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Motorola MPx220 (AT&T)

overview front sides back
overview front sides back

Product summary

The goodThe good: Windows Mobile 2003 OS; ergonomic controls; easy to use; solid call quality; Bluetooth; world phone; VGA camera.

The badThe bad: WAP browser could be improved; difficult to sync with a corporate Exchange server.

The bottom lineThe bottom line: Motorola's MPx220 is a worthy choice for a Windows Mobile 2003 smart phone, though some of its features are less than perfect.

Specifications: Carrier: AT&T; OS provided: Microsoft Windows Mobile for Smartphones 2003 Second Ed.; Installed RAM: 32 MB; ; See full specs

CNET editors' review

  • Reviewed on: 12/10/2004
We had high hopes for the MPx220, Motorola's follow-up to the popular MPx200. We're always excited when a product shows up promising so many fantastic things: Microsoft's Windows Mobile 2003 OS, Bluetooth, and Windows Media Player 9.0, just to name a few. We're pleased to say that after a few initial bumps (call quality was horrible until Motorola sent us another review unit), the MPx220 met most of our expectations. We liked the Cingular smart phone's PIM capabilities, Bluetooth support, and multimedia functions but found fault with the WAP Web browser and the syncing support. The handset is fairly priced at $399, but you should be able to find it at a discount with a service contract.Compared to other popular smart phones such as the RIM BlackBerry 7750 or the PalmOne Treo 650, the Motorola MPx220 measures a more pocket-friendly 3.9 by 1.9 by 1.0 inches and weighs a lighter 3.9 ounces. Its sturdy flip-phone form factor also makes it comfortable to hold while you're talking. Yet we aren't completely impressed by the design. The two-toned silver styling is attractive but a bit vulnerable to smudges, and the postage-stamp-size external screen is rather small. It does support 56,000 colors, however, and shows the time, signal strength, battery life, and photo caller ID (where available). Below the screen are the speaker, the camera lens, and the flash.


Half pint: For a smart phone, the MPx220 is compact.

Inside the phone, things get a bit better. The 2-inch-diagonal, 65,000-color display is large enough for viewing PIM data such as contacts and calendar information (you can change the text size), as well as games and photos. That said, however, the bright display was disappointing when viewing Web pages such as mobile versions of MSN, Yahoo, and The Onion. Images typically looked washed out, and using Web-based mail was not as pleasant as with other devices such as the Audiovox SMT5600.


Killer controls: We loved the MPx220's huge navigation controls.

We were very pleased with the attractive and user-friendly navigation controls. The four-way toggle is large and easy to manipulate, and it has a big, blue OK button in the center. Surrounding it are four buttons: two menu soft keys, the Home key, and a Back button. Below the Home and Back buttons are the Talk and End keys, respectively. On the left spine, you'll find the power button, a volume rocker, and the headphone jack. On the right spine are the Mini SD slot, a dedicated camera button, and the infrared port.


Side storage: The MPx220's memory card slot increases storage capacity.

When it comes to using the MPx220 as a mobile data-entry device, hard-core road warriors who have grown accustomed to smart phones with full QWERTY keyboards will no doubt bemoan having to compose e-mail with a standard keypad. Of course, anyone with experience sending text messages with a traditional cell phone won't have a problem, as the MPx220's keys are well designed and amply spaced. Though they're set flush with the face of the phone, they're quite tactile, and misdials were rare.

The Motorola MPx220 offers a generous feature set. The phone book is limited only by the available memory (the phone comes with 64MB, and an additional 250 names can be stored on the SIM card). Each contact stores multiple fields such as 11 phone numbers, three e-mail addresses, three street addresses, and other personal information. You can also assign contacts to caller groups and pair them with a picture and a polyphonic or MP3 ring tone for caller ID. Other features include vibrate mode, a voice recorder, a calendar, a calculator, a task list, text and multimedia messaging, voice commands, MSN Messenger, Bluetooth, an infrared port, a WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser, USB connectivity, and a speakerphone. Aside from the 64MB of internal memory, there's also an expansion slot for Mini SD (Secure Digital) cards. Continue reading
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Reviews from
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  • mobiletechreview.com

    Editors' rating: 60

    Summary: It looks like a regular cell phone but boy does it pack a lot of features and power! If you're looking for a phone that offers easy syncronization to Outlook and MS Exchange, can carry much the same data as a PDA but don't need the size, features and touc

    Read full review

  • itp.net

    Editors' rating: 80

    Summary: While the Motorola MPx220 certainly has its fair share of features, the small LCD and sometimes-clunky interface prevent it from being a shining star. It's also pricier than i-mate's SP3.

    Read full review

  • techtree.com

    Editors' rating: 60

    Read full review

  • pocket-lint.co.uk

    Editors' rating: 70

    Summary: Given the radical use of the Windows OS for this mobile phone it's a shame more mainstream features were left out. Next model please, Motorola.

    Read full review

  • personal computer world

    Editors' rating: 60

    Read full review

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