When this was brought to our attention, the sad truth is that we weren’t really all that surprised by it. For one, it’s not like this is the first time that China and Google have been in the news together recently, so something like this almost seems natural, if not a direct response to those past events. But, is that really even the reason? Should we really be upset that Motorola has chosen to use Microsoft’s Bing as its primary search engine in China?

According to Reuters, this could very well be the reason. It’s a sad truth that politics can come between a great many things, and if this situation is indeed the case, then chalk this one up as another loss. And while many think that an Android-based device isn’t an Android-based device if it’s lacking such distinct features as (Google) search and (Google) maps, that’s simply not the case. No matter how you look at it, the Android mobile Operating System is planted firmly in the open source market. Meaning, once someone decides that they want to use Android on their device, it’s fair game.

We’ve seen such travesties before, naturally. Sure, it doesn’t help Motorola’s case that the last great debacle featuring a missing Google feature happened on another one of their devices, but this just seems to be a case of freedom of choice. The manufacturing company has decided to stake their claim in an open project, and by the result of that, can do whatever they want with the platform once it makes it onto their hardware. (Let’s not forget that AT&T is more than likely also very much to blame for the Yahoo! Search on the Motorola Backflip, the other handset in question.) As much as we all expect, or even need our Google-centric applications on Android devices, the nature of the beast is far more robust, and has a lot more options.

Burning the midnight oil at about 2am I saw the huge news that Motorola Android Phones would feature Bing and wrote up a lengthy article exploring what the move would mean for Google, Android and consumers. I didn’t realize it would be this bad…

While we knew the Motorola/Microsoft partnership would be aimed at countries where Google isn’t the primary search engine or isn’t operating at all (China?) we explained the door was left open for a much more broad and sweeping integration. Motorola has just issued a Press Release essentially verifying that it WILL be much more broad and sweeping than I thought it would be even a few hours ago – just check out the first paragraph:

LIBERTYVILLE, Ill., March 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) today announced a global alliance with Microsoft Corp. (NYSE: MSFT) to deploy Bing services on Motorola devices powered by Android. This new offering, launching in China on smartphones in Q1, will provide consumers a choice when using search and map functions on their Android-based devices.

It’s that phrase “Global Alliance” that worries me. It’s an intentional use of the word global that clearly states it isn’t just China, it isn’t just a region – this baby could be implemented EVERYWHERE. Otherwise, why wouldn’t they just omit a geographic descriptor altogether and just explain it would be launching in China?

I’m holding out hope that this isn’t some exclusive partnership to be extended on the majority of Motorola Android Phones. If this IS the case… it would be a major coup in a continually developing story. In my original article, which goes further into depth with my concerns, I feature a poll that asks if you would prefer Google, Bing or Yahoo services on your Android Phone. I’m interested to see the results so make sure you go and vote.

Here is the entire press release:

LIBERTYVILLE, Ill., March 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) today announced a global alliance with Microsoft Corp. (NYSE: MSFT) to deploy Bing services on Motorola devices powered by Android. This new offering, launching in China on smartphones in Q1, will provide consumers a choice when using search and map functions on their Android-based devices.

With this collaboration, consumers will enjoy a pre-loaded Bing bookmark on their mobile browser and an enhanced search widget with Bing integration. By enabling users to customize their devices and select their own Search provider, Motorola, with help from Microsoft, is expanding the capabilities and range of services currently offered in the marketplace and opening the doors for increased personalization.

“We believe that consumer choice is one of the most critical components to ensuring a rich and seamless client experience,” said Christy Wyatt, corporate vice president of software and services, Motorola Mobile Devices. “Motorola and Microsoft have enjoyed a longstanding collaboration and the addition of Bing services to our Android-based smartphones in China is another important step in empowering our end-users.”

“Mobile devices continue to be a critical place for customers to access location-based services such as local search and mapping,” said Yusuf Mehdi, senior vice president of the Online Services Division at Microsoft. “We are pleased to expand our long-standing relationship with Motorola to bring powerful Bing location-based services to Motorola’s innovative new mobile devices, providing consumers with more choice and flexibility in mobile search.”

Search and Maps capabilities through Microsoft will initially be available in China, starting in Q1 2010, through either pre-load or over-the-air updates for devices already in market.

I can’t wait to hear what the stakeholders have to say about this one – it’s going to be awhile before the dust settles if you ask me.

