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Telus MOTOKEY SOCIAL Review

Daniel Bader — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 21:16:05 +0000

The prepaid market is one that we don’t really broach too often, but it’s an essential component of everyday life for millions of Canadians. While the penetration rate for smartphones is nearly 40%, it’s still much more common to see someone with a cheap flip phone or aging candybar walking down the street. Smartphones are essential to peoples’ lives, but so is the savings from a $89.99 prepaid phone paired with a $20/month commitment-free rate plan.

The MOTOKEY SOCIAL, hereby deemed Motokey for austerity sake, is an interesting take on the the portrait QWERTY phone. At first glance it appears quite similar to the previously-reviewed Android-powered Motorola Pro+ but for the smaller screen and dedicated Facebook button.

Let’s take a look at this pseudo-smartphone and see if it’s right for you, or your younger sibling.

Specs:

- Custom Motorola operating system
- 2.4″ 320×240 capacitive touch screen
- 64MB RAM, 128MB ROM (50MB user available) with microSD slot
- 3MP camera
- GSM 850/900/1800/1900, EDGE Class 10, WCDMA 850/1900
- 910mAh battery
- WiFi / Bluetooth, GPS
- WiFi hotspot support
- Built-in Facebook button
- Stereo FM radio
- 87g
- 60 x 105.5 x 9.98 mm

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It’s important to note that the Motokey is not, depending on your definition, a smartphone. It runs a touchscreen-”friendly” operating system, but it’s a far cry from the versatility of Android, or even Samsung’s Bada.

This simple Java-based operating system is surprisingly robust, with capacitive touchscreen support and native social networking features. There are smartphone features we take for granted, such as a Java browser (Opera Mobile), Twitter, Facebook, Gmail, Yahoo and weather applets. I’d be remiss to call them apps, but they perform ably enough.

There are five home screens, each of which is adorned with various widgets and app icons; holding down on one will bring up an ugly prompt asking to change the source of that shortcut. You cannot move an icon, or replace it with a widget, so an icon must be replaced with another, and a widget with another, and so on. The system works quite well, though getting things exactly right is time-consuming and cumbersome. Nevertheless, we have to go back to one thing: this phone provides, for $90, similar albeit vastly simplified functionality as a device three or four times the price.

The hardware is quite hardy for such an inexpensive device. The keyboard is similar to the one on the Motorola Pro+, but adds a dedicated number row in the space where an extra half-inch of screen space would be. The keys are spritely and well-honed, spaced just right for messaging hounds; the number row will appease those with aversions to the “BlackBerry Way” of holding down the alt key for most secondary presses. As you can see, like the Android-powered HTC Status there is a dedicated Facebook button near the bottom left of the keyboard. Such an inclusion leaves no doubt as to whom this diminutive device is to be marketed to.

The 2.4″ QVGA screen is appreciably crummy, but not a write-off. With sufficient brightness, clarity and touch responsiveness, it’s a great deal better than a resistive layer. Viewing angles are pretty laughable though, and you can see the banding in most gradients, owing to the limited colour palette.

Around the back is a 3MP camera, for which the software could be worse: one-touch Facebook sharing, plus decent response time makes for a pleasant enough experience. I foresee many young people pointing the lens at their own faces, friends gathering in the shot for a candid self-portrait. The lack of flash is no surprise, but one can take grainy and low-framerate video at a decent 640×480 resolution.

Though the phone does not come with a microSD slot, the phone supports one up to 32GB, and it’s a good thing too, since there are only 50MB of usable storage out of the box for photos, video and music. There is a decent media player built in, though, to accompany the top-side 3.5mm headphone jack. Indeed, the phone appears to be a smartphone from the look of it: it is charged with an industry-standard microUSB cable (provided, thankfully) and has similarly robust build quality.

The Motokey is ringed by a chrome plastic bezel, to which a sturdy battery cover is attached. Underneath the hood is a 910mAh battery, but I had no issues with the battery. Since I couldn’t perform my usual suite of battery tests (for lack of apps), I merely repeated a short video I filmed until the cell wore to zero. The phone lasted nearly fifteen hours on medium brightness, indicating a relatively mild battery draw under load.

Surprisingly, the Motokey has a built-in WiFi hotspot feature to accompany the HSPA+ baseband inside. Telus offers a wide range of Prepaid Plans, though the base cost is 20c/min with a monthly plan and 30c/min without one. Data can be added, in 250MB/month increments, for $20, though it does not look like it can be combined with a voice plan. One plan, which includes such “deals” as $45/month Unlimited Voice gives you access to 5 numbers, plus evenings after 6pm and weekends and no-limit messaging, are a far cry from post-paid contract rates, but perform the function for those people who want nothing to do with a 3-year contract. Per-use data rates are $3/MB.

