Motorola MPx200 Review
Phone rating: 
Review: November 2003. Updated March 2006.
Motorola have opted for Windows Mobile software to power their
MPx200 smartphone instead of the Symbian operating system used by Nokia
and Sony Ericsson. The interface style of Windows Mobile is very
much like Windows on a PC, so will be familiar to users. It is a graphically-based
interface designed to be both user-friendly and to enable a range of
powerful software to be used.
The Motorola MPx200 packs in many features, including MP3 player,
video playback, a large clear display (essential for running a Windows-based
system), not to mention the pre-installed Windows software. This comprises
Pocket Outlook® for accessing e-mail, Windows Media® Player for
multimedia playback, Pocket Internet Explorer® for browsing the web
and Activesync® for synchronising data with a PC. Anyone familiar
with Windows on a PC will instantly feel at home with these applications.
On the other hand, Apple users might best be advised to steer clear,
if they want to synchronise their phone with their Mac!
However, there are a number of features missing from the MPx200 that
are present in most other smartphones, most notably a camera and Bluetooth.
Integrated cameras are present now even in entry-level phones, so it's
quite a surprise to see it missing from the MPx200. Similarly, a phone
that has so obviously been designed to synchronise with a PC is just
asking for a Bluetooth wireless connection. Still, the phone does
have a USB connection in addition to infrared.
The internal memory of 10 Mbytes is reasonably generous, and can be
expanded with memory cards.
Overall it could have been a good phone, but we have deducted marks
for the lack of Bluetooth, terrible battery life, software bugs, poor
reception and various reliability issues (see user comments below for
a flavour of these). The Motorola MPx220
goes some way to fixing these problems.
Features of the Motorola MPx200 include:
- Powered by Windows Mobile software
- Installed software: Pocket Outlook®, Windows Media® Player,
Pocket Internet Explorer®, Activesync®, MSN Messenger®
- Internal display: TFT colour, 176 x 200 pixels
- External display: 2 lines
- Video clip playback with sound
- Integrated handsfree speakerphone
- MP3 player
- Polyphonic ringtones
- Downloadable Themes: images, ringtones and sounds
- Downloadable games (Solitaire embedded)
- MMS (Picture / photo + text + sound)
- Group SMS, Instant Messaging
- Predictive text (T9)
- E-mail
- User-customisable main menu and shortcuts
- Voice activated dialling
- Phonebook
- Connectivity: Mini USB / IRDA
- Internal memory: Up to 10Mbytes
- SD / MMC card slot
- WAP 1.2.1
- Vibration alert
- Triband
- Size: 89 x 48 x 27 mm
- Weight: 118g
- Talktime: up to 5 hours
- Battery standby: 4 days
Motorola MPx200 User Reviews
Love your mobile? Hate it? Please share your experiences to help other
people choose the phone that's best for them. Please do not review this
phone if you have not used it. This is a review site, not a forum, so
please don't just ask questions. Please do not use swear words or offensive
language, and please, no advertising!
Average rating from 100 reviews:
Reviewed by Kev from Wales Enland on 16th May
2006
I have had my MPX200 for three years. Amazing bit of kit. I got originally
cos it was one phone without a camera. I have droped it in a river and
went dead for sixe weeks. Left it in the holster whilst connected to
my PC and one day it came bak to life. I dropped it endless times driven
over it twice. My children have throw it and yet is still works and
no bits missing. I ahve a 1 Gig memory card I use for calls, texts,
emailing, playing music, surfing and games. The Reminder, calender,
address book al syn ok with PC and vice versa. OK so it slows down a
bit when battery gets low but all in all a dam good phone. I got a peeble
lately and that is not as good despite its functions such as camera
video and bluetooth.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Jo from Belgium on 14th May 2006
This is a good mobile considering it's probably the cheapest smartphone
around. You can also extend the storage capacity by using SD-cards,
which is a big plus! Just two big concerns my phone has (problems with
this cellphone vary greatly, everyone seems to have different sort of
problems with it): 1. Characters skip when you're entering a text message.
For example, if you wanted to write 'hello' (i don't use T9) you would
get something like 'ïellmm'. I could type blind on my old nokia and
finish a text within 30 seconds, here i have to keep my eye on it constantly
because you're never sure what the phone will do, and it takes me up
to 4 minutes to write a standard text. 2. The battery life with normal
usage (say 10 texts and a 5 minute phonecall a day) is 16 to 20 hours.
That's ridiculous! i have to recharge every night, so if i go away for
the weekend and i forget my charger, i won't be able to use my phone
for 2 days. Other than these problems, this phone has everything i need
and does its job well. but if i can find another cell with extendable
memory & realtones for under 200$, i will make the switch.
Rating:
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Reviewed by BenN from UK on 17th Feb 2006
No bluetooth on a phone which is made to sync with a PC is unforgivable,
and now-a-days it's hard to find a phone without a camera, so that's
2 features missing. As for Windows Mobile for Spartphones, it's got
too many features for a phone and not enough for a PDA. It's stuck in
the middle. Perhaps you could use it as a nice calendar though? Just
don't bother. Find a newer version.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Marius from Romania on 12th Dec 2005
Absolutely terrible because of the battery. But it is not the only thing
poor at this phone : also it crashes and it is reseting and a lot of
other thig. One adive : DON'T BUY IT. I will not buy another motoroles
in my all life, i swear.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by MirzaNadeemBAig from Pakistan on 12th
Dec 2005
I've bought this phone 2 months ago and it is excellent, no problems
found for the moment, like this phone people are talking bad about it
that it doesn’t have a camera or blue tooth but what they forget
is that it was made in 2002 and they really didn’t cameras on
their phones and blue tooth its relatively new so don’t be hating
on this phone This is an excellent phone and has everything, , mp3 player,
it's triband and it is packed full of features, only con is battery
life
Rating:
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Reviewed by Paul from Australia on 7th Dec 2005
Well, that just confirms it. After a couple more weeks of use (read
previous review below) the speaker has given in. I can no longer recieve
phone calls. I haven't ever dropped the phone nor have I put it in water.
There's hardly a scratch on it. I guess it's time to switch brands.
Well, atleast it made it through it's warranty period by 2 months. Where'd
I put my old v3688?
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by lou from UK on 19th Nov 2005
This is an old phone so I doubt anyone is going to read this. I had
it about 2 years ago and it seemed really good when I got it cos you
could play music watch videos and the windows smartphone thing seemed
cool. The first problem i noticed wast the constant crashing and having
to restart the phone by removing the battery. Secondly everytime I removed
the battery all my text messages were deleted from all the folders.
the crashing got worse and worse until it got to the point were the
phone would no longer switch on and I haven used it since. This was
after 3 months into my contract. Before it stopped working I was sent
a replacement battery by orange to try and solve the battery life issue
but that didn't work. Then when it stopped working they wouldn't replace
it and said I had to take it up with motorola. Which is odd considering
it was orange that sold me it but they refused to have anything to do
with it!! Judging by the mixed reviews on this site I think some of
these problems may be due to the software install by network operators.
I had to us a 3yr old nokia for the rest of the year.....worked perfectly........did
I mention that 2 of my friends got the same phone at the same time and
had the same problems.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Paul from Australia on 17th Nov 2005
I've had Motorola phones for the past 10 years, and every time I I've
got one I swear I'll never buy another one. But then the marketing gets
me. At first impressions the MPX200 is an awesome phone, minus bluetooth/camera.
However it quickly disappoints as a mobile accessory. Battery life is
aweful, have to charge it every second day which is really bad for travelling.
Applications crash - have to try and turn it off, when it doesn't you
need to remove the battery. Changing the timeline when travelling locks
it up - remove battery, restart, date is reset to 1.1.2003 which is
a joke. And now my screen light is playing up, have to squeeze the screen
to get it to illuminate. It does have it's good features though, syncing
is great with outlook, the usb cable recharges (Take note engineers!!),
clear audio / talk, and the screen is good. Things I can live with are
it being a little slow. Having been a long time supporter of MOTOROLA,
I don't think that I will purchase another phone from you guys. And
you were meant to be the industry leaders? Paul
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by sergio from mexico on 16th Nov 2005
I've bougth this phone 3 months ago and it is excelent, no problems
found for the moment.
