A submarine for Songkran
The MEDIAS NEC-101S will survive the toughest water war
New name in smart phones NEC has come up with a mid-range contender that packs a special punch. The MEDIAS NEC-101S is a sleek touch-screen phone that will survive the wettest Songkran thanks to its waterproof body.
The phone is a skinny 8.2mm thin but bulges out a little at the top to house the 5-megapixel camera. Your window on the Web is a 4-inch touch screen with 854x480-pixel resolution, while under the bonnet is a 1GHz processor powering Google Android 2.3.5.
The NEC-101S’s standout feature, however, has to be its fish-like quality. YouTube reviewers testing the manufacturer’s boast found that after 30 minutes submerged in water, the phone still works perfectly. They tried it under the extra pressure of a running tap, too… water off a duck’s back.
Not trusting anything I see on the Net, I tested it myself: After several minutes of full immersion, it emerged unscathed and fully operational.
The phone turns submarine thanks to a rubber seal running inside the housing and a rubber cap that protects its mini USB port at the top. The port will, however, allow in electricity for recharging as well as the transfer of files to and from a computer. But the waterproof design does mean that there’s no standard 3.5mm stereo headphone jack. Instead, the package comes with a special mini USB-to-3.5mm stereo jack adapter.
Gorilla Glass all but guarantees against scratches while the hybrid plastic/stainless steel body will also withstand tough treatment.
Performance-wise the phone impressed, with responsive screen and menus and fast-running YouTube clips.
The NEC-101S supports TrueMove H network’s 3G – but only the HSPA 3G system, not the much-faster HSPA+. Anyway, I tried it on the TrueMove H system and was still impressed with the speed of the slower 3G.
During the test, I managed to briskly download a heap of applications, as well as upload info. I snapped a few photos and uploaded them to my Facebook page quickly, then checked out various locations using the Foursquare app with no problem.
One negative point was that the NEC-101S’s battery ran out fast. I needed to recharge it twice a day, especially when the screen was set at full brightness and when the GPS was switched on. The battery also drained fast when the Bluetooth was turned on. Fortunately there’s an eco mode option that allows you to save power when the phone is inactive.
The MEDIAS NEC-101S is distributed by SiS Thai for Bt12,900.
Key specs
Platform: Android 2.3
Processor: MSM8255 1.0GHz
Band Support: GSM; 850/900/1800/1900, UMTS; 850/1900/2100
Data connection: GPRS CLASS 10, EDGE; HSPA 14.4M/5.7M
Display: 4.0-inch 854 x 480-pixel touch screen
Camera: 5 megapixel (no front camera)
Memory: 512MB RAM
Storage: microSD up to 32GB, 2GB card provided
Battery: 1230 mAh Lithium
Dimensions: WxHxD 128 x 65 x 8.2mm
Weight: 117g
