Siemens IC35 - The Unifier

Summary

The small Siemens-PDA is a communication talent with 199 DM. In conjunction with a Siemens phone (C25, S25, C35i, M35i, S35i) and its integrated modem, the device establishes a data connection to the mobile network. The user can write, send and receive e-mail, SMS and faxes. Because of the uniform user interface, it is called “The Unifier”. Integrated are address and appointment management and WAP 1.1 browser.

The 2 cm flat, folding 174 g device has a 16-greyscale display (240 x 160 pixels) and is not touch-sensitive. Stylus input is not supported. There is a lack of backlight, so work is difficult in poor lighting conditions. The image is sharp, the image diagonal with 8.3 cm is rather small. The input is made via a small keyboard without a distinct tactile response. 2 AAA batteries supply the device with electricity for about 4 weeks. This is the advantage of the 30-year-old Z80 processor (9.25 MHz). As a multimedia device it is not suitable — there is no microphone or headphone jack.

The data can be synchronized with a PC, but only in the formats Microsoft Outlook 97/98 and Lotus Organizer 5.0/6.0. The connection takes place via the infrared interface or a separate link cable. 2 MiB storage space is rather scarce for data.

The Unifier has a slot for smart cards and two for multimedia cards (MMC). Siemens is preparing the device for mobile commerce and mobile banking and digital signatures.