Test Drive of Panasonic's Long Lasting MX6

After the pink Panasonic VS2 that we had for review recently, Panasonic Malaysia has loaned us a pre-production unit of the MX6. In the same way that the VS in the VS series stands for Visual Slim, representing the glorious screens and slim form factors of the series, we have the MX series, for Maximum Endurance. The MX6 is powered by a 1660 mAh Li-Ion battery, which is twice the capacity of the VS2's 830 mAh Li-Ion. This means double the talk time, double the standby time, and a bigger bulge in your pocket due to the humongous battery.

The Panasonic MX6 is a tri-band (900/1800/1900Mhz) phone, sporting the same 1.3 megapixel camera and glorious QVGA screen found in the VS2.

So is the MX6 a good phone to use? Let's find out in our test drive.

Panasonic MX6

Panasonic MX6

Physical Aspects

The MX6 looks pretty much like the Panasonic VS3, with its changeable front covers. It's made of good quality plastic, and it feels really solid. There were no squeaks or creaks found on our review unit.

On the front of the MX6, you will find the 1.3 megapixel camera perched at the top, with a self-portrait mirror below it. The camera is slightly recessed, and the chrome ring around it works as the Macro mode switch. There is an indicator light located below the self-portrait mirror. Like the VS2 and VS3, the Panasonic MX6 does not have an external display. However, the indicator light will flash accordingly when you have unread messages or missed calls. The only problem with not having an external display is that you can't tell the time without flipping it open. I don't have an issue with this as I wear a watch almost all the time, but there are people I know who depend on their mobile phones as their watch.

On the right side of the phone, you will find a multi-function key, which basically activates the camera and works as the shutter button - having only two functions doesn't really warrant it to be labeled as multi-function in my opinion. Next to this, you have the Infrared port. Surprisingly, the volume keys are located on this side of the phone, as opposed to the usual left side. It's nothing serious, just odd.

On the left side of the phone it is less busy, with only the universal connector, which is protected by a rubber flap. This is used for your charger, hands free, and USB cable. The One Push Auto Open button is located on the left side of the hinge. This is the flip release button, which enables you to flip open the phone with just a press. This means to flip open the phone you do not have to use both hands or try to master a tricky maneuver with your thumb; You just have to press this button and voila! However, make sure you have a good grip on the phone, as the spring mechanism is pretty strong, and the MX6 will fly crashing to the ground when being flipped open if you are not careful.

 

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