Motorola said its fantastical modular dual-core smartphone the Atrix 4G would appear in the first quarter of the year -- and it's looking like the device will be as late in that first quarter as can be managed without completely bumming us out. Alleged AT&T internal documents found their way into the hands of Android Central, which specify a March 1st launch date for the handset, as well as pointing out pentaband radio frequencies which might help it roam globally but probably won't play nice with T-Mobile data. And what, pray tell, is the Atrix 4G?
Around last month we reported that Verizon Wireless picked Motorola Droid X smartphone. Now, the Motorola Droid 2 in up for pre-sale through Verizon Wireless. The handset effectively blends its features so that users can manage work and social life with utmost ease. Fitted with a QWERTY keypad, the device offers ultra high-speed Web browsing, 3G Mobile HotSpot capabilities, full push corporate e-mail, intuitive social messaging and Adobe Flash Player 10.1 all running on Android 2.2. KE3FTH32Q8Y6
Designed with slim attributes, Droid 2 features a symmetrical keyboard with raised keys which enable users to e-mail, text and tweet with effortlessly. Owners can quickly message with speech-to-text input, virtual multi-touch keyboard and Swype for easier text input. The full push corporate e-mail bundles together features like remote wipe and password enforcement for advanced data safety.
“When we announced DROID X last month, we reaffirmed our commitment to continue to bring unique Android experiences to the Verizon Wireless network,” commented Jeffrey Dietel, vice president wireless device, marketing and development for Verizon Wireless. “The DROID by Motorola was our first Android device, so it is important for us to include the successor to that phone in our portfolio. DROID 2 is not only a continuation of our commitment to Android but offers customers the features and form-factor they crave on the Verizon Wireless network.”
Users can exploit the freedom of wireless with the 3G Mobile HotSpot and connect up to five compatible Wi-Fi devices. Additionally, owners can view content on the vibrant 3.7-inch display. Equipped with a 5MP camera, the handset offers DLNA connectivity to conveniently share data with compatible devices. Users can also download popular apps from Android Market. The device sports 8 GB on-board storage space which can be extended to 32GB.
“With the new DROID 2, we’ve taken a big leap forward from the original DROID,” remarked Bill Ogle, chief marketing officer of Motorola Mobile Devices and Home Business. “We listened to consumers and are providing an even more robust experience built on Android 2.2 that includes a new keyboard, increased processing power, Adobe Flash Player 10.1 and 3G Mobile HotSpot capabilities to send, access and share information even quicker than before.”
Exciting apps on Droid 2 include NFL Mobile, Skype mobile and Blockbuster On Demand presented by V CAST Video. My Verizon and Backup Assistant enable users to manage their wireless accounts or contacts directly from the handset. The company will offer a limited edition R2-D2 version of the Droid 2 through the official website in September. This version will feature Star Wars content and the external hardware will be designed to look like the trusty Droid from the film saga.
Motorola Droid 2 is now available for pre-sale through the official website and it can be snapped from Verizon Wireless Communications Stores from August 12 for $199.99 (approx Rs. 9,313) after a $100 (approx Rs. 4,656) mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Users will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card upon receipt, and they may further use the card as cash wherever debit cards are accepted.
In addition, owners will have to subscribe Nationwide Talk plan or a Nationwide Talk & Text plan, and Email and Web for Smartphone plan. Nationwide Talk plan is tagged at $39.99 (approx Rs. 1,862) for monthly usage, while Email and Web for Smartphone plans start at $29.99 (approx Rs. 1,396) for unlimited monthly access. Users can also access 3G Mobile HotSpot service on their Droid 2 smartphones for $20 (approx Rs. 931) per month.
Marc Brown put it right, ‘Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero’. With the cherished festivity celebrating the bond between siblings approaching soon, the desire to pick up the best gift is soaring high.Chocolates, flowers, cards as potential gift ideas are passé as your divacious sibling may be more inclined to gadgets that merge various style aspects with technology. All brothers looking to enhance their sisters’ style quotient can peep into our top 5 stylish yet affordable phones under 10K.