Thankfully, like all Motorola phones, call quality is excellent. There is an ample-sized speaker on the back for those tinny music urges, and the device, which is around the same height and width as the BlackBerry Curve 9360, is very comfortable to hold in the hand.

There is no doubt that the MOTOKEY SOCIAL is not aimed at me, nor most of our readers. But I decided to review it precisely because it is the type of phone that parents will buy their kids, or themselves, if cost is important and usage is kept to a minimum. Prepaid costs can add up quickly, but those who will seek one out are unlikely to be the heavy “Crackberry” users who will invest in an expensive handset.

As such, the Motokey gets a hearty recommendation without many of the reservations I usually foist on a smartphone. For $89.99 outright, and a $20/month prepaid plan which comes with no commitment, it’s the most robust and feature-filled fuss-free handset I’ve used.

The MOTOKEY SOCIAL is available from Telus for $89.99 outright.

Revisited: the Motorola Atrix

Daniel Bader — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 22:23:21 +0000

It’s been nearly a year since the Motorola Atrix was announced at CES, and ten months since it was released in Canada. At the time it was running Motoblur on top of Android 2.2 Froyo, and while the hardware blew us away, the software definitely did not.

Since then, three things have happened: 1) It received an upgrade to Gingerbread, which completely overhauled its software and gave it a huge performance boost. 2) Its bootloader was unlocked, allowing for custom ROMs, kernels and recoveries. 3) It’s been surpassed time and time again by its competitors, including some more recent Motorola devices.

But to its credit the Atrix, with its 4″ qHD display, 1Ghz dual-core Tegra 2 processor, 1GB RAM, 16GB internal storage and huge 1930mAh battery, has survived the onslaught of time pretty well.

First, let’s go over what has held up well. Since its launch every major ARM-based manufacturer, from Qualcomm to Texas Instruments to Samsung, has released a dual-core solution. And even NVIDIA’s own Tegra 2, with which the Atrix was the first to launch in phone form, is about to be supplanted by the quad-core Tegra 3. But dual-core 1Ghz still feels fast, and using the Atrix now is not a significant step down from the latest Snapdragon or OMAP.

This is aided by the fact that the Atrix included 1GB of RAM when the rest of the industry was pumping out phones with half that number. Multitasking still feels effortless and fluid. The included 16GB storage has also aged well: there isn’t a single Android phone on the market that ships with more than that.

The Atrix’s speed practically doubled overnight when Bell released the Gingerbread update in August. In truth, though, I installed Android 2.3 long before that, when enterprising hackers unlocked the device’s bootloader and discovered, hidden in plain sight on Motorola’s servers, early builds of the eventual upgrade. Not only was it a big aesthetic change — they did away with most of Froyo’s ugly, blocky design choices — but Motorola injected some magic into the kernel, as the device just flew.

Then came CyanogenMOD7. From being one of the most locked-down devices on the market emerged a piece of versatile hardware that now has a vibrant development community. CM7 changed the way I used the Atrix, giving it the same enormous feature set as the other 50+ handsets supported by the custom ROM.

And, whether you’re running a custom stock-based ROM or CM7, various kernel improvements have helped developers push the capabilities of the 1930mAh battery to unbelievable levels. The Atrix is still, by far, the longest-lasting Android device I’ve ever used. I can easily get two days of use from it.

Physically, the Atrix hasn’t aged so well. Stout even at its release, it feels practically bloated now. We know now the extra girth was needed to accomodate the huge battery, but its plastic body and flimsy battery cover have since been condemned to the “2010 design faux pas” category.

I still think that its 4″ screen size makes for a very comfortable experience — far better than the 4.3″ – 4.6″ variety. The qHD screen is a slim 16:9 ratio, so the Atrix is easy to hold between two fingers. The quality of the screen, however, leaves a LOT to be desired. This is the area in which Motorola has fallen the farthest behind — even on their latest handset — and after using the Galaxy Nexus and Optimus LTE extensively, the PenTile-inclined Atrix looks practically terrible. With inaccurate colours and poor viewing angles, not to mention practically unreadable text at its furthest zoom, we’re happy these days are behind us.

Moving on, the Atrix is a great phone. No, I mean an actual phone: sound quality from the earpiece and speaker is still best-in-class. Fundamentally, this makes it a mean business phone. It’s got all those great Motorola business features such as built-in certificates and extensive vendor VPN support. And remember, it has that unique fingerprint scanner that has yet to make it, for better or worse, to any other smartphone.