Rating:
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Reviewed by esox from serbia on 13th Oct 2005
why dont u all buy battery of 1000 have done it and now the battery
is lasting for 3 days had 1 day max before.with 5-10min calls per day
for me the phone works good sometimes i have some bugz and need to restar
but even nokia phones like 6600 have more bugz.it is normal for new
phones.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Joop van boxel from The netherlands on
24th Sep 2005
Hey i have this phone for only one or two weeks and it already gots
it problems... the first 2 days everything goes good. but after that
i couldnt play MP3's on the background anymore... i tried lots of things
but didnt work. so i did a master refresh (i dont recommend to do) so
i did that and it only took 5 minutes or so. i typed my pin-code and
i was logged in. i clicked on programs and i didnt saw ''file manneger''
anymore !!! file manneger is the hard disc ! where u can browse your
images, video's, MP3's and more stuff. the base of this phone ! and
it wasent there so as 4 or 5 other options... and now im writting this
review. some off the features are good like: Very big screen! MP3 MP4
Internet and msn 10 MB standard storage Expandeable SD cards so if anybody
wants to help me with my little problem !!! PLZ ADD THIS MSN OR EMAIL
IT: rocksinner_joop@hotmail.com
Rating:
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Reviewed by raja from India on 23rd Sep 2005
hai ppls . this phone is not as wt u think , its Gr8 Phne wid Lot of
feauters , am using 1gb MMC , i Loaded lot of movie clips, MP3 . also
i loded sme Office application and it perform Beautiful For me Camera
is unwanted , coz in INDIA cam ph is not allowed in college , more over
the display is Gr8 . Bt only thing is the Battery life and Blue tooth
The vid and mp3 are very much gr8 in Medioa player and It plays w/ot
stuking , Only thing is tat , its sme wt slow when compared to other
smart Phones ( Apart frm NOKIA) * the cost is Less - i got a new custom
piece for 280$( around 10k RS) tat included Datacable , 3 Cd's frm motorola,
PC suite needs , Sterophonic HEadset, i added 3d application to MEdia
player and am getting 3d affect ( its Just OK , when compared to Motorola
E390) any way i have to give 5*****
Rating:
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Reviewed by Davo from UK on 21st Sep 2005
Has anyone else managed to get this thing to play MP3's in Stereo? Motorola
said it's designed to be only in one ear!?!?
Rating:
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Reviewed by Edwin from Croatia on 21st Aug 2005
Install a W2003 on MPx200,make Hard Reset and You will see diferences!!
I think that is The great Smartphone in any functions!!
Rating:
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Reviewed by Mark from USA on 26th Jul 2005
I like this phone people are talking bad about it that it doesnt have
a camera or blue tooth but what they forget is that it was made in 2002
and they really didnt cameras on their phones and blue tooth its relitivly
new so dont be hating on this phone
Rating:
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Reviewed by Nick from UK on 20th Jul 2005
Owned this phone for over 18 months now. Despite being a 'smart phone'
it works very well as normal phone. Text messaging system is the best
I've ever used. A lot better than Nokia,Sony,Samsung etc... The construction
is solid, after 18 months the body work has held up well. Speaker phone
is great, ability to playback wave files as a ring tone is also an added
bonus. Having a full internet browser (not wap) is great, it makes you
wonder why they bothered inventing wap in the first place. I thought
nothing was going to beat the old Nokia 7110, but this phone has.
Rating:
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Reviewed by ZSX from UK on 23rd Jun 2005
If you don't know what a smartphone is, or are looking for a camera
and bluetooth, then the MPx200 is not for you. Otherwise, I think this
phone rates very well for a device which is now coming on three years
old and costs around £50 on eBay. Good stuff: 1) Windows 2002 smartphone
OS - easy to use, stable and expandable. 2003 upgrade available but
in my view has few advantages unless you are desperate to use a progam
which is 2002 incompatible. The increase in battery life was not experienced
by me. Loads of software like games, media applications and document
viewers available. 2) Hot swappable, upgradeable memory - I use a 1GB
card on which I store videos, music and loads of work documents, with
room to spare! 3) Looks great - still one of the smallest smartphones
available and the black finish is beautiful. The internal screen is
pretty standard nowadays but the colours are bright and clear. 4) Seamless
sync with Outlook - now I can see all the fields in my address book.
5) Local sync is supported - I email a lot with the phone and really
hate the way most phones force you to use over the air syncrhonisation
to force you to use the operators expensive data plans. With this phone
the emails get stored on the phone until connected to a computer with
an internet connection. 6) Personalization - almost everything can be
personalised from wallpapers to ring tones to font colours. Bad stuff
1) Battery life - lasts about 2 days with 15 minutes of talk, 10 texts
and 2 hours of video/ music. Reasonable for a PDA, but you need to be
near a power supply by the end of the second day. Buy a spare battery.
2) No camera or blutooth - which I can live without anyway. 3) OS can
be rather laggy - but only when dealing with large files in an even
larger card. More annoying than intolerable. 4) The only document editor
which exists is for Excel files - there are doument viewers for Word,
Powerpoint and PDFs, but no editors. 5) Ther 2002 version of Windows
Media Player is rubbish - install another player. In summary, a smartphone
as affordable as this is hard to find! Definitely recommended.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Andrew from Australia on 19th Jun
2005
you can install lots of apps on it, just google and you'll find em,
so its a very versatile phone. battery life isnt great, mine tops at
3 days, and also pushing it too much may lead to a hard crash (though
thats when i put 2003 OS to it... i reflashed it to 2002 and no probs).
no camera, but lets face it how often do most people use their cameras
for anything good? a great little phone, can easily play videos and
mp3s with a decent SD card (not with the crappy 16meg one motorola gives)
so im happy! but dont pay too much for it though - its outdated now.
dont even consider it for over $600 AUD (around $350 US)
Rating:
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Reviewed by Alex from UK on 13th Jun 2005
DO NOT GET THIS MODEL!!!! Ease of use and some good features (some of
which I've only just found after 11 months - should have read the 3
inch thik manual I suppose)means this should be a great phone. BUT -
I can only say that there's not much point if it has no power. Have
had the phone replaced once already and following a (thankfully minor)car
accident last Friday I am at the end of my tether - how am I supposed
to call for help with only 5 minutes talk time before the phone is dead;
and that was after only 24 hours standby. A mobile phone is not mobile
if you have to have it plugged in all the time - come to think of it
I couldn't find a car charger either. Service provider was not much
use either (despite snazzy new ads where the wise man advises looking
after your existing customers), they will only replace my phone with
an identical model. Why would I want to do that!? A learning experience
and not one that I want to repeat.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Richard Avallon from Brasil on 6th
Jun 2005
The phone is excelente, really a 4 stars. I've being a palm user for
long time, and found that I really never used it to write on, just to
consult info, and for that, the Mpx200 is just perfect, you can get
all the info you want without the need of another gadged to carry with
you. Most of people complain about problems that only appears when you
push the limits of the phone, as, it will crash if you instaled a bad
software, but thats your problem, not the phone. It really works nice,
if you are a windows user, you will find that the MPx200 will be very
confortable to use, also, you will find that in less than 5minutes of
using it, looks like you know it all. Why not a 5 starts? Well, the
battery is an issue, 3 days tops, also, no wireless nor camera, not
that I use any of that, but I understand that many people will miss
it.
Rating:
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Reviewed by K J Dinesh from India on 5th Jun 2005
I dont find MPX200 bad in anyway.Yup i too had the phone hanging up
at times.. but i think its the user who handles..the phone more than
phone.If u r litle patient u get good features. Pocket IE is really
good for browsing.And signal reception is much better than my Nokia6220
Rating:
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Reviewed by Victoria Leigh from UK on 26th May
2005
The only erason I changed this phone was because I wanted a diiferent
one! I found it REALLY easy to use - the windows style system is great!
I've just read about the upgrade that would have made the battery last
longer, but it wasn't a problem for me! Everyone admired it! It doesn't
have a camera, but hey, I don't want evidence of my nights out!! My
mum has it now, she loves it too!!
Rating:
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Reviewed by cate b from england on 1st May 2005
i know the people who reviewed this phone before must have had problems
but i got mine about 1 1/2-2 years ago, so it uses the 2002 version
and it has not broken down once it has been round the world lots of
times, has my collection of 50 albums on it and is still perfect, i
am buying a phone now because someone wants to buy mine of me because
she thought it looked good and found it really easy to use.the only
reason it doesnt get 5 stars is because it has no camera, but at the
time i bought it most other phones didnt have cameras either.
Rating:
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Reviewed by aaaaaaaaaaaaaaal from uk on 25th Apr
2005
no good its all about trust and this phone dont have it
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Jon from England on 24th Apr 2005
if you have a brain you will read the other reviews and STAY WELL AWAY
from this phone. I think that the other reviews highlight the key areas
which make it rubbish. So think very very hard before buying this phone
as in a month or so you will be banging your head on the wall saying
"why, why, why!!!" !!!!STAY AWAY!!!!
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Graeme from UK on 23rd Apr 2005
A great little phone. Very stylish in the gloss black finish clear display.
