What time is it? - World’s smallest mobile (GALLERY)

It looks like a robust wristwatch and it shows even what time it is when the screen is not used for other options. However actually we are talking about the GM 500 prototype from General Mobile, stating that they created the world’s smallest mobile phone.
The product was exhibited during the recent Cebit 2008, the International Technology Fair in Hannover/Germany.
The GM 500 mobile, really is small with dimensions of 58,1 mm in length x 44,2 mm in width x 16,4 mm height, beating every previous development of a wristwatch mobile. It weighs inclusive battery (a 400 mAh Li-ion battery providing 120 minutes talking and about 80 hours of stand-by time) and wristband, 142 grams. GM 500 is a tri-band GSM device (900, 1800 and 1900 MHz). Although it is an option to speak through the screen itself, it is recommanded to use the (free hands) headset fitted with an earphone and microphone.

As far as you have well movement controlled baby fingers the 1,5” (yes just 3,75 cm) touch screen can be activated without using the special pen which goes with the mobile. The reporter of Folha Online from São Paulo/Brazil tried to activate the mobile using his fingertips, as the manufacturer said could be done, but ended up with all wrong commands. It seems to be impossible to touch the correct icon without frustrating the rest of the keys, which is of course not that surprising at all.

Albeit the GM 500 has many other options (GPRS, WAP, Internet, Bluetooth and USB data transfer, 128 MB built-in memory and storage of 300 phonebook entries) they are apparently not part of the strong sales points. You can send e-mails, even using the pen by writing directly on the screen (how can you write a text on a less than 4 cm screen. We are not anymore in college where we cheated exams with mini pieces of papers a.k.a. cheat sheets, the fingers are oversized now and the eyesight is getting weak), but still there is also the MP3-music option and you can view videos (MPEG4 and 3GP) on a 4 cm screen or use the voice recorder.
But as a matter of fact and even the manufacturer agrees with this statement, the GM 500 is just a mobile which happens to be the smallest in the world and nothing more.
Available in Europe in the second half of this year for a retail price of 599 euro.