Not to be confused with the original Milestone (which is known in the US as the Droid), the Motorola Milestone XT720 is a newer model, which ditches the slide-out keyboard and takes on an odd styling. It doesn't have the raw CPU power of other new high-end Android phones, but makes up for it with a solid set of hardware features.
Physically, it takes on a slate design, but includes an odd bump on the lower right side that's used for displaying a variety of LED indicators. Personally, I like the unique touch, although I can imagine a lot of people finding it unnecessary. Screen is a 3.7-inch capacitive touchscreen (480 x 854 resolution). It manages a very crisp display, with bright colors and sharpness to spare. Touch interface is quick and responsive.
As a phone, the Milestone XT720 managed good calls, with loud volume and no interference. Those on the other end reported the same thing, citing very clear audio. Speakerphone added some echo, but was serviceable even in loud environments. Battery is rated at 4.5 hours of talk time, so expect to charge every night or so.
Like other Android 2.1 phones, it comes with the staple Google suite of apps, robust messaging and other OS-based features, aside from access to lots more via the Android Market. It runs on a 720MHz CPU. While far from the 1GHz performers now flooding the market, it performs most tasks without hitch, although it would occasionally act in a sluggish manner when you have a fair share of apps open.
Standard capabilities include quad-band world roaming, smart dialing, Bluetooth 2.1 and aGPS. A few notable preinstalled apps include QuickOffice, a Phone Portal utility (for managing phone content on a PC over WiFi or USB) and an all-in-one social networking app. It uses the default standard browser, with pinch-to-zoom and Flash lite.
Multimedia playback is typical for an Android phone, so it's nothing special. It does have a high-res 8.0 megapixel camera with a Xenon flash and 720p recording. Stills look very good outdoors and very usable indoors, while the video has nice colors but remains somewhat grainy.
Overall, the Motorola Milestone XT720 is a full-featured Android 2.1 phone with a high-res camera and good overall performance as its main selling point. It costs $460 unlocked, but probably isn't the best deal available when Cincinatti Bell releases it for $199.99 on contract.
