Motorola Backflip / Enzo bringing Android contortions to AT&T

Just when we though this decade had run short on phone form factors, Motorola comes along to blow our minds with this new Backflip / Enzo / Motus device. Amazingly, the most interesting part of this device might not even be the reverse hinge design, which flips the keyboard back behind the screen and faces out when not in use, but the fact that there's a clear-as-day AT&T logo on it -- something we'd heard rumored, but dared not believe until we saw it with our own eyes. The rest of the leaked photos go on to corroborate earlier rumors: there's a touchpad on the back of the keyboard to aid in no-look scrolling, it's running Blur on top of Android 1.5 (with a few AT&T apps, Yahoo search and no Gmail), and it runs the same 528MHz processor as the CLIQ. Hard to believe this very same company builds the Droid.

[Thanks, Jeff B.]

[joaqd Posted Dec 16th 2009 9:19PM]

Moto, I appreciate your innovation.
This is better than what you used to do. Recycle the same designs over and over.
I'm pretty sure they will sell shitloads of these if AT&T starts a smartphone marketing campaign now that they have all the worth OS's. Sans WebOS.
Mainstream consumers just see the flipping, the touchscreen, the shiny, the Android, and the Moto logo that is on their current RAZR. They'll buy.

[littlekid Posted Dec 16th 2009 9:28PM]

In my Area AT&T is the superior network, and I Will buy this phone, but wtf, no Gmail? I'll have to hack it. What bullshit.

[Karate Tortoise Posted Dec 16th 2009 10:00PM]

Ahhh AT&T.. how i dont miss ye. At least the company finally as an andr-WAIT IS THAT A CAMERA MOUNTED ON THE KEYBOARD???

[R Posted Dec 16th 2009 10:04PM]

ATT doesn't want to cannibalize iphone sales, so they're going to offer a mediocre Android phone. I think this all we're going to see, in terms of Android phone on ATT.

I'm anxiously waiting for the Sony Xperia X10. Preferably unlocked and unbranded.

[kmoneyyy Posted Dec 16th 2009 10:09PM]

I'm using a Motorola CLIQ with AT&T. It pretty much looks exactly like this phone and only cost me $25 on ebay to unlock it from tMobile. Sweet phone, processor could be a little faster though

[NYNY Posted Dec 16th 2009 10:20PM]

Oh crap someone ported Android onto an iPhone?!?! Oh wait...

[Chefgon Posted Dec 16th 2009 10:55PM]

Android's killer app? Gmail.

Motorola Backflip's killer app? Uh, well, it has a neat hinge.

[mpeters13 Posted Dec 16th 2009 11:25PM]

It might just be me... but I'm not all that crazy with the gmail app to begin with. If it has a built in mail client, then that's good enough. It's still strange though. I mean... what exactly is AT&T's hangup with Gmail anyway?

[Justin R Posted Dec 16th 2009 11:53PM]

Fugly. The only way AT&T is going to move these is if they are offered on full or near full subsidy on contract.

[tech head Posted Dec 17th 2009 12:27AM]

Where is the att logo. I don't see it :(

[NYNY Posted Dec 17th 2009 9:55AM]

@tech head Look at the keyboard, you'll find what you want there lol.

[tech head Posted Dec 17th 2009 11:01AM]

@NYNY oh, thanks. ;)

[freddiewalls1 Posted Dec 17th 2009 1:05AM]

I've been an AT&T/Cingular customer for close to seven years. A few days ago I was eligible to upgrade. I Currently have a rooted and unlocked G1 and was looking at the iPhone but I'm used to the tight Google app integrations of the Android platform and I gotta say, this phone is an absolute joke. Not just hardware-wise but by AT&T bullying their way into the phone's OS. My contract's up in February and T-Mobile and the NexusOne are looking might fine right about now........

[mosiasilla Posted Dec 17th 2009 2:21AM]

waw, i like this phone, and thats phon i want, and i really thanx to mottorolla s all members he make a supprve phon,


http://ezinearticles.com/?Enhance-Physik-Review---Does-it-Work?&id=3367433

[psycros Posted Dec 17th 2009 2:38AM]

Something is off about this thing. See the strange way the inner group of keys are like a sunken living room? I think these theories about some kind of dual purposing are probably on the mark.

[Son0fsocal Posted Dec 17th 2009 2:53AM]

AT&T is getting a crummy android device.. Funny, because went to pay my AT&T bill yesturday I asked an employee if they were ever
going to get a android device and the chick said no because according
to her, AT&T signed a 2 year extention to keep iPhone exclusive..
Hmmm..

[Verythrax Posted Dec 17th 2009 5:43AM]

Haha, the first time I looked at the picture, I though it used a hinge somewhat like the N97 and thought "cool, more keyboard space" ;)

- I'm a bit skeptical about no Gmail support. I hope they just didn't assume that cause of the Yahoo search.
- Despite the crazy keyboard thing, the layout seems pretty nice, at least. I'll save my judgment about "keyboard is out when close" to when they review it.

[AwayBBL Posted Dec 17th 2009 8:08AM]

Not sure I understand the fascination with a standalone gmail app. I actually prefer having a unified mail client that works the same whether I am in my gmail accounts, exchange accounts, or any other ISP mail account.

Clearly this device is targeted at "the social networking crowd" and not "tech nerds". This is a Moto Blur platform, not a Droid platform. I'd be willing to wager that this is but the first of many Android devices for big blue.

[TLM wreckless Posted Dec 17th 2009 1:39PM]

It might just be me but this phone looks cool i would pick it up but it seems fragile and im not on at&t

[fifth Posted Jan 1st 2010 7:51AM]

Looking at this nonsense makes me think that Verizon really does deserve credit for getting the hell out of Google / Moto's way.

I hate to say it because Verizon are generally a bunch of sleazy jerks who run a multibillion dollar telecommunications company with all the panache of a third-rate carnival huckster. But somehow someone convinced them to play it straight for once.

[rah5024 Posted Jan 20th 2010 8:58PM]

Lol I'd expect AT&T to cripple the hell out of android to the point where you might as well call it a "dumbphone."