Did you know which was the first phone with a color display?
Chances are that you're reading this article on a color display, be it the one on your computer, your tablet, or your phone. Either way, your screen can probably reproduce millions of colors quite faithfully. Things weren't as colorful back in the '90s, you know. It was a time when most phones could not offer more than a monochrome screen, usually accompanied by a soothing Irish Green backlight.
It wasn't until 1998 when a company called Siemens decided to try something different. The year marked the debut of the Siemens S10, which is regarded as the first phone with a color display. Now, we won't blame you if you don't remember this particular model. After all, it couldn't spark a revolution with its rather primitive color screen. It could reproduce just four colors – red, green, blue, and white – and while it was an innovation for its time, it wasn't something you'd call pretty or practical.
Then in 2001 came the first phone with a color screen to be offered in the US – the Sanyo SCP-5000 for Sprint PCS. The display was 2 inches in size – quite large for its time – and could display up to 256 colors. Yet owning a gadget this fancy had its price. The Sanyo SCP-5000 sold for $500 at launch, which could make many have a second thought and settle with something not so colorful.
This article would be incomplete if we don't include the first color display phone that actually became popular. We're talking about the Ericsson T68, of course, which launched in late 2001. Sure, at over $600 apiece, it was expensive, but it was money well spent. The phone was compact, beautiful, and packed with cool features, including a 256-color screen screen with a resolution of 101 by 80 pixels.
Which was the first phone with a color display you ever owned or used? Let us know in the comments!
The Nokia 9210 Communicator, on the other hand, put its color display to good use. Launched in 2000, the phone offered a 640 by 200 pixel LCD screen and a user interface that took advantage of it. One could access the web, play games, and view images with a 4096 color palette.
Then in 2001 came the first phone with a color screen to be offered in the US – the Sanyo SCP-5000 for Sprint PCS. The display was 2 inches in size – quite large for its time – and could display up to 256 colors. Yet owning a gadget this fancy had its price. The Sanyo SCP-5000 sold for $500 at launch, which could make many have a second thought and settle with something not so colorful.
This article would be incomplete if we don't include the first color display phone that actually became popular. We're talking about the Ericsson T68, of course, which launched in late 2001. Sure, at over $600 apiece, it was expensive, but it was money well spent. The phone was compact, beautiful, and packed with cool features, including a 256-color screen screen with a resolution of 101 by 80 pixels.
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