Shame there is no built in camera. Since upgrading to Windows 2003 (£1.50
on ebay for upgrade) the battery now lasts around 4 days and the reception
is better. The phone hasn't crashed at all since the upgrade apart from
on the odd occasion it indicates invalid SIM which is only resolved
by switching the phone off and on again. The phone is easy to use and
navigate. If you are planning to buy one just bear in mind that the
design is a couple of years old and it won't match the latest phones
in performance or features, but its still up there with somne of the
best of them. You won't be dissapointed.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Mr. J. Peace from UNITED KINGDOM on
17th Apr 2005
Am happy to say that I disagree with many reviews previously posted
here. I purchased the mobile telephone on EBay and it is amazing. Unfortunately,
the fool of a previous owner upgraded to Windows Mobile 2003, which
is my opinion is undesirable, as it disbands the MMS software. I have
now returned it to its native operating system, Windows Mobile 2002,
and it works perfectly. I have already initiated GPRS and MMS (picture
messaging) services, and can browse almost any website (though websites
may be subject to undesirable display due to the size of the mobile's
screen). The texting software is very good - insert symbols by holding
down HASH key for three seconds, switch cases by holding down * key,
T9 text prediction is available if you find it easier, and the keys
are nice and 'clicky' and so it is easy to enter text. I was delighted
on hearing that the mobile has installed on it Windows Media Player,
using which I can play audio and small video clips - this works prefectly
and I think its amazing! The MSN Messenger facility is also great -
amazing to be able to chat live with friends whilst on the train, and
it works great with the high-speed GPRS connection. All the PDA Personal
Information Management are good too - and synchronise with Microsoft
Outlook. Mac Users can also synchronise information - using an addon
for iSync (generic Mac sync software that comes with OSX). The addon
is available commercially (around £16 GBP) at http://www.pocketmac.net.
You can get also get last of freeware software for the MPx200, which
installs quickly and easily - just search in google for 'Windows Mobile
Freeware'. The mobile comes with four great games: Solitare, Slurp,
Lemonade, and Tennis Addict. I love the FILE MANAGER - you can browse
this mobile just as if it were a desktop PC - and it gives you more
of a sense of control of your mobile, rather than just seeing a 'front'
- all those simple menus on Nokias give me the creeps. The exterior
of the mobile is also good - sleek slim black design, a clamshell structure,
with an exterior screen for caller ID - at times when there is no info
to display, this displays the date and time, as standard. The HOME key
ensures you can always find your way back within one click - this is
great! On these horrible Nokia models, you get lost in long trails of
menus. The BACK key just take syou one step back - also a good addition.
A jog dial against the side of the phone makes it easy to alter volume
controls, and when the flap is closed, and a call is received: press
it twice to reject - great feature as most clamshells don't let you
reject calls without opening the phone - and if you set it to ANSWER
ON OPEN which is extremely useful, then this would be useful - so that's
another good feature. I did once experience a problem previously described
- phone freezes on boot-up at "Hello Moto" screen. However this was
easily solved - hard reset (by holding down BLUE button and on button
at the same time when the phone is off) and then put my stuff back on
with the Sync! And you can extend the memory up to 1GB with SD or MMC
cards! Mine came with a 16MB card - which I can store music, pictures
on! It also came with handsfree, USB cable, mains charger, leather case,
and a CD with backups of the software and a free copy of Microsoft Outlook!
You can even get a camera to plug into it, and take photos direct onto
the phone - these are about £10-20 on EBay! A great model - I
recommend it to anyone interested in a PDA that isn't massive - something
compact but useful! Jo Peace jo.peace@wtsonline.co.uk
Rating:
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Reviewed by G Man from leeds on 17th Apr 2005
initial reaction was yeah good phone, but the more i use it the more
the more i hate it, whats more a phone with windows built into it you
would have thought they would a put a camera on it.
Rating:
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Reviewed by JohanB from South Africa on 15th Apr
2005
Until you start using the phone it looks OK. The flaws soon appear.
It crashes often and you have to go as far as removing the battery to
restart it. Battery life is pathetic. This phone is the reason why I
will NEVER buy another Motorola product again. I'm counting the days
to me next upgrade.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Chris from Blackpool UK on 14th Apr
2005
This phone looks good on first impressions - sturdy, good screen etc,
but there are so many usability issues with it that I will be glad when
I can upgrade again (I've had this for 11 months). Battery life: fine
on standby, but one ten minute conversation and it needs charging. Keypad:
often inserts extra characters when texting. Speed: Very slow to start
up, further delay when selecting an application such as SMS. Like other
Windows platforms, tends to pause for breath randomly. Reliability:
I haven't had to have the phone swapped, but it does freeze occasionally.
Bugs: made the mistake of setting the alarm, then noticing that the
time wasn't quite right, so adjusted the clock. Alarm then went off
at the same time every day until I found a workround on the internet.
On the whole it's been an acceptable phone, but the PDA facilities are
a useless gimmick and it suffers all the usual Windows glitches. I gave
my old Nokia 5210 to my wife, and still regret it.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Dom from South Africa on 2nd Apr 2005
My dad got an MPx200 on his contract as an upgrade handset about 10
months ago. Because it didn't fit the carkit that came integrated with
his car (carkit only fits oldish Nokia's), he offered me the phone.
Well, at first it seemed quite decent, what with the pretty useful features
it includes. After using it for a while, I quickly became aware of how
buggy Windows SmartPhone 2002 is! The phone would need to be restarted
every once in a while, until that is it just refused to start up the
one day (the infamous hanging on the 'Hello Moto' screen). It has to
date been for repair twice (Motorola currently have my handset). I don't
know if the MPx220 or the MPx300 are any better, but I'm getting a Nokia
or Samsung when my contract is due for an upgrade... STAY AWAY FROM
THIS PHONE!
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Rostron from UK on 1st Apr 2005
This mobile is utter toilet. Slow, constantly freezing, takes ages to
switch off and back on again, short battery life, can't seem to get
a signal when all around me people are chatting merrily away on their
phones. The keypad's ropey - every other word gets misspelt when texting
because it occasionally inserts two characters when I've only pushed
the key once. I had to put up with the alarm going off at 8am every
day for nearly a fortnight - I'd set it once when staying at a friend's
house. Every time I tried to switch the alarm back off, the phone would
freeze. Even WAP is laughable - I bought it to help me commute using
the train info page - by the time it connects (1-2 minutes) and you've
navigated to the page, and it's lost the connection and you've had to
wait for it to reconnect again, the train's already arrived at the platform.
Can't believe how stupid I was buying a Windows operated phone - never
again. Just hope Apple get into the mobile phone market sometime soon.
The iPhone - that would be something =0)
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Tiger from USA on 31st Mar 2005
This phone is great. I couldn't ask for more. It has animated wallpapers/themes,
great 3D games, many type of applications, mp3 player, watch videos
and steaming videos off the web, speakerphone, etc. It doesn't have
a camera, but I can live without that. The only thing that I dislike
about this phone is that, it doesn't support Cingular(850mhz). but it
works great on ATT Wireless.
Rating:
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Reviewed by mffinn from Netherlands on 31st Mar
2005
For 99 euro you get a very nice looking and solid feeling phone. The
screen is good and syncing with Outlook works very well (as long as
you only do it with one computer). What it does it does well, considering
the price. Upgrading to Windows Mobile 2003 also improves the display
quality and some of the software. For me being able to get all my Outlook
contacts painlessly into a phone is a big benefit over slowly scrolling
thru the SIM card's contents. I know this is the least one can expect
from a smartphone but I'm comparing this to similarly-priced not-so-smart
phones. The downsides are the lack of sync. with Outlook notes, the
battery life of 4 days (at most) and the lack of bluetooth. Buy Smartphonenotes,
carry a mini-USB cable and use infra-red to get around these problems
somewhat.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Fazzazzy from Italy on 29th Mar 2005
Outstanding phone at it's 129 euro price tag. Extra big display, ultra
nice design, it's so shiny and sleek. A bit slow when browsing menus,
but for what it gives I don't care. You can add whatever you want, games,
mp3 players, flash players, divx players, word excel compatibility (with
proper software), programs with maps of your country when you are traveling.
Absolutely outstanding, and far cheaper than an mpx220. Battery lasts
for 2-3 days with low to normal use, switching off at night. 1 day if
used often. I can live with that. Enjoy.
Rating:
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Reviewed by kate from uk on 6th Mar 2005
Absolute RUBBISH. I had this phone 2 weeks when it resorted to the old
hello-moto-frozen-screen trick. After reading this site i tried the
master reset option and reached 'airplane mode' and a request to insert
my sim (which was already in there)...In short-dont bother-too hi-tech
for its own good. Stick with Nokia...
