Latest Mobile Phone News

Not sure if your Motorola Android smartphone will be upgraded with Android 2.1 or Android 2.2? Motorola has announced its plan on the upgrading process, although it did not have a specific release date. Check out the device list table after the jump.

USA

* BACKFLIP (USA) Upgrade to Android 2.1 planned for Q3
* CLIQ (USA) Upgrade to Android 2.1 – testing in process, planned for late Q3/early Q4
* CLIQ XT (USA) Upgrade to Android 2.1 – testing in process, planned for late Q3/early Q4
* DEVOUR (USA) Will not have a software upgrade to Android 2.1
* DROID by Motorola (USA) Upgrade to Android 2.2 currently rolling out in phases
* DROID X by Motorola (USA) Upgrade to Android 2.2 planned for late summer.

Canada

* BACKFLIP (Canada) Upgrade to Android 2.1 under evaluation
* DEXT (Canada) Upgrade to Android 2.1 under evaluation
* MILESTONE (Canada) Upgrade to Android 2.2 under evaluation
* QUENCH (Canada) Upgrade to Android 2.1 under evaluation

Europe

* BACKFLIP (Europe) Will not have software upgrade to Android 2.1
* DEXT (Europe) Will not have software upgrade to Android 2.1
* MILESTONE (Europe) Initial rollout of upgrade to Android 2.2 planned for Q4

Asia-Pacific

* BACKFLIP (Asia-Pacific) Upgrade to Android 2.1 under evaluation
* DEXT (Asia-Pacific) Upgrade to Android 2.1 under evaluation
* MILESTONE (Asia-Pacific) Upgrade to Android 2.2 under evaluation
* QUENCH (Asia-Pacific) Upgrade to Android 2.1 under evaluation
* MILESTONE (Korea) Initial rollout of upgrade to Android 2.2 planned for Q4
* MOTOROI (Korea) Initial rollout of upgrade to Android 2.2 planned for Q4
* Titanium (Korea) Initial rollout of upgrade to Android 2.2 planned for Q4

Latin America and Mexico

* BACKFLIP (Latin America and Mexico) Will not have software upgrade to Android 2.1
* DEXT (Latin America and Mexico Will not have software upgrade to Android 2.1
* MILESTONE (Latin America and Mexico) Upgrade to Android 2.2 under evaluation

Popularity: 5%

We present you a  video hands-on the Motorola Droid 2 sliding out smarrtphone with high quality touchscreen display, that launched on Verizon yesterday.

Popularity: 7%

Motorola has recently presented a brand new eco-friendly phone, known as Motorola Grasp WX404. Pictured above, this stylish device packs a portrait QWERTY keyboard and leaves out the dangerous BFR and PCV, for a cleaner and healthier environment. This phone supports CDMA/EVDO/AWS connectivity and it’ll reach MetroPCS’ offer soon.

The phone’s case is 100% recyclable and its specs list includes a 2.2 inch display (220 x 176 pixels), a 1.3 megapixel camera, GPS, Bluetooth 2.1 and a microSD card slot.

We do not have any info on pricing of this pretty mobile  device yet.

Popularity: 10%

Motorola has already launched quite a few Android smartphones in China (including the BackFlip and the XT800), and now it produced yet another one: the Motorola M511, which is actually the FlipOut that’s available in Europe. It’s very popular model of MOTOROLA phones.

The M511 FlipOut comes with Android 2.1 onboard with MotoBlur, features a full QWERTY keyboard and has integrated social networking services, including a Sina application! Sina is the largest infotainment website in China.

The phones features also include 3G, Wi-Fi, WAPI, GPS, stereo Bluetooth, 3.5mm headset jack, FM radio, 3MP camera, and MicroSD card support up to 32GB.

The Motorola M511 should be available in China at authorized dealers starting the end of July, which is exactly now. Like in Europe, the smartphone will have lots of color versions.

