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[Sean]

The more I use this phone, I think that the MPx200 is the best phone I have ever used. One of the first thing that makes an impression about a phone is the feel, to steal a phrase from the auto manufacturers, the fit and finish. The MPx200 is bound to draw some strong opinions on this front but here is an overview from this reviewer.

The first thing you have to notice bout this little baby is the look of the exterior. It’s shinny, really, really shiny. This I would say at first was a real draw but the more I use it, it is more and more of a detractor. I am constantly wiping smudgy fingerprints off the surface of the phone because any little mark from a greasy finger stands out like a sore thumb. I find the same thing with the screen, it show signs of being handled more that any other phone I have ever seen. With that said however, when it is fully polished up it sure is “perdy”.

The screen on the exterior of the phone is of ample size and is fairly easy to read in any light and is quite clear with the front light illuminated. The ports around the phone, headset, SDIO slot, and mini USB al have protective covers over them. The first two of these are useful, I like not having to worry about something getting in the card slot or the headphone port but the cover over the USB port on the bottom of the phone is a nuisance that I “lost” within ten minutes of ownership. The USB port gets used all the time and there is no way that I will be removing and replacing this plug on a 10 times a day basis.

Unlike many flip phones and flat phones for that matter of the past, the battery door is simple to remove and replace. This will come in handy if you have to change batteries in and out during the course of your day.

The other features on the outside of the phone of note are the volume control and the power button. I find myself moving the volume jog dial by mistake more often that not. It seem that every time I take it out of the case, the dial has been clicked down a notch. The power button is just as I sounds, a button. It too is shinny, but this time chrome plated.

Now it is time to flip the phone open. This is a very bright spot on this phone. It has a very solid feel, it is reminiscent of the old Motorola V60i phones but even a bit more hefty feeling. My previous phone to this was the Motorola T721, this one had a flimsy feel. The MPx200 is a very nice change to that one. As this phone opens and closed there is a click sound when it gets fully extended or retracted and it gives the phone the feel that you have accomplished something once opened. When the phone is opened, it feels rigid and solid, not flimsy like the T721.

The inside screen is for another review but it is beautiful for a phone and I love the holographic Motorola at the top of the unit.

The buttons are quite good but maybe a bit small for a fat fingered guy like me. The jog dial has a very nice feel and is covered with what looks like a non-slip grip material. This gives it a high performance look even if it adds now functional value. My only gripe with the buttons is that they are not illuminated well at all. In the dark you had better remember where the send and end buttons are because the light will do you almost no good at all. This may be due in part, by the overpowering brightness of the screen.

Over all I love this phone. It feels great, it looks great, it seems to have been designed and built well.