14 DAY TRIAL // The line of evolved mobile phones that will probably never manage to break outside the Korean borders has just got thicker with the release of a new device. Bluebird Pidion BM-500 may not be the most impressive handset out there, but surely manages to add some spice to the telecom market.
The candy bar handset comes with an appealing design, as it features straight, well defined lines. No rounded shapes or feminine touches for this device, although it looks elegant enough to be used both by men and women. The navigation buttons are placed rather uncomfortably on the left side of the handset. Left-handed people will really appreciate this shift, but the majority of right-handed phone users will really find it to be an uninspired decision coming from the producers.
Bluebird Pidion BM-500 is only 14.9 mm thick, which proves to be quite thin, especially when considering the performances that it manages to pack. The 2.8 inch QVGA display screen is not as large as we'd want it to be, as the handset also packs mobile TV capabilities, through T-DMB digital broadcasting.
Connectivity is available through Bluetooth, IrDA and Wi-Fi, as most evolved devices are capable of providing for their users. The 512 MB of internal memory might prove to be insufficient, but a miniSD card slot of up to 2 GB manages to compensate on this side.
Bluebird Pidion BM-500 also comes with several disadvantages that many people might not overlook. The phone works on Windows Mobile 5, which could use an upgrade to the sixth version. Moreover, it comes equipped with a camera of only 1.3 megapixel, capable of providing images at a quality below the average.
The Bluebird Pidion BM-500 handset will be available on the Korean market, with no hopes of seeing a global launch any time in the future.