Popularity: 7%

The Motorola i1 is an Android OS based push-to-talk smartphone which Sprint has now announce will begin shipping as of the 25th of July and will command a price tag of $149.99 after a $50 mail in rebate and when signing on for a 2 year agreement.

The Motorola i1 is the world’s first Android phone with Nextel Direct Connect and meets with military specifications 810F against vibration, shock, dust and rain.

The Motorola i12 runs Android 1.5 OS and auto-syncs and integrates personal and office info like contacts, calendar, appointments and emails while the enhanced Nextel Direct Connect experience enables the owner to view who is calling no matter what app you are in.

Specs for the Motorola i1 are a 3.1 inch VGA display, 5 megapixel camera, built in GSP, WiFi, Swype, Bluetooth, Google Talk IM, the usual Google services, haptic feedback, and measures 118 x 58 x 12.8mm with a weight of 131 grams.

Popularity: 10%

Motorola is willing to take chances when creating new and original smartphones, as proved by the CLIQ cell phone and now by the freshly leaked Moto Charm. The phone comes with an unique form factor, reminding us of a BlackBerry, although this is an Android handset we’re talking about.

Charm relies on the candybar styling apparently taken from T-Mobile training materials. The new Moto unit runs Android 2.1 and uses an upgraded MOTOBLUR with scalable widgets, just like Droid X. Facebook and Twitter are well integrated and there’s also a textured keyboard in the mix, which is pretty much all we know specs-wise.

We expect Motorola Charm to be a mid-end mainstream Android device, with a pretty reasonable price, available on T-Mobile.

Popularity: 15%

Throughout the course of Windows Phone 7′s paced, deliberate unveiling this year, Microsoft Corporation has been very clear on the fact that it doesn’t intend for Windows Mobile — the legacy platform we know today — to disappear, arguing that it’s got several years of life left in it for certain verticals. We’re starting to see that philosophy play out today with the introduction of Windows Embedded Handheld, which is essentially a warmed-over version of WinMo 6.5.3 with some key UI and enterprise-focused enhancements. Microsoft is specifically calling out an “extended support life-cycle” for the platform, a sign that these phones aren’t for the gotta-have-it crowd — instead, the company intends to push these things through corporate fleets where Windows Mobile has traditionally dominated, places where Windows Phone’s flashy stylings and locked-down underpinnings won’t have the same draw.

To that end, Motorola has announced the ES400 as Windows Embedded Handheld’s inaugural device, a rugged smartphone with a 600MHz Qualcomm MSM7627 core, resistive VGA touchscreen, fingerprint scanner, and a trick 3.5G radio that can be user-switched between GSM and CDMA. Naturally, you’re not going to see this on carrier shelves, but the ES400 is being pushed as a solid option for field sales and service, healthcare, and retail use — so if you’re working in any of those fields, you might have a harder time shaking off the last remnants of WinMo than you ever imagined. Follow the break for Microsoft’s press release.

Popularity: 26%

If your patience for the new Motorola Droid X on Verizon has been running thin, we see a little relief not too far down the road. Verizon has just hit the on switch for the Droid X teaser site, which tells us nothing more about when it will be released other than “Coming Soon.” Perhaps we’ll know a little more when the official announcement is made by Verizon and Motorola next week. On the Droid X, we see 720p video, HDMI out and a 4.3″ display. Otherwise, there isn’t a whole lot more to be said about the phone other than what we’ve already seen. Rumors say that the Motorola Droid X will be rocking a 750Mhz TI OMAP3630 processor instead of the 1GHz Snapdragon processor we were all hoping for. One big thing to consider is word that there will be a custom UI built on top of Android 2.1 here. For the vast majority of users, that might not be a big deal, but for those of us who want our updates as fast as we can get them, it’s bad news. We’re hearing that it’s a newer version of the Motorola Motoblur UI that has been refreshed to be more usable and less cluttered than what we’ve seen before, and there is a chance that it may actually go under a different name. At this point, it’s only a matter of time before this beast of a smartphone running Android becomes available to the masses. It would have been nicer if the timing of everything could have been better. The announcement of the Motorola Droid X on Verizon is going to be made just a day before the new iPhone will be released, and the demand for Apple’s new handset has proven to be ridiculously insane, so it’s hard to gauge just how well the Droid X will do given the summer smartphone lineup.

