Customer Reviews

Motorola MPx220 Smartphone (AT&T)

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(20)

 

 

I've had this phone (2 - another one for the wife) for a couple of weeks. I rate it superior to the Treo 300/600 and Blueberry 7230 all of which I have owned/used. It has all of the functionality of those devices plus a better camera, better reception due to the quad band feature, ability to play MP3s and a smaller form factor. Battery life is superior to the Treos.

The product comes with a battery, AC charger, USB charger/cradle, CD-ROM (for installing software on your PC), and a nearly 300 page manual. The manual is rather daunting until you realize that the contents are duplicated in Spanish. Most users won't bother to even open it up. The device is Bluetooth capable, but a headset is not included with the phone.

The internal screen is noticably smaller than that on the Treo/Blackberry devices, however the screen resolution is extremely fine and text can be read about as comfortably on the MPX220 as on the other devices. The screen is much brighter than on the other devices and I had no trouble using it outdoors in sunshine.

The Windows 2003 Smartphone software accomplishes its main task - enabling the user to access a MASS of features in an intuitive manner. I'd still rate the Palm OS and Blackberry desktops as slightly easier to use, but then again they have the advantage of needing to accomodate much fewer features. In contrast all three of these devices (Treo/Blackberry/mpx) are much easier to use than standard cell phones.

In fact given the low cost of the mpx device (mine was $300 for the pair), I can't see why anyone would get a normal (non-PDA) phone at anything over $100. People who are heavy users of email will still prefer full keyboard phones like the Treo/Blackberry. The mpx does have a text recognition AI system which does an excellent job when typing 90% of a message. However you'll still need to go into multi-tap mode when entering personal names, technical abbreviations, etc. As such, I think the closest comparable device would be the candybar Blackberry 7100t - but that device is more expensive, larger and lacks a camera.

I have noted that several reviews claimed the phone's volume output was too low. Either those people have an older version of the firmware (mine was 1.300) or they simply don't know how to use the phone. There are 8 (count 'em) profiles, each with their own range of sound volume and receiver sensitivity. The Normal setting's volume at the highest level is IMO too low. But this is easily solved by using a different profile. For example I use Max level on the Outdoor setting. Treo 300's had the exact same problem, which I solved the exact same way - I used the lowest volume on the Speakerphone setting.

Perhaps the advantages of the mpx are best illustrated by what happened to me two days ago. We had to drive to a business meeting about 40 miles away. My companion remarked about how frequently cell phones would be losing reception. On entire drive, my mpx was never less than 3 bars. Multiple times I was requested to place a call on my phone because the other phones would not function. On the return trip back, we popped the top on the convertible we were riding in. I placed a call in a top down convertible at 70 mph and had no difficulty whatsoever in hearing the call. Does that sound like a phone with a volume problem? Moreover because the Outdoor setting not only varies sound output but also reduces the range at which the microphone will take input, my voice output was not scratchy. The person to whom the call was placed later specifically remarked upon how normal the call sounded. Try that on a Treo on the speakerphone setting.

Bottom line: If you want a full featured phone but don't need a full keyboard, this is your phone. The dirt cheap price these phones go for compared to similar devices is simply insane.

There are many conflicting reviews of this phone on the 'net. I was a bit skeptical at first and was leaning towards the SMT5600, but finally decided to try my luck and plunged into the Motorola MPX220 waters.

I've had this phone for 2 weeks. Bought it online, unlocked, OEM version (mobilecityonline). The manual is barely usefull, but I did not need it anyway. The windows mobile 2003 is intuitive enough to allow me to navigate the menus and configure it as I wanted.

My service is provided by T-Mobile USA. The phone reception is very good, the volume is good, not very loud, but loud enough. All features work as advertised. I currently use a bluetooth headset, a bluetooth GPS, and transfer files between the phone and my PC using a bluetooth USB adapter.

Data services also work -providing you pay for the service- very well. I have configured it to connect and syncrhonize with Exchange server every 5 minutes, so I'm up to date with my emails, calendar and contacts. MSN IM also works fine and Pocket Internet explorer also works well. Not all sites display correctly in the tiny screen. If you want to navigate the entire internet, I recommend getting Opera for smartphones.

The camera is not up the level of my expetations. It works acceptably well in sunny days in exteriors, but do not even try to use it in interiors or at night. The quality of the V300's camera is much better.

