Review: T-Mobile MDA Compact IV
If the MDA Compact V seems familiar that is because it is essentially the same device as the HTC Touch Diamond2 we reviewed back in June
If the MDA Compact V seems familiar that is because it is essentially the same device as the HTC Touch Diamond2 we reviewed back in June. But is always the case with the MDA range, T-Mobile has put its own stamp on the handset, both in terms of hardware and software.
Specs & info
Price: contract
Operating system: Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro
Processor: Qualcomm 528MHz
Memory: 288MB RAM
Dimensions: 107 x 53 x 13.7mm
Weight: 117g
Display size: 3.2”
Display resolution: 480×800 pixels
Expansion slot: microSD
The brushed metal look of the original has given way to a blander piano black casing, and there’s a slightly more curved feel to the bottom.
Only superficial changes (although we are inclined to say the Diamond2 has more of the high end look); they haven’t done anything significant like add a 3.5 mm headphone jack, for example, leaving you needing the extUSB headphones supplied in the box for your music.
The device is compact with a minimalist design. Four buttons are beneath the screen, as well as a sliding panel that enables you to zoom in and out of images and web pages in the absence of anything cleverer like the iPhone’s multi-touch. On the rear is a 5MP camera but no flash. The speed of the camera is good, but the quality is only average.
On the software side T-Mobile has tweaked HTC’s TouchFLO UI, adding a Widgets feature. This is the current Big Thing in smartphones but is a half hearted effort here.
Instead of offering live, dynamic widgets that are constantly pulling information from your social networks or instant messaging accounts, the widgets in TouchFLO are merely shortcuts to the widgets function in the Opera Mobile web browser. It works, and there are plenty to choose from, but it is not an integral part of the system in the way we have seen in other devices.
The same can be said of T-Mobile’s other addition to TouchFLO, Mobile TV & Video, which is just a link to their website and encouragement to get you spending money on their services. To be fair, this is probably the only time T-Mobile’s customisations become intrusive.
The device also comes with a trial of the excellent CoPilot Live navigation software.
The remaining features are the same as on the Diamond2. The screen is excellent and very responsive to the touch, Windows Mobile is kept in the background as far as possible as well, while an upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.5 will also be available. There’s wi-fi and HSDPA for data, a memory card slot with 2GB card supplied.
Altogether the MDA Compact V is a decent package. T-Mobile has clearly made an effort to differentiate its offering from the HTC/Orange version, although we’d question the practical value it adds. But it is a good smartphone, powerful, relatively easy to use and offering bags of functionality.
Verdict
Performance: 8
Design: 8
Features: 9
Value: 8
Overall: 8/10
Popularity: 1% [?]
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This is the worst device I have ever used. To begin – the user interface is slow to respond and poorly thought through. When using the ‘touch-flow’ feature – the phone can’t distinguish between a ‘swipe’ and a ‘press’ making operation a frustrating pain. The directory feature is terrible as it returns to the top level option every time you step back one stage. This means you have to repeat the complete search process every time when looking for numbers. Not having voice search feature for hands free working is something I would expect from a much cheaper device and makes hands-free operation virtually impossible. The screen is small and suffers as a result although it could be forgiven if the browsing experience wasn’t so terrible. Everything seems to have a built-in lag which makes all operations very hard. A good example of this is the zoom feature below the screen seems not to respond when a closer view is required –it then zooms in too close. Build quality is another area for concern – mine has had 3 screen replacements in 12 months – despite keeping the phone in its case most of the time. The software locks up and needs to be reset on an almost daily basis – especially when accessing the directory.
I have numerous hands-free headsets all of which have operated very well with other devices – with this one, the volume is very low even on maximum – making it impossible to use unless in a totally quiet environment.
Signal reception is also appalling – even in areas where there is excellent coverage. I was able to prove this directly by swapping the SIM card to another phone in the same spot and getting crystal clear reception. Swapping it back replicated the poor reception.