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Mark Edwardson from UK on 23rd Feb
2005
Second and last update from me and my MPx200. As promised contact renewal
arrived and I tossed the Motorola in the canal. Now blissfully happy
with a Nokia 6230 - no Windows nonsense, a proper MP3 player, Bluetooth,
camera, excellent reception, sound ergonomics. I won't make the Motorola
mistake again.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Chad from USA on 22nd Feb 2005
Bad reception, locks up like a computer once or twice a day and every
so often decides it cannot read sim card. I know everyone wants to believe
that this is a solution to have both a PDA and a cell phone, but it
does neither job very well at all.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by raja from india on 19th Feb 2005
this is the best phone i ever brought for such cheap rate , it has all
features everything , superb biiggggg display . crystal clear . THE
REASON FOR ITS FAILURE is it supports only FXGXX some like type SIM
card , orange providers support 64K sim with slow signal S/r , but Motorola
MPx200 it needs more k more fast i mean the baud rate.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Rupesh from UK on 4th Feb 2005
I don't know if i'm qualified to review this phone but here it goes.
i had a 10 minute play with this phone in the shop and was very tempted
by the £70 price tag. the first 9 minutes were spent waiting for
the thing to boot! however the overall look and feel of the phone is
of quality. the screen is big, bright and clear. i was put off because
a) the astounding amount of bad reviews on most sites. b) the fact that
i coudnt return it for a refund. (in case it was pants) the two stars
are therefore becasue i didnt buy it. # the lack of camera, # lack of
bluetooth (perhaps - wasnt a deal breaker), # lack of headset/headphones
in the box (for mp3 player) # and no faith in motorola (past experience)
were all contributing factors.
Rating:
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Reviewed by jammy from uk on 25th Jan 2005
This is a great little phone if you are loking for something with pda
capabilities and phone function, i've had this phone for a month now
and no problem so far, so i have none of the problems listed here. And
if you really want to show off you can get a great little software that
allows you to watch full lenth dvd on your moble. i love being able
to sync with outlook and all my contacts and tasks updated. i bought
as pay as you go and inserted my work sim,I paid £69.00 for the
phone at one uk's leading mobile retailers. Great phone can wait till
MPX 220 is available
Rating:
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Reviewed by Jerry Fleming from Germany on 23rd
Jan 2005
Hello, I got the mpx200 for approx $100 on eBay germany although so
many people rated it bad. I had the chance to play around with the mpx200
of an business partner and want to give it a chance. First of all -
they are two versions in the western world. The US version from AT&T
and other are not equal to the european (in this case the german version).
As I encounter it many times with audio & video hardware - the products
for the german market are better in build quality because the germans
are quite demanding in quality. So, my mpx200 came a few days ago and
my colleague also bought one in the USA during a businesstrip - so I
was able to compare. The german mpx200 came with the latest ROM fixes
from motorola and so I didn't encounter almost 95% of the problems.
It's an great phone with many features but maybe not usuable for mobile
newbie because you have to deal with all of the functions. I watch videos,
listen mp3s, use the calendar, syncronize with my pc and make calls
- all without problems. Great!!! But they are some weak points with
the phone: 1. short standby times. The battery holds only 2 days. 2.
No Camera (it's only a minor problem for me) 3. No upgrades to windows
mobile 2003 4. some minor bugs in functions & options. It's great but
not perfect. At the moment the new MPx220 encounters the german market
and maybe I will buy it in 6 months because at the moment the price
of $400 is too high for me. But the MPx200 will make it for me until
I will try the new model with camera, windows mobile 2003...........and
unfortunately miniSD Port :-((( My Rating: 4 of 5 - a good phone, not
perfect but with many options. The european version seems to be "better"
in terms of Bugs, flaws, ROM updates and build quality.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Rob from UK on 23rd Jan 2005
Had this phone over 6 months, its been absolutely flawless. It hasn't
crashed (surprisingly). It syncs fine with outlook and basically does
all I need it to. Also charging from USB is handy. Battery life isn't
spectacular but I can usually get 2-3 days before recharge which I don't
consider to be a burden. I'm on orange and the reception around where
I live has been fine.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Steve from Scotland on 23rd Jan 2005
This handset is the pits! If you've read the other reviews before this
you will have guessed that already. My handset was contracted to Orange
and the first handset failed after just 3 days. A replacement failed
after 4 weeks and then I had to suffer being sent faulty recon units
for the remainder of my contract. All in all I had the pleasure of 9
different MPX200 handsets in a year and not one of them worked properly.
If with orange and you take out Orange "Care" insurance check out the
small print too. If you send the phone back and have it replaced you
are sent a reconditioned unit - this eliminates your rights to demand
a different make of handset. I've now changed back to using a Nokia
and changed my service provider!!! In summary..."The Motorola MPX200...makes
an expensive paperweight" "Orange...The futures not so bright if you
continue to treat your customers badly...with the world's biggest business
debt you should be bending over backwards"
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by grunger from england on 22nd Jan 2005
good value 4 money but where's the camera
Rating:
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Reviewed by Andrew from USA on 17th Jan 2005
First off I want to say DO NOT GET THIS PHONE. I have gone through 3
warrenty replacemants of this phone and still continue to have the same
problems. Between the horrible reception, the phone having a mind of
its own and shutting off by its self, the phone freezing and the screen
going AWOL. Overall, the experiance with this phione for the last 11
monthes has been HORRIBLE.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Cleb from Czech republic on 10th Jan
2005
MPX200 is a GREAT phone, it runs a lot of cool apps and games, since
it has windoze. Who cares about it has to be rebooted every day. I haven't
had any problems with signal, don't know what all these people ar complaining
about.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Jim from UK on 6th Jan 2005
This is the worst phone in the universe. No, scrub that, this is the
single most irritating, useless, spangly piece of poo which I've ever
had the misfortune to own. If it was a person I'd kill it. It's slow,
it crashes, the software didn't work properly, I couldn't get mp3's
to play/transfer, the battery life's rubbish, it takes an age to boot
etc. etc. etc. I bought this phone because it has Windows on it, so
I suppose that I only have myself to blame. Q: Why should a phone need
Windows? Haven't we all learned that Windows is rubbish? And it crashes?
Would Windows on a phone not overcomplicate things? A: It doesn't. Yes.
Yes. And Yes Windows has brought to my mobile the infamous 'blue screen
of death', an inability to boot, the loss of 200 phone numbers, and
more than a few corresponding friends. Yeah I should have backed it
up, but I couldn't get it to work. And my replacement has just died
within 48 hours. I hate this phone. I hate myself. I wish I was dead.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Josh Judge from USA on 16th Dec 2004
First of all this phone has not only upset me with its service, but
more importantly my friends and family are sick and tired of the run
around they get everytime they need to get in touch with me. I live
in New York and you would think that there has to be a good signal on
Long Island being that I am 20 minutes away from one of the largest
cities in the entire world. Nope the phone never has a signal and I
repeatedly have to walk outside of my house in the freezing cold nowadays
to get at least 2 bars of service. The MP3 features stink and so do
all of the other features that got me to buy the phone. Cant ever send
messages because I have no service and have found myself ready to throw
the phone in the garbage after I waste tons of time trying to write
out psuedo long text message to my girl (who has been in Australia)
only to have my phone say the message never went through because i lost
service! I can not deal with this phone much longer my contract is up
in 2 months I would have gave the phone ZERO stars if that was an option.
I advise strongly that you avoid buying this phone although it is a
hot phone and looks great and has great features non of them work and
when they do it is only a matter of time before your screen freezes.
My battery surprisingly has never given me a problem either which is
the main gripe by most of the reviews I have just read. Everything else
about the phone has given me huge problems maybe the reason my battery
is never a problem is because I never have service long enough to use
my phone for more than 2 minutes.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by julie from scotland on 8th Dec 2004
This is the worst phone I have ever used. The only reason I have given
it one star is that your mobile phone bills will be very low with this
phone as you rarely get a signal ( even in city centres) and the battery
only allows you to make a couple of calls between charges. I am delighted
to have come to the end of my twelve months with this phone. I have
had to replace it twice as the screen froze and the alarm used to drone
in a low drilling tone every morning and could only be turned off by
removing the battery- not the best way to start off the day. Texting
is difficult and takes ages because the screen blanks out. I dont get
any signal in the office, although everyone else does. Orange say this
is because of the transmitter??? Do Motorolla's have their own transmittors.
I dont get any reception in the flat either so this cuts down in my
overall use. I have had more rollover minutes in the last year than
I can use. Would definately not get a Motorolla again and am going fo
r the Sony Ericsson P910i. Fingers crossed this will be better.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Mark Edwardson from United Kingdom on
7th Dec 2004
Update to previous message. As winter is starting to bite and my bones
are feeling the cold I've decided to take action. I can't upgrade the
MPx 200 until February so I've purchased a new PAYG Sagem MyX2 for £30
and inserted my contract card. Guess what? I can now make calls from
the comfort of my arm chair in front of my living flame Baxi. And there's
a bonus - there's no silly Windows system so there's no freezing on
the phone no matter how chilly it gets outside. Hurrah!
