Motorola MPx200 Smartphone - Next Generation (AT&T)

Manufacturer:	AT&T Wireless
List price:	~~$299.99~~
Our price:	that is 100% off!

Motorola MPx200 Smartphone - Next Generation (AT&T)

Average rating: Stars

MPx200 SMARTphone

this is one of the better phones i have used. With the email intergrated into the everyday options of the phone, life is that much easier. its so easy i now have a use for the calendar (i didnt use it before because if i wasnt at my computer it was useless.) now i take it with me. its great.

Motorola MPx200 Smartphone - Next Generation (AT&T) - AT&T Wireless

...and it's a flip phone.

I have owned many phones throughout all of the years that I have been dealing with cellular networks. However, I can definitely say that the Motorola MPx200 is one of originality, intelligence, and productivity. The ONLY folder fold phone that actually has a working version of Windows Mobile on it is definitely nothing short of genius and engineering expertise. I can positively say that this is one of the best and most useful phones available now.

Before anything about the inner workings of the phone can be reviewed, the first thing that is best to review is the one selling point that all buyers will look at first: it's immense beauty. Buffered hardened plastic with a neo-modern blue trimming and a perfectly-sized exterior LCD screen make the perfect combination for beauty at its zenith. There have been many beautiful clamshell/folder fold phones produced that can be considered BEAUTIFUL (RAZR, 8390, etc.), however for a one-of-a-kind phone like this one, it's exterior should not be overlooked.

When one opens the phone (with a satisfying click sound accompanying that), one is welcomed by the casual HelloMoto flower design that is on most Motorola phones now. However, what one wouldn't expect is the Windows Mobile boot screen to show up. After the system has loaded, one is presented with a clean-cut interface that is screaming mobile productivity. The possibilities are endless with the included Windows Mobile OS (which, by the way, can be upgraded to Windows Mobile 2003 if you search hard enough). It can synchronize with Outlook seamlessly. It can send SMS, MMS (in Europe or Asia), and regular e-mail. It can even access HTML web sites with its Pocket Internet Explorer (with much ease, if I may add). It can play all types of video and music files (with the right software), and it can obtain streaming media.

However, what makes its productivity even better is its compatibility. No special bells or whistles are needed for this phone to work. It charges and connects using a Mini-USB cable, which is included in the package (or it can be bought for about 20 dollars). The headset is a regular 2.5mm mono/stereo jack, however a converter can be used for regular headphones, which would be a good idea for MP3s. The storage interface is Secure Digital or MMC, which is relatively cheap and expansive (up to 1 GB). The downside to this is that it does not support Secure Digital with Input and Output functions (SDIO), so buying a bluetooth or GPS card is out of the question (that is what the MPx220 is for). It can, oddly enough, support an SD camera, which from what I heard takes good pictures. Gone are the days of searching long and hard for parts to a phone that may or may not be used for very long. This phones makes upgradeabilty easy and worry-free; exactly what a professional would need on the go.

As I mentioned earlier, there are downsides to this phone, some of which are critical. Unfortunately, most of the bad qualities of the phone are found in its performance. Since it is a small phone, it uses a Texas Instruments OMAP 714 processor, which clocks in at 132 MHz, which is not exactly speed-crazy. That is blatantly evident in the Windows Mobile 2003 version for this phone. It does compensate for this by providing an abudance of RAM: 32 MB of RAM and 32 MB of ROM, which is plentiful, that is if you do not consider that the OS uses about 12 MB of that ROM. USB connectivity is great for charging, but sub-optimal for file transfers. While it definitely wins at not needing special software like most mobiles and uses ActiveSync 3, transferring files through USB are unbearingly slow because ActiveSync uses a large amount of overhead for the transfer, thus treating it as a true serial connection. Don't expect to transfer albums of MP3s in fire speed with the MPx200.

Another big loss for the phone is its network support. Unfortunately, Motorola decided to make this phone a truly digital phone, making it only accept 1800 or 1900 MHz bands. This is terribly bad news for Cingular customers because the majority of that network uses 850 MHz. They would have better luck with the MPx220. T-Mobile customers, however, will reap the benefits of the phone's capability, as it has great signal EVERYWHERE and the call quality is above average, if not outstanding. People on the other line can hear me as clear, if not clearer, than I can hear them. The speakerphone on this mobile is comparable to some of the Nextels, which is truly outstanding (minus their terrible codec). The way it handles SIM contacts is flawless (unless you are working with T-Mobile; it can be picky on that), but the phone contacts are very detailed and elaborative. They are set just like Outlooks, so that does not require any explanation.

However, how useful is all of that when the battery is not as powerful as the OS can handle?

The MPx200's biggest drawback is its hit-and-miss battery life. There are many things that can be done to increase the life span, however its initial power is very very VERY low. I would expect, at most, 2 days standby and maybe 2 or 3 hours of talk time. Not much different than your i95cl (terrible phone, by the way). Just remember that that is just under Windows Smartphone 2002. Windows Mobile 2003 consumes even MORE power, so expect 1 day of standby and 1.5 to 2 hours of talking. To me, the features outweighed this, however, it depends from person to person.

The final aspect of this phone that I will touch is what the phone is missing. For those that are looking for integrated cameras, this phone does not have one, however it does have SD options available, so that may be something willing to consider. The phone is also missing Bluetooth, so anyone that wants those cutting edge BT headsets are out of luck here; it does have Infrared, however, which works great. Finally, the phone is missing EDGE and 3G (UMTS), so if video conferencing and/or super fast speed internet are a concern for you, I would look elsewhere. Just keep in mind that this phone has HTML support; many of those EDGE phones may not (except other Smartphones, of course).

In conclusion, if you are looking for an entry-level smartphone, or just a cool-looking smartphone that does not look like a slab of rock, then the MPx200 is the choice of all choices. I can honestly tell you that one you deal with a Windows Mobile, or any PDA-OS based phone, you will NEVER want to go back to just regular phone firmware AGAIN. It's just a shame that they lost on the MPx220 and the MPx. Those definitely had a future.

AT&T Wireless - Motorola MPx200 Smartphone - Next Generation (AT&T)

Run, don't walk, run from this phone

A phone with so much potential is actually a nightmare. Unbelievably poor reception (all along a major California highway), lost calls and generally poor/eratic interface performance. Outlooks synch is a huge upside, but at what cost? I would call ATT for support, but everytime I try on my drive home I either get dropped or stay on hold so long I reach my destination before getting an answer. Save yourself the frustration...