MOTOROLA MPX200 INFRARED 3.5mm JACK LOUDSPEAKER MEDIA PLAYER WINDOWS SMARTPHONE 2002 900/1800 GSM UNLOCKED WHOLESALE CELL PHONES - FACTORY REFURBISHED

Summary

If you are looking for a phone with complete PDA capabilities, the MPx200 would not be your first choice. Microsoft’s Smartphone OS is a compromise that appeals to those that do not care for full blown PDA features. If you just want to stay connected to your friends and co-workers and manage your contacts and meetings, the MPx200 may be perfect for you.

The Motorola MPx200 is a fantastic phone for business users. It is very stylish, powerful and offers the basic functions business users’ desire. We love that you can upgrade the memory on the MPx200 using the memory slot as well as the fact that you get a basic MP3 player and PDA functionality.

In the case of the MPx200, the physical design saves it from dropping down to a 7 rating since the headset problems we encountered could be serious to some users. Overall, although the MPx200 does not offer Bluetooth or a integrated camera, considering its $99 price tag it could quite possibly be the best Smartphone value currently on the market.

Introduction

Motorola’s MPx200 Smart Phone is probably one of the most affordable phones on the market featuring Microsoft Smartphone OS, but that does not necessarily means it skimps on features.

The MPx200 comes in a very stylish piano black finish, has a gorgeous display, expansion capabilities in the form of a SD memory card slot, and enough power to be a very useful voice and data communication device.

Design and Features

When it comes to PDA/cell phone hybrids, product size and ultimate usability is often sacrificed for features. There are several phones on the market that feature full-blown versions of Microsoft’s Pocket PC OS or Palm’s personal information manager OS. Packing all of these options into a device that is supposed to be comfortably held up against your face for a call can be a daunting task. The small size constraints normally associated with a cell phone means something has to be sacrificed.

We have seen phones with touch screen stylus pens or fold-out keyboards all in an effort to give you regular PDA usability on your cell phone. But what if you do not want everything a normal PDA offers? Enter Microsoft’s Smartphone operating system. Basically it’s a trimmed down version of Microsoft’s Pocket PC OS, minus Pocket Word, Excel and some other Pocket PC programs. The Smartphone OS gives you the necessities for contact management and adds a few fun programs which help to round out the offering.

Motorola was able to take Microsoft’s Smartphone OS and put it into an elegantly designed wireless phone that is not much larger than other flip phones currently on the market. The outer case is a very attractive glossy black finish with stylish silver and blue accents.

There are actually two LCD screens on this phone. When the unit is closed, a 96 x 32 pixel display shows caller ID, date & time, and phone status. The outside screen, although not in color, lights up with a very soft blue backlight which stays consistent with the overall design elements.

Located on the left hand side of the phone are the volume controls, the power button and the infrared receiver/transmitter. The right hand side of the phone is the location for the SD/MMC card expansion slot and a headset jack. While the outside is well laid out and clean, it gets even better on the inside.

Once the MPx200 is opened, you are greeted by a vibrant and colorful 176 x 220 pixel “Vivid” 65K Color TFT display and Microsoft’s Smartphone operating system. With built-in MSN Messenger and Microsoft Pocket Outlook you never have to be disconnected from your co-workers and friends.

If that is not enough, you can surf the internet and check your daily news in color with a full Internet Explorer Web browser. Motorola packages two headsets with the MPx200 phone, a stereo headset which you can use to listen to MP3′s or WMA files on your phone, or a regular single bud headset for easy use in the car. A USB cable and phone cradle is included for synchronization between the MPx200 and a computer.

Setup and Use

We found the navigation and overall phone speed of the MPx200 to be very fast despite its limited 32MB of internal memory. This is due to the powerful Texas Instruments ARM OMAP710 130Mhz processor. We think that 32MB is passable but with today’s programs and file sizes, more internal memory would be ideal. Luckily the MPx200 comes with a SD memory card expansion slot capable of holding up to a 1GB SD memory card.

Setting up the MPx200 for the first time is relatively easy, but will require some time and patience. You will want to follow the instructions to the letter. This means installing Microsoft’s Active Sync software which will allow you to transfer files and synchronize your phone with your desktop computer and MS Outlook programs. We recommend heading over to Microsoft’s website to download the latest version of ActiveSync to make sure you have the newest version.

Another good feature of the MPx200 is speech recognition. This allows you to use your voice to dial numbers instead of having to use your hands. This feature works very well and the device had no problem recognizing our voice to dial. Once the call is made, you can easily switch over to the on-board speakerphone or use the included headset for true hands-free operation.

The integrated speaker on the MPx200 can get very loud and is very clear without noticeable distortion. Like other services, this phone has the ability to conference in a 3rd person while you are already on a call. The call waiting tag will show up letting you know another person is on the other line, then you can decide to conference them into your current call or swap calls so you can talk to them individually. This was very easy to use and can be very valuable for those trying to participate in meetings while on the road.

Lastly we thought it was a great feature to be able to show your calendar and call contact information while you are in the middle of a call. This will allow you to coordinate or look up events using the Outlook calendar while you are on the phone.

Reception and Battery Life

Reception and clarity on the MPx200 is above average when compared to other GSM phones, at least in the Portland, Oregon area where this phone was tested. Since the antenna is integrated into the phone and does not protrude, that this is a very good thing. In normal operation (without the headset) we did not experience any dropped calls and very few break-ups during our conversations.

Motorola claims the MPx200 has 112 hours of standby time, but with normal settings on we experienced around 90 hours, not bad considering this phones features. There is a power saving mode which should help you squeeze more battery juice out of the phone.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a phone with complete PDA capabilities, the MPx200 would not be your first choice. Microsoft’s Smartphone OS is a compromise that appeals to those that do not care for full blown PDA features. If you just want to stay connected to your friends and co-workers and manage your contacts and meetings, the MPx200 may be perfect for you.

The Motorola MPx200 is a fantastic phone for business users. It is very stylish, powerful and offers the basic functions business users’ desire. We love that you can upgrade the memory on the MPx200 using the memory slot as well as the fact that you get a basic MP3 player and PDA functionality.