While the touchscreen slate form factor has emerged as the standard for today's smartphones, the Blackberry-style QWERTY candy bar remains a preferred design among a big segment of mobile workers.  And the Motorola Admiral offers one of the better devices for that specific crowd.

Physically, it looks very industrial, despite the rounded corners and curved edges.  It's not a looker, but it does mirror what it's supposed to be -- a workhorse phone.  Construction feels tough, the way phones in this category were always meant to be,  Display is a 3.1-inch capacitive touchscreen (480 x 640 resolution), with a physical QWERTY keyboard right below it.  The screen is good enough, although we wish it held up better under sunlight (as it is, it remains usable, but colors are washed out).   The keyboard is very responsive with a comfortable design.

As a phone, the Admiral makes for good calls.  Everything is clear, although I could have used more volume (in crowded places, you'll need to cover up to hear).  Being a push-to-talk phone, the speaker is very loud, making for great hands-free conversations and, of course, PTT calls.  Battery is great and will likely last moderate users up to two days.

You get all the usual smartphone favors (it runs Android 2.3.5 with Motoblur on top), including a full messaging suite, full set of wireless connectivity (3G, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, DLNA), and a good selection of apps.  We particularly like those targeted for business use (there are plenty), since this is a business phone.

With that said, it's a decent media phone, too, and offered good performance with its 1.2GHz Snapdragon S2 processor.  The 5.0 megapixel camera takes great outdoor shots.  Indoors, however, pictures look washed out even with the LED flash in play.  It manages decent 720p videos, as well.

We love the Motorola Admiral for the excellent construction and overall responsiveness.  It serves its workhorse purpose well.  Price is $99.99 with a new two-year agreement from Sprint.

Handsets bearing that cute square form factor are usually feature phones, designed for heavy messaging users.  The Motorola Flipout departs from the norm, putting a full-featured Android smartphone inside the pudgy frame.

Physically, the device sports 2.64 x 2.65 x 0.67 inch dimensions, allowing it to fit even in smaller pockets.   Despite the compact stature, the hardware's overall construction feels sturdy.  Instead of sliding to reveal the QWERTY keyboard, it uses a swivel mechanism, similar to the Nokia Twist.   It sports a 2.8-inch touchscreen (320 x 240 resolution), which is a tad too small for comfortable fingering.  Keyboard is especially roomy, though, making for very good typing.

As a phone, the Motorola Flipout makes for clear calls with very little interference on both ends of the conversation.  It could probably use a little more volume, as it becomes a bit difficult to use in crowded environments.  Speakerphone performed somewhat below average.  Do note: you'll need to flip out the keyboard to make calls, which is odd.  Battery life is rated at 4.6 hours of talk time, which should easily last you an entire day of regular use.

In terms of features, it sits right in the middle of the Android pack.  All the basic voice functionalities are intact (with quad-band world support), along with full messaging capabilities, including SMS, MMS, IM and email with universal inbox (POP3, IMAP and corporate).  It's fairly usable as a business device, as well, with calendar syncing and Quickoffice in tow.  Social networking fans should  have plenty to chew on, too, as it has Motoblur UI running over Android 2.1.

The usual set of connectivity options are on board - aGPS, WiFi, 3G and Bluetooth.  Data speeds over 3G were uneven, with pages loading at rather irregular rates. Web browsing and video playback were fairly average for Android handsets, although the small display makes both activities unsatisfying as a whole.

Music playback is similarly average and uses the stock Android player.  The 3.1 megapixel camera offers limited editing options and takes fairly reasonable photo quality.   Aside from the usual Google suite of apps, it also includes a helping of AT&T's numerous services.

Overall, the Motorola Flipout feels a lot better than its diminutive frame suggests.  The keyboard is impressive, although the screen is a bit too small for comfort.    You can get it from AT&T, priced at $79.99 on a two-year agreement.

Want an Android phone, don't need a touchscreen slab?   You may want to give the Motorola Charm an audition.

