T-Mobile MDA Basic

Discontinued
15th January 2009

The T-Mobile MDA Basic is T-Mobile's version of the HTC Touch Viva, an entry-level Windows smartphone that is almost identical to the original HTC Touch except for a software update.

It's a fairly compact touchscreen device with support for WiFi, but no 3G. On the back is a basic 2 megapixel camera, and the T-Mobile MDA Basic has microSD expandable memory. You can read more about the specifications of this handset by looking at the Touch Viva.

To native English speakers, the word "Basic" has some negative connotations, this seems to be an outbreak of Denglisch that perhaps we can blame der Kreditkrise for. Compared to most other mobile phones, the MDA Basic is actually pretty advanced.

From the screenshots, it seems clear that T-Mobile aren't using the HTC TouchFLO interface by default, but on the whole the Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system is much better than previous versions.

If you already have an HTC Touch or T-Mobile MDA Touch, then there probably isn't much point in upgrading. However, if you're looking for an entry-level Windows smartphone then the MDA Basic or Touch Viva are certainly worth considering.

T-Mobile say that the MDA Basic should be available in Germany from February, priced at €4.95 on a 24 month Relax 200 call plan. The availability in other countries is not known at present.