Motorola BACKFLIP Android Phone
Blogportant is presenting Motorola BACKFLIP Android Phone for you.
- 3G-enabled, Google Android OS-powered smartphone with MOTOBLUR social networking, 3.1-inch touchscreen
- Unique reverse flip design reveals full QWERTY keyboard; BACKTRACK touch pad for navigation without using touch display
- GPS-enabled; Wi-Fi networking; Bluetooth stereo music; 5-megapixel camera/camcorder; microSD memory expansion; personal and corporate e-mail
- Up to 6 hours of talk time, up to 324 hours (13.5 days) of standby time
- What’s in the Box: handset, rechargeable battery, charger, 2 GB microSD memory card, quick start guide, user manual
Check Price: Motorola BACKFLIP Android Phone
Amazon.com Product Description
Powered by the Android OS and featuring the socially minded MOTOBLUR overlay, the Motorola BACKFLIP for AT&T features an original reverse flip design, 3.1-inch touchscreen display, spacious physical keyboard, and unique BACKTRACK touch panel located behind the screen when the device is folded open–providing you hands-free navigation of the phone without having to touch the display. It also boasts super-fast Web browsing on AT&T’s 7.2 HSPA 3G technology as well as Wi-Fi networking with access to more than 20,000 AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots.
The unique BACKFLIP features a reverse flip design, spacious keyboard and BACKTRACK touch panel (see larger image). |
With MOTOBLUR, updates from Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter as well as e-mail are automatically delivered to the home screen and fed into easy-to-manage streams. |
MOTOBLUR helps you to stay on top of both work and personal e-mail as well as keep tabs on all your Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter pals–all automatically delivered to the customizable home screen. You can also update your status to Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter simultaneously and sync your social network contacts with your phonebook and e-mail contact lists.
With integrated Google technology, the Motorola BACKFLIP brings one-touch access to the popular Google mobile services millions use every day, including Google Search by voice, Google Maps with Street View, GTalk instant messaging (with presence capabilities), YouTube, and Picasa. The BACKFLIP also provides easy access to both personal and corporate e-mail, calendars, and contacts supported by Exchange Server and Gmail.
This GPS-enabled phone can access Google Maps as well as the AT&T Navigator service for voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions. The BACKFLIP comes with a 2 GB microSD memory card pre-installed, and it’s compatible with optional additional cards up to 16 GB in size. Other features include a 5-megapixel camera/camcorder, Bluetooth for both hands-free communication and stereo music streaming, full HTML Web browser, and up to 6 hours of talk time.
Revolutionary Design
The BACKFLIP’s original design can be used in a unique tabletop multimedia mode so you can watch movies, TV shows or other streaming video on the 3.1-inch widescreen display–it’s also the perfect set up for using as an alarm clock. And the BACKFLIP’s full QWERTY keyboard makes sending messages fast and easy.
It also features another Motorola innovation–the BACTRACK rear navigation pad, which simulates a PC experience and makes scrolling and surfing effortless. With the rear BACKTRACK touch pad, you can flick through photos or Web pages for your friends without your fingers obscuring the home screen.
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Key Features
- Fast 3G connectivity via AT&T’s HSDPA/UMTS network (850/1900 MHz bands; 3.6/7.2 Mbps speeds with network availability).
- Powered by the Android operating system (version 1.5) with deep integration of Google services and access to thousands of apps to customize your phone via the Android Market. (Learn more)
- Innovative widget-based MOTOBLUR overlay to Android automatically delivers Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Gmail, and work and personal e-mail updates to the home screen in easy-to-view streams so there is no need to open and close different mobile applications. (Learn more)
- Update Facebook, MySpace and Twitter at once instead of opening individual apps as well as upload your photos to Facebook, MySpace, Picasa and Photobucket.
- MOTOBLUR continuously displays your friends’ latest profile pics as part of your texts, calls, e-mails and address book.
- View your friends your way: MOTOBLUR lets you view friends from A to Z, by contact history or in groups you make yourself.
- Customize your home screen with your favorite widgets and short cuts
- Your information is continuously updated and backed up into a secure environment, so you’re connected and protected even if you lose your phone.
- GPS navigation capabilities via AT&T Navigator service includes audible turn-by-turn directions, real-time traffic updates and re-routing options.
- Built-in accelerometer and eCompass for use with location and orientation apps.
- 3.1-inch touchscreen display (320 x 480 pixels, 65K colors)
- 5-megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom, LED flash, video capture (24 fps), and easy uploading of videos to YouTube,
- Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g) for accessing home and corporate networks as well as hotspots while on the go.
