Motorola i1

The Motorola i1 is the first ruggedized Android device.  Equipped with Push-to-Talk functions, this is also their first iDEN radio for Nextel customers.  Other key features include WiFi, 5MP camera with video capture and LED flash. 

Like a number of other Nextel handsets, the i1 features a sturdy design and meets Military Specifications 810f so it can withstand dust, shock, vibration, rain, humidity, fog, and more. To really drive home the idea of the phone’s ruggedness, Moto and Sprint invited Mike Rowe, host of Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs,” to introduce the Motorola i1. Rowe’s show takes a look at some of the toughest and dirtiest jobs in the nation; jobs in which people need rugged phones.

The phone indeed feels strong, and we’re thrilled to see an iDEN device that offers a sleeker design and such advanced features as a touch screen, a decent Web browser, and a 5-megapixel camera. Of course, we wish it was running something a little more than Android 1.5. That said, we also have to wonder, will the Motorola i1 be too much for the traditional Nextel customers?

Motorola Backflip

The Motorola Backflip, announced at CES 2010, and now available through AT&T (see below for prices), is an unusual design for a cell phone.  It has a full physical flip out keyboard, but unlike most phones with keyboards, when the two halves of the phone are folded together, the screen is exposed on one side, the keyboard on the other.

The keyboard can flip all the way over so that it is usable below the screen.  When used that way, the appearance is similar to the Motorola Droid, which uses a slide out keyboard.  Most observers prefer the feel of the Backflip keyboard, believing that it feels sturdier.

What the Backflip provides that the Droid does not, is that the half with the keyboard can be held in place partially opened.  This allows the keyboard half to serve as a stand for the phone.  The phone can be placed on a flat surface, and the screen used as an alarm clock, or as a viewer for videos, photos, or monitoring of incoming messages and e-mail.

Which brings us to another feature of the Backflip.  Motorola’s MOTOBLUR.  This provides a streaming service for your e-mail and social networking sites.  E-mails and social site updates are immediately displayed on your Backflip screen.  Information delivered this way is always backed up on a MOTOBLUR secure server, providing security that your information will not be lost.

The Motorola Backflip will use Google’s Android operating system, version 1.5.  Updates to the newest version, 2.1, have been promised by Motorola.  Android is a relatively new cell phone operating system, positioned by Google as a competitor to Apple’s iPhone.  Android brings with it the significant advantages of being an open platform, that is being widely supported by third party developers, resulting in a rapidly growing body of available applications.  Google hosts an “app store” where these can be easily obtained.

Other Google services to be included include Gmail, Google Maps, and Google Talk.

The Backflip comes standard with WiFi, Blutooth, and a 5 megapixel camera.  A 2 GB memory card is also standard.  Up to a 32 GB hard drive is available   To some, the screen’s 320 x 480 3.1 inch screen seems a little crowded for the sophisticated interface.

AT&T is offering the Backflip without any service contract for $349, or for $199 with a new 2 year contract for $199 and a $100 mail-in rebate bringing the cost to only $99.   A $30/month data plan is required with the Backflip, as is common for many smart phones, including the iPhone.

Now with the release of the Motorola Backflip, AT&T has a foot in all of the major camps when it comes to smart phones.  If the advantages of the Android platform is appealing, along with a keyboard, the Backflip may be the phone for you.

Motorola Droid

Design
At first glance, the Droid is sort of industrial looking; it features a square, gray design, and a face dominated by its big, 3.7-inch touchscreen. (That’s .2 inches bigger than the iPhone’s touchscreen, if you’re keeping score.) The Droid’s display also offers a resolution of 480 by 854 pixels, which is sharper than the 480 by 320 resolution of the display found on the iPhone 3GS.

When closed, the Droid is very similar in size to the iPhone 3GS. The Droid measures 4.6 inches tall by 2.4 inches wide, while the iPhone 3GS measures 4.5 inches by 2.4 inches. The Droid is slightly thicker than the iPhone 3GS, though, thanks in part to its full QWERTY keyboard, which slides out from beneath the display.
Voice and Data
The Droid runs on Verizon’s CDMA and high-speed EvDO networks. It also includes support for Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth wireless.
Software
The Droid runs the latest version of the Google Android operating system, version 2.0, which adds polish to the somewhat rougher earlier versions of the OS. One of Android’s biggest strengths is the amount of customization it offers — and that’s something that Verizon and Motorola have been hyping while advertising the Droid.