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Nigel P from UK on 2nd Dec 2004
I like the features on the phone. However It has been sent back to Motorola
twice (once for 9 weeks) with battery problems (not lasting more than
1 day), & freezing screen twice. Orange's customer care has been very
poor. Asking for more money to replace the phone. All I want is a phone
that works
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Jonathan from UK on 1st Dec 2004
I was immediately disappointed by the signal reception. However, my
phone crashed (software in think) in August and it was sent to Motorola
for repairs. From what I was told by Orange shop Motorola are still
waiting on a part. Really? Currently I have a courtesy phone from Orange,
a 'old' Nokia 8210a which has better signal reception. I wish I had
never ugraded my phone with the MPx200. I can't wait till February when
I can upgrade again.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Coop from UK on 27th Nov 2004
Just an footnote to my earlier review; couldn't live with the battery
running out after 8 (yes 8!!!) hours of everyday use - so I bought a
brand new shiny battery from Motorola. Charged up the new battery, and
have been using it for 3 weeks now. The battery lasts for a MAXIMUM
of 12 hours! Why bother building a phone with all these functions and
features if the batteries can't handle it??? I am ditching this heap
of junk, and going to buy a Nokia - at least their batteries last for
a day! This is a seriously, SERIOUSLY flawed phone, people. Avoid like
the plague.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Mark Edwardson from United Kingdom on
26th Nov 2004
Giving this 'phone one star is exaggerating its abilities. It may have
MP3 capability, dowloadable everything and a nice big colour screen
but there are three BIG problems with mine. Firstly, like other contributors
here I am forced to stand outside the house to use it. This is in stark
contrast to my wife's brick (Sony j5) which she can use anywhere she
likes. Puzzling this as we are both using the Orange network. Secondly,
the build quality's awful and Orange have refused to do anything about
it. Thirdly, it is slow and ergonomically poor - try texting and you'll
know what I mean. The MPx 200 is so bad that I wish I'd never given
up my Sharp GX1! Roll on contract renewal and it'll be the bin for the
Motorola and Orange.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Jimbo from UK on 24th Nov 2004
At the time, I was looking for a phone that could; -manage my nutty
schedule -play MP3's -some games -manage calls easily -workable interface
-speaker phone -reasonable battery life/talk time/stand-by -Flip feature
would be a bonus -Doesn't look like a brick or a hair-doo from the 80's.
(not necessarily in this order) Currently, after using it for one full
year. I have to say that this phone was a total disappointment. With
a capital 'T'. Before I rant on about this phone further, allow me to
explain to you all that I've bought this phone and signed a contract
from Orange (UK service provider) because I thought this phone was the
"One". Here are the reasons for my 1-Star/Poor rating. The mp3 feature
is badly designed and you would eventually need to fork out more £££
($$$-for US neighbors) to make due. That is of course if you have a
soft spot for music. If not, you should. Open your mind fellas/gals!
No self respecting human being would be caught listening to ABBA! The
Microsoft software that comes built-in is at best at a 'Beta' stage.
The software needs more operating power and battery but the phone doesn't
have it. Ergo, you need more juice which equals battery life dropping
faster than you can say 'I'm dialing customer service num....(phone
dies).' The software that manages (or rather confuses) your already
busy life (surfers skip to next paragraph), is like...no, one word discribes
it best. "Blonde" The little supposed 'user friendly' icons are actually
more confusing and disrupting to the naked eye, and god forbid if you
have an over lapping schedule. Another thing, I have 'beef' with the
phone designers/engineers is this. Why in the world did you guys/gals
(I'm trying to be 'P.C' here) design something that is meant to be used
once! Allow me to explain. When I left the store after filling the darn
contract form. Opened to box like a kid opening the x-mas boxes I managed
to plug in the charger, open the back cover, slide in the SIM card and
placed the battery. Charged for the duration it suggested from the manual,
then played the waiting game. Imagine my excitement when I pushed the
power button and it didn't detect the SIM card. I thought, okay take
a breather and check the connection. Which I did, but I realized that
the SIM holder (the piece that actually holds the SIM into place, not
the sliding mechanism that locks it in) was gone! What had happened
was that that little piece was snapped off when I placed the battery
in to charge it. I called the Orange care (the providers insurance)
and explained that they said that since it is user related they will
not cover it. Damn smurfs! Anyway, coming back to the point. It is just
a damn poor design! Where did they get their degrees? On the net!?!
Another, fault is the actual mic. That receives/records your voice let
alone your bad breath and transmits it to the unsuspecting victim of
your ever colorful banter. I recently found this 'bug' but rest assured
a firm but light (oxy moron?) tap to it fixes it. In saying so the positives
are simple. Aesthetically its pleasing to the eye, it is a flip phone,
and it has a workable interface/software. As for battery life read above.
In conclusion, I am lucky to have had this phone for a year without
anymore problems. I made sure it stayed that way. Some people commented
on the looks of the phone like I have found some elixir of life. I thought
they were just judging the book by its cover. Hope this long winded
review helped. Good luck in searching for the "soul mate."! Jimbo
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Mark from USA on 22nd Nov 2004
This phone eats batteries. Not only does it have a short battery life
but I am on my 3rd battery in 4 months. First died in 3 weeks after
purchase, if only I had been more concerned and exchanged it then within
the 30 day ex period. Second Battery gave up the ghost and have ordered
warranty replacement from ATT but they claim they have none and Moto
isn't filling thier order! Ordered direct from Motorola. Incredibly
long waits for IE access and not very capable. Only positive is the
outlook sync but would have stayed with 3 devices, good phone, good
PDA, good MP3 if I knew I would be without a phone for a couple weeks
every time I have to hunt done the increasingly hard to find inadequate
battery.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Coop from UK on 11th Nov 2004
Basically a good idea, badly executed. Pros: good looks, neat, nice
layout. Good colour screen. USB connectivity. Interface with Outlook
Express to handle appointments is excellent; it also provides a great
backup for all your contacts. Sound quality is good. Cons: Battery -
rubbish! 12 hours maximum, after a full charge - sometimes it ges after
8 hours, and I am not a heavy user of the phone or its functions! Media
player - rubbish! I bought this because it was an MP3 player, but it
is half baked software - no pause button! No playlist function! No ability
to sort tracks in play order! GPRS/WAP - rubbish! This is one of the
most complicated, difficult and annoying setups I have EVER gone through,
and I'm (fairly) computer literate. Technical support from my network
(02) and Motorola was non-existant. When I did get WAP fired up, response
time was hideous, hardly worthwhile; additionally, the software cannot
handle many websites! Menus : badly laid out, badly thought out, no
obvious clues to where key functions might be hidden - awful! Now we
know what happened to the developers of Windows 95 - they designed the
software for this! If you want this purely as a phone to talk and send
text, then it does it very well - but its HIDEOUSLY expensive just for
that. If you want it as a PDA, it have a lovely interface to Outlook
- but thats about it. You;d e better off buying a Palm. If you want
it as a media player - forget it. It will drive you crazy! This could
have been SUCH a good idea - but instead, its a crock. Avoid.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Nick from UK on 10th Nov 2004
I feel sorry for anyone that has just bought this phone. I have had
three replacements - all previous phones locked on the Hello Moto screen.
Reaction to input was abysmal - if you receive a message whilst the
phone is closed it can take up to a minute to get to it after opening
the phone, which feels like a year when you're sat next to someone you're
trying to offload this dog onto... Can it be that Microsoft released
SmartPhone before it was ready? Surely not... SIM card now in my trusty
Nokia 6310i and a Sony Ericsson 910i has been purchased on a new contract
and ... it just works!
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by stu clarke from uk on 1st Oct 2004
jeez! couldn't help but add a comment on the mpx200 after reading the
reviews....got mine 3 months ago; it locked-up on the moto screen to;sent
it back to motorola and it got fixed and back within a week - been ok
since (touch wood..) bought mine as a sim free - don't know if this
makes a difference as i use a orange payg card and a t-mobile on in
it. agree, battery life is s***e - try gettin an emergency aa battery
charger - impossible in uk - boxwave.com in us does one - got to ship
it over though. its a great bit of technology though - but i think it
was rush released - still love showing off to me mates with it though....pocket
tv application from handango u.k. particularly good though
Rating:
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Reviewed by Terri Neilsen from USA on 24th Sep
2004
My company bought me this phone for the PDA functions (i need to have
access to Outlook). The phone initially was great - although battery
life and signal is awful (I could not get reception in my own home and
had to call from outside). I then began to receive "Sim Card Failure"
messages. I would take out the sim card and battery and then turn the
phone back on. I began to get this message a great deal of the time
and had to keep removing and resetting the sim card. Eventually thought
it was linked to the phone overheating. I then got the message all the
time and had the phone replaced through my insurance (one time only
because they wrote the insurance in error). I did not go through warranty
because I noticed the Sim holder prongs had broken. I got a new phone
and less than one month later got the same "Sim Card Failure" message.
