Windows Mobile 5.0, a slide-out thumbboard, quad-band GSM, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and a 1.3 Megapixel camera, oh my: Jørgen Sundgot takes T-Mobile's MDA communicator for a spin.
Review summary of the T-Mobile MDA:
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 The T-Mobile MDA is the little communicator that could. Granted, it's void of fancy features such as high-resolution screens and 3G, but it manages to strike a fine balance between having just enough of the ones that really matter and size. Highlights include a first-rate thumbboard, near all-encompassing connecvitity and excellent battery life, whereas modest performance and limited memory should make power users think twice before purchasing the MDA. Everyone else, however, are likely to find themselves superbly pleased. Release: February 2006. Price: $250.
Pros: Outstanding connectivity; battery longevity; first-rate thumbboard; small size
Cons: Modest performance; limited memory; flimsy thumbboard slider mechanism
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Full T-Mobile MDA Review:
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Competition
Find out how well the T-Mobile MDA competes with similar business phones:
T-Mobile MDA vs. Cingular 8125 vs. Cingular 8525
Thumbboards are all the rage these days, but the Windows Mobile camp has been slow to catch on. Only recently, the MDA Pro from T-Mobile Germany delivered what could be described as a truly comfortable option, whilst last month's introduction of Palm's Treo 700w has brought another - albeit cramped by comparison - alternative. The HP iPAQ hw6515? Let's just say you might want to look elsewhere. Enter the T-Mobile MDA, which among other things beats the MDA Pro on bulk and the 700w on screen size.
Now you see it, now you don't
For someone who's used a Windows Mobile device or two, the T-Mobile MDA will appear almost impossibly small at 108 x 58 x 24 mm and 160 g - the exact footprint of the German T-Mobile MDA Compact, only slightly thicker to accomodate the stealthy slide-out thumbboard which occupies the rear half of the device. The front, meanwhile, plays host to a 2.8-inch QVGA display which, despite sub-par ClearType performance, is both bright and crisp as well as sufficiently large.
Navigational controls reside just below the screen offering impeccable tactile and audible feedback, while two hard buttons for Pocket Inbox and Pocket Internet Explorer have been placed above the screen on either side of the speaker, which is cupped by pleasantly unobtrusive notification LEDs. Also, the left side plays host to a responsive volume rocker and Connectivity Manager button, whereas the right side harbours two buttons; one to activate speaker dependent voice dialling and one to control the integrated 1.3 Megapixel camera.
The camera itself is, as per usual, located on the back of the device along with a photo flash - both of rather mediocre quality, unfortunately.
Returning to the thumbboard, things are looking up as the slightly bevelled and well-spaced keys allow for rapid and comfortable typing. Sadly, however, an otherwise enjoyable experience is hampered to some extent by the placement of frequently used symbols including @, - and ' in close proximity of the Fn button which resides in the lower left corner, which results in frequent straining of the right thumb. Also, the mechanism locking the thumbboard in place when closed feels rather fragile and is likely to be impacted by frequent use.
Just enough is good enough
Having finally realized that the majority of users don't need devices screeching past at 624 MHz, the MDA belongs to a new class of devices with more modest processors - a TI OMAP 850 running at 200 MHz in this particular case. With only 37 MB of available storage and 24 MB of free RAM, performance isn't the only aspect that is best described as modest, and prospective buyers would be wise to factor the cost of a miniSD card for expanding storage into their equation right away.
Connectivity, meanwhile, is resoundingly comprehensive with quad-band GSM and EDGE support, while Bluetooth 1.2, deviously snappy Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, USB 2.0 with charging support and even good old Infrared take care of local bit pushing. Signal reception and data performance proved admirably good in all cases, but voice quality still has some way to go before being able to compete with Symbian OS based alternatives such as the Nokia 9300i Communicator.
As a result of its TI OMAP processor and the new non-volatile memory architecture of Windows Mobile 5.0, the T-Mobile MDA harbours comparably excellent battery life; in excess of two and a half days with average use.
Keep your fingers off my operating system
Running Windows Mobile 5.0, the T-Mobile MDA plays to the strengths and weaknesses of this operating system as do so many other devices. Its benefits include a broad variety of Microsoft branded applications, best-in-class desktop synchronization and good groupware support for exchange. On the other hand, a messy Connection Manager, less than ideal one-handed navigation and a lack of attention towards basics such as profile functionality lower an otherwise positive impression somewhat.
Wisely, T-Mobile has kept fiddling with the operating system to a minimum with the MDA, unlike with the German MDA Compact which features redesigned icons and application grouping far inferior to Microsoft's own. Value adding applications include instant messaging via AOL, ICQ or Yahoo!; HotSpot Login for simplifying connections to T-Mobile hot spots; and My E-mail for painless setup of T-Mobile e-mail accounts.
Also, the MDA offers the same speaker dependent voice dialing as present in many recent Windows Mobile 5.0 devices, which performs quite well - although we would of course have wished for speaker independency as Microsoft's own Voice Command application has demonstrated this is perfectly feasible.
Price and availability
The T-Mobile MDA will start selling for $250 to $400 ((T-Mobile)) in February 2006.
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