introduced roughly at the same time.
There was also a Vodafone exclusive version called F500i. Its hardware was similar to the K500i, which had Vodafone branding with a blue/silver body, and also a T-Mobile exclusive version called K508i, with T-Mobile branding.
Design
The K500i is a candybar style phone that weighs 88 grams, with its buttons that can be used with any finger. The central joystick button is used for selecting options and navigating menus, with the "C" button as an 'undo' or 'delete' button, and the arrow-labelled button as a 'return' or 'back' button. The two buttons labelled by white horizontal lines, known as 'hotkeys' or 'soft keys' perform the function of making binary decisions, labelled on the phone's display. The button in between of these 'soft keys' acts as a shortcut key, which brings up a user-customisable shortcut menu when pressed. The on/off button is located on the top of the phone next to the IrDA port.
On the right-hand side of the phone there is a key for camera.
Audio support & connectivity
Unlike T610 or T630, it also supports playing MP3 files.
The phone can also be used as a modem only via Infrared. It has a talk time battery life of 8 hours and a standby time battery life of 300 hours.
Marketing
The Sony Ericsson K500 was being sold throughout the world, regarding its region of purchase (K500a for Americas and K500i for International markets). It was also being sold as K506c in China, of which has a chassis identical to that of the F500i, but without Vodafone branding. It was never being sold in Croatia as well as in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but firmware releases containing Serbian language were being partially available.