I looked but the holder was intact. I called Motorola. They acknowledged
the sim holder defect, but not the "sim card failure" defect. Has anyone
else had the same problem? Will be getting phone number 3- am really
sick of not having my phone when I need it!
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Red from UK on 23rd Aug 2004
I got this phone 6-8 weeks ago as a (free)long overdue Orange upgrade
to my Ericsson R230s. Initially very impressed with the software, internet
access, media player (but needed to get a 128 MB card to store a significant
number of mp3's or WAV's). Photo/video function was interesting. Texting
/emails a bit of a pain and the battery seemed to die early though.
Due to the finish of the phone I decided to get a leather protective
case for it to protect it from scratches (now the plastic screen cover
has ripped, oh well). Last week we went on holiday to Burham on Sea
near Western Super Mare (non-UK folk look it up, very interesting, nice
place). I soon noticed a "No Service" message. Ok, this happens I thought,
probably due to a radio blackspot. However after noticing other(Orange)users
having no problems with their phones, which seemed to be Nokia's, I
decided to phone Orange to check the situation. Problem was nearest
public phones were out of order (that bit's important...) . I eventually
managed to find a distant phone box and called "O". No, "no problem"
they said probably just the particular model I had. No my Ericsson would
not have performed any better despite having an external ariel after
all it was encased in plastic - same as an internal ariel.(!!) Oh really??.
At 2.30 a.m one morning we needed to call the emergency services due
to a member of the holiday party having heart problems. (Remember the
bit above about the out of order phone boxes? Only one other phone available
a Samsung A300 with external ariel which just managed to hold a signal
long enough to get through.... Moral of this story? The MPX200 is indeed
a Smart phone, it's impressive....as a media player, internet surfer
and phone in a major city.... NOT as a phone in any area where there
isn't maximum signal reception from the nearest cellular transmitter.
I have no doubt my Ericsson R230s would have worked far better. Getting
confirmation of that from most dealers is impossible as they are all
geared to selling phones and their tech departments are manned by 18-22
year olds who don't remember the Ericsson..... In fact as far as the
UK is concerned I believe that if you have an older phone it probably
has more TX power than the latest generation due to the fact that as
there were less cell transmitters around the phones had further to reach.
The newer models probably have weaker outputs due to the relatively
smaller present day cell sites. All well and good unless you're on holiday
in Burnham on Sea....
Rating:
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Reviewed by Lex Hallston from london, united kingdon
on 22nd Aug 2004
i brought this phone on orange about 2 monthsa go and i cant say that
it has been the ebst phone i have ever owned. (much better than the
nokia i had before). on the downsides the phone has crashed a couple
time when i was setting the time and date, and texting can be a bit
difficult at times, however, the other features such as outlook express
and instant messenger outweigh the cons of this phone. the only other
bad thing is that THIS PHONE ATTRACTS FINGER PRINTS LIKE A MAGNET and
it requires constant cleaning, apart from that this phone is a worth
while investment.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Anne Petersen from USA on 14th Aug
2004
I love this phone/pocketPC for several reasons, but I also would not
recommend it for most people. Although the power to sync your cell with
Outlook is awesome, the graphics are great and keeps my life organized
with the calendar, it tends to crash often and have a severe lack of
memory. I have had my phone for 6 months now, and it has crashed twice
now, however I was able to retrive my info via active sync. Currently
my phone is on the cradle charging because it decided to quit working
today without notice. I never notified me of the battery being low and
it charged all last night. The battery sucks, but not usually THIS bad.
The phone was completely un-responsive all day today whenever I plugged
it in to charge. Now I have it charging but it still will not boot (wont
go past mmode screen). Who knows if this damn this will be working by
this time tomorrow or not. Currently I have put my SIM card back in
my trusty nokia 3590 which I have abused and used hard and stil l works.
Although I'm probably going to buy another smartphone after this one
- I would definately NOT suggest this phone for most people. If you
have any suggestions on what to do with this thing that wont boot please
email me at bc219@bc219.com thanks!
Rating:
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Reviewed by Pete from UK on 10th Aug 2004
Love the phone, had no problems with battery life, although I do leave
it charging in a craddle at work all day. Problem is with ORANGE, I
have just crashed my second phone and have to pay again for a replacement
even though I have ORANGE insurance, will definitely NOT go with these
thieving unhelpful muthas again.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Ravi Nuguru from USA on 8th Aug 2004
This is a phone from hell. I fell for it looking at all the PDA features
it comes with. Apart from battery life (which i can live with), the
most frustrating part is the signal reception. I used the same (AT&T
wireless) SIM card with my old phone sony-ericsson t68i and Nokia 3200,
there is no problem with signal reception. But with this dud, it has
a peculiar way of cutting you off 80% of the time. Sometimes the person
at other end of conversation can hear you shouting Hello but i cannot
hear them. Some times its vice versa. It's shame on the part of Motorola
and service providers to dump such a underpeforming phone on the subscribers.
I had a similar experince with another motorola phone prior. I vow never
again to buy any motorola, ever again. I missed my 30 day return date,
so will have to live with this piece of trash, if I do not dump it in
the trash one of these days.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Davywavy from on 29th Jul 2004
Don't bother. it looks pretty. You can talk to peopl ein outerspace,
check your email and do all kinds of other funky things with it. When
it works. if you're lucky, this has a 24 hour battery life, meaning
you can't take it on holiday without the charger and an adapter, windows
for telephones crashes and freezes at least once every two days, it
devours text mesages and tells you they were sent, the keyboard is temperameental
to say the least (try writing a text without having to go back and edit
it at least once), it sometimes drops off the network for no apparent
reasona dn won't go back on unless you take the back off, re-insert
the SIM and then turn it back on... I could go on. I often do.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by WELLS JULIEN from LONDON UK on 7th
Jul 2004
BATTERY LIFE TERRIBLE - DONT THINK OF BUYING ONE - ORANGE VERY UNHELPFUL
- LOOKS NICE BUT A DUD PHONE
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by James S from UK on 3rd Jul 2004
This is not a phone! It is a pocket computer with a communications ability.
Users need to be computer literate and used to Windows little foibles.
You must re boot it at least once a week like all windows o/s. It would
be daft to run it without a backup to a pc. Mine currently backs up
330+ contacts to Outlook with full details and caller ID functioning.
The calendar section likewise. Having this amount of information to
hand at all times is extremely useful. Remember to set up security as
your whole life is on there! The reception is not quite as good as a
dedicated phone but I have managed to get GPRS Internet on a train.
It has served me very well for 6 months now but only buy it for grown
up use not as the latest gadget.
Rating:
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Reviewed by tony from uk on 30th Jun 2004
Avoid at all costs. I got one through Orange (after much diffculty)
- 3 broken phones later and still no joy. Orange are completely useless
and just send out returned models (with the faults still there). It's
basically a new type of phone with many bugs that haven't been sorted
but has been sold regardless. Orange repair centres are not trained
to handle it either.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed bytgyygt from gfbgfb on 28th Jun 2004
beautiful beautiful
Rating:
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Reviewed by Fuster from UK (London) on 1st Jun
2004
Had the phone just under a month and have already had three major problems
with it: 1. Battery life is rubbish Applications do not close unless
you go to the task manager to kill them (Lemonade Tycoon seems to be
a particular juice gobbler). Seems to have improved a little (charge
once a day rather than twice) but not much. MORAL: Don't even think
of leaving the house without your charger, kill pointless applications
often. 2. Strange text message behaviour resulting in crash Haven't
really got to the bottom of this one. Received a constant stream of
blank texts which crashed the phone. When restarted the phone appeared
to make a call to one person from my contacts without being told to
and the network (Orange) would not allow calls to another number (my
girlfriend's!). Seemed to shake itself out after a few hours. MORAL:
Don't expect to be able to use the phone reliably as a phone - it will
crash on you. 3. Corrupt data -> dead phone Over the weekend something
happened which means the phone now shows an error message when turned
on and won't load Contacts or Calendar. None of this data was backed
up (no home PC) and now seems to be lost. Additionally I can't even
type numbers into the phone to call out (as this automatically makes
the phone check contacts). Looks like a hard reset will be needed. MORAL:
Back up your data somewhere, somehow and regularly - it will keep crashing
on you. I spent over an hour on the phone to Orange, getting progressive
more annoyed. Bottom line is that the MPX200 is *horribly* buggy and
no-one wants to be left holding the baby. Orange are out of stock for
a replacement which is just as well really because I want out. This
is a shiny plastic brick of a phone that will cause you constant hassle
each time it screws up. If there were a zero star option in the ratings
system, I'd have used it. AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Massimo from Italy/Romania on 31st
May 2004
One crush while accidentaly uninstalling File Manager by Motorola, I
had to perform a Master Reset which take away all my phone numbers and
contacts because I didn't find the way to backup all my data which is
also difficult. You have to learn the operative system very well if
you ant to perform well. Handsfree and Voice call functions are very
difficult to use and I think are not performing well. Battery life is
quite short, it is better to always close all application when you leave
the telephone in standby. Better to install a Task Manager for Smarthphone
to have an eye on all the running programs (including system programs).
