Android-powered Motorola Backflip headed to AT&T on March 7 for $100 on contract
By Thomas Ricker 
posted February 18th 2010 7:32AM
posted February 18th 2010 7:32AM
posted February 18th 2010 7:32AM
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his favourite word is "Super Easy" , I though Samsung had that one with their SUPER amoled...
I would love to lay my hands on the android version HTC Touch Pro2, am not convinced with the backflip design, dont see the point, but maybe thats just me..
@Dking7 Bada-Bing! One of the things that interests us MOST is that physical QWERTY keyboard on the back. When the keyboard is open a touchpad on the back of the phone is revealed which allows you to easily scroll through webpages and apparently it works very well slightly thinner, slightly shorter both length and width, and lighter than the G1. Hmm, that's more like it!: http://bit.ly/moto-backlip-details-best-worst
@unwynd
HTC Touch Pro2 with Android FTW! I would love to have that too. The HTC TP2 was my top choice in phones, but I'd rather Android. Especially since WinMo 6.5 phones can't upgrade to WinPhone7 (and I don't know enough about that yet either).
I'm just waiting for HTC to come out with a similar phone for Android. I could do without the dual-mic, world capability, and resistive screen, but the form factor and keyboard on the TP2 are amazing.
Welcome to the party AT&T.
@Engadgeter
Yep, can't wait to see what the next four are. I hope on the the htc models is the N1...
"HSPA 7.2-capable"
Too bad the phone will be obsolete before AT&T rolls that sort of magic out. They can't even get NYC and SFO *working*.
@Aubrey I work in NYC and I never had a problem with AT&T.....
@(Unverified)
Ha, I live in the Bronx and cant get 3g in my crib for crap, thats why i left.
@(Unverified) Aubrey is talking about the HSPDA 7.2. They have the HSPDA 3.6 mostly working but by the time they get the 7.2 working, Verizon will have their LTE network set up.
@(Unverified) Same here...
Is that rebate by mail or is it instant? If it's the former: lame. If it's the latter: sweet!
@MrHashbrown as i'm a non us citizen, can someone explain this "rebate" thing? it's something we don't have in europe or anything remotely similar.
@MrHashbrown If you go through a corporate AT&T store, it'll be mail-in most likely. But retailers like Best Buy and Radioshack do them instantly, but possibly at different prices. IF they get them on launch day.
@irishgandalf You pay $200 for the phone, and then you have to mail off a form with a copy of your receipt and barcode from the box. After 2 months, you'll get a $100 check, as long as it doesn't get lost somewhere along the way. Its pretty annoying actually, and I think companies are betting that most people forget to send off for them.
@irishgandalf We sometimes have them in the UK. Basically every 3 or 6 months you have to write to the network and request you quarterly/semi-annual rebate. They're hoping that you miss your deadline for the rebate (they certainly don't remind you that's it's coming up), that of course doesn't apply for the immediate rebate.
@MrHashbrown - It's mail-in. You'll get a $100 debit card.
No thanks... Waiting for Windows Phone 7 Series!
@G33K3d uP
Yeah, me too. I'm not up for an upgrade until July anyway. I'd rather wait for the way better phone.
What have you....
"...REALLY High Res. screen!"... And by that he means 320 x 480 (HVGA), LOL!
Ugh, anyone who jumps on this one for AT&T when there are 4 others coming is not the brightest (but that's obvious since they're on AT&T at all). Dumbest Android device yet. Motorola needs to make up its mind. Are they going to make bad devices like this using a bad version of Android, or are they going to make awesome devices like the Droid?
@MarkCohen
Different phones fit different needs of people. For some of the younger people, they have no clue what android is and really love social networking. This is a phone for those people.
@MarkCohen
I won't be getting this phone, but at least it looks like it may have a usable keyboard. I tried typing on the droid, it was easier to use the onscreen keyboard, that would keep me from getting the droid regardless of specs.
@MarkCohen
It's not just about social networking. BLUR is pretty amazing actually. Have you used the native email apps on Droid (or any other Google-experience Android device)? They're pretty rotten. Crappy Exchange support (have to buy Touchdown), crappy pop3 support (have to suffer thru repeat ghost notifications, or the thing doesn't download your mail until you click on it, and then takes forever...). Cut/paste support is very spotty in them - gmail it works great, but the pop3/exchange email client it copies only part of the line before it starts scrolling.
BLUR puts all that email nonsense to bed with a smooth and integrated interface. Sure it's also great for facebook/etc but the clean universal inbox is why I wish I could just download BLUR on my Droid.
And who says the hardware design isn't good? I personally think it's pretty slick. Just because it's not your preference doesn't mean you shouldn't be able to see why other people would find it interesting. It's by no means ugly.