Battery life I've found to be very good. It last about 2 days, but if you consider that the phone establishes a GPRS connection every 5 minutes, in addition to my IM sessions, voice calls, file transfer, powering the mini-SD card, playing videos, etc, the battery is actually pretty good. Since this is a new toy, I'm constantly showing it off and playing with it. I exect it to last longer once I start using it normally.

I have found it compatible with every device I've used. From an iPAQ 4155 (both bluetooth and Infrared), to GPS devices, to other phones (like Sony Ericson models). Activesync also works fine and very fast.

This is my first clamshell so I'm getting used to it. The form factor is sleek, looks very professional.

I have found the voice recognition (not voicetags) is very efficient. it requires quite a number of interactions with the phone but even with my accent, the accuracy is amazing, even with the road noise as a background.

My headset device is a Bluetooth Motorola HS850. Before I was using a BodyGlove bluetooth earpiece. Both work well but the Motorola has a clearer sound.

The phone came originally with firmware 1.32 in chinese. That made me freak out at first when I got it out of the box, but slowly I found the Control Panel, then the regional settings and changed the language to English. I discovered the settings by looking at the icons. I currently have firmware 1.43 which is english only (and spanish), not chinese.

I am very satisfied with the MPX220. I have no complains so far, everything works as I expect. GPRS data connection is very dependable. The bluetooth headset is a blessing. the screen is very bright, although in very sunny and bright days it may be difficult to see, but in my experience, that happens to every phone I've had (mostly Nokias)

I have installed several applications: Opera browser, Agile messenger (Yahoo, AOL, ICQ), Sprite backup, Connected bits weather report, and Pocket TV MPEG player. All work very well. The phone hasn't hung or restarted itself ever

I do not like the fact that Motorola used its aold full connector, instead of a simple USB cable. I also would've preferred the phone used a standard SD card, and not the mini SD it uses, that had me buy yet another card for the phone. I currently have a 256 MB mini-SD where I store all the programs and documents, so I reserve the phone memory to run programs.

The clamshell design feels solid when fully open, but when closed, the door feels a bit more shaky, but again, this is my first clamshell, so I'm not sure if all are the same. My wife's Samsung feels more secure though.

The phone is also a quad-band world-phone (850/1900, 900/1800) so it works everywhere (Europe, Asia, America). It is in my opinion, targeted to professionals who travel and need to keep connected all the time.

Final words: this is not a phone you need, this is a phone you want. If you have to have the lastest gadget, you like computers, and you are going to use all the features, and more important, if you can afford it, then go ahead. If you just want to ge a phone to make phone calls and take a picture, there are other cheaper models, easier to use available out there. Remember this phone is actually a computer that makes phone calls, it runs Windows (windows Mobile 2003 second edition) so you need to be familiar with computers, file managers, etc to work with it.

Many people complain about the phone and I realized that in many cases, they just don't know how to use the phone. If you are familiar with computers in general, and windows in particular, then the user interface is very intuitive, if you don't like computers, you are going to hate this phone. The documentation that comes with the phone is not going to help you at all, and you are going to be frustrated.

Hope this helps you make an informed decision when evaluating this phone.

When reading reviews on the MPX220, you see a lot of mixed feelings, and I guess that's what I have.

I love the size (compact and easy to carry), the feel and style (nice clamshell design), the call quality, the Bluetooth quality (with the exception of the inability to initiate voice commands from a Bluetooth headset).

The controls are good, and the menu offers easy navigation. It was easy to set up my POP3 email account to read my email on the phone (a major requirement for my decision to move to a SmartPhone). Internet browsing seems good, with the limitations that any mobile user will experience (let's put it this way: you won't give up your broadband connection). Unlike a previous reviewer, I have no problem using Cingular's basic multimedia package.

I'm one who prefers small size and can live without a small QWERTY keyboard. Screen offers good viewing quality, though as with most devices it's hard to see in bright outdoor light.

I guess it's pretty well documented that an earlier software fix has cleared up the volume problem early buyers of the MPX220 were experiencing. I'd say volume (and volume control) is good whether using the phone, bluetooth headset (I have a Cardo Scala 500), or speaker phone.