Clad in a slim QWERTY candybar form factor, it's easy to mistake it for a Blackberry clone.  It's not the sleekest messaging-style handset we've seen, but it does have its own...uhm...charm.  The squared-off 2.8-inch touchscreen (320 x 240 resolution) feels too small for viewing most webpages, but it does work fine for most other uses.  It's capacitive too, making for excellent touch controls.  Motorola also added a navigation pad on the back of the phone that surprisingly works better than we expected.  Keypad is roomy and has a good tactile feel.

As a phone, the Motorola Charm makes for good calls, with voices just sounding with a little bit of echo.  Audio is clear, though.  Speakerphone isn't that good and will probably be unusable in crowded environments.  Battery is rated at 5 hours of talk time, making for over a day of use before recharges.

The phone runs Motoblur, which adds a number of useful stuff, such as a universal inbox, a socially-connected contacts list and a bunch of widgets.  While we do like the extra functionality, the UI layer does leave the screen a bit cluttered.  An underpowered 600MHz processor controls the action, which does wilt a little once you start to have a whole host of apps running.

It comes with the usual smartphone capabilities (threaded chat view, Bluetooth, aGPS, WiFi), along with the host of features that go with Android 2.1 (multiple home screens, robust messaging with Exchange support, speech-to-text and more).  Running on T-Mobile's network, it gives fast 3G speeds, with YouTube clips running smoothly after some short buffering.  Both the media player and HTML browser are stock, so don't expect much excitement there.  The 3-megapixel camera takes rather disappointing pictures.

Overall, we love the design of the Motorola Charm.  While I'm not swayed by its looks, it does offer an alternative for users who want a slim Android phone with a QWERTY keyboard.  Plus, it's priced pretty sweet at $74.99 on a two-year contract with T-Mobile.

Most people are likely to dismiss the Motorola Cliq XT as nothing but a slightly updated version of the original Cliq from last year. While that may be true to an extent, this device actually deserves better recognition as it improves upon its predecessor in many ways. Heck, they could have named it something else and it wouldn't have been such an issue.

Physically, the most noticeable change from the Cliq is the omission of a physical keyboard. While the general look is similar, the new phone is taller and wider, while reclaiming more portability by being lighter and slimmer. It comes with a 3.1-inch capacitive touchscreen (320 x 480 resolution) that manages excellent colors, but is noticeably less vibrant than higher-end smartphones like the Motorola Droid. The touchscreen comes with both multi-touch (which works on most apps, but not on Google Maps) and Swype (for text input). While it also offers a traditional onscreen keyboard, we did find Swype a much better mode of input once you get used to it.

As a phone, the Cliq XT manages excellent call quality. Everything went through loud and clear on both ends, with rich sound and plenty of volume. The speakerphone performed similarly, with nothing but an occasional, ignorable buzz to break up the near-perfect sound. Battery is rated at 6.5 hours of talk time, which should last for a good two days or more.

The phone pairs both 3G and WiFi, allowing you to have access to fast broadband internet in most situations. Onboard Webkit-based browser performed admirably, loading pages fast and accurately. With pinch-to-zoom and Flash Lite, it allows for a great browsing experience. While the phone uses the same 526Mhz processor as its predecessor, it performed faster in almost every way. It's a sufficiently speedy phone, exhibiting none of the frustrating sluggishness we found on other Motorola phones like the aforementioned Cliq and the Backflip.

Feature set is similar to the Cliq, coming with both Android 1.5 and Motoblur out of the box. As expected, it's got all the usual stuff you can expect from such a combination - Motoblur's social-friendly functions, Google's suite of apps and terrific messaging capabilities, among others. One pleasant surprise is the changes Motorola did to Android's music player, turning out one that not only looks better, but comes with more features too. My favorite additions: running streams from Shoutcast, YouTube and GoTV, as well as the integration with TuneWiki.

The 5.0 megapixel camera module comes with LED flash and autofocus. It only allows for standard editing options, but manages excellent photos. There is a bit of shutter lag, though, so it's not perfect. Other features include quad-band roaming and Bluetooth 2.0.

Overall, the Motorola Cliq XT is easily one of the better mid-range Android phones right now. It's not yet on sale, but is expected to go for around $149.99 with a contract from T-Mobile. At that price, it's easily a better buy than either the Cliq, Backflip or any of the even cheaper Android handsets around.