@MarkCohen
Mark not everyone is a power user, my wife wants a texting phone, with a good keyboard, she also loves Facebook, this might be good for her.
Also Epocrates is coming out for Android, as a pharmacist, this would be good for her.
Sure there is better stuff coming out, or out there already, but this phone is far from crap.
this makes me sad. I feel like they are never going to release a good fast phone for tmobile. seriously. this is all they had for mwc? this is what i've waited for? is anyone ever going to have a fast processor with keyboard android phone for tmo? its over.
and does everyones world revolve around this facebook shit? put a good processor in it. BUT! The keyboard looks a little better than droid, if I have to find a good point about this otherwise turdly brick of a girls phone.
@TrumanHW
+1 on the "facebook shit" comment. So goddamn sick and tired of hearing about all that crap.
I turned the video off 1/2 way through, but I am surprised he didn't say anything about Twitter. :rolleyes:
@TrumanHW Thank you. I always have these friends questioning (literally) me why I'm not on Facebook. Always around me saying "oh you would've known if you checked out my Facebook", that kind of crap.
Almost to the point I'm telling them to go to hell kind of annoying.
@ToniCipriani, it's one thing to not like Facebook, to not use it would be social suicide. Just saying your probably wasting more time not having the event feed trying to figure out all the events by hand.
@Templarian You forgot something called e-mail. Besides if it's just on Failbook it's probably not important.
The fact that it rotates from the back means that when the keyboard is open, the device has a front facing camera. I hadn't noticed that before, but that's pretty awesome.
Hey guys, forget that Hero thing, and that new super cool looking Legend thing! Let's go with this weird looking contraption. What was that, HTC just called, there making a nexus one with Sense ui and running Android? Nahhhh, let's push the side kick..... Errrr Back Flip!
@Sean76
While I am no fan of this phone, none of the ones you mentioned have a keyboard. No keyboard, no buy.
What are peoples main beefs with this phone? Must every device be a $500 superphone? Do the teenagers you know all need exchange mail support or remote access to their servers? What's wrong with you people?
@Tes
Agreed
@xFenixKnightx
There seems to be this real blinkered view on Engadget from the loudest commentators. Who uses Facebook? Ooh, about 300 million people, that's who. All through the HTC announcements a couple of days ago, it was "where's the keyboards?!?" and as soon as one is released with one "what's with the keyboard?!?"
C;mon people, get a grip. One device cannot possibly fulfil the need for those that want a large screen, but small enough to be pocketable, but have a keyboard, but be 100% touch enabled, have compatibility with all your iPhone apps, Android apps, Symbian apps, Win Mo apps...etc, with an OLED screen, and e-ink and be compatible with every American carrier and European carrier and Chinese carrier at the same time while costing $20.
Basically, not EVERYTHING is for you. Stop your whining.
The trackpad on the back seems more like a headache to use, than innovation.
@Bud92
Have you used it?
@Tes
you mad?
@JFK Engadget comments are maddening most of the time. Tes just does something with the madness. And "Have you used it?" indeed.
@Tes he said: "it seems like..." he doesn't has to have used it to say that.
@Bud9
I was only giving my opinion but oh well, I guessed it wasn't liked it.
Motorola is a more recognized brand than htc.
@jaffreywali
*HTC. Capitalize, for the love of Mike.
The Android strategy is not an elitist strategy. Android for all is the strategy. I would imagine that a vast majority of the people that purchase this phone will be looking for an entry level web and texting phone. This will provide that, then the end user will learn more about android capabilities, and their next phone may be a more high end android.
However the Backflip should have 2.0 or 2.1 either at launch or the next couple months. Other then the screen, the feature set is pretty good. I for one will be purchasing this phone outright, i love experiencing new phones and getting a gist for them. It looks like full retail will be $300. Normal AT&T pricing scheme, retail, 1yr -$50, 2yr -$100 +rebates.
@detroitmak Why should they switch to high-end devices? To be honest, I'm rather sick of people buying powerful smartphones because they can, and it's "liek, the bestest fone evar!!", and then use just 10% of its capabilities. And the Backflip is an interesting concept no matter how you cut it - I'm in a small European market that doesn't get any of this stuff, and I'm thinking It'd be more fun to play around with the Moto for a bit than any of the big guns I'd rather own.
Anyone else notice how they dubbed '20,000' on top when he's talking about the android market?
Yes, like I'd buy a phone molested with MOTOBLUR and whose camera my paws would be rubbing against as I type and whose keys would most likely get damaged in a pocket or purse.
AT&T's Facebook says "the wait is over".
No, it isn't. The wait is still on for an actually decent Android device on the AT&T network, much like the Nexus One.