Google Android Programming Blog

I love my Android phone. Although I may be biased since I’ve been programming for Android since before version 1.0. It’s a great platform, and it’s very powerful. Google pwns Apple. Easily.

The Motorola Flipout features a 3 megapixel camera with digital zoom, running on the Android operating system with a unique square, swivel design which moves the touch screen over to provide a QWERTY keyboard.

Bluetooth 2.1 with enhanced data rate and a wide range of profiles inlacing for hands free and wireless audio distribution and headsets is featured on the handset, alongside microUSB for fast connectivity and synchronisation also. The 3G capabilities are provided through multiple networks, and the WCDMA tektite is up to 275 minutes, with GSM up to 357 minutes respectively with efficient battery power management. Meanwhile, fast internet connectivity is also achievable in the compatible hotspots with Wi-Fi.

The Flipout has a unique square design featuring a 2.8 inch QVGA TFT display with 320 by 240 pixel resolution. This then rotates over to show a 5-layer QWERTY keyboard for faster and easier typing when messaging through the Motoblur user interface which offers direct messaging for Facebook, Myspace and Twitter. Additionally, both corporate (Microsoft Exchange) and personal email accounts can be configured on the handset which supports Gmail, IMAP and POP3 and has attachment and browser viewing capabilities. Text and multimedia messaging are also supported, along with Google Talk instant messenger.

The 3 megapixel fixed focus camera is capable of both photo shots and video capture at a rate of 26 to 30 frames per second, equal to its playback rate, and to DVD quality. A number of image editing tools are also available for snapped images, including the ability to crop, rotate and add borders and enhancements through more advanced features. The eCompass (digital compass) and Assisted GPS integrated technologies, also make it possible for Geotagging of photos and videos.

The handsets interface is the Android 2.1 Eclair operating system boosted with Motoblur 1.5 technology with fast input available due to both a touch screen and keyboard featured. The keyboard also has a backlight and keypad lock, along with dedicated keys featured on the device including one for the Camera, volume control, locking, back button and Home. Meanwhile, the interface also supports voice commands for even faster access to contacts, and the touch sensitive display offers pinch to zoom accessibility.

The Motorola Flipout is a diverse and compact smartphone with a stunningly independent design due to its square shape and flipout keyboard. Meanwhile it offers a power operating system with an easy to use interface in Motoblur technology and many useful applications and capabilities such as messaging, email and social networking.

Motorola Flipout
Motorola Backflip

Look, Design, Feel …………………7/10

Motorola Backflip contains a very unique design which makes it fashionable and in demand within the smartphone industry these days because its keyboard is located on its back. It is a flip phone, not a slide phone. It has a rectangular shape and rounded edges; however it has a somewhat smaller footprint with a dimension of 4.25 inches in length by 2.08 inches in width and 0.6 inch thick. It actually looks a lot like the Motorola Cliq at first glance.

Features…………………8/10

Being a flip phone, the keyboard is uniquely located on the back of the smartphone, so when you swing it open, the keyboard sits right beneath the display. The keyboard and the screen are both faced outwards when closed. It can be flipped flat or it can stand on a table while watching a movie, and can even function as a digital picture frame or an alarm clock.

However, some users worry about the durability of the keyboard on the flip phone, although Motorola has continuously assured its consumers that the keyboard on this flip phone can withstand for a definitive period of time. The keyboard is spacious and its square buttons are exceptional because they minimize mistakes when pressing the wrong buttons when typing. The number and symbol keys which are marked in blue are doubled up with the letters marked in white, and its bright backlight makes the keys very visible especially in a dark room. With this flip phone, shortcuts in the bottom row and left side give quick links to web access, search button, messages and the home and menu screens. The camera lens and flash is placed in the corner of the keyboard.

When the backflip is open, a trackpad or the backtrack navigation pad located on the back of this smartphone can be used in scrolling through photos, menus, lists, and home screens without touching the 3.1-inch HVGA (320×480) screen.

On the right side of the phone is a volume rocker, a Micro-USB expansion port that supports up to 32GB cards, and a camera placed on an activation and capture button. The power/lock button can be found on top of the phone, alongside with the headphone jack.

The Backflip is operated by a customizable Android 1.5 which includes AT&T Navigator, AT&T Radio and AT&T Mobile Hotspots. The Android feature has a 5.0 megapixel camera with zoom and flash, 2GB pre-installed memory card and has great access to the Motorola Phone Portal which by the way, enables you to back up, edit and delete all files from your pc when the smartphone is connected to it

Connectivity…………………8/10

The phone supports the new HSPA 7.2 network that AT&T is putting into place, according to Motorola representatives and the phone’s spec sheet; the spec sheet says it only works on AT&T’s 3G band, not T-Mobile’s. Other specs include 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0, and a 2GB memory card included with up to 32GB. MicroSD cards are supported, according to the device spec sheet. The 2GB memory card enables storage of an unlimited number of contacts in the phonebook and unlimited calls on its call records, as well as its photo calling option.

The Backflip also features voice dialing, a speakerphone and noise reduction technology aside from its 3G support, WIFI connectivity, Bluetooth and GPS.

With its Android operating system along with Qualcomm MSM 7210 A 528 MHz processor, the connectivity of the Backflip is super in the sense it can browse any type of website. It comes with EDGE and GPRS for uninterrupted network connectivity along with the 3G technology. The phone’s browser supports HTML and xHTML formats so internet browsing will be smooth-sailing. Its Bluetooth 2.0 feature makes data and multimedia file-sharing easy. The JAVA and GPS features of the smartphone makes it trouble-free in finding any location.