The camera, considering it's just part of a phone, really isn't too bad. The quality of photos is high enough that most people would be surprised they were taken on a camera phone. I get a kick out of what I call the 'vanity key.' They installed a button on the outside for the sole purpose of allowing you to take a self-portrait (since you must do this with the clamshell closed).

However, when I attempted to do a number of simple tasks that I could easily do with my 'obsolete' SonyEricsson T68i, I was disappointed. First, syncronization with Outlook can only be done using Microsoft ActiveSync. If your company doesn't support/allow it (mine doesn't), you're out of luck. (I was finally able to come up with a work-around where I transfer Outlook to my Yahoo calendar, then syncronize from home where I have ActiveSync installed. A pain, but it works.)

I find the alarm function on a phone to be handy, and was shocked to see how anemic and hard to use the alarm function was. I have learned you can buy 3rd party software to improve this, but I believe they could do a better job with the default alarm (really a Microsoft Mobile issue).

Same with text notes. I found text notes on my T68i to be a great way to capture short things (like passwords, addresses). On the 'sophisticated' MPX220, there's NO capability for this! (Again, you can purchase 3rd party software, but why should you have to?)

So, overall, I'd rate my experience with the MPX220 fairly high, but when you pay this much ($300) for a phone, you don't expect to encounter these minor annoyances and limitations.

This phone comes loaded with everything you can ever imagine.
It has a speakerphone, it has bluetooth so you can send your friend ring tones, pictures and etc. It has a 1.2 megapixel camera. The quality of the camera is better than most clamshell cameras ie. V600,V3,SMT5600. It has a beatiful screen, that displays 65k colors. Alot of nice apps that would make your old phone just look outdated. Many people have been quoted as saying that listening to mp3's from this phone and listening to mp3's from a ipod are exactly the same quality. Nice build quality too, this phone just looks plain sexy. Its pretty light, has a built in antenna. Capable of sending and receiving SMS, MMS, recorded sounds, recorded video etc..Make sure you have the newer firmware version for this phone which is currently 1.3 and you will have no problems with call quality, hearing the person your calling etc. Only cons are the small outside screen and its small caller id. This phone has a speakerphone which is very useful. Overall for only $175 you would be hardpressed to find a phone with this many features and this quality.

If you're looking for a phone/PDA with "phone first" functions, you can stop looking. This little beauty is lightning fast, and has four different GSM bands giving unmatched reception. GSM reception had previously been a problem for me, but with this phone I have yet to see any calls dropped. It runs Microsoft's "Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition" operating system, meaning that it has outlook and email functions that are second to none. Your productivity will skyrocket soon after learning how to use all it's bells and whistles. It's also the fastest Microsoft smartphone to date, giving you excellent performance when running compatible programs.

One thing to note- The very early versions of this phone had low volume, but that is being corrected now with a ROM update. If you buy this phone and your ROM version is under .342, you may want to update. Calling Motorola customer service will make the process go painlessly.

You can check your ROM version by hitting the left soft key labeled "Start", then selecting "Settings", and "About". The Rom version is listed on the "Manufacturer: ..." line.

Good Luck and Good Choice!

I purchased this phone from Best Buy on 11/26/04 on sale for $49.99 with a one-year contract. The first thing I noticed was the orange dot on the box of the phone. I was told that this phone was recalled and the orange sticker symbolizes that it has been fixed and is equipped with new software. Right away, I came to realize this phone had two major flaws. The earpiece volume in a call was extremely quiet and the camera released a greenish colored tint in all the pictures. I did some research and found that my software version was .342. New software that addressed these two issues was available from Cingular's Exchange By Mail program. Although the tech at Cingular assured me that I had the newest software, he still sent me a replacement phone to address my issues. I did receive the new software version 1.300 and here are my comments:

Reception (9/10)
On my original software version reception was horrible. The phone could not sustain a call at my work, nor at my house. Software version 1.300 is almost perfect. I get full service and crystal clear calls almost everywhere I go on a consistent basis. Only reason I give it a 9 is because of the short time period that I have had the phone.

Phone Build Quality (9/10)
This phone feels very sturdy does not feel like it is cheaply made like my last Motorola product (Motorola T720). I am very impressed with the job that Motorola did on the sturdiness of this phone. The flip gives a nice solid "click" when flipping it open and closed.

Battery Life (10/10)
Better than any phone I have ever owned. I am a heavy cell phone user and by the end of the day, I only lose one notch on the battery meter out of the three notches.