At the time it came out, the HTC Hero was, by far, the best Android phone on the block. With the HTC Legend, the manufacturer took everything good about that handset and made it even better.

Physically, it looks a lot like the Hero, down to the trademark chin. The body is cut from a single piece of aluminum (taking a bite out of Apple's aesthetic), making it both more attractive and durable at the same time. Replacing the trackball with a metal-trimmed trackpad also raises the style points up a notch, apart from working just as effectively.

Display is a gorgeous 3.2-inch AMOLED screen, with 320x480 resolution. Colors literally pop out, adding a "wow" factor that you seldom get with the mass of Android phones in the market. At 3mm thinner than the Hero, it's easily one of HTC's more pocketable devices.

As a phone, the HTC Legend manages slightly above average call quality. Voices sound natural with plenty of volume to go, although we did encounter a slight amount of distortion. Speakerphone worked just as well, perhaps lacking just a tad more volume to my liking. Battery life is quite disappointing, though, likely requiring a recharge every day and a half for most common uses.

While the Hero suffered from some form of sluggishness (which they later rectified via firmware), the Legend runs with satisfying speed out of the box. Navigation is smooth, transitions are fast and apps launch quick, putting all 600Mhz of that processor to good use. Web browsing (both over WiFi and HSDPA) is exceptional, with pages rendering almost twice as fast, compared to many Android phones we've seen. Plus, the browser's got multi-touch and some amount of Flash support.

It delivers all the usual Android 2.1 favors, from the nominal music player to the mass of Google apps to extensive messaging capabilities. HTC primps it up with their fancy Sense UI, which adds a lot of value to the device, including features such as being able to add mail to your Outlook folders, an improved mail interface, a very good onscreen keyboard and the MotoBlur-like Friend Stream. The latter, by the way, doesn't work as well as expected. Expect software updates on that end. Camera module is a 5.0 megapixel unit that manages to snap average-looking shots.

Sure, the Motorola Droid and the Nexus One have probably gotten the most press out of today's Android phones. In terms of overall value, though, I'm tempted to side with the HTC Legend, with its great looks, sleek operation and robust feature set.  Price should vary from retailer to retailer, but expect it between $550 to $600 unlocked.

Sometimes, a unique design may be all you need to sell a new handset.  That could be what they're banking on with the Motorola Backflip, a smartphone with various physical innovations that you might find enticing (or retarded, whichever the case may be).

Physically, the unique flip design definitely makes it a noteworthy device.  While it looks like the Motorola Cliq at first glance, look closer and you'll see the huge differences.  When closed, the keyboard sits in the back of the phone, such that it flips open to the bottom of the horizontal 3.1-inch display.  Sure, it's a novel way to implement a clamshell for a touchscreen device, but the fact that your keys are exposed 100% of the time definitely doesn't inspire confidence.  They also added trackpads behind the display, which are supposed to allow you to navigate the UI without your hands getting in the way.  It works well, although, it's hard to see a real need for it.

As a phone, the Backflip manages average call quality.  It was good on our end, although callers sometimes reported issues on theirs.  We're not sure if it was their phone or ours causing it, however.  The speakerphone was excellent, definitely better than average.  Battery is rated at 6 hours, which should be good for at least two days of normal use.

Positioned as more of an entry-level smartphone, it's equipped with a rather underpowered 528MHz Qualcomm processor.  It only runs Android 1.5 too and performance wasn't the best - there were definite lags even with simpler tasks, such as opening your inbox and scrolling through lists.  As such, it might be a good idea to forget ever upgrading the OS here to a newer version.

It comes with Motoblur and you can read our reviews of other similarly-equipped Motorola phones (Cliq, Devour) to get the skinny on that.  Features are around what you'd expect.  You get the usual Android fare (Google's software suite and read-only QuickOffice), Webkit-based HTML browser (very fast page loads over 3G, by the way), aGPS, WiFi and Bluetooth.