With its MotoBlur software, it is the only smartphone where your Facebook updates, Twitter feeds, Google, Yahoo, Exchange, and Picasa contacts and messages are synchronized to the home screen. Motorola Backflip is powered with MotoBlur software to merge information from various email accounts and makes it visibly functional for social networking sites. Motoblur enables the user to stream contents such as updates on RSS newsfeeds right to your home screen.

With Motorola Backflip, you have the Android Webkit HTML browser, Android Market, Amazon MP3 Store, Gmail, Google Talk, Google Maps, and Youtube. However, the default engine for this smartphone is Yahoo.

Performance…………………8/10

Its QWERTY keyboard is awesome and spacious, however, it gets so exposed when the phone is closed.

Sad to say, even though this is AT&T’s first Android phone, the Backflip runs the Motoblur Android which takes on the Android Operating System and shuns the standard, grid-like home screen in favor of a gizmo-based user interface. However, these widgets are customizable and function really well. Browsing the news and weather sites, or search engines and social networking sites is impressive.

The phone’s 528-MHz processor gets sluggish due to a handful of widgets functioning simultaneously. Motorola tries hard to address this by presenting multiple home screens, which are accessible through left-and-right hand whisks, however, there is not much you can do with a screen 3.1 inches in size.

Call quality is pretty good, its audio performance is crisp and clear using AT&T service as the phone blocks noise during talk time. Its speakerphone performance has also good sound quality.

On its 5-megapixel camera, photos tend to be murky, even though it has flash and autofocus features. Watching videos or movie clips is fairly decent except for a couple of seconds for some videos to buffer. Its powerful speakers give so much delight in watching movies or video clips.

Although the Backflip is powered with a 528-MHz Qualcomm MSM7201A processor, it has a hard time keeping up with its performance as it lags at times even with very simple tasks like accessing email or toggling with the home screen.

Its 1400mAh lithium-ion battery life is quite short with a rated talk time of 6 hours and standby time of 13.5 days.

Value for Money…………………7/10

It is quite pricey for a phone with limited technology. However, if you want your phone primarily because you want to be constantly connected to social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter, then the Motorola Backflip is a good choice.

Pros

+ 350 minutes talk time, 315 hours standby time
+ MotoBlur to back up info, sync with social networking sites
+ GPS
+ Wifi connectivity
+ Music is compatible with itunes and windows media player
+ Its 2G memory card allows unlimited storage of contacts in phonebook
+ MicroSD expansion slot enables storage of music and photos from pc to phone
+ QWERTY keyboard makes texting and intern
+ Its Bluetooth 2.0 makes data and multimedia sharing easy and fast
+ 5.0 camera with flash and autofocus
+ Internet connectivity is uninterrupted especially when browsing Facebook or Twitter accounts
+ It has a trackpad that can navigate lists or messages fast without using the touch screen
+ Notification menu bar at top of the screen is useful and well-situated
+ It vibrates on touch mode

Cons

+ QWERTY keyboard and touch screen are exposed when phone is closed or not in use
+ Sometimes it is sluggish when sending a text message or email
+ Autocancels user out of programs when internet connection is slow

By: Kyles

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Kyles Humphreys writes about the latest unlocked cell phones that are released on the market and gives comprehensive reviews, one of the favorites this month is the Motorola BACKFLIP MB300

The Motorola Backflip incorporates a combination of unique and impressive styling along with an impressive list of specifications. It utilises the renowned Android Operating System, and features a full Qwerty Keyboard for efficient text entry.

The Backflip weighs 133 grams so it is not the lightest phone in the world, but many users will find this appealing, offer reassurance of the phone?s build quality. 133 grams is also not that heavy when one considers the fact that it has a QWERTY keyboard unit attached. The Backflip has a similar initial appearance to that of Apple?s iPhone, however on closer inspection one will notice the additional touch sensitive buttons at the base of the screen, and of course the Qwerty keyboard which ?flips? out from the back of the handset unit.

The 3.1 inch TFT capacitive touch screen offers an interactive and dynamic method of navigating the Android user interface, and also provides excellent quality display. This is thanks to the ability to display up to 256,000 colours within the pixel setup of 320×480. An accelerometer sensor is included which offers an auto-rotate function which rotates the on screen image based upon the orientation of the phone. This way, the screen can be viewed in both landscape and portrait forms.

The Motorola Backflip relies on a number of methods to connect to both cellular networks and the internet. In areas covered by 3G, HSDPA provides a fast internet connection at speeds of up to 7.2 mega bytes per second. This is a decent speed, but a faster connection can be attained. This is thanks to Wi-Fi connectivity, which kicks in whenever a signal from a local wireless internet router is located. Bluetooth and USB connections allow certain tasks to be carried out by connecting to compatible phones and computers.

The features list if the Motorola Backflip is certainly impressive. The internal media player is very versatile due to the fact that it supports most of the common formats of both music and video files. Social networkers are also well catered for, with dedicated applications allowing direct access to popular social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter. Photobucket and Twitter also have dedicated applications, which allow photos and videos taken on the phone?s camera to be directly uploaded to these sites in seconds.

The camera features 5 mega pixels (2560×1920 pixel resolution) so the still images it takes are of very good quality. Autofocus and LED flash make the task of taking good snapshots a breeze, whilst another interesting feature of the camera is the geo-tagging facility. This allows the location at which a picture was taken, to be tagged and notes attached. The camera also features the ability shoot video as an alternative method of image capture. This is in eaqually good quality to still images thanks to a frame rate of 30 fps.

The Backflip is an instantly recognisable phone, so its appeal is sure to lie in those who view their phone as a fashion statement as well as those who appreciate the technology it offers.

By: Chris Westley

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

If you like the Motorola Backflip check out the Motorola Milestone

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