Motorola has announced a new compact messaging handset.  Called the Motorola Grasp (model WX404), the device carries largely basic talents, along with some eco-friendly qualities.

Made using 100% recyclable materials, the phone's hardware is free from both BCR and PCV, making it harmless upon disposal during the end of its life cycle.  It appears to have none of the usual apps that come with similarly eco-friendly devices, although, Motorola does dress it in an appropriate green case.

The Motorola Grasp takes on a close-packed (2.4 x 3.7 x 0.51 inches) candybar form factor with a full QWERTY panel up front.  Notable details include a 2.2-inch LCD screen (220 x 176 resolution), a 1.3 megapixel camera module (with digital zoom), stereo Bluetooth, aGPS, 3.5mm audio jack and microSD card expansion (up to 8GB).  It will house a 950 mAH battery, with 5.3 hours of talk time and 17.9 days of standby.

Messaging capabilities on tap include SMS, MMS and email.  No IM apps come on board.  There's an audio player with generous file support, but video playback is restricted to clips you shoot using the camcorder feature.

US availability for the Motorola Grasp is slated sometime in the third quarter.  The phone will be released by MetroPCS, although no pricing has been indicated.

[Motorola MediaCenter]

Motorola has announced their third exclusive Android phone for T-Mobile USA.  Called the Motorola Charm, it brings an unusual form factor rarely seen with the OS into the mix: a QWERTY candybar.

Like most of Motorola's Android releases, the squarish handset comes with the social networking-friendly MotoBlur (first phone in the US with the enhanced version of the UI), as well as Backtrack, a touch-sensitive pad along the rear that lets you perform navigational actions  without having to put your fingers to the display.  It will ship with Android 2.1 at the helm, with no word on whether a 2.2 Froyo update is forthcoming.

The Motorola Charm features a 2.8-inch touchscreen with 320 x 240 resolution, sitting above a four-row QWERTY keypad.  Slim with curved corners, it measures 98.4 x 67 x 11.4 mm and weighs 110 grams.

Details include a 3.2 megapixel fixed focus camera module (with Kodak Perfect Touch), aGPS, 3G with HSDPA, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, an FM tuner, a 3.5mm audio port, 512MB of onboard storage and microSD card expansion (2GB card included).  Like other Android-powered releases, it boasts  the full suite of Google services (Search, Maps, Navigation and more), multi-touch web browsing and Flash support.  Extra features include CrystalTalk Plus (which adds a second mic for improved voice calls), one-touch social media uploads and Moto Phone Portal (for accessing phone data from any web-enabled browser).

No word on pricing for the Motorola Charm, but it is expected for release during the summer.  The model will come in two colors, bronze and cabernet.

[Motorola Media Center]

Verizon has been teasing us with their latest Android offering over the past couple weeks now.  Today, they made the Motorola Droid X official.

As has been the custom with high-end Android phones, it brings robust enterprise capabilities to users, with Exchange support, push email and live widgets for e-mail and calendar.  Like music to Android fans' ears, it brings equally powerful capabilities on the multimedia end too, boasting a large, viewing-friendly screen, HD content processing and video output support over both DLNA and HDMI.  It will also get the usual Google suite of services, as well as access to the Android Market.

Details of the Droid X include a 4.3-inch touchscreen (with 854 x 480 resolution), an 8.0 megapixel camera module (with 720p HD video capture and dual LED flash), aGPS, Bluetooth 2.1, CDMA 800/1900 and EVDO Rev. A, WiFi, 8GB onboard storage and microSD card expansion (with 16GB pre-installed).   It has a 1,540 mAh battery, rated at 8 hours of talk time.  The handset measures 127.5 x 65.5 x 9.9 mm, weighs 155 grams and houses a 1GHz CPU.

It will initially come with Android 2.1 at launch time, but will get upgraded to 2.2 Froyo in the late summer.  Full Flash 10.1 support has also been promised within that timeframe.  Like the Evo 4G, the device can be used as a wireless hotspot for up to five  devices.  Verizon will require an extra fee for the privilege, though.

The Motorola Droid X will be available beginning July 15 for $199.99 (after a $100 mail-in rebate) with a two-year contract.

[Motorola]

Known in Korea as the MOTOROI, the Motorola Milestone XT720 has just been announced for a European release. If you aren't familiar with the South Korean version, this is a media-heavy Android smartphone with a large viewing screen and a powerful camera.

As you can tell from the name, this is going to be marketed in Europe as a QWERTY-less sibling of the Motorola Droid (aka the Motorola Milestone in European markets). In place of the slide-out keypad, you get five different touchscreen-based input methods, including Swype. Designed for power users (according to Motorola), it also steers clear of MotoBlur, just like its predecessor.

Details of the Milestone XT720 include a 3.7-inch capacitive touchscreen (480 x 854 resolution), an 8.0 megapixel camera module with Xenon flash (the first Android to have Xenon, by the way), aGPS, 3G with HSDPA, WiFi, stereo Bluetooth, FM tuner and microSD card expansion (up to 32GB). Intended for media-heavy users, it can record 720p videos and play it back to an HDTV over HDMI.

