Maxx MTP9 Focus Review

There seem to be a handful of Indian mobile phone manufacturers who have been taking a keen interest in phones that are equipped with projectors. First, we saw the G’Five Projector phone, which did deliver quite well on its USP. Next up, was the Spice Popkorn, which proved to be quite a handful as well. Now, we have Maxx Mobiles entering the arena, with its MTP9 projector phone. In addition to having an inbuilt projector, it’s of the touch variety and has a few goodies packed within its tiny candybar shell. But, does that make it a worthy buy? Read on to find out. 

Comes with a 2.8-inch resistive screen

Design and Build Quality

The MTP9 Projector Phone comes with a dual tone finish of black and silver. It’s quite thick because of the inbuilt projector and is predominantly made of hard plastic that give it a slight cheapish feel. However, it did survive a few falls, so it could just be the look and not the build that feels that way. There are three buttons underneath the 2.8 inch screen – two for calling purposes and one to go back to the screen. The right consists of the volume rocker, placed next to the extremely closely placed camera button and microUSB port. The power ON button is located at the top and the speakers and heatsink (remember it’s a projector phone) are located on the back and sides. Did we miss the 3.5 mm jack? Nope, because the phone doesn’t have one, so the only way to listen to music is via the microUSB slot.

It's thick as well, due to the projector

The MTP9 comes with a projector stand, which again is made of complete plastic with an air cushion at the bottom. However, in terms of functionality, it’s extremely useful because the phone slots perfectly onto the stand and if you want to use the phone for sessions of video playback via the projector, then the stand is definitely helpful. 

The sides

Features

Interface

There’s this thing about touchscreen JAVA mobiles – irrespective of the brand, the interface has a very common undertone to it – flashy menus, oversized widgets and icons and erratic fluidity in the interface. The Maxx MTP9 follows that exact ‘code of conduct’. It’s got a 208 MHz processor under the hood and a 2.8 inch resistive touchscreen. Initially, it might not seem too powerful in terms of either speed or functionality but once you’ve got a hang of the feedback the phone is used to (a firm and precise touch) it’s quite decent to use, at best. Also, it’s resistive and there’s no stylus so you’ll have a better user experience using your fingernail to manoeuvre your way through the various screens and menus. 

Interface heavily borrowed from Android

A maximum of four widgets can be put on the single home screen and the UI is a cheap rip off from the Android OS. Cheap because it does try to borrow the style, but in the process it’s slow and flashy. The interface definitely leaves a lot to be desired. Media

The stock audio player is a mish-mash of icons and the interface looks pretty shabby. It’s far from being visually appealing, but thankfully, it’s quite functional. However, format support is limited to MP3, MP4 and AVI files. The speakers are quite loud, though and audio quality via the in-ear headphones is fairly good as well. The screen is a tad less for video playback, but that’s where the projector steps in. 

The media player interface

Media playback via the projector is quite good, especially if the surroundings are dark. The screen could have been a bit brighter, whilst being projected, but irrespective of that, it’s definitely of viewable quality. Also, the focus jog dial does a pretty good job. You can easily get a 32-inch or 36-inch projection without compromising on quality. 

The phone also supports wireless FM and it works pretty well, even if you’re in areas with low reception. 

Connectivity

The dual SIM phone has dual band GSM support for the 900 and 1800 MHz bands. Connectivity options include Bluetooth and GPRS. There’s no Wi-Fi or 3G support, so your options are pretty limited. Browsing via Opera Mini is much better than the inbuilt browser. In our call test, voice quality was quite loud and clear and reception wasn’t an issue, either (even with the hideous antenna tucked in). 

Dual SIM, memory card not hot swappable

Misc. Features

The MTP9 is loaded with a few applications and games. Social networking and browsing is taken care of, with the Twitter, Yahoo, Nimbuzz, Facebook and Opera Mini apps. However, the interface again is quite a let down. Games include, Cow Tossing, Tower Box and Abracad Ball. Also, the JAVA version of Talking Tom is present on the phone. We couldn’t find an option to minimize JAVA apps, so if you’re looking for any kind of multitasking, you’ll be disappointed. 

Projector works quite well!

Camera

The Projector phone is strapped with a 5 MP shooter at the back, but there’s no autofocus or LED flash, so shooting options are extremely limited. Images are strictly average and video shooting is possible only in CIF mode, which means you’ll get a maximum resolution of 352 x 288.Images as well as video shots will require a sufficient amount of light, if they need to be captured well. Even indoor shots can only be classified as average. Overall, it’s a very basic camera.  

Camera is average

Battery Life

The phone comes with a 1200 mAh battery. Under the projector mode, we managed to get two and a half hours of usage, roughly about the length of a movie, which is quite good. In our video loop test, the phone lasted for seven hours 40 minutes. The last one we conducted was the call, video, audio test and the battery lasted for 3 hours of calling, 4 hours of audio and 2 hours of video before dying. The phone performs quite well in the battery life department. 

It's USP

Verdict

At an MRP of Rs. 6,999, the MTP9 Focus might be mistaken for a somewhat expensive device, but if you’ll place it at the heart of a target audience, comprising of people who would actually consider buying a phone with a projector to negate the need of a TV, then it’s an extremely useful device. As a phone, it’s nothing different from the plethora of JAVA handsets around in the market. But its USP is clearly the projector and it does a pretty good job at that, and hence, if you’re planning to use that feature extensively, then the MTP9 Focus is a good buy.