Cingular Go Phone: Motorola Ming A1200 Unlocked Phone with 2 MP Camera, MP3/Video Player, and MicroSD Slot--International Version with No Warranty (Black) Review

I bought this phone in China early March 2006. It was just on market for a week or so. I intended to buy a Microsoft Smartphone kind of device, but came upon this phone. The things that attracted me was the near perfect finish (black version only, feel like the early IBM Thinkpad T23 skin-like touch), the fast response, large screen, transparent screen cover and a unique feature: Business Card Reader(BCR).

The BCR take a snapshot of a business card, automatically recognize the information and input into contact list. The character recognition is not 100% if the business card design is too fancy. If the card is standard, with regular characters, the recognition result will be very accurate. It saves lots of time when you finish the job in a long day and rest in hotel room. Remember, you have to set the lens switch to Macro position, otherwise the card photo it takes will be blury and recognition is impossible. The switch is above the lens, very easy to miss.

Other features include the radio, recorder, bluetooth, Real Player, voice command, notes, 2.0 MP camera and camcorder.

Writing recognition is also very accurate. I write in Chinese and English. Both are very easy to use. Overall, the software are great.

It comes with other features such as getting online but I don't use them. You can add Transflash card inside. As of May 2006, the largest card size is 512MB for $70.

I don't think I digged all the goodies out, still in the fun process learning how to use it more wisely. Overall, it is a great phone, better than any other phone I ever used.

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Product Description:
Need one gadget to do it all? The Motorola A1200 "Ming" phone is the answer. This Linux-powered PDA phone sports a 2-megapixel camera, a huge display, quad band support, plus all the bells and whistles you'd expect on a high-end handset, including Bluetooth, a music player, a document reader, and much more. And when you want to get down to business, there's even a business card reader for rapidly capturing contact info.

The A1200 Ming combines eye catching style with Linux-powered PDA substance. See it in more detail: Front and rear.Design
The first thing you'll notice about the Ming is that its design is definitely groundbreaking. While the transparent cover might look cool, it also serves a purpose, as the phone's speaker is cleverly embedded in the cover. Flip the phone open and you're greeted by a huge 2.4-inch touchscreen that sports 240 x 320 resolution and support for 262,000 colors. There's also an included stylus so you can control the unit's onscreen menus and functions. And speaking of menus and functions, the Ming's operating system offers an easy-to-use, Linux-based interface that makes navigating between entertainment, contact, document and other functions a breeze. You'll also find two control buttons, as well as a navigation joystick, below the display.
The Ming also supports MicroSD card expandability, which allows you to add up to 1 GB of extra storage to the device -- plenty of room for games, movies, and documents. There's a standard 2.5 mm headset jack, and a built-in mini-USB connector makes it easy to connect the Ming to your computer or other devices. Bluetooth wireless technology lets talk freely on a wireless headset or sync up seamlessly with your PC and other compatible Bluetooth devices. You can even print your favorite pictures wirelessly with the Ming's Bluetooth printing capability.
Calling Features
The Ming has all the latest calling features folks have come to expect from a high-end handset. The built-in speakerphone makes it easy to talk without having the phone to your ear. Voice activated dialing makes calling your friends, family and associates as easy as saying their names. As mentioned, the phone's Bluetooth connectivity means that your favorite Bluetooth headset is fully compatible. Plus, you can connect a stereo Bluetooth wireless headset and listen to your favorite music without any wires. Meanwhile, the ringer and picture ID system makes it easy to identify your most common callers. And last but not least, a vibrate mode allows you to receive calls in silence.
Messaging, Internet, and PDA Tools
The Ming covers the messaging bases with support for text and MMS messaging, as well as IM-based communications with MSN Messenger. There's also a complete email client that allows you to receive and view PDF, Word, Excel, and Powerpoint attachments. The email client supports POP3, IMAP4, and SMTP protocols. An integrated browser lets you view complete HTML pages or surf the wireless Web via WAP 2.0.
On the PDA front, the Ming comes with a powerful calendar and contacts system that makes it easy to stay in touch with your important contacts while organizing your schedule. And because the Ming supports the SyncML synchronization standard, you can easily sync your PC-based contacts and schedule with the Ming's personal information management system. Other tools include an integrated business card scanner, a calculator, an alarm, a voice memo recorder, and a to-do list. You can use the Ming's advanced handwriting recognition to quickly and accurately enter information.
Entertainment
The Ming's 2-megapixel camera features a macro mode for getting great closeups. You can also capture video clips; capture length is limited to a staggering two hours. Use the built-in RealPlayer application to view your videos, as well as videos you've got stored on a memory card. The integrated music player supports MP3, WAV, AMR, WMA, and AAC+ digital music formats. There's also a stereo FM radio.
If you're into mobile gaming, the Ming has you covered there, too. The phone ships with one game, Extreme Air Snowboarding.
Vital Statistics
The Motorola A1200 Ming weighs 4.30 ounces and measures 3.77 x 2.04 x .85 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 7.4 hours of digital talk time, and up to 170 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS frequencies.

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