Monday 7 June 2010

Android Community

Android Community


Twenty Motorola Android phones worldwide this year

Posted: 07 Jun 2010 04:06 AM PDT

Motorola intends to launch a total of twenty Android-based devices in 2010, the company’s director of marketing for their mobile devices business has revealed, though not all of those handsets will necessarily hit every region.  Tom Satchwell, who heads up the company’s marketing for all mobile devices, confirmed their ambitious plans at the Motorola XT720 launch today, as well as explaining how momentous a change was involved in shifting Motorola’s loyalties to Android.

In fact, that change has perhaps proved too swift for the carriers to keep up.  Like the Motorola MILESTONE – the European version of the DROID – the XT720 will initially launch via distributors as an unlocked handset, rather than through the carriers.  Motorola wouldn’t – or couldn’t – tell us when carrier availability might happen.  The risk they run is that consumers simply won’t hear about the new devices, since they’re not on show in the usual highstreet stores.

Still, we’re not going to argue with more choice in Android, and Motorola are certainly pushing the boat out when it comes to form factors and software builds.  Unlike HTC, who told us they don’t intend to launch a non-Sense Android device (at least not with their own branding), Motorola are still planning to release handsets with and without MOTOBLUR.  They’re also experimenting with the high-end features some users are now looking for, such as Xenon flashes with high-megapixel cameras.  Satchwell unsurprisingly wouldn’t reveal what’s next on the Motorola roadmap, but halfway through the year and there’s still plenty to see.

[via SlashGear]

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Hands-on with Motorola FLIPOUT [Video]

Posted: 07 Jun 2010 03:20 AM PDT

Opinion on the Motorola FLIPOUT with MOTOBLUR, announced last week, varied from “it’s distinctive” to “it’s just plain ugly”, but after a hands-on fondle this morning we’re beginning to change our mind.  The relatively low resolution, QVGA display is still disappointing, but the palm-sized form factor has a lot of appeal in the plastic.  Meanwhile the spring-loaded rotating display is surprisingly tactile – and feels pretty sturdy, too – while the QWERTY keyboard is in fact very usable.

We were able to peck out rapid SMS and email messages with only a few minutes familiarisation, and thanks to the narrow chassis it’s also possible to type one-handed (albeit at a slower pace).  The touchscreen was responsive and MOTOBLUR snicks through its widgets reasonably quickly.

Motorola FLIPOUT hands-on:

Motorola told us that the FLIPOUT is the latest result of their attempt to slim down physical QWERTY Android phones, following on from the slide-out CLIQ/DEXT and the unusual BACKFLIP.  It’s certainly smaller than both those handsets, as you can see from the comparison shots in the gallery below, but the keyboard is still surprisingly good.  Expect it to arrive on Orange UK imminently; no word on a launch anywhere else at this stage.

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Motorola XT720 gets official: keyboard-free 8MP DROID [Video]

Posted: 07 Jun 2010 02:52 AM PDT

Motorola have taken the wraps off of their latest Android 2.1 smartphone, the 10.9mm thick Motorola XT720, and it’s basically a keyboard-free version of the DROID. Packing an 8-megapixel autofocus camera with Xenon flash and 720p HD video recording, the XT720 also has an HDMI port, 3G/HSPA and a 3.7-inch 480 x 854 capacitive touchscreen.

There’s no MOTOBLUR, however, though you do get all the usual Google Android apps together with a trial of MOTONAV. The whole thing measures in at 60.9 x 115.95 x 10.9 mm and has WiFi b/g, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, an FM radio, accelerometer, digital compass, GPS and a proximity sensor.

The XT720 is set to hit preorder at Expansys, Play and Clove this Friday, with a general release this month. No word on carrier partners at present, nor pricing, and they also won’t confirm when – or if – the smartphone will get an Android 2.2 Froyo update or launch in the US.

We’ve shared our first-impressions of the XT720 over at SlashGear, so head over there for the full report.

Motorola XT720 hands-on

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