Panasonic GD52

Panasonic GD52

Simple as it can get – the GD52 – Panasonic’s brand new entry level consumer phone is making headlines with its cool looks and simplicity of use. The phone is as basic as it can get, without games or WAP capabilities – just the fundamental functions of a mobile phone.

The most innovative feature of the phone is, undoubtedly the recordable ring tone option
The GD52 has the classic mobile phone look, with an external antenna and a navi-roller key. It weighs a hefty 99grams, and measures a compact 118(L) x 40(D) x 21(H) mm. The stub antenna adds an additional 25mm or so to the height and takes the depth to 20mm at the widest point. The LCD can display up to 4 lines of text. Available in blue or silver, the finish for the phone is smooth and tough. The ‘rocker’ or navi-roller key and a select key carry out navigation around the icon and list-based menus once a choice has been made. There is a phonebook to the left of the phone, and a new additional ‘P’ hot key, which can be programmed for one number. On the top right of the phone there is a cut into the earpiece where a small LED is placed to indicate when the phone is charging or charged.

The keypad itself feels very solid and the black coloured number keys are backlit when the keypad is active. There is also a choice of two greeting animations – the first is a kid with balloons rising up the screen, and the second is a moving GSM design. When idle, the phone displays the kid holding balloons or a parrot for the GSM design. On the back on the phone, there is a speaker for the hands free speakerphone function.


User Menu
SMS Messaging
Clock Function,
Calculator
and Currency functions
The most innovative feature of the phone is, undoubtedly the recordable ring tone option. It allows for the scariest, dirtiest or silliest ring tone imaginable. All that has to be done is to enter the menu options, choose ‘personalise’, select ‘tones’ and then ‘voice ringer’. A five-second burst of sound can then be recoded, and it can be used as a looping ring tone. It’s a neat trick, though the recording quality is not that good. There are 20 other ring tones to choose from other than this clever function.