Buyer's Guide to Motorola Phones
The big news at Motorola recently concerns Google’s proposed acquisition of their mobile division Motorola Mobility. They’ve been increasingly Android-centric for the last few years anyway so this could spark a revival of sorts for the brand. Motorola phones were once the height of awesome and the RAZR brand really took the market by storm. They went into decline when the market moved on, but then they sprang back onto the scene and helped to launch the Android platform as a real iPhone alternative with their Droid range.
If you’re looking to buy a new smartphone then you’ll definitely come across a few Motorola options worthy of your attention. They also still produce some great feature phones and budget options. You’ll get details on the lot in this buyer’s guide to Motorola phones.
<strong>Motorola Atrix 4G: World’s Most Powerful Smartphone?</strong>
The mobile industry moves too fast for any device to claim a title like that for long, but the Atrix is an absolute beast. This Android smartphone also offers some innovation in the shape of a unique lapdock accessory – plug it in and you’ve got a laptop powered by your phone. It’s a truly impressive device with a superb display and plenty of battery capacity.
<strong>Motorola Photon 4G Reviewed - Sprint’s Next Big Thing, Now!</strong>
This dual-core smartphone features a 4.3 inch qHD touch screen, an 8 MP camera and a great big battery that can outlast most top-end Android smartphones. The presence of MotoBLUR on top of Android 2.3 is unfortunate, but this is still a great variation on the Atrix.
<strong>Motorola Triumph Reviewed - Does Motorola Triumph Over the Competition?</strong>
We have a change of pace here with a budget Android prepaid option. You’ve got a 4.1 inch touch screen with a good resolution, a decent processor and a 5 MP camera. This is a real step up for the budget end of the market and you can find it at Virgin Mobile.
<strong>Motorola XPRT Reviewed - Putting the XPRT into Expert?</strong>
This is Sprint’s take on the Droid Pro and it is aimed squarely at the business market. The specs are decent and the form factor is unusual for Motorola – it resembles a typical BlackBerry design, except that the screen is portrait with a keyboard beneath so it isn’t as fat. It has some neat features including encryption, remote lock and wiping and it also works on international networks.
<strong>Motorola Droid Bionic at Verizon</strong>
It’s slim, it has a huge display and it’s packing a dual-core processor. The Bionic also works on Verizon’s LTE network and it has bucket loads of storage and an 8 MP camera. It sits comfortably in the top-tier of Android smartphones available right now.
<strong>Motorola Krave Continues the Clamshell Tradition</strong>
The popularity of clamshell phones reached a peak with the RAZR line but they are still very comfortable to use. The Krave represents the evolution of the clamshell form factor and it has a unique design with a clear shell that folds up with a touch screen underneath.
<strong>Did Motorola Flipout?</strong>
The short answer is no. The Motorola Flipout is definitely odd-looking, but it’s quite a good alternative QMD (quick messaging device). The 2.8 inch touch screen flips out to reveal a keyboard. It’s an Android phone, but is fairly limited so you won’t want to use it for much more than messaging.
<strong>Motorola Droid X Review</strong>
Continuing the Droid line Motorola’s Droid X stepped things up a bit with a big 4.3 inch touch screen and an 8 MP camera. It has been surpassed now by some of their newer releases, but it is still a powerful Android smartphone.
<strong>Motorola Droid 2: Building on Droid</strong>
The Droid 2 failed to have the same impact as the original Droid and it really just offered a slight improvement to the same design. The best thing about it was the new slide out physical keyboard which proved more comfortable to use than the original, but the fact it stuck with a 5 MP camera was a disappointment.
<strong>Another Strange Design with the Motorola Charm</strong>
Motorola obviously went through a phase of experimenting with new form factors and this entry-level Android messaging device is a good example. It’s a very square looking phone with a landscape screen and a physical keyboard beneath.
<strong>Motorola i1: Working Man’s Phone</strong>
If you’re looking for a rugged option that will serve you well in the outdoors then the i1 might tempt you. It’s Motorola’s first phone to offer push-to-talk functionality and it can withstand some adverse conditions. The features won’t blow you away, but it does still have a touch screen and it runs Android 1.5.
<strong>Motorola i886 Review: Tough Android Feature Phone for the Outdoors</strong>
This is a rugged release from Motorola with a slide out physical keyboard and push-to-talk support. It is light on features and ditches the touch screen and Wi-Fi in favour of a tough and reliable design that offers good call and messaging functionality and a long battery life.
<strong>Motorola Defy Offers Android in a Tough Package</strong>
The Defy has the same candy bar form factor and touch screen as most other Android smartphones but it is also built to last. It combines decent mid-range Android features like a 5 MP camera with a dust, water and scratch resistant body and screen.
These two Android smartphones offer very different designs but they have similar specs. Since they are both aimed at business users this comparison tries to find out which is the best choice.
<strong>The Motorola Droid X Versus the Apple iPhone 4</strong>
The top Android phones offer better hardware, on the whole, but Apple’s iOS user interface is easier to get to grips with. This article pits the iPhone 4 against the Motorola Droid X. Find out who emerges victorious.
Are you a Motorola fan? Let us know your pick from the Motorola line up in the comments below.
