motoblur
Latest
Motorola's Sanjay Jha talks tablets, Android, HTC, and more
It looks like an investors conference hosted by Barclays earlier today was the place to be for anyone looking to get Motorola co-CEO Sanjay Jha's thoughts on, well, just about anything, as he took advantage of the occasion to address about as wide a range of topics as you could ask for. That even includes the topic-du-jour of tablets, which Jha says makes sense as a "companion device," adding only that Motorola is "engaged in thinking about the right solution there." Jha also addressed the issue of Motorola possibly building or acquiring its own OS by saying that "nearly all of my focus is on Android today," and that any other OS would have to match Android's capabilities. On that Android note, Jha also said that Motorola would be "aggressive" in bringing Android 2.2 to its phones (taking a Flash-related shot at Apple in the process), and he said that he wasn't concerned about the HTC Droid Incredible eating into Motorola's own Droid sales, noting that the company has more Droid phones in the pipeline that he's "excited" about, including some for Verizon -- the Droid Shadow, perhaps? Still with us? Jha also confirmed that Motoblur now has more than a million users, and that Motorola will be introducing a new version of it "later this year." That's all to say nothing about Motorola's feature phone business, its plans to sell smartphones in China, and Jha's own new role when Motorola splits into two companies next year. Dive into the links below for all the details.
Motorola's 4.3-inch Droid Shadow found in a unicorn gym?
Color us highly skeptical of the backstory, but Gizmodo claims to have received a picture of Motorola's rumored 4.3-inch Droid Shadow. The device above was supposedly left behind at a Verizon corporate gym in Washington. As the story is told, a gym employee managed to snap the photo above and identify an HDMI jack, 8 megapixel camera, Snapdragon processor, and 16GB of storage before the handset was remotely locked and the owner returned to claim it. Suspiciously, there's only one photo of the device shown at precisely the same angle as the supposedly leaked "getting started" image seen three days ago -- right, just enough time to cobble together a Photoshop. The refined Motoblur UI seems to align though so who knows... really, who knows? [Thanks, Aaron]
Motorola Ruth / Flipout leaks again, due in June?
We're still not quite sure to make of this odd little square of a Motorola, but it certainly looks like it's coming our way soon: Italian site Zumo says the Ruth (or Flipout, as we've seen it called) is actually the Moto MB511, and it's due out sometime in June. We're also told that it'll have WiFi, GPS, and a memory card slot, but that's pretty par for the course -- what we're really curious about it how this thing actually works in person. We'll just have to wait and find out.
Motorola Flipout spotted: an Android 2.1 / Motoblur device with a twist
Remember "Square Motorola Android slider?" Ah, those were the days. The little twister's returned, this time with much greater clarity and a new name. Meet Flipout. According to Gizmodo Brazil, we're looking at Android 2.1 with a dash of Motoblur thrown into the mix, a 2.8-inch display, full QWERTY keyboard, 700MHz processor, 512MB ROM / 256MB RAM, GPS, and a 3.1 megapixel camera. The HSPA phone is expected in the states this June in at least three different colors -- black, green, and pink. Backflip, Flipout... one can only hope Motorola keeps the trend alive with a Soundgarden-themed solar phone, the Outshined.
Square Motorola Android slider leaks out, causes consternation
We swear we've seen a Motorola phone that looks like this odd square thing before, but it's also possible we're crazy. Either way, it looks like Moto's working on a new Blur set running Android 2.1, and if you thought screen size and resolution issues differences were a big part of Android fragmentation before, well, you ain't seen nothing yet. Oh, and as for the story that this pic came from a student who borrowed the phone from a friend whose dad works for Moto? We'd be more skeptical, except that's exactly how we've gotten other dead-on Moto leaks. So... yeah. Anyway, a square Moto slider running Blur. Does that do anything for anyone? No? Okay.
Motorola Devour available on Verizon today for $149.99
If the Droid's a little too much phone for you, you like the color silver, or you're just a Blur kind of guy, we've got a fantastic reminder for you: Motorola's Devour for Verizon is available today. Previously a Best Buy exclusive, the phone is hitting the carrier's stores for $149.99 after a $100 rebate on a new two-year contract, but what's interesting is that the rebate is of the mail-in variety if you don't buy it online -- in other words, it's $50 cheaper to buy a Droid online today than it is to buy a Devour in-store. So yeah, basically, you'd better be really sure this is the phone you're looking for -- and don't forget, you're giving up the Droid's glorious 854 x 480 display to get in on this. No pressure!
