Camera Phone Reviews

T-Mobile announces the launch of the T-Mobile MDA in February, 2006:

"The new T-Mobile MDA is a messaging powerhouse, with a full keyboard that slides away in the sleek device. It offers messaging options from simple text and instant messaging to powerful picture and video messaging. Plus the T-Mobile MDA is designed to take advantage of the T-Mobile Total Internet network with GSM, GPRS, EDGE and the extra speed you need at thousands of T-Mobile HotSpot WiFi locations."

T-Mobile MDA Reviews

PCMag reviews the T-Mobile MDA and has this to say about the phone's camera: "The built-in 1.3-megapixel camera�with the typical weak flash�is better than the SDA's. Our test shots were bright and had good color, though they were blurry at the edges and slightly over-sharpened in the middle. The camera will be fine for snapshots, though. Videos, as usual, are 176-by-144 at 10 frames per second."

Infosync reviews the T-Mobile MDA and finds the camera to be of mediocre quality. Overall? "The T-Mobile MDA is the little communicator that could. Granted, it's void of fancy features such as high-resolution screens and 3G, but it manages to strike a fine balance between having just enough of the ones that really matter and size. Highlights include a first-rate thumbboard, near all-encompassing connecvitity and excellent battery life, whereas modest performance and limited memory should make power users think twice before purchasing the MDA. Everyone else, however, are likely to find themselves superbly pleased."

CNET reviews the T-Mobile MDA and is not impressed with the MDA's camera: "Image quality from the T-Mobile MDA's camera was ho-hum. Our snapshots boasted rich color but looked noticeably murky compared with those of similar 1.3-megapixel camera phones we've tested. Our video clips were especially dull and jittery, even more so than those of other handset-based camcorders we've seen."

Newsfactor reviews the T-Mobile MDA, and while the review doesn't comment on the phone's camera functions, the overall conclusion is that "Available for $299 after rebates, the new T-Mobile MDA is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a data-capable smartphone with both Wi-Fi capabilities and a Qwerty-style keyboard. However, those who primarily need a cell phone would be better off purchasing a handset that has a dedicated telephone keypad."

Brighthands reviews the T-Mobile MDA and finds that it's a "Well designed, no-frills workhorse." The phone's camera, however, doesn't get anything quite as complimentary: "Camera. Present? Yes. Useful? Not so much. Like so many other devices, the MDA's camera is mainly a novelty, producing marginal quality photos despite its 1.3 megapixel rating. Photos tend towards being blurry in good light, and almost totally black in low light. I wouldn't suggest you bother thinking of the camera as a useful feature."

PhoneScoop reviews the T-Mobile MDA, and finds that while the interface for simple snapshots or adjustments works well, "Making actual adjustments to each shooting mode or to the camera settings is not as user-friendly. The bottom of the screen is littered with tiny icons that act as buttons to adjust different things. They are too small to press accurately with a finger and holding a stylus to change camera settings does not lend itself to steady picture taking. Despite the array of readouts on the bottom of the screen, there is no zoom indicator, not even when pressing up or down on the D-Pad to engage the digital zoom."

MobileBurn reviews the T-Mobile MDA, and talks about the phone's camera: "When outdoors, and especially on sunny days, the camera takes poor photos. Outdoor shots in general exhibit a lot of purple fringing as well as just overall purple hues where they don't belong. Indoors the camera performed much better, and the automatic white white balance system seemed quite accurate."

PDAStreet reviews the T-Mobile MDA and writes, "Pictures from the 1.3 megapixel camera looked a little grainy. You can lighten up shots with the included flash, but only if you're shooting close-ups. ... The MDA is excellent in keeping you in touch with home and office, but it lacks the wow factor of today's most popular phones. A little design flair would make a lot more enjoyable."