To begin with, the LG Cookie Fresh highlights how beauty and technology go hand in hand. With dainty features, the device adorns a 7.6cm WVGA touchscreen that enhances viewing experience. This phone boasts of a 2MP camera bundled with MPEG 4 video recording capabilities. It wraps together an integrated FM tuner and the support for MP3 songs would entertain music lovers throughout the day. It would also enable your social networker sister to flutter through Orkut, MySpace, Facebook and more. Enabled with LiveSquare, personalizing contacts with funny avatars has been made possible. The device uplifts creativity levels with its editable screenshot MMS. The LG Cookie Fresh GS290 can be grabbed for Rs. 6,199.
We are sure style divas with social media streak within them would be glad with this piece of innovation. The next handset in our line-up is the Nokia X5-01 that comes with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and also alerts about tweets, status updates and text messages. Sisters can stay connected with their brothers on the go as the handset offers access to social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Hi5. Capture vibrant images with the 5 megapixel camera coupled with 4x digital zoom and LED flash. It packs in 200MB storage space which is expandable up to 32GB. Music enthusiasts can change tracks simply by shaking the handset. Additionally, it is enriched with exceptional sound quality, dedicated music keys, loudspeaker and offers easy access to Ovi Music. The Nokia X5-01 is price tagged at Rs. 9,360.
The bustle of affordable handsets for this special day doesn’t end here. Well, theHTC Smart with Qualcomm’s Brew Mobile Platform OS and HTC Sense UI has made it to our list. Users can access contacts, photos, music, weather and more with various customizable widgets. The handset enhances its functionality with the HTC Friend Stream app which streams from SNS like Twitter, Facebook and Flickr. This enthralling handset boasts of a 2.8-inch TFT LCD that is touch-sensitive. Capture bright and crisp images with the integrated 3MP camera with fixed focus and flashlight. Users can enjoy music on the go with a standard 3.5mm headphone jack. The HTC Smart is available at an affordable price of Rs. 9,990.
Samsung’s Corby range splashed into markets to allure youth with its chic looks, smart features and attractive price points. We’ve picked the Corby Txt as the next in our gift list for sisters. This mobile phone from Samsung adorns a 2.2-inch display and is powered with 10 hours of talktime and 316 hours of standby. The 2MP camera enables taking snapshots and the various effects like Mono, Negative, Sepia, Aqua and Green enhance them further. Music enthusiasts may be delighted as it includes an MP3 player with exceptional sound effects and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Additionally, it bundles up SMS/MMS, e-mail, IM, Bluetooth, WAP and PC Sync app. Flaunting its stylish appearance, the device brings in a QWERTY keyboard. The bold and young color themes and curved body design will appear as a complete package for your sibling. This attractive handset can be purchased for Rs. 5000.
The MotoYuva A810 dressed in either black or white offers an immersive multimedia experience. This enticing touchscreen handset is inclusive of improved handwriting recognition, and stylus to sketch and draw. Users can click images with the 2MP camera and add fun elements with the PhotoEditior feature. Additionally, it includes integrated video player to encode videos at 30fps and Bluetooth with MMS support. Offering 2GB storage with an optional microSD card, the device includes various connectivity options such as GPRS with EDGE support and USB 2.0. Pick this handset now for Rs. 7,100.
These dazzling handsets could help strengthen the bond with your tech-savvy sibling. Pick these devices and present them with a big smile to keep up the bright moment. However, the prices of these phones may vary.
The Motorola Milestone certainly seemly to be going places. After hitting India just this week, the Motorola Milestone XT720 handset has been released through Cincinnati Bell for a price lower than $200 (approx. Rs. 9,195).
The phone’s 8MP AF camera comes accompanied by Xenon flash as well as 4x digital zooming capabilities. Users can also record videos in 720p resolutions with this gadget. The camera functions include features like red eye reduction, camera shake prevention, face detection and more. Its 3.7” touchscreen displays a resolution of 480 x 854p.