Motorola makes i1 official, melds Android and push-to-talk this summer on Sprint
Right on cue, just after the aptly-timed teaser poster, Motorola signs on just the right dotted lines to make its i1 push-to-talk Android handset official. Let's run through the specs quickly, shall we? A 3.1-inch HVGA (320 x 480) touchscreen, 5 megapixel camera with LED flash and 4x zoom, WiFi, and microSD expansion -- no mention of the processor, so we'll have to find out on our own later. The OS version is 1.5 and, while there's oddly not a single mention in either the press release of fact sheet, given the official images and unofficial leaks, it's definitely got Motoblur. The browser of choice is Opera Mini 5 with support for Flash 8, and if you're worried about Mother Nature's wrath, the i1 meets Military 810F standards for handling averse weather conditions. iDEN lovers can pick up the call sometime this summer on Sprint, with price yet to be named. Update: Motorola's just sent word that the i1 does not have Motoblur, despite the presence of the traditional green call / blue contacts buttons. That begs the question, then, of what exactly defines Motoblur here (is just the Happenings widget missing?), and what Android skin is on the i1 -- the press images here are definitely not showing vanilla 1.5. We're still awaiting a response to that, stay tuned. %Gallery-88737%
Motorola CLIQ XT comes to T-Mobile for $129.99
Your hopes, dreams, and deepest desires for a keyboardless CLIQ have finally materialized today now that Motorola's CLIQ XT has reached T-Mobile shops across the country. Interestingly, yesterday's leaked documentation pegged the date, but not the price -- rather than the rumored $99.99, the XT will actually be going for $129.99 on a two-year contract. We guess that's still not bad for a bona fide myTouch 3G alternative with a 5 megapixel cam -- as long as you can get down with Blur, of course.
Leaked slide points to March 17th launch, $99 price for Motorola CLIQ XT
Motorola already said that its new CLIQ XT Android phone would be available sometime this month when it let us get our hands on the phone last week, but it unfortunately didn't get very specific about an actual date or a price. If this seemingly authentic slide obtained by TmoToday is any indication, however, it looks like the Blur-skinned handset will hit retail on March 17th (tomorrow), and run $99 on a two-year contract (or $199 for a year). That places it right in line with the current pricing of the original CLIQ, which would seem to be prime for a price drop if it's sticking around.
Motorola CLIQ XT hands-on
We know you've barely recovered from our Devour review, but Moto just threw another Blur-ified phone in our laps this afternoon – the CLIQ XT. We've been playing around with the Android 1.5-based, Flash Lite-supported, multitouch-capable handset for the last couple of hours -- but before we grace you with our first impressions, just a fair warning: we don't yet know the price of the new T-Mobile Android handset, though Motorola did promise us that it will hit shelves this month. With that said, hit the break for a quick rundown of our early thoughts. %Gallery-87806%
Motorola Devour review
While Motorola's vanilla-Android Droid has become the most recognizable Android device on the market -- thanks in part to a bombastic ad campaign -- Motorola's primary focus has been on its own custom Blur UI. At least, if quantity of devices are any indication. Hitting Verizon just as the Blur-powered Backflip heads to AT&T, the new Motorola Devour is an odd cross section of the "consumery" Backflip and Cliq, and the high-end Droid slider. We've been playing with the phone for a week or so (you can find our initial hands-on, video walkthrough and unboxing here), so follow us after the break as we walk through the triumphs and tragedy that is this device. %Gallery-86221%
T-Mobile's CLIQ XT pamphlet out and about
Want to know how to sell Motorola's CLIQ XT for T-Mobile in 60 seconds? Look no further than this pamphlet that's circulating now that the carrier is (well, probably is) just days away from release, where we learn all about its 3.1-inch display, touch controls, Flash Lite support (avert your eyes, CLIQ users), and pinch-and-zoom browser navigation, all paired up with a 5 megapixel camera and that love-it-or-hate-it Blur skin atop Android 1.5. Between that little pitch and the gallery down below, we figure it'll take you about 60 seconds to finish flipping through the whole mess -- so are you sold, or what? [Thanks, anonymous tipster] %Gallery-87719%
Motorola Backflip now on sale at AT&T
Heads-up, kids -- AT&T's first-ever slice of Android is now available. Just let that sink in a minute. Feels good, doesn't it? Motorola's Backflip has gone on sale just as promised, and that debatably awesome Blur action can be yours for $99.99 after mail-in rebate and a 2-year agreement. So, you pulling the trigger, or you are you waiting for whatever Dell and / or HTC are bringing to the party? [Thanks, mittens]
Motorola Backflip, DEXT, and Quench all inbound for Canada in the first half of the year
Without naming names, Motorola's Canadian outpost dropped some teasers today that versions of all three of its midrange Blur-powered Android handsets for GSM networks -- the Backflip, DEXT, and Quench -- will be coming to the country in the first half of 2010. What's more, they'll be hitting "all three national wireless carriers" -- a little bit of a slap for Mobilicity and WIND, yes, but generally good news for the overwhelming majority of subscribers. Perhaps the most interesting bit here is that they've called out the DEXT by name, continuing Moto's tradition of going with European branding over American for its Canadian launches, a trend started by Telus' Milestone. We don't yet know which carrier will get which phone, what they'll retail for, or precisely when they'll be on shelves, but needless to say, the Google-powered situation north of the border just got a whole lot prettier.
