Motorola first introduced the MPx Pocket PC Phone—one of the most eagerly anticipated smartphones of the year—back in February.

Unlike other handhelds and smartphones, the MPx features a unique dual-hinge design that lets the mobile handset open both vertically and horizontally (see bottom two images). Other features include a QWERTY keyboard plus Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless networking.

Due to rumored problems with the MPx's keyboard and Wi-Fi integration with Windows Mobile Pocket PC Phone edition, Motorola reportedly planned to delay the shipment of the smartphone from this fall to the first quarter of next year.

Now there are reports that say these problems won't delay the MPx as long as previously thought. So the mobile handset may be coming later this year rather than next January or February.

Should that be true, it is good news for Motorola. You see, upcoming smartphones from Nokia (9300 and 9500 Communicator) and Hewlett-Packard (iPAQ 6315) not to mention 02, T-Mobile and Vodafone all feature Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and thumb-keyboards—the iPAQ's keyboard is a bundled accessory.

These features separated the MPx from the pack when Motorola first announced the smartphone. Now that other upcoming smartphones offer similar specifications, MPx's gee-wiz factor is beginning to lose its luster.

More on MPx
The tri-band GSM/GRPS MPx similar in design to Motorola rival Nokia's Symbian-based 9500 and just announced 9300 Communicators.


MPx opened horizontally

Like other smartphones that integrate an 802.11b radio, you can use Wi-Fi to leverage wireless access points to get on the Internet and corporate intranet, as well as send and receive e-mail. While you can perform similar functions via GPRS, the data-side of GSM cellular networking, Wi-Fi is much faster and won't eat into your data plan, which often charged by the megabyte.

There is also the possibility that users may be able to make voice over IP (VoIP) phone calls with the MPx when connected via Wi-Fi. VoIP allows users to bypass standard phone lines--wired and unwired--by using the Internet for communications.

The MPx has a 2.8-inch, 16-bit (65,536) color and 320 x 240 pixel resolution display, standard for a Pocket PC. The outside of the top half of the clamshell features a second, smaller display for time, date, and phone info as well as audio control. Unlike Windows Smartphones like Motorola's own MPx200, Pocket PC phones like the MPx can run all Pocket PC applications. Windows Smartphones are far more limited in what software they support.

MPx opening vertically

Other features include a Secure Digital slot for memory expansion and a 1.3-megapixel digital camera with a flash. As a Windows Mobile device, it will include mini versions of Word, Excel and outlook as well as Windows Media Player. The smartphone supports a variety of input methods, including a numeric keypad, a BlackBerry-style QWERTY keyboard and a touch sensitive screen display.

The MPx should sell for around $900—quite a lot for even the most high-end mobile devices—without a service plan.