The MPx220 Appears On Motorola's Web Site, Finally

[Mike Temporale]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.motorola.com/motoinfo/product/details/0,,53,00.html' target='_blank'>http://www.motorola.com/motoinfo/product/details/0,,53,00.html</a><br /><br /></div>While there is still no press release to be found, Motorola has listed the MPx220 on their web site. I have a feeling this page is going to disappear before the end of the day, so check it out while you can. Nothing ground breaking on the page. It would be nice if there was a press release, but this is looking very promising.<br /><br /><b>Update:</b> There is also a little story on <a href="http://www.msmobiles.com/news.php/2736.html">MSMobiles.com</a> that says Motorola is showing off the MPx220 at TechEd 2004 Europe conference that is going on now. <br /><br /><b>Update #2:</b> and here's the <a href="http://msmobiles.com/news.php/2737.html">link</a> to the pictures from TechEd (via MSMobiles)<br /><br /><img src="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/Moto220.jpg" alt="User submitted image" title="User submitted image"/>

[possmann]

I'm so excited I could just pee in my pants....

[Mike Temporale]

I'm so excited I could just pee in my pants....

:rotfl:

[Kris Kumar]

What's the deal with the closing line...

The Motorola MPx is expected to be available in 2004.

2004! Don't we know that.

It seems they just Copy-Pasted the MPx press release. And Mike, as you mentioned, they will take the page offline, and I guess edit it before posting it again.

[phillypocket]

The mpx (http://www.motorola.com/motoinfo/product/details/0,,48,00.html) is there too. The problem is I don't see how a normal person can find them. You have to search specifically for the phone. I also recall seeing these pages a while back (at least I believe so), so it doesn't really feel closer, at least for the US.

[mzh]

If you download the .DOC file (it's next to the Printer Friendly file just below the header) there is the following note at the bottom: "The Motorola MPx220 is expected to be available in 3Q04."

Just fueling the fire.
Ron.

[brianchris]

IF the MPx has the 850 GSM band (along with others), I will be all over that device like a cheap suit.

If the MPx does *not* have the 850 GSM band (as is rumored), my daily device will become an MPx 100 or 220 , both of which are MS Smartphones (and both are reported to have the 850 GSM band). My current Pocket PC would be demoted to in car GPS and more complicated databse use only.

One thing that may not have been noticed yet (straight from Motorola's website): "Global Quad Band Performance." I guess the speculation can end.....its a GSM quad band device :clap:

[kagayaki1]

Nothing like conflicting information on the same webpage.

First, this (likely accurate) statement about the OS in the "Portable Power" section:

"The model MPx220 offers familiar software based on the Microsoft Windows Mobile Smartphone 2003 Edition OS that single-handedly offers the Outlook experience without the desktop clutter."

And then later under the "Summary of Features":

"Microsoft Pocket PC 2003 operating system allows compatibility with all Pocket PC applications"

:roll: Doesn't anyone proofread this stuff?

*disclaimer: Extreme hypocricy alert! This and all future posts of mine are not guaranteed for spelling and grammar accuracy.

[rbrome]

IF the MPx has the 850 GSM band (along with others), I will be all over that device like a cheap suit.

If the MPx does *not* have the 850 GSM band (as is rumored), my daily device will become an MPx 100 or 220 , both of which are MS Smartphones (and both are reported to have the 850 GSM band). My current Pocket PC would be demoted to in car GPS and more complicated databse use only.

One thing that may not have been noticed yet (straight from Motorola's website): "Global Quad Band Performance." I guess the speculation can end.....its a GSM quad band device :clap:

Motorola has actually been very clear on this:

MPx220: quad-band

MPx100 & MPx: tri-band, two versions:
- GSM 850/1800/1900 for Americas
- GSM 900/1800/1900 for Europe, Asia, etc.

[Mike Temporale]

Motorola has actually been very clear on this:

MPx220: quad-band

MPx100 & MPx: tri-band, two versions:
- GSM 850/1800/1900 for Americas
- GSM 900/1800/1900 for Europe, Asia, etc.

The official press release for MPx and MPx100 state tri band only. However, at MDC the Moto slides say quad. So there is some confusion. I hope that Moto is planning to make all future phones quad based. I think this would be a smart business move. It would cut down support and development costs.

[maximus]

What's the deal with the closing line...

The Motorola MPx is expected to be available in 2004.

2004! Don't we know that.