Motorola Backflip for AT&T unboxing and hands-on
We've just taken delivery of an AT&T-branded Motorola Backflip -- the carrier's very first Android device -- and we wanted to share with you our magical first moments putting the phone through its paces. Here's a quick rundown of our first impressions: It feels solidly-built -- probably a notch better than the CLIQ. There's no wiggle or weirdness in the hinge whatsoever. Of course, we know from personal experience that "feels solidly-built" doesn't necessarily mean it is solidly-built, so the jury's still out on how it'll hold up with regular use, especially with the keyboard exposed full-time. Opening and closing the phone isn't a natural one-handed operation, unless you're comfortable putting it at extreme risk of an unfortunate tumble. It's laggy right out of the box, which doesn't bode well for usability once you load it up with your own apps. Of course, it uses exactly the same processor as the CLIQ, so that doesn't come as a surprise. It's filled to the brim with pre-loaded AT&T stuff: AllSport GPS, AT&T Maps, AT&T Music (which takes the place of the standard Music app), AT&T Navigator, AT&T Wi-Fi Hotspots, Mobile Banking, MobiTV, MusicID, Where, and YPmobile. We strongly prefer the approach of offering a special branded Android Market portal where you can download your carrier's recommended apps. Blur looks and feels the same as it does on the CLIQ, though the main Blur widgets -- Social Status, Messages, and Happenings -- have been moved one home screen left of the main one (we prefer this configuration anyhow). Yahoo has replaced Google as the default search provider throughout the phone. It's crazy: the home screen widget, the browser, everything's been programmed to use Yahoo. We love us some irony, but golly, we'd prefer Google searches most of the time. It spontaneously rebooted for us once in about an hour of use -- a concerning sign, particularly considering Motorola's inability to pump out a solid firmware for the CLIQ -- but we'll need a little more time with it. Want more right now? Follow the break for some more impressions, video, and a sample shot from the camera.%Gallery-86751%
T-Mobile CLIQ XT spotted in the wild
Looks like the Motorola CLIQ XT / Quench is getting closer to its US debut -- here it is all dressed up in T-Mobile branding. We've already done a full video hands-on with this bad boy, so we'll just point you to that for the full rundown, and to the read link for a few more pics.
Motorola Devour goes hands-on, hits Best Buy for $99 this week (update: video!)
We've got Motorola's latest Blur handset in hand, Devour-ing ill-advised puns like it's a full time job. You can check out this aluminum slider in all its consumer-friendly glory in the gallery below, see it sized up against big brother Droid right below that, and there are some initial impressions and a video walkthrough after the break. %Gallery-86221% %Gallery-86230%
Motorola Devours seven minutes of your life with a phone demo (video)
We're only a few breathless days away from the Devour hitting some retail locations ahead of nationwide US availability in March, so what better way to fill that gap than with an official teaser video? Moto's Rick Osterloh is our tour guide in a seven minute hands-on demo of the device, which takes us through the major attractions on offer. He firstly calls out the Qualcomm CPU inside and points to the phone's responsiveness, which is (quite naturally) followed by a couple of instances of perceptible lag between his input and the phone's reaction. All the same, it does look like a sprightly little machine, and the inclusion of Blur, Google Maps Navigation with turn-by-turn voice instructions, and Moto Phone Portal makes for a compelling software package. Head past the break to see them in action and to catch another eyeful of the hardware as well. [Thanks, Zach A.]
Motorola Devour in the wild once again
We've already seen the Motorola Devour in the wild once, but with the official Verizon launch right around the corner and pre-sales underway, it looks like at least one more unit has made it out into the world. Great -- but we'd like a video of this thing and its mid-range processor running Flash, please. [Thanks, Zach]
Motorola cable boxes to get Blur, connect with phones
Now that Moto's phone and set-top box divisions are being split out into their own company, it looks like there's some convergence afoot: the MOTOBLUR interface found on the CLIQ and the Backflip is currently being tested on the company's cable boxes with a tentative release scheduled for this year. That's the word according to CEO Sanjay Jha, who also told the Wall Street Journal that he wants Moto's phones and set-top boxes to eventually support a common platform so they can "share media and features" -- lending credence to those old rumors about Android-powered Moto cable boxes. Of course, getting custom software on cable boxes requires negotiating with cable companies, which is an even slower and tougher process than working with cell carriers, so we're not holding out hope that we'll see the fruits of this labor any time soon -- but it's nice to think about, isn't it?
