Motorola makes the budget-friendly XT531 official, will be available in China this month

The Domino name and its fancy "plus" didn't make the cut, but at least the phone itself did. Not long after the Motorola XT531 endured its obligatory photo session, the Android 2.3 device has been deemed worthy of an official press release announcing its upcoming availability. With it, all of the pertinent details came gushing out: it's powered by an 800MHz CPU (no specific chip was mentioned), 512MB of RAM, a 3.5-inch HVGA display, a 1540mAh battery for up to eight hours talk time, and it offers dual cameras (5 MP rear / VGA front). Dimensionally speaking, the handset is 11.95mm thick and weighs a smidgen above four ounces. Oh, and here's the kicker -- select parts of Asia will be able to choose between single-SIM and dual-SIM flavors. The XT531 will be available as the Fire XT in Europe and the Spice XT in Latin America -- not to be confused with the Fire and Spice -- sometime this fall. While our earlier images clearly showed the device clad in an all-white shell, there was zero mention of color choices. Disappointed? Allow us to recommend the age-old method of wishing upon a star. The full press release is after the break.

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Motorola Mobility Delivers a Sleek, Slim, and Budget Friendly Smartphone Experience With Motorola XT531

With a bright 3.5-inch touch screen display and dual cameras, Motorola XT531 is simply better

LIBERTYVILLE, Ill., Aug. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Now there is no need to sacrifice design or function with the Motorola XT531™, the new, slim and budget-friendly Android™ smartphone from Motorola Mobility. The Motorola XT531 gives users a more engaging experience with its 3.5-inch, extra-bright touch-screen display, dual cameras for vivid video capture, and all the social networking you want. The Motorola XT531 will be available starting this month in China. The device will be available in Hong Kong, Taiwan and select countries in Europe and Latin America starting this fall.

Running on the latest version of Android, or 2.3 Gingerbread, the latest version of Google's operating system, Motorola XT531 is the perfect balance of sleek design, affordability and intuitive functionality. Capture and share your memories in crystal clear clarity with its 5-megapixel auto-focus camera with built in flash. With the *Qik Video Connect you can easily create videos and share with friends in real-time. You can also use the Qik app with the front-facing camera for video chatting. Typing text and email messages is faster and easier with the touch-screen keyboard. Plus, with access to leading social media applications users can stay in constant contact with friends and family.

The fashionable Motorola XT531 also offers unique personalization options through the Moto Switch user interface that enables users to switch between friend and work-centric modes depending on what they're doing.

"Smartphones have become integral, personal parts of users' lives – that's why Motorola believes they should be fun, fashionable and feature-packed," said Fei Liu, senior vice president, mass market consumer products, Motorola Mobility. "Motorola XT531 is an affordable device that gives young, fast-moving users everything they want from a top-quality smartphone."

Motorola XT531 also has best-in-class battery life, allowing users to talk for eight hours or have 28 days of standby in 3G mode. The battery can handle regular multitasking between apps, games and Web browsing, as well as heavy messaging. Users also have access to more than 250,000 apps from the Android Market™ and in some countries will have access to SHOP4APPS.
The Motorola XT531 will be marketed as Motorola FIRE™ XT in Europe and as Motorola SPICE™ XT in Latin America. The Motorola XT531 will be available as single-SIM and dual-SIM models in select parts of Asia. The dual-SIM model will be available starting this fall.

Key Features and Specifications:
Runs on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
Dual-band HSDPA/Quad-band EDGE
3.5" HVGA display with capacitive multi-touch
5MP camera with auto-focus and built in flash
Front-facing VGA camera for video call, chat and sharing
Moto Switch UI allows users to shift to different modes
800MHz chipset
512MB onboard memory
MicroSD card slot expandable up to 32GB
Access to Google Apps (Mapping, Voice Turn-by-Turn Directions, 360 Mapping, Google Talk™, Browsing)
FM Radio with RDS support
Wi-Fi b/g/n
E-compass, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, accelerometer
GPS.aGPS
LED notifications
3.5mm Audio Jack
1540mAh battery, up to 8 hours of talk time and 28 days in standby in 3G mode

Availability
Motorola XT531 is available starting in August in China. The device will be available in Hong Kong, Taiwan and select countries in Europe and Latin America starting this Fall.