Why do I feel that 2005 is more likely ? :D

[brianchris]

Motorola has actually been very clear on this:

MPx220: quad-band

MPx100 & MPx: tri-band, two versions:
- GSM 850/1800/1900 for Americas
- GSM 900/1800/1900 for Europe, Asia, etc.

That's great news (thanks for posting). But, how has Motorola been "very clear on this" when 1) today was the first day they officially acknowledged some of these devices and 2) the GSM band information was not in today's announcments on their websites (hope I didn't miss it)?

[Kris Kumar]

Why do I feel that 2005 is more likely ? :D

:D

I hope that when Moto makes the official announcement, they will mention the month (a date would be highly preferred) when it will be launched. Instead of just the year or quarter.

[possmann]

awe crud - they pulled it off today - :lol:

I'm gonna betcha that they release it either mid or end of July...

[Mike Temporale]

awe crud - they pulled it off today - :lol:

I'm gonna betcha that they release it either mid or end of July...

I thought they would. I think the web designer jumped the gun, since there was nothing under the press release section of their web site.

[possmann]

kudos to the web designer...

[Kris Kumar]

Now that it has been proof-read by the whole world, hopefully they will fix the typos before re-releasing it.

[Ben]

I still don't understand why Moto is reluctant to admit what we all already know anyway: that this phone looks pretty cool and will be available someday. I must say, if it has a detachable qwerty thumbpad and push technology, I'll be first in line to fork over whatever they want to charge me for it.

What is the story with MS Smartphones and push technology, by the way? Any chance Smartphones will be able to replace my Blackberry someday soon?

[Mike Temporale]

What is the story with MS Smartphones and push technology, by the way? Any chance Smartphones will be able to replace my Blackberry someday soon?

A number of companies, including Motorola, have licensed RIM's BB technology for use in their Smartphones or Pocket PC's. It's just a matter of time before we see them.

[rbrome]

...That's great news (thanks for posting). But, how has Motorola been "very clear on this" when 1) today was the first day they officially acknowledged some of these devices and 2) the GSM band information was not in today's announcments on their websites (hope I didn't miss it)?

I agree that they could have been clearer in their public statements. Actually, I'll retract what I said, and say instead that they've been very clear with me.

But as you pointed out, this week was the first official mention of the MPx220, and in the Word doc (that WAS posted on motorola.com), it does specifically say "quad-band".

Plus, numerous leaked photos and videos have shown "QUAD" egraved on the top of the "lump" antenna, which can really only mean one thing. (Whoever suggested that "quad" might mean something else obviously has no clue about mobile phones.)

As for the other phones, "tri-band" was stated publicly, clearly, and the two tri-band configurations were clearly stated to me. But it's a non-issue... Most major manufacturers, including Nokia, Motorola, and Sony Ericsson, release tri-band phones in two versions - exactly the same way.

It's almoost a given. If they have a tri-band version for Europe/Asia, it's generally trivial to change the 900 to 850 and release an Americas version. The only question is if they can sell it to a U.S. carrier. If they can, they will, and the Americas (850/1800/1900) version will be made and released.

[rbrome]

... However, at MDC the Moto slides say quad. So there is some confusion.

Yikes. 8O That is confusing. There was some similar confusion earlier in the week over some other phones listed on Motorola's Canadian web site. :roll:

I think the confusion is over the way these phones are made. Many newer tri-band (and even some dual-band) phones contain quad-band circuitry, but only a dual-band or tri-band antenna. The firmware is then limited to only the bands the antenna is designed for.

So why not make them all quad-band? Because designing a good quad-band antenna is very, very difficult. No one has yet managed to produce a quad-band phone that performs equally well on all four bands. Take any quad-band phone to date, and I guarantee you that there is one band where reception essentially sucks.

That's why Nokia steadfastly refuses to produces a quad-band phone until a truly good quad-band antenna can be designed. They are all about global economies of scale; they would love nothing more than to produce quad-band phones exclusively. But they know the compromises with current antenna designs, and they refuse to make those compromises.

You have to understand that adding quad-band to a phone is a hell of a lot more complicated than, say, upgrading the ringtones to 64-tone polyphonic. A small quad-band antenna is entering the realm of RF black magic. Seriously - as long as people have been studying radio waves, the science is complex enough to still keep the engineers stumped from time to time.

I hope that Moto is planning to make all future phones quad based.

For the reasons outlined above, I hope not.

... I think this would be a smart business move. It would cut down support and development costs.

In theory, yes. But we need better antenna technology first. The 850 and 900 bands are too close - no one (current) antenna can tune to both bands equally well.