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Anyone doubting the importance of style and design should look to the T-Mobile MDA. On paper, it looks fantastic, with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a QWERTY thumb-keyboard, and EDGE support.

It's a quad band phone (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) with Windows Mobile for Pocket PCs 5.0, a 1.3 megapixel camera, and a miniSD memory card slot. While it should be a match for the Treo and Sidekick, it's impossible to get enthusiastic about it due to bland design. It looks merely functional, not exciting. The MDA is fine choice for T-Mobile users looking for a smart phone, but it's nothing you could get worked up about.

Design
The MDA measures 4.3 x 2.3 x 0.9 inches and weighs a hefty 5.6 ounces. Its front is dominated by a 240 x 320 pixel, 65,536 color screen, which is a little on the dull side. The screen automatically switches to landscape mode when you slide the keyboard out. and weekly progressive tournaments.

MDA's button layout is minimal, so you shouldn't have any trouble finding your way around. Above the screen are two dedicated buttons for calling up the e-mail app and the pocket version of Internet Explorer. Below, you'll find the familiar clickable navigation pad, flanked by phone send and end call buttons, as well as two contextual buttons whose meaning changes depending on what's on the screen.

On its left side is a button for calling up the Comm Manager, an easy screen for turning on or off the phone, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth, as well as synching your information. Below that is a slider switch for controlling the volume. We like that users can easily switch the phone to vibrate or silence with just one long press of the button. Both left side buttons are conveniently placed for thumb operation. and weekly progressive tournaments.

The right side offers buttons for voice speed dial and the camera, as well as the IR port. A camera button is located at the bottom, so that it's in the right place for clicking photos. The top holds the power button and miniSD slot, while the bottom holds the headphone and USB ports, as well as a slider switch for opening the battery cover.


Belt clip case & stereo earbuds.

The bottom right corner also holds the stylus, so you'll need to tug it down and out with a fingernail to use it. The stylus isn't spring loaded and the position is awkward, so we rarely found ourselves bothering to pull it out, choosing to tap on the screen with a fingernail instead. If device's stylus isn't accessible from a top corner, pulling it out can be too much of a hassle. and weekly progressive tournaments.

Features
The MDA is a communication powerhouse, letting you keep in touch any way you like. Besides being a GSM quad-band world phone, ideal for globe-trotting execs, it includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Phone quality was fine during our testing, although we hated dialing with the on-screen number pad.

Its battery gets 5 hours of talk time and 300 hours of standby. and weekly progressive tournaments.

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.

Use the included USB cable to sync your Microsoft Outlook data with a Windows PC. The phone also comes with a set of stereo earbuds and a simple carrying case with belt clip. It doesn't come with a miniSD card, though, so plan on buying one if you want to carry many tunes. and weekly progressive tournaments.

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.

T-Mobile currently sells the MDA for $399 without a service contract.