While it continues to use Android's lackluster music player, the Backflip comes with excellent sound quality.  The onboard speakers manage gorgeous sounds, definitely a notch above what you normally get from a phone.  Camera appeared great at 5 megapixels of resolution, but the quality of shots left plenty to be desired.

Overall, the Motorola Backflip is a decent choice for an entry-level Android smartphone.  There are definite performance issues, but it covers the range of features well and it's an excellent music phone.  Price sounds good too - $99 with a two-year contract from AT&T (not sure how much for unlocked versions elsewhere).

Loved the Droid?  Meet its little brother, the Motorola Devour.  While not exactly the same top-of-the-line smartphone as its predecessor, the company's third official Android release brings plenty to be happy about.

Physically, it borrows the same form factor as the Droid, is about the same size and weighs almost just as heavy.   It does put the extra heft to good use, boasting both sturdy construction and a great feel in hand.  The extruded aluminum skin and extra touches help it leave a very attractive impression.  In fact, I'd go so far as to say that it's better-looking than it's older brother.

Display is a smaller 3.1 inches, with 480x320 resolution.  It's exceptionally bright and vibrant, although it barely fills the available space on the handset.   The addition of a thumbpad below the screen is a great decision, as it proved easier to use than a trackball or a toggle, as  we've seen most Android phones come with.  We don't know anyone who wouldn't appreciate the keyboard - it's spacious and very convenient to use.

As a phone, the Devour manages very good calls.  Signal is strong with no distortion and voice quality is excellent, although we could have used a little more volume.   Callers on the other end reported good quality, too, with just a hint of static.  Speakerphone performed admirably, with an impressive mic.  Battery life is rated at 6.48 hours of talk time.  While we weren't able to drain it during testing, it looked like it can go for a good two days (or more) of normal use.

In terms of actual power, it's a rather impressive handset - apps ran faster than the Cliq, but slightly slower than the Droid.  It runs Motoblur exactly like the Cliq, so you get that extra layer of usability. We especially love the universal inbox (where you can dump all your POP3, IMAP4 and corporate e-mails) and the various social networking features.

Broadband 3G is great, making for fast-loading pages (that supports Flash Lite) and excellent video-streaming.  All the usual Google apps are here to take full advantage of it too.  It's a little disappointing that the phone is running Android 1.6, however, which means you don't get to take advantage of the fuller options the newer versions provide.

Music quality is good, although the interface is exactly the same as other Android phones (which isn't that great).  The 3.0 megapixel camera is absolutely lacking in editing options and extra features, but manages decent shots.    Other notable features include aGPS (with VZ Navigator), Wi-Fi, Outlook syncing (contacts and calendar), QuickOffice and stereo Bluetooth.  It ships with an 8GB SD card.

Overall, the Motorola Devour is an excellent Android phone (fast, full-featured and comes with some durable qualities) - easily one of the best around.  Since it's priced at only $50 less than the Droid (with similar two-year contracts), however, the Android version becomes an important issue.   You might want to consider that before making a purchase.

Talk about piling up the Android releases.  That's definitely the case with Motorola, who has officially announced the Motorola Devour, their latest smartphone running Google's open-source OS.  Set for release under Verizon, it will be the carrier's first Motoblur-equipped device.

As it did in the Motorola Cliq, MotoBlur will bring its unique and customizable content delivery service to the new handset.  Aggregating information from Gmail, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and other sources, it streams updates directly to the home screen, apart from adding other management features, such as contacts syncing and personal messaging.

Instead of a pure touchscreen device, though, the Devour takes on a form factor with more similarities to the Motorola Droid, sporting a slide-out QWERTY keypad along the left-hand side.  Details of the Devour include a 3.1-inch capacitive touchscreen, a touch-sensitive navigation pad, aGPS, stereo Bluetooth and 3G connectivity.   A bundled 8GB microSD card will come with the package.

Like most Android phones, a host of Google apps will be preloaded on the device, including Gmail, Talk, YouTube and Maps Navigation.  Verizon is putting it under their list of "advanced devices" and will thus require a $29.99 data plan.

The Motorola Devour is scheduled for availability in early March.  Price has not been set, but expect it between $170 to $200.

[via Verizon News]