The camera on the Atrix still sucks. That won’t change, and as other manufacturers make improvements to their optics the Atrix will begin looking even worse in comparison. Focus is slow, low-light quality atrocious and photos overall lack detail and colour.

But with the Gingerbread update came a nice bonus: 1080p video recording. Though it took a third-party app to actually capture video at such a high resolution, today we have a phone that captures decent true HD at 24fps.

The Atrix was one of the first Android handsets to come with an HDMI-out port, capable of transmitting a 1080p signal to your home theatre system. And while it came with a Webtop and HDMI dock, sold separately, its built-in HDMI mirroring feature was enough for most people.

The Atrix, nearly a year later, is still going strong. Countless Android handsets have been released since March, boasting improved internal specs, sharper screens and better build quality. But then, as now, Bell’s first superphone still retains many of the qualities that made it such a compelling device to begin with.

Update: Motorola Atrix 2 gets leaked, could be Canada bound

Daniel Bader — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 18:23:17 +0000

Update: According to their sources, the Atrix 2 will not be LTE-capable despite previous hints as to the otherwise. Sorry for the confusion!

We know that Rogers and Bell are in the process of rolling out Canada-wide LTE networks to satiate the millions of data-hungry mobile users across the nation. We also know that Rogers (but not Bell) is releasing an LTE-capable Samsung Galaxy S II later this year.

Now screenshots have leaked of an upcoming refresh to the Atrix, which internally at Motorola is going by the codename Edison, on the way to AT&T. ~~The good news is that AT&T’s upcoming LTE network is using the same AWS spectrum as our carriers’, with a view to the upcoming 700Mhz spectrum, too, when it’s auctioned off next year.~~

Other specs include a 1.2-1.5Ghz dual-core chip, most likely powered by Texas Instrument’s OMAP SoC, an 8MP camera capable of 1080p video, and the newest version of Android (though Ice Cream Sandwich has not been confirmed). The screen also looks to be a shoe-in for the original’s qHD 960×540 pixel resolution, though with a slightly larger 4.3″ or 4.5″ screen.

Considering the Atrix was Bell’s first superphone, and is still a pretty beefy machine, the sequel will have some pretty high expectations. Hopefully they can improve the PenTile screen and smooth out the rough interface edges, and keep decent battery life, and they’ve got a surefire hit on their hands. One more pic after the break.

Source: BGR

Is this a Droid RAZR? Motorola looks to combine iconic brands

Daniel Bader — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 13:12:45 +0000

The RAZR. It evokes memories of a simpler time. When phones were mostly dumb, mostly fat and mostly, well, ugly, the RAZR came along and convinced us it was the hit of the party. And for Motorola, it meant a comeback, both financial and cultural, that has only since been surpassed by the iPhone.

So what does Moto do now that its RAZR brand is dated enough to be considered nostalgic? Well, in this impatient age, it brings it back, of course, to rule again! According to the above screenshot the device used to take it is referred to as a Droid RAZR. Yes, EXIF data from a smartphone can easily be faked, but let’s pretend for a second that it isn’t. What would a RAZR need to look like for Moto? It would need to be the thinnest, lightest Android phone imaginable, with a view to design and functionality.

So, then, cast your mind back to the Motorola Slimline, a device that was leaked from a website redesign a few months ago that was subsequently yanked and pretended didn’t exist. While only a computer-generated render, it showed off a pretty unique clamshell smartphone design with a, ahem, droid-like backing and a curved front. We’d expect nothing less from Motorola if you chose to bring back the RAZR brand, but one thing is for certain: it couldn’t fail. Their entire legacy depends on it.

What do you think about the Droid RAZR? Would you buy one?

Source: Phandroid via Pocketnow (2)

Motorola to change bootloader policy, release software update later this year

Daniel Bader — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 11:11:37 +0000

Motorola Mobility has been going through a sort of self-induced rebirth of late. Only a week after stating they would drop the Motoblur branding that has been doing more harm than good to their weakening public image, they may be ready to change their contentious stance on secured bootloaders.

While a select view devices have been released with unlocked bootloaders, for the most part Motorola has taken an unfriendly view to Android developers and their need to tinker. Tonight, however, a tweet from one @ibproud who started a campaign five months ago called “Unlock teh Bootloader” (sic) claims that he sat down with Chris Wyatt, a VP at Motorola and the company is deriving a scheme to unlock all existing and future bootloaders.

Current locked phones will be unlocked via a software update, and pending carrier approvals, available in late Q3 or early Q4 of this year. Why such a long wait? Even regular Android updates seem to take ages to be approved; releasing one that could potentially open up their devices to potential security threats will take a bit more scrutiny.