- Bluetooth connectivity (version 2.0) includes profiles for communication headset, hands-free car kits, and the A2DP Bluetooth profile–enabling you to wirelessly stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones or speaker dock. (Profiles supported: A2DP, HID, HSP, HFP, AVRCP and GAP)
- Memory expansion via microSD card slot with support for optional cards up to 32 GB (2 GB card included).
- Full HTML Web browsing
- Text, picture and video messaging
- Instant messaging via AIM, Windows Live, Yahoo!, and Google Talk
- Push e-mail via Google and Exchange with support for IMAP and POP, MSN Hotmail, Yahoo Mail and AOL Mail
- Google and corporate calendar (supports Exchange 2003 and 2007 protocols)
- Back-up and security: Contacts, log-in information, home screen customizations, e-mail and social network messages are backed up automatically on the secure MOTOBLUR portal. The portal also allows you to use the phone’s fully integrated aGPS to help locate the phone if misplaced. Remote wipe easily clears information from a lost device.
- 3.5mm headset jack
- USB connectivity
- Dual microphone with noise cancellation
- Voice dialing capabilities
- 528 MHz processor, 256 MB flash memory
Vital Statistics
The Motorola BACKFLIP weighs 4.7 ounces and measures 4.25 x 2.09 x 0.6 inches. Its 1400 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 6 hours of talk time, and up to 324 hours (13.5 days) of standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies as well as AT&T’s dual-band 3G network (850/1900 MHz; HSDPA/UMTS) plus 2100 MHz international 3G networks.
What’s in the Box
Motorola BACKFLIP handset, rechargeable battery, charger, 2 GB microSD memory card, quick start guide, user manual
AT&T Services
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High-speed data connectivity via AT&T’s 3G mobile broadband data network: The dual-band 850/1900 MHz 3G network provides up to 3.6/7.2 Mbps of download speed, making it possible to enjoy a variety of feature-rich wireless multimedia services, and it gives you the advantage of offering simultaneous voice and data services.
Additionally, this phone is also compatible with 2100 MHz 3G networks found in international territories. (For use outside the United States, an AT&T international data plan is recommended.) When traveling outside the U.S., you can enjoy wireless voice coverage in more than 215 countries and wireless data coverage in more than 185 countries–as well as access ultra-fast 3G mobile broadband services in more than 100 countries. In areas where the 3G network is not available, you’ll continue to receive service on the AT&T EDGE network, which offers availability in more than 13,000 US cities and along some 40,000 miles of major highways. Providing average data speeds between 75-135Kbps, it’s fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services, including full picture and video messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and email on the go. |
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The full-featured, premium AT&T Navigator GPS navigation application includes audible turn-by-turn directions, real-time traffic updates and re-routing options, and 3D moving maps (additional charges applicable). AT&T Navigator offers several other features to make your commute more enjoyable and reliable, including mobile access to Yellowpages.com. Additionally, AT&T Navigator is the only mobile phone-based GPS service that provides integrated speech recognition for address entry and points of interest search. |
Learn More
The Power of Android and MOTOBLUR
Powered by the Android OS, you can customize your Motorola BACKFLIP with thousands of apps available via the Android Market. |
The Motorola BACKFLIP runs the Android operating system, which provides easy access to a wide assortment of messaging tools and Google apps. With Android, you’re able to richly personalize the entire theme of the Motorola BACKFLIP with new widgets, icons and wallpapers–which can be added directly on the home screen–in order to truly make it your own.
Developed by Motorola, MOTOBLUR is an innovative solution that manages and integrates communications–from work e-mail to social networking activity–on your BACKFLIP. Updates to contacts, posts, messages, photos and more are streamed together and synced from sources including Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Gmail, and work and personal e-mail. MOTOBLUR automatically delivers these updates to the home screen in easy-to-view streams so there is no need to open and close different mobile applications to keep up with the latest content.
The BACKFLIP also features multitasking capabilities and one-touch access to the Google mobile services millions use every day, including Google Search by voice, Google Maps with Street View, YouTube and Picasa. Easy access to both personal and corporate e-mail, calendars, and contacts is supported by Exchange Server and Gmail. e-mail and contacts are also supported by Yahoo!, Windows Live Hotmail, and other POP3 and IMAP e-mail services. It also combines instant messaging support for Google Talk, as well as AOL, Yahoo! Messenger and Windows Live Messenger.
Additionally, the Android Market hosts a wide variety of unique applications, and with the Motorola BACKFLIP’s one-click access to it you can find and download a wide range of innovative software applications–from games to social networking and on-the-go shopping–to personalize your phone. Here’s a sampling of just some of the available applications:
- Sherpa, created by Geodelic, learns a person’s likes and dislikes through behavior and user feedback, prioritizing recommended retailers, restaurants and attractions. Sherpa features a learning machine that automatically customizes itself to the user’s preferences.