Popularity: 14%

Ready for more leaked Motorola phones? Well then, meet the Motorola Goldfinch 8208 and the Motorola Bei Hai, which have just been spotted over at the Bluetooth SIG.

Both devices are touchscreen pones, and, according to PC Online, the Goldfinch runs Android (unknown version).

Motorola Goldfinch 8208 features a 3.2 inch display, Bluetooth 2.1, FM radio with RDS, 3MP camera, and ISDB-T receiver – ISDB-T is a digital TV standard used in Latin America and Japan, so the phone will probably be launched in these markets first.

The Goldfinch looks good enough to be your next mid-end smartphone.

Popularity: 14%

Nexus One owners have been lucky in that they were the first to get a taste of Android 2.2, known as Froyo, but it didn’t take long before a ROM hit for the Motorola Droid. Along with it came promises of speed, a new way to store apps, Flash 10.1 and so much more. It has already been a few days since Froyo has hit the Droid, so be warned with the following videos: if you’ve been holding off for an official version, watching it in action just might spur you to install it now!

Popularity: 12%

With the current release of the Motorola XT720 smartphone, Motorola has a new proved to the world that you cannot actually count Motorola out of the race when it comes to mobile manufacturing. The recently annunced device is amongst the slimmest Android phones in the mobile market and can support high speed HSPA networks for internet speeds of around 10.2 Mbps.

The smartphone appears with a HDMI cable that allows the owners to view the recorded videos directly on their HDTV’s. The phone comes with a memory card of 8 GB contained in its sales packet and the memory slot can support a memory card maximum of 32 GB.

Conversely, there are still some lapses that Motorola needs to work on- one such drift is the fact that this cell phone runs on the Android OS version 2.1 and not the latest Android 2.2, one was expecting that a business trying to recapture the market would turn up with something new, but that did not happen. Above and beyond, it even lacks Motorola’s significantly famous environment Motoblur.

“Milestone XT720 is one of the most powerful phones in Motorola’s current smartphone range. Slim, sophisticated and technically savvy, Milestone XT720 is a high performance touchscreen device designed for those who are actively engaged in both their work and social lives”, declares Ralf Gerbershagen, VP and General Manager for Motorola’s Mobile Devices business in Western Europe. And quite correctly too this new mobile phone on the blocks seems like a good competition to the best of the best in the business right now.

Popularity: 16%

The Motorola FLIPOUT is an Android phone with a very unusual form factor, following on from the similarly named BACKFLIP and based on the same platform as the Motorola DEXT.

The rounded-off square design hides a five row QWERTY keyboard that rotates out from underneath, giving a fairly narrow set of keys with the slightly unusual feature of a row of number keys. Although the form factor is unusual, it is actually pretty similar to the US-only Nokia 7705 Twist, however the FLIPOUT is a much more powerful device than the Nokia.

On the front of the Motorola FLIPOUT is a 2.8″ touchscreen display in a traditional 320 x 240 pixel resolution. On the back is a fairly basic 3 megapixel fixed-focus camera which should be good enough for basic snapshots and occasional video clips, and Motorola have partnered with Kodak to integrate their technology for clearer pictures and easier sharing.

This is a 3.5G mobile phone with a maximum download speed of 7.2 Mbps and upload speed of up to 2 Mbps. The Motorola FLIPOUT also supports WiFi as you might expect. There’s a microSD card slot (with a 2GB card in the standard sales package), a 3.5mm audio connector, Bluetooth and USB connectivity plus an FM radio. The FLIPOUT also comes with GPS and has a digital compass.

This is an Android 2.1 smartphone supporting Motorola’s MOTOBLUR service which manages personal information and social networking. The FLIPOUT comes with all the usual Android features too, such as a wide range of Google applications, a capable web browser, email client and multimedia player, and of course you can download from a wide choice of applications on the Android Market.

