Mitsubishi M750

The Mitsubishi M750 is identical to its M720 predecessor, save for the inclusion of Java support and a cosmetic change to the faceplate. While Mitsubishi may not be a heavyweight in the handset arena, this mobile poses a strong threat to the competition.

Design
As clamshells go, the M750 is neither small nor featherweight at 96 x 47.5 x 24.5mm and 102g. That said, it fits comfortably in your palm and is attractively decked out in a metallic navy-blue finish. Its facade comprises a 62 x 80-pixel, 4,096-color STN display at the center and a camera aperture at the bottom left corner. A triangular silver border around the external screen is the only means of visually differentiating this handset from the M720, which has a rectangular border instead.

Flip open the M750 and one is greeted with a 128 x 160-pixel, 260K-color TFT. Display is sharp and it’s highly visible even under direct sunlight. Users will find the widely spaced keys a joy to use, although it would be ergonomically preferable if the buttons were raised slightly.

In addition to looking much better in real life than in print ads, the M750 boasts exceptional build quality. The clamshell opens and shuts with a resounding click, unlike other handsets with flimsy hinges.

Features
Nearly everything about the M750 is user-friendly. Its responsive menu system utilizes a nine icon grid view which is comparable with the latest releases from Sony Ericsson. The directional pad and softkeys provide quick access to common applications and can be programmed to launch other phone functions.

Sending out SMS is a breezy affair, thanks to the M750's intuitive messaging interface. Although automatic capitalization is unavailable, toggling between upper and lower cases is swift and can be mastered after 5 minutes of practice. T9 predictive text implementation is excellent and it’s easy to switch between different SMS modes. A minor gripe, however, concerns the need to change the phone’s language to Chinese before being able to compose a message with Chinese characters.

Sound wise, the M750’s polyphony will not disappoint music aficionados. Ringtones are melodious and easily audible in a crowded area even with the volume set at half strength. We did not detect any difference in sound quality between the M750’s 32-chord polyphony and the Samsung X600A’s 40-chord polyphony when the same melody was played back on both phones.

Regarding camera functions, the M750A supports resolutions of up to 640 x 480 pixels. While this handset may not offer as comprehensive a photographic experience as the Samsung SGH-E700A and X600A, users can still tweak exposure, brightness and zoom settings.

It’s possible to tag photos to contacts in the phonebook so the picture appears on the external screen when that person calls. However, users should bear in mind that the internal memory limit of this phone is 5MB and the operator logo tends to obscure the image.

Connectivity
The M750 offers GPRS Class 8, Java support and is WAP 1.2.1-enabled. Users can choose to share media content via MMS or an infrared connection. Syncing this handset with a PC is possible, too, although the review unit did not come supplied with a data cable. Bluetooth connectivity is conspicuously absent.

Reception, Battery Life And SAR
Reception was good, with signal strength consistently high even in subway stations and tunnels where other phones registered fluctuating signal strength. Voice quality was likewise excellent. The 700mAh battery achieved an average standby time of three days on moderate use with the screen set at the brightest level.

The highest Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) value recorded for this model was below 2.0W/kg, which meets international requirements concerning exposure to radio waves.

Conclusion
The M750 retails at S$398 (US$293.03) with a two-year plan and S$598 (US$440.28) without contract. It ships with a standard battery, travel charger and wearable ear microphone. At a similar price as the M720 when it was available, the M750 is a well-rounded phone that offers decent looks and features at an affordable price.