Review updated on July 15, 2008
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It’s been 2 years now since I purchased this phone. I ran into a problem with the charger socket going dead and the phone not getting charged. I got it fixed at a service centre in Jayanagar and it cost me Rs 1000/-(he had to replace the PCB board itself). This was about 5 months ago(after 19 months of using the phone). Since the time I fixed, haven’t run into any other issues, except for the minor ones mentioned in my original review below.
Review as of Jan 07, 2007
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I’ve had an MPx200 phone for about 7 months now. I got it for Rs 6700/- against an MRP price of Rs 14500/- when it was launched 4 years ago. You will now probably find that it’s available for about Rs 6000/-.
In a nutshell, it’s decent value for money(but not the best). Be absolutely sure that you can fix all the problems that this phone comes with - else, you will be dissapointed(like the first reviewer of this phone). In my review, I’ll try to share my experience of how you can solve the problems that you will commonly come acoss with this phone. First, the Pros and Cons:
Pros:
Windows Graphical Interface - if you’ve used Windows OS on your PC, you’ll find that it’s that easy to use the phone - the interface is fairly simple.
Seamlessly integrates with MS Outlook, which means you can directly transfer contact details from MS Outlook onto your cell phone. You can also synchronize appointments, mails, music and pictures - i.e, what you have in your PC can be transferred to your cell phone(quite effortlessly with MS ActiveSync software, I’d say). Mail/Schedule syncronization can be very useful if you’re someone who needs to manage your time - trust me!
Lots of free software(Games, themes, wallpapers, music etc.) that can be downloaded to your PC and then installed on the cell phone.
Several open forums, who have already experienced the problems and solved the problems on the phone as well. So, it’s easy to find solutions.
Quality Integrated MP3 player - sound quality is better than I expected, for a cell phone.
External slot for SD/MMC cards and supports upto 1 GB(quite stable at that).
Phone can be charged by connecting it to your PC, using the USB cable(can be handy at times).
Good looks of the phone - definitely the "form factor" is on the better side, compared to other flip phones.
Cons:
Poor/Average signal reception quality - Motorola phones are known for their poor signal reception.
Need to be tech-savvy to solve the problems that the phone comes with.
Display is not crystal clear(not as crisp as the Sony Ericson displays).
Note: I don’t think that lack of a camera is a problem( I really doubt if cameras on cell phones are really useful - I prefer using a digital camera).
Common problems with the phone and how to solve them:
- Windows 2002 OS is slow and application softwares available for download are limited.
Solution: Upgrade to Windows 2003 OS(you’ll see the difference). Lots of free software for Windows 2003. You need to search the net(probably even buy the software for Rs 400/- or 500/- rupees), follow the instructions carefully and install it.
- Frequent loss of sigal during conversations.
Solution: Apply the GSM fix after you’ve upgraded to Windows 2003(search the net on how to do this).
- Quick draining of battery.
Solution: You can solve this problem by turning "Incoming Beams" off. You can do this via "Start -> Settings -> Beam" and then turning off the "Receive incoming beams" option. You can also fix this by powering off the phone and followed by a "HARD POWER ON" of the phone.