Inside is a 1170 mAh battery which Motorola say can power the FLIPOUT for about 4.5 hours talktime on 3G and over 15 days standby time. The FLIPOUT measures 67 x 67 x 17mm and weighs 120 grams, so it is a bit of an unusual shape to fit into a pocket when you consider that the DEXT has a more conventional 114 x 58mm footprint.

There are quite a large variety of colours available which Motorola list as Saffron, Black Licorice, Poppy Red, Fairway Green, Rebel Pink, Raspberry Crush, Dark Sapphire, and Brilliant Blue.. although not all carriers will have all colours available.

Motorola say that the FLIPOUT should be available starting in Q2 2010, which in practice means from June onwards. There’s no word on pricing.

Popularity: 15%

Motorola’s getting more and more Android mobile devices in its portofolio, with the latest being the XT502 model. Possibly known as Greco, this cell phone was found on the Bluetooth SIG website and we know it’s a touchscreen Android device, most likely running version 2.1 of the OS. Moto XT502 features quad-band GSM connectivity, tri-band UMTS (850/1900/2100 MHz), WiFi 802.11 b/g, A-GPS, Bluetooth 2.0 and USB 2.0. A 3.5 mm audio jack is also on board, plus a camera at the back, most likely with flash. The fact that this is a Moto XT handset indicates that it could reach China, like Motorola XT701 and Motorola XT800, but its supported types of connectivity indicate an European and American release.

Popularity: 13%

Considering all the big news since the Motorola i1’s announcement several months ago, you’ll have to forgive us if we’ve sort of forgotten about it. But,  regional carrier SouthernLINC didn’t, and now they’ve officially announced that nowdays you can pick this first of its kind device up. You know, if you like your mobile phone to have military specifications. We will say this about the Motorola i1: it doesn’t look half bad. The i1 is the first military-spec 810F ruggedized Android-based IDEN-capable device available on the market, and it will probably be the only one for a little while longer. It features things like Push to Talk (PTT), WiFi, GPS, a 5MP camera on the back, and a 3.1-inch HVGA capacitive touchscreen.We dont know still what version of Android the handset is running, but it does have Exchange support, a MicroSD card slot that can hold up to 32GB of storage, and the Swype keyboard pre-loaded. You can also visit Flash-based websites, as it has Adobe’s Flash Lite already installed. You can pick it up right now on a two-year contract. Check out the video if you need a refresher on what this smartphone looks like in action.

Popularity: 15%

For the multi-tasking users, the touch-screen PDA, Motorola MOTOMING A1600, offers access to email, messaging and browsing in a user-friendly and stylish design. The full touch screen simulates a traditional keypad ¨C¨C to deliver users a familiar experience, while a simplified user interface offers one-handed access to the most frequently used applications. Bluetooth 2.0 allows for simple pairing with enabled accessories, while also enhancing A1600 ¡s download speed and improving battery life.1

MOTOMING A1600 comes equipped with a business card reader, for the easy and fast capture of important contact information. a talking dictionary recognizes the words, even pronouncing them aloud with a human voice, then displays a translation in the user ¡s native language. MOTOMING A1600 makes it easy for travelers to capture the sights and share their experiences. Advanced camera functionality provides the necessary tools to snap, save and send pictures in an instant.2 Even capture panoramic pictures across more than around 270 degrees with a feature that pieces together multiple shots taken across a horizon.

With Internet access and AGPS support for turn-by-turn navigation, MOTOROLA MOTOMING A1600 helps consumers find new destinations or just the easiest routes between meetings or social events.2 A1600 has support for both driving and walking directions, and owners can use cross streets or even landmark buildings as a destination, when an exact address is not known.

Meeting someone? Users can share their current location via SMS or MMS, even mark their exact location on a map. While waiting, they can entertain themselves by playing the preloaded mobile games.

Motorola A1600 Specifications

Popularity: 17%