The Android Marketplace still pales in comparison to Apple’s App Store, which offers more than 100,000 apps. But more apps are being added to the Android Marketplace every day, and you’ll find a good selection of titles in there. The Marketplace offers a decent selection of apps for work and play, including a free version of Documents To Go, which allows you to view Microsoft Word and Excel files. (A paid version adds editing privileges, among other features.)

The Droid also is the first phone to feature Google’s new GPS application, called Google Maps Navigation. It’s a full-fledged GPS app, offering spoken turn-by-turn directions. And, unlike the GPS apps for the iPhone, Google’s Android app is free. Verizon will be selling a windshield mount for the Droid, and once the phone is inserted into the mount, it automatically enters a navigation mode.
Messaging
When the Droid was first announced, many outlets reported that Verzion Wireless would charge users an extra $15 per month to use the phone to access an Exchange e-mail account. Verizon, however, says that is not true. Consumers can use the Droid to access various e-mail accounts — including Exchange accounts — as part of the $30-per month data plan. Businesses, however, must pay for the $45-per-month data plan.
Camera
The Droid’s 5-megapixel camera is a big step up from the 3.2-megapixel model found on the iPhone 3GS. The Droid’s shooter includes a dual-LED flash, plus the ability to select from various scene modes, add color effects, and control the white balance. It also captures video at “DVD quality.”
Music and More
The Droid does not include access to Verizon’s suite of V Cast service, but instead offers the music features found on other Android phones. That means you get one-touch access to Amazon’s MP3 store for DRM-free music downloads. You also get a basic music player for organizing and playing back tunes.

The Motorola CLIQ/DEXT has 3G/HSDPA (900, 1700, 2100); in the US, it is only compatible with T-Mobile’s 3G UMTS network. It also has WiFi capability, a 5-megapixel camera and video recording (at 24 frames per second), a standard 3.5 mm headphone jack, an HTML browser, and a QWERTY keyboard. It also has access to applications through the Android Marketplace that is part of the Android OS.

Motorola-CLIQ

Some of the other key features of the device are MOTOBLUR, remote wipe and link calls with mapping software.

MOTOBLUR’s primary function is to enable the user to receive various updates from a variety of sources such as Twitter, Facebook, and Email clients directly on their phone’s main screen.

Motorola DEXT (European edition) was launched by early October in the UK by Orange UK followed by the US launch of the US edition CLIQ by T-Mobile US on November 2nd.

Early December 2009 T-Mobile US started pushing an operating system update OTA. Features of the update include: better battery life /management, improved Bluetooth connection, touch screen accuracy improvement, accelerometer accuracy, & hang-up issues. The patch (to system version 1.1.31) weighs in around 8Mb.

On 23th January 2010, Motorola CLIQ/DEXT was launched at Singapore exclusively to Singapore Telecom, Singtel.

Unlike other Android handsets from HTC, the Tattoo has a resistive touchscreen instead of capacitive. The device’s designer explained that it was tested with a capacitive display, but that multi-touch simply wasn’t practical on such a small screen, while the company’s Twitter feed states that a capacitive screen is insufficiently accurate at this size. The resistive screen may also reduce costs.

HTC Tattoo

Physical Aspects

The HTC Tattoo is a nicely built handset and feels very sturdy indeed, with no creaks or squeaks from its covers. The front of the handset features a 2.8-inch QVGA (240 x 320 pixel) resolution resistive touchscreen display, with an earpiece and notification LED above it, and most of the device’s hardware buttons beneath it. These hardware buttons comprise a home key, menu key, back key, search key, and call send and end keys. The Tattoo is also the first HTC Android device in the UK to come without a trackball, instead featuring a 5-way d-pad. Personally, although I like the trackball, I think the d-pad actually makes the handset easier to use in some ways.

The rear of the handset is very rounded at its edges, which gives the Tattoo a pleasant feel in the hand. Top left of the rear cover is the camera lens, next to the centrally-positioned loudspeaker grille. The texture of the front and rear covers feels odd, but in a good way. The surface is smooth, with an almost soft-touch feel. The right edge of the handset is bare, and the left is home only to the volume rocker. The top of the handset features the Tattoo’s 3.5mm headphone port and a lanyard fixing. The bottom features just HTC’s miniUSB port for charging and data, and a microphone pinhole.