User Interface (9/10)
At first this phone seemed a little complicated, but Windows Mobile 2003 is actual pretty easy to use. It syncs up with my home PC with no problems using the included USB data cable. It automatically converts mp3 audio files and movie files automatically to work on the phone. Windows media player is great feature on this work and so far has worked flawlessly for me.

Camera/Camcorder Quality (8/10)
The camera on this phone is 1.23 mega pixels and takes pictures at a maximum resolution of 1280x960. The image quality of the camera is pretty good. Considering it is a phone and not a 5 mega pixel digital camera, I feel that the camera is pretty good. Camcorder runs smoothly and will record as much video as you have memory for. It will not stop at 15 seconds like most of the cellular phones on the market today.

Earpiece/Speaker (5/10)
The earpiece on my .342 software was absolutely unusable. It was extremely quiet. The upgraded 1.300 software resolved the issue to an extent. It is usable now but in a noisy environment, it is not. I really feel that it could be louder but for most, it is usable. The speaker is fairly loud for ring tones, but in my opinion, it is too quiet for an actual speakerphone call. The speakerphone itself is half-duplex like most other phones on the market so it is mainly used when I am on hold.

Overall, I am in love with this phone. The earpiece is a major selling point with me and I am hoping that with a new software update, it will get louder. Other than the earpiece this phone is everything I have ever wanted. The only thing this phone cannot do is make my coffee in the morning. For $49.99, I won't be complaining anytime soon.

This phone is truly a superior phone. I have the latest firmware build so any reviews that complain about prior bugs should be considered irrelevant in regards to the present product. Anyone who is looking for a phone with the intellegence of a pda with most of the features of one should look no further. This phone has: Bluetooth, outlook exchange synchronization, windows 2003, windows media player 9, expandable memory, megapixel camera, and video player and recorder. All powered by a 200 mhz ARM processor backed by 32mb of ram not to bad for a phone. The USB cable is included by the way. The OS runs fast, the reception of the phone is superior due to its quad band feature. The speakerphone is decent although it could have been louder. It fuctions well with bluetooth or wired hand free devices. Mp3's sound great in fact this phone saved me the money of having to buy an Ipod. Camera and video player are decent for a cell phone. The phone is sylish for its feature pacted nature. The battery lasts a very long time even with heavy use. Overall this was a great investment, truly a step above most phones, especially over the over hyped, and priced Razr. Anyone looking for a quality smart phone look no further

I had my eye on this phone for quite some time, so once I heard Best Buy was carrying it, I ran to the store and purchased it this past October for $399 w/ 1 year contract extension. The phone had the famous low volume problem, which made the phone useless unless using the speakerphone or headset. Cingular/Motorola supposedly fixed the problem, and released the phone again with an updated firmware (the boxes were marked with an orange sticker). After Best Buy replaced my phone, I was very sad to find the updated model had even more problems! The volume is still VERY low and not fixed, and a number of additional bugs have been introduced. The most publicized problem being the Bluetooth headset problem. I eventually took the phone back, after a long battle with Best Buy and was given a store credit (now I'm stuck with an extended contract, and I could not get my replacement plan fees refunded).

I am not the only one with this problem. If you do a Google search using the keywords: MPX220, VOLUME PROBLEM, FIRMWARE, BLUETOOTH HEADSET PROBLEM... You will see NUMEROUS postings and reviews with the same complaints. Sad thing is Motorola tech support is not acknowledging the problem, nor is Cingular.

This entire experience made me a Motorola hater... This is very sad, because the phone does have some great features. The Quad-Band feature is great, and ensures you'll have reception all over the world. The Microsoft Smartphone software is AMAZING, and it was a joy not having to carry my PDA. Windows Media player is nice, and the expansion slot allows you to use the device as an MP3 player, camera, video recorder, etc. I would have to say this is one of the best Phone/PDA combos I have seen. Unfortunately, the volume problem makes the phone useless... And the numerous software bugs are impossible to overlook.

My advice, wait until January/February before giving this phone a try... If Cingular is still selling it, it probably means they fixed the problems. I doubt they will keep selling a defected unit that long, so if it is not resolved by then, they would probably stop selling it.

Most importantly, do your research on the net, and read what others have been saying. If the phone is improved, it will reflect in the buyers comments.

