Motorola Sholes Android phone for Verizon appears in the flesh
By Nilay Patel 
posted July 31st 2009 12:01PM
posted July 31st 2009 12:01PM
posted July 31st 2009 12:01PM
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Ugh. The rendered pic looked very cool, better than any other Android device out there by far. But this spypic? Ouch.
Looks like a prototype, to me.
I'm going to withhold judgment until I see a final build.
you mean there's a reasonable person reading Engadget? I thought knee-jerk reactions to blurry-cam prototype spy shots were a required trait.
I think the worst part of this design is the recessed screen. It's going to be difficult to get accurate touches near the border of the screen.
I really like the red d-pad, to each there own. I am more interested to see the UI. Please Motorola do not let me down, I need a Rzr2 replacement be the end of the year.
I agree that a dpad is a good thing (better than a trackball, or nothing at all). But, I think the dig they were making was aimed at it being red, not at it being a dpad :-)
Why do all android phones need to have that ugly chin/lip at the bottom? Common, give us the (normal) designs like the winmo phones have, give it better hardware specs and functionality of the iPhone 3G(S) and put android on it -> ultimate phone.
this chin just looks useless.
i like the chin on the g1 or hero, for example.
but this one?
a no go.
*cough* iPhone clone *cough*
Seriously, this a very pathetic attempt and an all time low from the lowest of the low(MotoLOWa). This phone is ugly, the D-pad is probably even worse than the N97(and that D-pad was ultimate fail), and it tries to copy the HTC chin. Nothing but failure guys, nothing more to see. I don't know why MotoLOWa just doesn't die and rot in the corner?
there is absolutely nothing about this phone that resembles an iPhone...
@sstrunks84 but it is a glass fronted rectangle! iPhone clone!!
(this is apparently how the iFanboy mind works)
the render was /so/ much sexier..
i feel kind of heartbroken. )_:
Pretty sure that red is going to stay even if you don't want to. It's verizon's true color. It's like their "one step forward, two steps back" idea.
Those Apple multitouch patents seem to be much ado about nothing - LG has half a dozen multitouch capable phones available, the Palm Pre has it, and apparently the Zune HD will have it too...
@sstrunks84
Let the troll have his fun. Let him make an idiot of himself and have everybody laugh at him. The only way to kill a troll is do nothing but ignore it and let it kill itself from lack of attention.
I know that it's called Sholes as an homage to Christopher Sholes, qwerty inventor, but am I the only one who thinks "shit holes" every time I read the name?
And I agree that Verizon will likely cripple it.
i didn't, but i do now.
Android Smartphone Sholes
or "ASSholes"
I could put up with a not so great looking phone if the OS was fast and responsive.
what kind of a moron would put the d-pad on the right side?!
The obvious use of a dpad is for direction control / gaming, especially given that this one isn't even usable unless you have the phone in portrait mode. Yet this/these idiot(s) decided to throw it on the left side just to make sure they lose sales? I love to use emulators on my G1, and wish I had a dpad for control, and if this one had it on the left, I would jump on it in a minute.
The D-Pad is very very useful if this device is to be used by business people. If you were editing a document or a spreadsheet then you could quickly and precisely navigate around it using the D-pad as arrow keys. And on the right matches a normal keyboard position.
With the keyboard open, the whole screen contains the document you are viewing / editing, no big pop-up on-screen keyboard to reduce your usable screen size. I like it.
i really hope some motorola representatives read this article and the comments and redesign the phone, cus this is horrible,, ugliest phone ive seen yet
If this is an actual Moto phone, Motorola will soon be out of business. That's one ugly phone!
this picture is very disappointing...
Um, and I thought then render was ugly? This thing is horrendous.
Have any screens been leaked of Motorola's new interface?
Is Motorola going to skin Android, like HTC's Sense UI?
It looks good, screw the haterz. :P
Doesn't look any different to the render apart from the protective opaque plastic coating, and the poor quality washed out blurry cam.
Again THIS IS NOT NEWS
Still take this design over the uglier Motorola Morrison.
Got me a fancy email from motorola (by being an android dev) today. They failed at BCC.. oh well..
--EMAIL--
Subject: Motorola is interested in your Android Applications
Hi Android Developer:
Motorola is interested in the the Android Applications you've developed for our upcoming Android phones.
If you're interested, please provide and send back the below information and we will add you to our a list of companies to contact for the upcoming opportunity. We will be following up with the contact name you provide with more information in a couple weeks - thanks in advance.
Contact Name:
Contact Title:
Phone Number:
Email:
Name of Android Application (s):
Thanks,
Dan
Daniel Steiny
Senior Manager, Market Development
Motorola, Inc.
809 11th Avenue
Sunnyvale, CA 94089
Direct: 408-541-6642
Mobile: 917-287-6414
MMMmmmm... sexy
verizon still sucks.
我是中国人，呵呵，来外国论坛坐坐，感觉不错
Here are the specifications - http://www.everythingwm.com/forum/future-motorola-q-smartphones/motorola-sholes-android-phone-35558.html