There is nothing official from Motorola itself just yet, but you can be sure that if this is true, the company, whose market share in recent quarters has been steadily ceded to HTC and Samsung, will try to use this good grace to its fullest advantage.

Source: Phandroid via AusDroid

Motorola splitting into two companies January 4th (Mobility & Solutions)

Kate O'Brien — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 01:54:39 +0000

Effective January 4th, 2011 Motorola will officially split into 2 separate businesses: Motorola Mobility & Motorola Solutions. According to Motorola Canada website, the official descriptions of both businesses are:

Motorola Mobility focuses on cellphones and set-top-box “delivers personalised information to meet the needs of consumers both in the home and on the go” while Motorola Solutions will focus on public safety radio and enterprise handheld devices that “provides business and mission-critical communication products and services to enterprises and governments”. As for branding the businesses, the famous light blue Motorola logo of years past will go to the Solutions business and the Mobility business gets a brand new vibrant red logo.

Motorola is set to announce a number of new Android devices this year including smartphones and tablets.

Source: Motorola
Via: PhoneScoop & Engadget

Motorola to offer 200 TELUS Backflip owners “early software release”, unfortunately not Android 2.1

Ian Hardy — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:16:52 +0000

For all the TELUS Motorola Backflip owners out there who are waiting for the next upgrade, it’s coming soon. Kinda. Motorola has posted a note on their support forum that this coming Monday 200 lucky Canadians will be fortunate enough to get the latest release before it’s officially made public.

The upgrade will not be Android OS 2.1 but will include the following: Improved Text Messaging, Bluetooth Improvements, Enhanced “Contacts” Feature, Improved Stability, Improved Battery Life, Improved Streaming Audio & Video Playback, Phone Application Improvements (to avoid occasional “Call Ended” notifications).

Moto states that “On Monday August 23rd we will have an optional early software release available for the Motorola Backflip from TELUS! Our goal is to have 200 customers test and provide feedback on the software before it is officially released to all customers! We will be making the preview software available via an over-the-air update from 10 am EST until we reach 200 users”. If you want in on this all you have to do is from your home screen hit the Menu > Settings > About phone > System Update.

Good luck to the 200 chosen ones, let us know how it goes.

More here at Motorola
Via: Twitter

Video: Rogers Motorola Flipout Hardware Review

Ian Hardy — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 15:23:23 +0000

Rogers released the Android-powered Motorola Flipout a few days ago. I got my hands on and in this first review I took a look into the hardware. The main reason was to test out the hinge on the Flipout. You’ll see that it’s a very compact device, everything it put into 67 x 67 x 16.8 mm… basically the dimensions of a Post It note pad. The weight is a light 88 grams and overall it feels nice in the hand.

Specs wise it comes with a 2.8-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 320×240. Once you flip open the Flipout it reveals a 5-row QWERTY keyboard. The keys are flush and a bit tight, so it could be a challenge to type due to its size. Around the device you’ll see a volume rocker, power button, 3.5 mm headset jack, Micro USB. On the front of the device are the menu, home and back buttons. There’s also a 3 megapixel camera that can take video, can hold up to 32Gb with a microSD card. In addition, while other Android devices wait for an upgrade the Flipout comes with OS 2.1 and Motorola’s MOTOBLUR.

Check out the hardware review, I put the Flipout through a quick rigorous hinge test. (It’s a good thing Rogers has their Hardware Protection Program in place)

Motorola Flipout destined for Rogers, launching next week

Ian Hardy — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:40:25 +0000

Ready for another Android device to hit Rogers? How about a back-to-school special called the Motorola “Flipout”. This has OS version 2.1, MOTOBLUR, a 2.8-inch QWERTY and a 3 megapixel camera with video capabilities. The dummy devices have made their way to Rogers locations and as you can see on the home screen it’s representing Ottawa and the “Rogers My Account App”. The only price point we’ve been informed of is the 3-year of $29.99.

Motorola says Dext, Quench and Backflip OS “Upgrade under evaluation”

John Connors — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 22:50:04 +0000

Earlier today we had a post that stated 50% of all Android devices are running 2.1… many devices in Canada are still waiting for an upgrade. A bit more news today from the Motorola camp as they have put a schedule together for OS 2.1 upgrades. When the Dext, Quench and Backflip launched there was talk of an upgrade but nothing confirmed. Motorola, Bell, Rogers and TELUS are all planning to upgrade sometime, but looking at this chart below it states the “Upgrade under evaluation”… basically that it’s coming soon with no definite availability date.

For those who have the Android OS 1.5 Dext, Quench and Backflip are you at least enjoying it?

More here at Motorola
Via: PhoneScoop