Motorola Backflip Review
By Dean • Mar 16th, 2010 • Category: Industry News
- Photo: Motorola
For all the turmoil at Motorola, the company’s mobile phones division is showing more promise and innovation than it has since its Motorola Razr days. Where the Motorola Droid impressed with innovation and quickly climbed to the upper echelons of Android handsets, the Backflip feels like a step back. An innovative step back, yes, but a step back no less.
Quirky Qwerty
- Photo: Motorola
The most striking thing about this MotoBlur powered clamshell phone is its design. Where other phones have the screen and keyboard facing each other when closed, the Motorola Backflip has the screen and keyboards on the outside of the phone. This also speaks to the phone’s name, since a back flip of sorts has to be done to use the Qwerty Keyboard.
The software
The Motorola Backflip runs on the outdated Android 1.5, with upgrading to Android 2.1 reportedly on the way. On top of this, Motorola has added MotoBlur to the device. MotoBlur is the company’s social networking interface atop Android, which, for what Motorola is trying to do is admirable, but is not altogether inspiring. The problem start immediately, with the phone lagging fresh out the box. Skipping menus, running applications and the like performs nowhere near as smoothly as high-end phones, so if that is what you are going for, you won’t find it here.
The audience
- Photo: Motorola
The Motorola Backflip is meant for the masses. It isn’t designed at the cutting edge of technology, is barely more competent than early Android phones, packs an old 528MHz Qualcomm processor, 256mb of RAM and sports a competent 5-megapixel camera. It’s taking on neither Nexus One and HTC Desires or iPhones, but if it is a barebones, elegant-looking Android phone that handles social networking well that you are looking for, then this phone will suffice.
If you are looking for anymore than that, the Motorola Backflip with its Android powered MotoBlur interface is likely to disappoint.
Tags for this article: android, Motorola mobile
While I like a physical keyboard, after dealing with the Samsung Captivate for roughly quarter-hour, it’s exhausting to go back. Presently I’m debating whether to go to Verizon for the Droid X, move to Dash for the EVO, or stay with AT&T for the Captivate…decisions, decisions.