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Motorola updates its MPx200 series smartphone with the new MPx220, a handset that offers some notable feature additions and enhancements over the previous MPx200—one for the first Windows smartphones to ship in the United States.

Most noteworthy among the improvements is an integrated 1.23-megapixel digital camera, a feature quickly becoming de rigueur on almost every type of mobile phone these days. Memory has also been increased to 64 MB up from 32 MB. For memory expansion, the conventional Secure Digital slot has been jettisoned in favor of the even more diminutive miniSD variety, and up to 512MB additional memory is supported.

The primary display of the MPx220 is essentially unchanged from the MPx200. It's small (176 x 220 pixels, 65,000 colors), but also exceedingly bright and crisp—among the best in this regard that any phone has to offer. It also supports Bluetooth for personal area networking to headphones and printers as well as syncing to PCs.

The external LCD of the MPx220 that offers at-a-glance information has been made full color with three-line display, scrolling text, and the ability to display wallpaper. If you'd like to be greeted by the visage of your callers, the MPx220's Photo Caller ID feature allows you to assign a picture to incoming calls.


Closed Front View

One area where the MPx220 isn't much improved over its predecessor is in the area of text input. As with all Windows Mobile smartphones, the phone still lacks a stylus or a keyboard, so predictive text input via the numeric keypad is the only option.

This method will probably be sufficient for those who don't need to send a lot of messages (or can get away with canned responses,) but if you typically give as good as you get it won't be suitable at all.


Side View Open

The lack of a keyboard (either real or virtual) is undoubtedly the price you pay for a device as compact as the MPx220. The phone measures 1.89 x3.94 x .96 inches and tips the scale at a mere 3.88 ounces. This makes the MPx220 slightly lighter (about 0.1 ounce) and wider (about .5 inches) than the MPx200. The MPx220's battery is rated for 5-7 hours of talk time and an average of 8 days on standby.

Application software on the MPx220 is standard fare for a Windows Mobile device (in this case, Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition). The phone provides a full compliment of PIM applications via Microsoft Pocket Outlook along with versions of Internet Explorer and MSN Messenger.

The MPx220's digital camera will of course not provide nearly the quality of even most low-end stand-alone cameras, but it's more than sufficient for the kind of quick-and-dirty snapshots or video you're likely to take while out and about.


Closed Side View

One complaint about the MPx220's is it's speakerphone—specifically, that activating it is more complicated than it needs to be. Instead of being offered by the vacant left soft button while a call is in session, you must instead select the right soft button and then select the speakerphone from four choices. Otherwise, voice quality via headphones and placing the phone to one's year was fine.


Closed Rear View

The quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz) Motorola MPx220 is available from Cingular Wireless for $299, though that price requires a two-year contract commitment from the carrier. If you're comfortable with Windows Mobile and text input is not a major priority, the MPx220 will make a slim and valuable mobile companion.