The icing on the cake for the Tattoo is the ability to change its covers and for users to design their own covers on HTC’s website. This makes the phone delightfully customizable, and HTC’s online cover creator is fantastically easy and fun to use. Our handset came with the bog standard grey/silver cover, which is pretty nice as well. The bottom of the handset is a gunmetal grey color, which fades slowly into silver as it moves up the phone. The HTC logo is printed on the back, as is a little Android character, cheekily popping its head up from the split in the rear cover. The upper part of the rear cover can be removed to access the battery, SIM card slot, and microSD slot. Removing the front cover and bottom part of the rear cover is also pretty easy, and they pop off without requiring too much effort.

The HTC Tattoo measures a respectable 106mm x 55.2mm x 14mm (4.2in x 2.2in x 0.6in) and weighs in at a fairly weighty (for its size) 113 grams (3.99 ounces). This weight adds to the handset’s sturdy feel, making it a pleasure to hold.

Android Phone: HTC Magic Photo

Like the HTC Dream, the Android Market application, which allows users to download new software applications from third-party developers, as well as providing publicly-viewable ratings and comments, is also included with the device. Indian versions of HTC Magic do not have Google apps and Android Market access.

There also are several non-official versions of Android released for the Magic, such as the CyanogenMod firmware, which offers enhanced performance and additional features.

The 3.2 Megapixel camera works wonders for picture happy phone fans and NEW with the HTC Magic is the introduction of Video Recording on the Android platform.

Another feature brand new to Android that is ushered in with the HTC Magic is the software keyboard. The Magic satisfies touchscreen lovers by being Android’s first touchscreen only device and therefore requires a software keyboard, something which was absent from the first Android phone. The HTC Magic also has a trackball for precision navigating when browsing the web and other applications.

The HTC Magic is destined to dazzle the mobile world by pulling off the type of tricks that only Android can… congratulations to HTC on coming in at #1 and #2 with the first Android phones on the market!

With a few stylistic changes including a taller and thinner frame, call and end hardware buttons and coloration differences, the HTC Droid Eris is essentially the HTC Hero on Verizon Wireless.

htc droid eris

The HTC Droid Eris comes loaded with the customized version of Android called “Sense” from HTC that brings many design and functionality improvements to the phone. At the most basic level, there are more homescreens, an improved UI, more widgets and tighter integration with your contacts.

Although the Droid Eris launched in the shadow of the Motorola Droid, only a couple months ago this was THE BEST Android Phone on the market and with only a $99 price when it first launched, the HTC Droid Eris is an incredibly attractive purchase and comes highly recommended.

Android HTC hero G2

Make it Yours:
With HTC Hero, personalization reaches a level never before possible. Rather than burying important content under layers of menus, the HTC Hero lets you put it at glance view, with a selection of widgets that can be placed right on the home screen. The widgets themselves can be personalized with a variety of designs and sizes that best match your personality.

With Scenes, a new profile feature, HTC Hero becomes multiple phones in one. Create and switch between Scenes that reflect different moments in your life. Your Hero becomes a weekend phone that helps you relax with your choice of tunes, catch up with your favorite friends and capture some memories with HTC Footprints™. And when you go on a trip, your phone becomes your personal guide and gives you instant access to local time, weather and maps.

Android HTC Tmobile G1 white

The HTC Dream was released in the US on 22 October 2008; in the UK on 30 October 2008; and became available in other European countries including Austria, Netherlands, and the Czech Republic in early 2009. It was released in Germany in February 2009 with a QWERTZ keyboard and in France in March 2009 with an AZERTY keyboard . On 10 March 2009, it became available in Poland as Era G1 under a local mobile brand affiliated with T-Mobile.

As of 2008, in the US, it was priced starting at $129.99 for new and existing T-Mobile customers if purchased with a two-year T-Mobile voice and data plan, and $399 without a contract.Contrary to claims made by T-Mobile representatives, the handset does not need the data plan to work; however, the Access Point Name (APN) settings need to be changed to make the Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS-Picture Messages) work. The Dream comes in black, bronze (formerly called “brown”; except in the UK), or white.

On 23 April 2009, T-Mobile USA announced it had sold one million G1s since the device’s launch.

On 5 February 2009, the phone was released through Optus in Australia, as the HTC Dream. On 21 February 2009, Singapore became the first country in Asia to introduce the phone. It was sold by SingTel between $38 – $238 under various contracts. Telefónica also launched a version of the phone in Spain on 20 April 2009 with slightly modified control buttons.

On June 2, 2009 it was released through Rogers Wireless in Canada as the HTC Dream. This variant, DREA210, supports the UMTS 850 / 1900 bands and HSDPA up to 7.2Mbps for use on Rogers’ 3G network.