Unlike most Pocket PC phones, the MPx is a dual-hinge device that opens both lengthways as a clamshell phone and in landscape mode with a wide screen and full QWERTY keyboard. By opening the device in landscape mode, Internet browsing, streaming video and access to corporate applications are possible.
The tri-band GSM/GRPS Motorola smartphone features both built-in 802.11b Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and is similar in basic design to the Symbian-based Nokia 9500 Communicator, which was announed earlier today. And like that device, users can use the Wi-Fi to leverage wireless access points to get on the Internet, a corporate intranet and enterprise, and download email. And while you'll be able to perform similar functions with the GPRS data part of the device's cellular capabilities, 802.11b is much faster and it won't eat into a your carrier's data plan, which often charge by the megabyte.
There is also the possibily that users will be able to make voice over IP (VoIP) phone calls via the MPx when connected via Wi-Fi. VoIP allows users to bypass standard phone lines by using the Internet as a means to make phone calls, potentially saving money. As for Bluetooth, users can use Bluetooth enabled wireless headsets or connect to other local peripherals that are Bluetooth enabled, such as a printer.
The MPx has a 2.8 inch, 16-bit (64,536) color and 320 x 240 pixel resolution display, which is the standard resoluton for a Pocket PC screen. The outside of the top half of the clamshell phone features a second, smaller display for time, date, phone info and audio control. With it, you can use existing and upcoming Pocket PC and Java applications. Windows Mobile for Smartphone devices, for example, such as the Motorola MPx200, are far more limited in what applications they can run.
The device also includes a Secure Digital slot for memory expansion and a 1.3 megapixel digital camera with a flash. As a Windows Mobile device, the MPx will include mini versions of Word, Excel and outlook as well as Windows Media Player. The MPx supports a variety of input methods, including a numeric keyboard, a thumb QWERTY board and stylus and touch sensitive screen. The Nokia 9500, for instance, doesn't have pen input.
The Motorola MPx is expected to be available in the second half of this year. We'll report more detials, such as processor, memory and battery information when they become available. Also, since it will be released later this year, it should include the latest version of the Windows Mobile operating system, which will offer, among other things, the ability to switch between potrait and landscape modes on the fly.