This Android 2.1 powered phone integrates 8GB of storage capacity that is expandable by up to 32GB through its microSD card slot. Not only does the handset expose owners to enhanced web content, but it also provides access to a host of apps through the Android Market. Additionally, the included HDMI cable enables connectivity to the home HDTV.
Apart from offering GPS functionality, the handset lets users personalize up to five different homescreens. Wireless connectivity options span over Bluetooth 2 2.1 + EDR2, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, a 3.5mm headset jack, A2DP and AVRCP. The handset can be purchased through Cincinnati Bell on a two year customer agreement.
The Motorola Milestone XT720 can be picked up for $199.99 (approx. Rs. 9,190) via Cincinnati Bell after the $100 (approx. Rs. 4,600) mail-in rebate and $150 (approx. Rs. 7,000) two-year EA savings.
Sketched out to complement users’ sense of style, the Commuter cases put forth an ideal mergence of protection and sleek design. The series comes equipped with three layers beginning with a self-adhering screen film to prevent scratches. Second, a silicon skin which wraps around the device absorbs shock and provides a solid grip.
Finally, rounding out the coverage is a tough polycarbonate shell that snaps around the silicone, providing strength with a smooth finish. The shell also allows users to slide their phone easily in and out of a pocket or purse. A cleaning cloth and installation card are also planked in.
“Mobile technology has become a common sight in classrooms around the world,” remarked OtterBox founder and CEO Curt Richardson. “Professors, teachers and students alike are using devices to take notes, give presentations, save data and do research. With the tight budgets in today’s economy, keeping those expensive devices safe from damage becomes even more important.”
The Defender Series, on the other hand, topples as a great choice for users demanding rugged, on-the-go protection. The highly sturdy case line moves in with three unique layers of protection for the Google Nexus One and HTC HD2. Its first built-in screen protector ensures utmost safeguarding from scratches while a polycarbonate shell surrounds the handset to offer unparalleled strength. The third layer, an outer silicone jacket, sponges up shock and delivers the case grip. Like Commuter, the series also paves the way with a holster-style swivel belt clip that doubles as a phone stand.
Further, trendy cases offer users silicone plugs to keep all ports free of dirt and debris. Users can now easily access features of their devices while adding a touch of protecting to them.
The new Commuter series will make Motorola Devour and Backflip users shell out as little as $34.95 (approx Rs. 1,606) each. The Defender series for Google’s Nexus and HTC HD2 costs $49.95 (approx Rs. 2,295) each.
The Android 2.1-powered Flipout has a 2.8” QVGA TFT screen offering 320 x 240p resolution visuals and a rotator QWERTY keypad. There’s a 3MP fixed-focus digital zoom camera for snapping pictures. The phone has 512MB of onboard memory and a removable 2GB microSD card with support for up to 32GB microSD memory.
The Flipout’s connectivity options span over a 3.5mm headset jack, USB 2.0 HS, Wi-Fi and NGP. Users can surf the web with the Android HTML WebKit browser that’s Adobe Flash-enabled. It’s network capabilities span over WCDMA 900/2100, GSM 850/900/1800/1900, HSDPA 7.2MB/s, GPRS Class 12, EDGE Class 12, HSUPA 2.0MB/s, eCompass/aGPS, version 2.1+EDR.
This shapely offering comes with Motoblur that brings all of the user’s contacts onto one place including e-mail, calendar, Facebook, MySpace, Gmail, Twitter and more. The Motoblur feature also manages to extend GPS tracking and remote data wipe functionalities. The Data Manager allows users to keep tabs on this 67mm x 67mm x 17mm phone’s data usage.
The device’s other capabilities include MMS, SMS, IM, POP3, IMAP and push e-mail. It is powered by an 1170mAh battery and features FM radio. The audio files accommodated by the phone are listed out as AAC, AAC+, AAC+ Enhanced, AMR NB, MP3, WMA v9. The Flipout is also capable of capturing, streaming and playing back H.264, MPEG4, WMV v9 files.