Oddly enough, it's only running on a core system consisting of a 600Mhz ARM Cortex A8 processor, 256MB of RAM and 512MB of ROM. Whether that performs up to par will probably be an issue worth looking at later. It comes running Android 2.1 at the helm, with no skinning, so expect a Nexus One-like experience overall. No mention of any planned updates soon.

The Motorola Milestone XT720 will hit European stores before the end of the month. Pricing will likely vary between markets, so no official numbers were announced.

[Press Release]

Motorola just announced six new entry-level phones, all of them under the company's WX range. Joining the WX Series are the WX161, WX181, WX161, WX260, WX265, WX290 and WX295, each of which packs basic features in familiar form factors. They are intended for release in emerging markets.

The Moto WX161 is a candybar handset with a 1.3-inch screen, FM radio with RDS and a built-in light torch. It boasts extra-long battery life, although details of the talk time weren't disclosed.

A second candybar called the WX181 joins it, packing a 1.5-inch color display, FM radio with RDS and a built-in light torch. It supports conference calling for up to five people.

Slightly more featured is another candybar called the Moto WX260, which boasts an FM radio with RDS, a wireless web browser, stereo Bluetooth, microSD card expansion up to 2GB and a basic music player. The Moto WX265 gets the same capabilities, except it's housed in a clamshell form factor. Battery on both phones can last for up to 11 hours of non-stop music playback.

The last two handsets of the lot are the Moto WX290 and Moto WX295, which come in a candybar and clamshell form factor, respectively. Both devices feature a 1.8-inch screen, FM radio with RDS, a wireless web browser, stereo Bluetooth, microSD card expansion up to 2GB, a music player and a basic camera.

No pricing nor press photos were given for the handsets. The picture above is actually an unofficial shot of the WX260. No release dates either, although they're supposed to show up in China (under China Mobile) soon.

[Press Release]

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.

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.

Who needs a traditional QWERTY keyboard again?  Not the Motorola Quench, a new Android-powered smartphone that wants to change the way you input text.

The biggest update here is the loss of a standard onscreen QWERTY that you control with taps.  In its place, you get a QWERTY that supports Swype, a new technology that uses finger-sweeps on the touchscreen to help you roll out your messages.  Also called the Cliq XT (in North America), the Quench will come with the Motoblur UI, which integrates various social and messaging services into a single interface.

Details of the handset include a 3.1-inch HVGA display, aGPS, Wi-Fi, stereo Bluetooth, dual microphones (for improved noise cancellation) and a 5.0 megapixel camera module (with autofocus and LED flash).  Phone dimensions are 116.7 x 59.4 x 12.3 mm.

It will support quad-band GSM/EDGE and tri-band 3G with download speeds of up to 7.2Mbps. Other notable features include tight Google apps integration, pinch-to-zoom browser support, a navigation touchpad, voice-activated search, a 1420 mAh battery that's rated for up to 6.5 hours of talk time and an updated media player (which boasts integration with TuneWiki, SoundHound, GoTV and YouTube).  The handset will ship with Android 1.5.

Motorola Quench, the company's eighth Android release, will begin selling in Europe before the first quarter is over and in the US by March.  Price was not announced.

[Motorola Media Center]

Despite their recent successful forays into smartphones, Motorola remains a regular source of rugged handsets.  The latest to come out of the company is the Motorola Quantico, a clamshell boasting compliance with full military specifications.

Physically, it shares the same form factor as the recently-released Motorola Brute.  The resemblance ends there, though, as much of the design is evidently different.  Being a rugged phone, looks take a backseat to durability - hard plastic housing, textured rubber sides and back, securely-plugged jacks and a very bulky frame.

It sports two screens, a 1.6-inch external panel and 2.2-inch display (176x220 resolution) inside.  Both are colored.  While they obviously won't dole out the sharpest graphics, both have sufficient brightness and good usability.  Both the keypad and navigation array are easy to use, unlike other rugged phones we've seen.

As a phone, it makes for impressive calls - conversations were clear with no discernible distortion.  Voices came through sounding natural with plenty of volume.  On the other end, users reported the same positive experience.  Speakerphone feature worked well, although those we were talking to reported some notable harshness in the sound.  Battery life is rated at 5.8 hours, which should be good for up to 2 or 3 days of normal use.

The Motorola Quantico comes with largely basic features.  There's the standard phone stuff, such as a 1,000-entry phone book, PIM tools, messaging (SMS, MMS, web email), stereo Bluetooth and microSD card expansion (up to 8GB).  More advanced capabilities include a wireless web browser, aGPS and push-to-talk (depending on carriers).

Music player is decent, with support for a wide variety of file formats and playlists.  They also threw in a 1.3 megapixel camera with a good amount of options and surprisingly usable photo quality.  Of course, we also tried dropping and dunking it in shallow water a few times - it's good enough to withstand basic durability tests.

Overall, the Motorola Quantico doesn't bring much in terms of looks, but does make up for it with solid rugged capabilities and strong execution of its core features.  US Cellular currently has it for $99.95 ( no PTT, though) on a two-year service agreement.

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