The Motorola Cliq (aka Motorola Dext outside of the US) is the company's first Android phone, armed with a full QWERTY keyboard and integrated social networking features. Powered by the ever-improving mobile OS, the handset truly breathes new life into Motorola's fledgling mobile efforts.
Physically, the Cliq isn't that much of a looker. It's not objectionable - far from it; there's just very little to be excited about. Beyond the looks, it's a well-thought-out phone with a decent build (we did detect some flimsiness in construction) and a sturdy sliding mechanism. The 3.1-inch capacitive touchscreen is bright and clear with snappy response, while the physical QWERTY panel features large and raised keys (albeit, with little travel in-between).
MotoBlur is the big custom tweak for the Cliq, integrating plenty of social networking features into various aspects of Android. Sign in to your various social media accounts (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm), for instance, and the software will immediately grab all your contacts, integrating them into your address book. You can send all sorts of messages and profile updates directly from the phone, as well as integrating tons of widgets for social media purposes. All in all, MotoBlur is an excellent, near-seamless addition to Android - one that makes it more fun. It's not perfect (some widgets are flaky), but it's an A+ effort.
As a phone, the Cliq manages average quality calls (voice is audible and clear, but it picks up some noise) and below average speakerphone performance. I'd ditch using the speakers entirely, if I were you. Battery is rated at six hours of talk time, but I'll be surprised if this lasts you more than a day. If you use your phone a lot, you will probably need to bring a charger along.
Feature set is pretty rich. Being an Android phone, it comes with the full set of capabilities innate in the OS, including a rich suite of Google-based apps, wide range of messaging support and more. Add to that a few custom niceties, such as online backup and remote wiping, along with further extensibility via the Android Market.
Web connectivity is fast with both Wi-Fi and HSDPA available. Be forewarned, though, that the screen doesn't support multi-touch, which could mean a harder time browsing for those used to performing gestures for browser commands. Other features include a 5.0 megapixel camera (plenty of editing options but only average quality stills), a 3.5mm headphone jack, GPS and microSDHC expansion.
Overall, the Motorola Cliq is a powerful phone at an affordable price - an excellent combination. While it's neither the sexiest nor the sturdiest piece of hardware available, it brings plenty talents that can make you forget those drawbacks.
