Unveiling the Motorola MPx100 Specs Pricing Pros & Cons

Introduction to Motorola MPx100

The Motorola MPx100 was a highly anticipated release in the early 2000s, poised to be a breakthrough in the smartphone industry. Although it eventually got canceled and never made it to the market, its prospective features and specifications garnered significant attention from tech enthusiasts and industry watchers alike. The MPx100 was envisioned to be one of the early smartphones running the Microsoft Smartphone 2003 operating system, and it promised features and capabilities that were ahead of its time.

Design and Body

The Motorola MPx100 was designed to have a classic and professional appearance, characterized by its robust and compact dimensions. Measuring 114 x 50 x 22 mm and encapsulating a total volume of 106 cc, the device was designed to fit comfortably in the user's hand, pocket, or purse. Weighing approximately 130 grams, it was light enough for easy portability but heavy enough to provide a reassuring sense of durability.

The device was designed to accommodate a mini-SIM card, which was a common standard at the time. With its sleek design and carefully planned ergonomics, the MPx100 was expected to appeal to business professionals and power users looking for a device that combined functionality with a touch of style.

Display Features

The MPx100 was planned to feature a TFT display capable of showing 65k colors. With a resolution of 176 x 220 pixels and a display capable of rendering nine lines of text, the phone would have provided a decent visual experience for users, especially considering the technological standards of the early 2000s. Although it didn't feature a touchscreen, its vibrant display was expected to support the phone's multimedia and productivity features well.

Platform and Performance

At the heart of the Motorola MPx100 was the TI OMAP 1710 chipset, featuring a 200 MHz ARM926EJ-S processor. Although modest by today’s standards, this hardware was in line with the performance levels of early smartphone devices. This processing power was aimed at supporting the Microsoft Smartphone 2003 operating system, which offered enhanced functionality for organizing emails, managing calendars, and improving mobile communications. The platform was designed to deliver a seamless multitasking experience for professionals on the go.

Memory and Storage

The device was packed with 64MB of internal storage, which could be considered limited by today’s requirements but was standard in early smartphones. To complement its internal memory, the MPx100 offered support for SD cards, allowing users to expand their storage further. This was a significant feature for users who intended to store multimedia files such as music or documents, highlighting Motorola's focus on both flexibility and user convenience.

Camera Capabilities

A standout feature of the MPx100 was its 1.3 MP camera, which included an LED flash. Although relatively simple by modern standards, this camera allowed users to capture photos with reasonable quality and clarity for the time. Unfortunately, the device did not support video recording, which was a limitation but typical of early mobile camera technologies. The inclusion of a flash was a beneficial feature for indoor or low-light settings.

Sound and Alerts

For sound alerts and notifications, the Motorola MPx100 supported vibration and polyphonic ringtones with 16 different sound channels, offering users a range of options for personalization. However, it did not feature a loudspeaker or a 3.5mm headphone jack, which meant that listening to audio files might have required the usage of proprietary accessories.

Communication and Connectivity

The connectivity options for the MPx100 included GPRS for data transfer, although it lacked EDGE technology, which was becoming a standard in data communications. The device supported Bluetooth 1.1, enabling wireless sharing of files and data with other devices. An infrared port was also built-in, catering to users who utilized older data transfer methods. Unfortunately, the device did not support WLAN or built-in GPS, although the latter was available as an optional feature.

Battery Specifications

The Motorola MPx100 was equipped with a removable Li-Ion battery, rated at 960mAh. This battery was projected to offer a reasonable balance between usage time and portability, particularly given the less energy-demanding nature of early smartphone devices. Removable batteries were a popular feature at the time, as they allowed users to carry spare batteries and replace them as needed during long trips without access to charging facilities.

Additional Features

The MPx100 was expected to include basic sensors for enhanced usability, though specific sensors were not detailed in the plans. It featured a browser capable of WAP 1.2.1 and HTML, reflecting the digital landscape of the time, where mobile-friendly websites were just beginning to emerge. While basic, these features allowed for limited browsing functionality, consistent with the early stages of mobile internet adoption.

Cancellation and Legacy

Despite its promising specifications and the anticipation it generated, the Motorola MPx100 was ultimately canceled and never released to the market. The reasons for its cancellation were not explicitly detailed by Motorola, but it's speculated that market competition, technological challenges, or strategic shifts within the company could have played roles. The device remains a curious footnote in smartphone history, representing both the aspirations and the challenges of early smartphone innovations.

While it didn’t reach consumers, the MPx100's announced features and design have been appreciated by technology enthusiasts, providing insights into the transitional phase of mobile technology between feature phones and the more sophisticated smartphones that would come to dominate the market in the coming years.