Rogers is offering the Motorola Flipout for $29.99 (approx. Rs. 1,400) on select three-year plans. Customers will have to fork out $374.99 (approx. Rs. 17,300) without the contract.
Indian audiences may gear up to welcome two new handsets coming their way from Motorola quarters. The feature-rich Motorola Backflip and Milestone XT720 phones have landed in the Indian market. Both smartphones are powered by the Android platform. The Android 2.1 powered Milestone XT720 is fitted with a 3.7” WVGA touch display exhibiting a resolution of about 480 x 854p. Attributed with an 8MP camera that includes red eye reduction capability, the device integrates storage capacity of about 8GB which is expandable by up to 32GB with the microSD card slot. “We are taking the Android experience to a whole new level in India with the launch of our two smartphones Milestone XT720 and Backflip,” cited Andrew Morley, vice president for Marketing, EMARA (Europe, Middle East, Africa, Russia & Asia), Motorola Mobile Devices. “Milestone XT720 is one of the most powerful phones in Motorola’s current smartphone range. Slim, sophisticated and technically savvy, Milestone XT720 is a high performance device designed for those who are actively engaged in their work and prefer a phenomenal multimedia experience.” Users can access a host of online content through this handset apart from downloading numerous apps available through the Android Market. The navigational capability of the gadget is backed by the built-in Motonav feature. Additionally, the device can be connected to HDTVs thanks to its HDMI functionality. “With Milestone XT720, Motorola has taken yet another step towards broadening the horizons for consumers to create and consume media on-the-go. Intuitive software, large high quality screen, and output options make this joyous to use. Backflip maximizes multi-tasking with its unique reverse-flip design, making it as smart as it is social,” added Morley. “With WiFi capability, this 3G enabled handset takes ‘Smart’ in a whole new direction with its easy-to-use three way input through the touch screen, keypad and touch pad.” Equipped with a 3.1” HVGA touchscreen that displays 320 x 480p resolutions, the Backflip integrates the Backtrack touch panel behind its screen. The phone is embedded with a 5MP camera accompanied by LED flash. It supports a full HTML browser and includes Wi-Fi 802.11b/g capabilities too. The phone’s name comes from the back-flip QWERTY keypad it sports. The handset supports a host of audio files that include AAC, H.263, H.264, MP3, MPEG-4, WAV, MIDI, AAC+. Like the XT720, this gadget also lets users access an array of apps available through the Android Market as well as a whole suite of Google services. This offering runs on a 1400mAh battery and is attributed with internal memory of about 2GB. The Motorola Milestone XT720 and Backflip smartphones are expected to be priced at Rs. 34,990 and 22,990, respectively.
The Motorola Droid 2 isn't out just yet (as that will happen only next month), but its user guide has already been leaked, revealing a bunch of key details that ought to whet your appetite including the MotoBlur skin, boasting a launcher with the phone and contact buttons sitting beside it. While the final build might be radically different or changed in some way and that user guides are not gospel truth, but there isn't any reason to dismiss the MotoBlur skin at time of publishing. Not only that, the keyboard would be of the multi-touch variety and will come pre-installed with Swype. Last but not least, Android 2.2 will ship with the Droid 2 as deduced from the FroYo Google search menu.
San Francisco has hired Motorola to create a 4G infrastructure utilizing Long-Term Evolution, or LTE, technology for the city's data network, which will only be accessible for public safety services and law enforcement. According to Motorola's press release, "As part of the Bay Area Regional Interoperable Communications System (BayRICS) plan, the system will serve multiple agencies across the greater bay area, including San Francisco, Alameda County/Oakland, Contra Costa County, as well as the cities of Santa Clara and Sunnyvale." The Bay Area governments' 4G network will operate in the 700 MHz spectrum.
Motorola unveiled the new Droid X today at their “Next Generation of Droid” event. The Android equipped phone will be a direct competitor with the HTC EVO 4G sharing many of the same specifications including a 4.3-inch display, 8 megapixel camera, and HD camcorder. The Droid X will be shipping on June 15th and will be priced at $199 after a $100 rebate and two year contract from Verizon