This telephone offer huge capabilities of performing program, application,
customizing and data Storage. You can find many utilities and interesting
program on the internet. The interface with the PC by USB cable is outstanding
for its capability to add and remove programs. If you see in task manager
that too many applications are running, I suggest to switch off/on your
phone in order that they will quit and when your phone is on again,
will not consume too much battery.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Ric from UK on 29th Apr 2004
If this phone was a horse you would shoot it..........
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Pat Gregory from England on 29th Apr
2004
I was sold this phone on the promise that it would be ideal for my requirements,
as i was just starting a small business. I was also told that a full
car hands-free kit was available almost immediately. The staff at The
Link did a vey good sales job, however my last comment to them 'does
it make phone calls' seemed like a joke at the time. I have exclusively
used Nokia phones for the past 10 years and had absolutely no problems
aside from some niggling problems trying to sync phone books with PCs
via infrared. The Motorola started well, and the facility to upload
from outlook seamlessly was very useful. I then started to notice niggling
problems: the handsfree kit thing wouldn't make or receive calls via
the small button thing. The standby time is about 24 hours (this is
with a conditioned battery). The talk time is around 2-3 hours. The
reception is dreadful, nothing like the service I'm used to. The phone
has now taken to switching itself off for no reason, this is worrying
as I'm starting a contract which requires 24hr standby. There is also
a problem with call waiting, or possibly receiving calls with the phone
open. If you press the accept button then the phone just freezes. I'm
not sure if it's a problem with Motorola or Windows or both, but this
phone's performance is completely unacceptable. I'm off to the Link
now to argue about a replacement Nokia for it!!
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by David from UK on 29th Apr 2004
Like the rest of the reviewers here I am going through Hello Moto hell!
I am onto my third handset (which has just crashed). What a great phone,
when it works! I has everything, except the ability to work for more
than a month. DO NOT GET THIS PHONE.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Steve from England on 28th Mar 2004
After a few weeks use, battery life quickly deteriorated so that it
wouldn't last the day ! I rang Orange, who said it was a faulty battery,
but there were none in stock so what other phone did I want. After seeing
the Samsung 700, rang back but was told they would send a new battery!?
In the meantime (after reading this site) did a "Master Reset", and
all is well - except have to reload everything! - and I now have a spare
battery. Hoping for the best, but will check out the comment on CallerID.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Noose from UK on 21st Mar 2004
The phone was very, very good until it went to Hellomoto Hell. The voice
dial is useless, which is a pity; there's an annoying squeal on the
other end when you go off-hook by clicking it shut; and the reception
is MUCH worse than I on my old v66 (which is what I'm using since the
Lovely Flower replaced mobile telephony on this unit. I'm glad I read
this site, 'cause the hard reboot worked (which Orange didn't tell me).
Now I can use my pricey little phone to look at the Orange sunrise/sunset
graphic too ... and a message telling me that I'm stuck in Airplane
mode. (It always called it Aeroplane mode before). (It's a cool feature,
Aeroplane Mode.) What Orange DID tell me was that they're out of stock
of MPx200s, and would I take a Nokia 6600 BlobPhone instead ... no,
the local Orange shop could only give me an MPx200 off the shelf if
the manager himself was there, and he's on holiday ... and ... WHO sells
a mobile with no car kit?
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Reviewed by MJ from on 11th Mar 2004
The usual locking on the Hello Moto Screen, poor signal, poor GPRS connection,
Cant view web pages due to the GPRS. Don't buy one there C***
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Bruce from England on 2nd Mar 2004
Second phone and only three days after being fixed it has crashed again
and won't work. The features are fantastic when it works but that seems
to be only when you are not using it. Orange fail to meet the sale of
goods act 1979 (ammened) and will use a loophole in it to insist on
sending the phone back to the manufacture. Was told that if my phone
went wrong for the same fault twice I could change modle. Will have
to see what they say tomorrow when it goes back. Curently using my Nokia
5.1 (c1995) which has never gone wrong!!
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by anthony from uk on 23rd Feb 2004
ive just brought this phone and i think it is great,if you love the
internet you'll love this phone.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Matt Gratton from UK on 21st Feb 2004
I got this phone on a free upgrade on vodafone last week, and so far
I've had no problems at all. The windows software and expandable SD
memory (up to 1GB at the moment) means I can play videos and mp3s, as
well as check my pop3 email and synchronise outlook contacts. Also,
photos of the phone just don't do it justice. This phone looks superb,
with its quality glossy black finish, complemented by a gun metal finish
around the screen and keys, it oozes quality. Basically this phone is
a cut down PDA. If you can get it for free then it is a ridiculously
good deal. The only drawbacks are its very short battery life - i find
this needs recharging every day (although it can charge off your pc
through the USB cable) and its lack of a camera or bluetooth.
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Reviewed by Jon Mayes from UK on 19th Feb 2004
Love this phone, but shame that it keeps crashing :( have gone through
two in 3 weeks and think i will switch to something else for my next
handset. a real shame because has great features and customizability.
to those of you reporting problems with battery life, remove the CallerID
app and the battery performance will increase greatly!
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Reviewed by Guy from UK on 16th Feb 2004
Got the phone 3 months ago and I am still waiting for a new one from
Orange. I have had a few problems with the phone from day 1 - 1. Dead
Pixel - Not too much of a problem really. 2. Hangs on HelloMoto Startup
Screen every time you power up ( seems everyone gets this) - only fix
was to do a hard reset - so you lose all your installed software and
contacts - Great Fun. 3. Battery Life no more than 18 hours before the
phone switches off and that is with no use - On Standby constantly.
4. Really poor signal strength (1 bar) when a Nokia 3510i get full strength
using the same SIM ?? Orange sent the phone back to Motorola (Orange
do not give replacements - Apparently..useless you buy Orange Care)
The phone came back with exactly the same problems...over 4 weeks later.
I would honestly say avoid getting this phone wait for the Non "Beta"
version that is due out in April - That has Smaprtphone 2003..but then
you might well get a new set of problems. Oh and Caller ID does not
work if you have a large contacts list.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by carl from uk on 1st Feb 2004
so far so good had the phone on an orange upgrade for nothing just before
xmas. iv`e had no crashing, no freezing,or any other problems until
yesterday(31-01-2004). i put my phone into the charging cradle and had
the message back - insert sim card-. i thought this was no big problem
so i checked it to find that the two tiny plastic tags which hold the
sim card in had broken causing the sim to pop out of the phone. orange
have never heard of this ever happening and will be getting back to
me. my brother has the same phone and he has had the same problem today.he
is holding his sim card in with bluetac. not sure if i want a replacement
after reading the reviews. iv`e been offered a p900 in replacement
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Reviewed by Jeff from UK on 30th Jan 2004
Owned this phone for about a month and can honestly say I've had very
few problems. Battery life isn't superb with around 3 days standby,
I average around 2 days between charges. I'd say that the phone is definately
aimed at IT users - If you're looking for a N-gauge alternative, don't
even look here. If you want bluetooth or a camera, then move along.
(although there is an optional camera accessory) So what do i think
the plus points of the phone are? *charges by USB - that means if you're
near a PC you've a charging point (and if you work in IT like me, thats
a Huge benefit). * Perfect syncronisation with outlook. No mapping fields,
No fiddling around and can sync directly with exchange server. * Good
GPRS services - proper net access and even MSN Messenger. * Hugely customisable.
Think of the GUI as web page and you're getting there. I've seen some
of the criticism's leveled at the phone and can say I've suffered none.
If you get yourself one of these phones, there's plenty of good forums
to help you get the most from it.
Rating:
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Reviewed by chris from uk on 29th Jan 2004
4 times i've had the phone stick on the hellomoto screen of death in
under a month.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Chris from UK on 27th Jan 2004
I have generally been quite pleased with my MPx200, and find the ability
to synchronise contacts with Outlook and read emails from a POP3 account
very handy. I was however quite upset when it got stuck on the 'Hellomoto'
screen on starting up. But I have discovered that you can reset the
phone (losing any data that isn't stored on the SIM) by pressing the
big blue button and the on/off button simultaneously. It is a bit drastic,
but has saved me a trip to the mobile shop. And if you have saved all
your contacts onto your PC you can sync them back again. Then again
if you haven't...
