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The iPhone and MING appeal to the mavericks of the tech world, eschewing the pervasive Microsoft operating system. The iPhone, of course, interfaces with the Mac OS, whereas the MING aligns with Linux. In real terms, this means the users of these smartphones are committed to their respective operating systems, along with all the quirks, foibles, and hacks associated with them. Both phones are comparable in weight and screen dimensions.
While the iPhone is targeted for the American market primarily, the MING was designed primarily for the Asian market; however, Motorola has begun offering better access to the American market. The iPhone offers multi-lingual support and characters, compared to the MING's dedication to English and Chinese only.
The iPhone features both WiFi and 3G Internet connectivity options, while the MING offers neither. Something they share in common is Bluetooth capability. The MING's battery offers 444 minutes of talk time and 170 hours of standby time, whereas the iPhone gives up to 600 minutes talk time while in 2G mode (comparable to the MING's capabilities) and up to 18,000 minutes (300 hours) of standby time. In field tests, however, the MING actually offered closer to 8.5 hours of talk time.
The bottom line for users is this: if you want and need a cutting-edge smartphone, the iPhone may suit you well. If you don't need a lot of bells and whistles, just a phone that works, the MING could be for you. Sometimes less is more. As a bonus, the MING A1200 offers a ruggedized design featuring rubber "bumpers" around the edges of the phone, a nice touch for those who travel and drop things a lot.
If you opt for the MING A1200, users have some suggested tips and tricks for getting more out of your phone. First, download RadioComm11.1.0, Motorola's proprietary phone software that makes other downloads easier and faster. Next, download EDGE (Enhanced Data GSM Environment) which will make data downloads faster for your device, important for games and multimedia applications. By taking advantage of these two pieces of software, the MING comes a bit closer to the iPhone's performance.
Users also suggest using the MING's stylus on the keypad for accessing some of the phone's features; pushing buttons with a finger is a little tedious on the petite keypad. Additionally, upgrading the phone's memory capacity is recommended. The MING comes standard with only 8 MG. Upgrading with a microSD card boosts this to about 3 GB, important if you store a lot of photos and files on your phone.
