MotorolaXt531
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Motorola's XT531 hits the FCC, ready for its US crossover
Motorola's XT531 has gone through more name changes than a certain rapper-cum-vodka shilling mogul, and the trend might continue as it makes its way to the US. The budget-friendly handset, known as the Fire XT in Europe and the Spice XT in Latin America, has just surfaced at the FCC toting AT&T-compatible GSM bands, UMTS / HSDPA 850MHz / 1900MHz support, WiFi and Bluetooth. Based on Moto's official PR for the handset's Chinese release, we know this 3.5-incher also sports a front-facing VGA / 5 megapixel rear camera, and is set to launch with Android 2.3 onboard. With Google's newest pal clearly chasing after heat-related naming conventions, we expect to see this one launch with an equally caliente moniker.
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.
Motorola Domino+ says 'cheese' to the spy camera
Does the addition of a "+" to a phone's name make it any more exquisite? Perhaps not, but that isn't stopping Motorola from taking the symbol for a test drive. If nothing else, the Domino+ (aka XT531) at least earns the extra character in design alone, brandishing a unique-looking candy white shell in its candid photo shoot. Meant to be a budget Android handset, it packs an 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7227, 512MB of RAM, Android 2.3.4, a five megapixel shooter, and a 3.5-inch HVGA display. For a phone that's expected to sell for roughly $340 (off-contract, of course) in China, it has at least a few half-decent specs to carry around. It'll be available in both white and black at a yet-to-be-determined date. At the given price point, it'll be interesting to see if this Domino has an effect on the company's sales in China. Yes, we had to.