Rating:
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Reviewed by Jez from UK on 23rd Jan 2004
Nice paperweight! If it worked it this phone would be fantastic. Four
handsets in a month (faulty keypad, alarm clock, and the usual death
by MOTO boot up screen experienced by other users). Last time my phone
crashed it dialed 999 and I had to yank out the battery. One star for
the Slurp game which is great fun and has only crashed my latest handset
once. Paper cups and string would be more suitable for business use.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by chris kirby from England on 22nd Jan
2004
What an absolute pile of *! I'm on my third one in 2 months...a mirror
image of some of the other reviews! I feel like claiming a wage from
motorola for product testing one of their experiments before public
release....the phone clearly should have been tested before sale!!!
Don't buy and even more importantly - don't buy from one.stop.phone
shop or co.....cause you'll be left with it and almost no come back!
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Gaz from UK on 21st Jan 2004
The functionality of this phone is amazing in all ways, except when
you actually want to make a phone call. The performance of the phone
when it comes to keeping hold of a weak signal is apalling, and it's
worrying that orange could release a phone with such poor reception.
I've swapped back to my old nokia 8310, which has full signal where
the mpx200 was struggling to find 2 bars. I would recommend that you
wait for a firmware (or hardware) upgrade to the phone so the reception
meets an accepatble standard. Come on Orange. Great PDA, shame about
the phone.
Rating:
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Reviewed by Tom from Northern Ireland on 19th
Jan 2004
Seemed great initially but not that I have it six weeks its a disaster
! I upgraded from a motorola timeport as the battery was starting to
run down after three years of use . Well after six weeks of use I'm
lucky to get 24 hours standby. The reception is dreadful although as
I'm not contactable on it for most of the day it saves on battery. I've
just been stung with a huge bill from orange for internet useage which
should have been included in my everyday 50 pak=ckage but the phone
wonnt seem to let me access wap. Don't let me even get started about
the software just a nightmare to navigate . Please give me back my old
timeport
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Lee from UK on 16th Jan 2004
Got one from Orange, it kept on crashing, the manual was crap and voice
activation switch did not work, Orange sent me another the next day
(no complaints there). The new phone lasted only another day, the battery
life was so poor it made the phone useless, sent it back. Its not a
phone its an average PDA that eats batteries!
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Mark Thompson from England on 13th
Jan 2004
I thought that I was the only one???!!! This phone might say that it
go do a lot on paper, but when it comes to actually working...........it
doesn't. I am also on my third phone and fourth battery. I upgraded
(???) only 2 weeks ago. Orange seem more than happy to keep replacing
this handset, but wont let me change to another model. They keep on
piping up about the Sale Of Goods Act. Luckily as someone that studied
law for three years, the SOGA illustrates that a product has "TO BE
FIT FOR THE PURPOSE IT WAS SOLD FOR" - Obviously a mobile phone that
you can neither text, phone or access the web, is not doing that. Save
your money and get a Nokia 3310 - It may be old and obselete, but it
worked. The MPx200 is awful.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Andy from UK on 18th Dec 2003
To carry on from my previous post (below) DO NOT GET THIS PHONE!!! I
had my original faulty handset replaced after a 2 week wait, only to
find that the replacement had a fault too. Within an hour of having
the new handset I couldn't access the clock functions, so couldn't use
the alarm or adjust the clock setting, which had mysteriously started
running 10 minutes slow even though I'd set the time right before the
fault started. To add to that, the battery life lasted less than a day,
even though I hadn't even been using any of the advanced functions or
ringing/texting anyone heavily!!! Luckily I managed to persuade my service
provider (Orange) to let me change to a different phone, a Samsung E700,
which is a SUPERB phone! It may not have all of the fancy Windows interfaces
as the Motorola's got, but the Samsung is a hundred times easier to
navigate through the menu system, has a decent battery life, great reception
(compared to the frankly crap reception and speaker volume on the Motorola),
is lighter and smaller and has a very decent camera to boot! To sum
up, I will never get another Motorola again yet have a feeling that
I may stay with Samsung's for quite a while, as they're a bit different
from the norm of Nokia's and Sony Ericcson's that 90% of the population
seem to own these days!
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Dan from England on 15th Dec 2003
I was initially very impressed with this phone, however I seem to have
had the same problem as Adam below - The phone has crashed and wont
go further than the HelloMoto screen before powering off. I will return
it and will request another as the phone is ace, just wanted to say
maybe this problem is not as rare as it appears to be...
Rating:
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Reviewed by Malcolm Gilks from England on 15th
Dec 2003
Nice phone when it works - unfortunately I am on my third in 3 weeks.
Both my previous phones locked up and would'nt get passed the 'Hellomoto'
boot up screen. The fisrt phone locked up the day after I received it
from Orange. I was just trying the PC synchronisation system when it
just crashed out. The second time it locked up was during a power-up.
On both occasions Orange were excellent and I received a replacement
the next day - it is just a shame that the phone doesn't perform as
well. My previous phone was a Motorola V66 which worked perfectly -
so I'm not sure whether the problem lies with Motorola or the Microsoft
software. Let's hope it's 3rd time lucky!
Rating:
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Reviewed by Lucas from England. UK on 6th Dec
2003
I was impressed when I checked out the spec on this new bummer from
Motorola, they surely have done it right again..? Or have they really.
What market is this Phone for - The Business use I should say and not
just your everyday ..Picture Mad or Text Mad User ..One who will like
to be on the go in a small package..Job done .. But ..Yep But..How can
you forget a Blue tooth Facility. Its like Releasing A Saloon car without
Cruise Control..Boy what were this guyz thinking.. I was gunning for
one really ..As My P800 was a lot bulkier ..and the price seemed right
then ..but its a no no for me now.. I doubt it will make headlines..you
see it also runs a Windows based package ..hmm maybe this could be its
Silver Lining ..Its a wait till next year ..The polls will surely tell
Rating:
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Reviewed by Andy from UK on 2nd Dec 2003
Got this phone last Thursday and it seemed excellent. A great user interface
and a stylish little phone to boot. I was the envy of all my friends!
Unfortunately within 6 hours of having this phone it crashed on me and
won't go beyond the initial Motorola start-up screen. I'm still waiting
on Orange to get back to me about this fault, but as soon as they do,
I'm going to go straight back to the Orange shop to get another one
as I'm still going to give this phone another try. Speaking to the Orange
shop rep, I think that there are bound to be a few teething problems
with a phone as new (and as good) as this one and I think that it was
just my bad luck to get one with a bug in it. Apparently he'd sold a
dozen of these phones already and mine was the only one that he'd heard
had a problem so far, so I am going to persevere!
Rating:
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Reviewed by Paul B from UK on 28th Nov 2003
After using a PDA and a phone individually for the past 5 years I thought
it was about time to upgrade to one device tha would cover both applications.
There seems to have been an explosion of handsets which offer this possibility
but I was particuarly taken in by the offerings from 3, the Motorola
A920, and my network Orange which were offering the MPx200, or the two
versions of the SPV. Given that the handsets from 3 are still huge and
coverage is still not excellent, I opted for the Orange phones. All
three run Windows Smartphone software in either 2002 or 2003 incarnation.
The clincher for me was that the MPx200 was being offered at a fraction
of the cost of the other two. There is a catch though as the handset
doesn't come with either Bluetooth or a camera. Both I can live without
but I am sure many out there will find this too much! A camera is in
the pipeline as an attachment, although given the lack of a car kit
the Bluetooth seems an obvious oversight. The phone itself is a clamshell
and so the overall size is small when compred to the offerings from
three. There is an internal arial aswell meaning no protrusions from
the phone. Weight is not an issue and the body is solid and feels well
capable of taking a knock....why the shiny plastic though?? The phone
comes with ActiveSync to communicate with Outlook etc. The version supplied
has been superceded and it is worth getting onto Microsofts site to
get the latest version. From then on it's a simple case of plugging
in the USB cable and pressing the sync button. All your contacts and
numbers transferred effortlessy!! Using the phone is easy as the interface
is basically Windows. Moving around the screens is via a jog dial and
a access button (a bit like clicking a mouse). I am still exploring
the applications so cannot be of more help at the moment. A good tip
is to download the original manual from Motorola (in the America's section)
as the Orange supplied manual is a bit lightweight. Overall though I
can find little to critise about this phone. The software is great (and
stable) and it does everthing my PDA did before. Just need a car kit
before next week now!
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