Hope this helps!

I have been using this phone for a week now and the low ear-piece volume is not a big problem for me, though I have to turn it all the way up. I have tried it on the streets but not in a mall. BTW, the bad version is .325 and the good version is .342. One constant annoyance is the volume button on the side gets too easily changed. That means every time you use the phone, you may accidentally change the volume. The digital camera is a joke so only use it when you have to...like in a car accident. Also don't expect the phone to run Excel or Word like in the pocket PC...I was disappointed in that. But if you are a developer, you can easily write .NET programs for it...way cool. The voice recognition is the best: it can dial the digits you said, it can dial the phone book entry without you pre-recorded the voice for it. The solitaire doesn't have the draw-one option...disappointing. Reception and sound clarity are the best I have ever experienced. Just these 2 are worth getting it. Also you can use it as an MP3 player...it accepts up to 512 Meg MiniSD card so you can have a day's worth of high quality songs to enjoy...be sure to get a stereo headset, though. Battery is very good. I suspect it can last a few days in my normal use which isn't much.

I bought my Mpx220 in November and overall have been really pleased with it. Originally I had the old ROM version but exchanged it for a 1.3. This thing is loaded with features! In my opinion, the MS Smartphone setup far exceeds any other conventional cell phone (excluding pda phones). I never want to go back to using a regular cell phone. I wanted some pda functionality in a compact size, and found the perfect (at least almost perfect) match in the Mpx220.

As a phone: it works well... The volume issues are fixed with the 1.3 software. It isn't extremely loud, though loud enough. Reception has been better than any other phone I've owned. I can hear callers clearly and they hear me clear as well. Picture Caller Id uses the external display or the main screen if the flip is open. speakerphone works pretty well. Quad band is great to have if you travel. I recently visited London, Pakistan and Dubai. I bought local SIM cards, popped them in and they worked flawlessly. Cool! (My phone came unlocked). The contact list is excellent. You can basically add all contact info you'd want in the phonebook which also syncs with Outlook on your PC. Searching contacts is also the best ive seen on cell phones. Just start typing the name and it filters the list. It's a lot more convenient than scrolling.

Pda-ish functionality: This phone is really like a mini-PC. Start Menu, windows explorer, internet explorer, outlook, calendar, etc , etc. Syncing with a computer is easy using Microsoft's Activesync. You can use the included cable or even sync over bluetooth. I was even able to set a schedule for my phone to sync with the computer every night automatically via bluetooth. cool! Transferring files is very easy. The file system is excellent, similar to that on a PC. You can search files, sort, manage ect. When using activesync, you can explore your phone and manage files as you wish. Or if you have bluetooth on your computer, just beam any file over. It can play mp3 files (in stereo using a stereo headset), open word docs, excel sheets, picture files, etc. Smartphone apps are coming up to speed and becoming more available. Besides other sort-of-useless things, you can even encode and watch your DVDs on it. If you fill up the 32 mb on the phone, you can add memory (up to 512) via the mini SD slot.

Camera: Compared to other camera phones, unfortunately, the camera is sub par. It doesn't bother me much though since I only intended using the camera for photo contacts and just for fun. don't expect this or most other camera phones to replace your digi cam. There is a 'flash' which is bright but not too useful as a camera flash. (i wish I could use the LED as a flashlight!).

Internet/email: Internet explorer makes it easy to browse the internet on this phone. you can access mobile web pages or regular internet pages. you can access your email using pop or just webmail through the internet. Works pretty well, just be careful of charges. get a data plan if you will be using this a lot. it uses GPRS and ufortunately no EDGE.


Pros:
-Functionality: it does a lot of stuff.
-Connectivity: bluetooth, infared, usb, activesync, internet
-Quad band world phone
-Reception
-Dual screens
-stereo output
-Configurable: there are a lot of options and settings.

Cons:
-A few bugs, you may need to turn it off and on. I had to do this about 4 times since I got it (3 months).
-No EDGE
-Can't voicedial via bluetooth headset.
-Camera is sub par (though i don't care for this much).

If you're looking for a phone that does more than just being a phone in the same form factor, this is a pretty good choice. Fully utilizing its potential may require a bit of tech savy-ness, though Im sure people just wanting it to do basic things will find it pretty intuitive.

Hope this helped those of you shopping around.