- imeem Mobile streams music customized to your tastes, recommending new songs and artists based on which songs you identify as your favorites.
- WorldTour puts live webcams from around the world onto your home screen.
- Phonebook offers an upgraded, more personalized phonebook for Android.
- FreshFace is a theme engine to further customize your phone.
- Movies by Flixster takes the aspect of movie reviews to the next level. Through integration with Facebook, you can find friends who also want to see that movie or read reviews from friends who have already seen it.
I currently have an iPhone, and ordered a BACKFLIP the day it was released. I was excited for this release, as I have a friend on Verizon who has a Droid, and the BACKFLIP was advertised as being similar to the droid.
As soon as I found out that the phone was crippled by AT&T, using Yahoo! search by default instead of Google (on GOOGLE ANDROID!), which in turn nullifies the voice-to-text search, I decided I would try and see if AT&T took any other great android features away. They did. You can not download apps from the web. This made up my mind, as I am still awaiting delivery of the phone, and will NOT be opening the phone. I just wasted $35 (restocking fees) and didn’t even touch the box yet.
Save yourself the time and money. Get a Droid on Verizon.
Rating: 1 / 5
Bought this yesterday, the day it came out. Cannot install apps from the web because according to the “level 4″ Motorola Support guy I talked to “due to carrier restrictions.” Do not buy this phone, as this severely limits what you can do with your phone. I tried to install Google’s own scripting app and I can’t due to this restriction.
Also bad:
Comes with several apps from AT&T that you cannot uninstall including the useless AT&T Navigator which requires an expensive monthly subscription, AT&T Music and other junk apps from AT&T taking up the limited space you have to install apps.
Also uses Yahoo! search, something you can’t change. They removed Google search from Google’s own mobile operating system.
Comes with the old Android 1.5 and says “upgradable to 2.1″ but guess what: you have to wait for Motorola to upgrade you whenever they decide they’ll upgrade all these phones. Until then you’re stuck with this old version of Android.
The brightness setting only changes the brightness for the screen and not the backlit buttons which are very bright – so if you are trying to limit brightness in a dark room, you can’t, and it sucks up your battery.
The screen is pretty small and most of the time this isn’t so bad, but some apps you can hardly read the fonts because they are so small.
Otherwise the keyboard is very nice. I like the hardware, the little touchpad on the back and how it flips but the software restrictions imposed by AT&T have ruined this phone and am returning it.
Don’t buy it. Get a Verizon Droid or a Nexus 1. Much better phones.
Rating: 1 / 5
this is a phone for tech geeks like me who actually want to spend time and learn more about the phone and features, this isnt a phone for an average joe, its meant for like i said before, its a tech geeks phone, those who wrote negatives, battery life is ok, the only reason you have battery life probs is cause you keep checkin the phone all time, well stop lookin at it all the time and look at it less, i had an iphone and was do for an upgrade , was goin to upgrade to the bold 9700, then i saw the backflip and read reviews and info on it, then i upgraded to it, its a nice phone, my friend said android phones are goin to be the nxt step in phones, i agree its the future of phones, i love this phone, if you dont like it dont buy it
Rating: 4 / 5
I wish I could give this device a 5 star rating as I love the hardware. I love the interface. However, I will most likely be returning this phone before 30 day trial period expires, unless there are clear guarantees of android 2.1 upgrade and allowing choice of search widgets, because I want a FULL android experience. I have been using at&t for many years and I think that they do have the best network, but I don’t want them crippling my phone. I speak as a former G1 user (used G1 on the at&t network without full 3G). I was so anxious for at&t to finally start offering an android phone and I am hoping they come to their senses. I am even co-sponsoring a facebook group for people to voice their cries for liberating the Backflip ([...])
I agree with some other comments about the battery life, but I hope battery “training” will help some of that.
Again, great hardware, good software but NOT AN ANDROID! I hope to be able to change this rating to 5 stars soon.
I am just reporting that I have returned this phone last Sunday and will be happy to get it again if and when it upgrades to android 2.1 and allows the possibility to choose your search widget provider. I am not so worried about the non-market apps.
The second update is that after the announcement that Motorola is upgrading to android 2.1 in Q3 2010 ([...]), I re-purchased the phone (this time through amazon). It came, this time with infinitely better battery life (the original one must have been faulty). I am enjoying the phone and hope to be able to bump my rating to 5 stars once I see the upgrade.
Rating: 2 / 5
I have had this for a week. IT IS AMAZING. Do not let your “Significant Other” play with it, or they will need one, too!
Rating: 5 / 5