It’s no secret that Google and China aren’t exactly BFFs at the moment, but now Motorola has thrown its hat into the foray in a rather large way in order to protect its own interests and presumably make a nice bit of coin while doing so. As of this quarter, all of Motorola’s Android smartphones sold in China will see Google search and Google Maps replaced by Bing search and Bing Maps. Devices currently in the hands of consumers or sitting unsold on store shelves will be getting an OTA update sometime in the not too distant future. Both Motorola and Microsoft have not announced any specific plans to expand on their partnership outside of China — one could argue it’s already in the US — but based upon our understanding of the term “global alliance”, we don’t doubt for a second that this partnership will be forced upon other markets.

Read

We recently learned that AT&T had taken Android’s precious Google Search bar and incorporated Yahoo Search instead – a virtual “in ‘yo face” to the search engine giant. But hey, them’s the rules and AT&T is playing by them, right? Well now Motorola could be playing that same game.

A vague (and somewhat awkward) Reuters article suggests that Motorola has a new partnership with Bing that will utilize its search and mapping services on the manufacturer’s Android phones.  They say the deal will be “starting in the coming weeks with phones in China,” which leaves the door open for expansion in other countries. Utilizing Bing in China makes sense given Google’s current standoff with the country’s search censorship, but what does it mean in the long run elsewhere?

Motorola has already announced the allowance of Chinese customers to use Baidu as a search alternative so introducing Bing shouldn’t be a huge surprise. But allowing an alternative (Baidu) and engaging in a partnership (Bing) that likely has financial agreements attached to it are two TOTALLY different things. If Motorola’s Android Phones include Google by default, but Microsoft is bidding to have it replaced with Bing, why WOULDN’T the company be open to negotiations? It would be financially irresponsible NOT to leave that door open.

I think most of us agree that Google Search and Google products such as Maps, Mail, Finance and more offer customers a superior experience. But having those products embedded in a mobile device generates revenue – revenue for which other service providers are willing to bid. And if that opportunity is lucrative enough, will Google be willing to bid on placement in its own Android-based phones?

I’m not sure how deep this Motorola and Microsoft partnership goes but the question has been raised and the issue illustrated. AT&T replaced Google on the Backflip, Motorola  could strategically use Bing in sensitive countries, and these occurences could and likely will continue and grow over time. In one sense this is the beauty of Android. In another, it is the scenario that could continue to contribute to consumer confusion.

I am a whole-hearted believer that consumers need to do their own due diligence in researching a product before they purchase, but will people be buying Android phones with the idea it’ll be bundled with Google services but instead get Yahoo, Bing and other alternatives strewn all over the place? And will we be able to replace them?

Please save the “just root your phone” comments for another discussion… we’re talking about the everyday consumers who often think Android Phones are just “Google Phones” and aren’t likely reading this article. Like it or not, these are the people who move the needle the most and compose the bulk of market share.

I think this new discussion brings up a great point that Google has been pushing all along: they truly have created an open mobile OS that can be customized and controlled by the manufacturers and carriers. They’ve created a level playing field to take mobile to the next level and just want an opportunity to play on the playground, believing their own software and services are superior and will win out in the end. And in the end I think they’re right… unless any of you out there would prefer Yahoo or Bing as your phone’s default?

I’m guessing the above numbers will speak for themselves. By enabling mobile phones as web devices, more people will have more access to the web at more times every single day. Inevitably, people will be exposed to Google in these new encounters which will inherently drive additional revenue for Google. The Big G is helping to provide mobile web access to the masses and being rewarded because, simply put, people naturally choose Google over the competition.

I’m sure Google is leveraging their creation of Android in their dealings with Microsoft, AT&T and other manufacturers and carriers. But it is clear that these stakeholders are by no means obligated to select Google as a partner… but wouldn’t you want to? An Android Phone stuck with Yahoo or Bing integration with the inability to rid it of that plague would be a primary reason for me NOT to buy that particular phone. I’m guessing there are many others like me… and I guess Google knew that when they pursued Android in the first place.

A few days ago when we learned that Motorola is going to bring its complete line-up of MOTOBLUR handsets to Canada, we didn’t know which carrier was to be getting which handset. In the span of a couple days however, things have changed. We now know that the BACKFLIP, that crazy concoction of a device is going to be a TELUS exclusive while the DEXT is bound for Bell. As for the QUENCH, no one carrier has laid claim to it just yet, but we think most would forgive us for assuming it’s going to Rogers considering the others are spoken for.

Read [BACKFLIP] Read [DEXT]

The Motorola CLIQ XT is a keyboardless version of the original CLIQ with some improvements such as Flash Lite. I won’t give you the phone’s complete run down but if you want to be “sold” then I suggest you listen to a quick pitch. But what I WILL show you is two pictures from two different sources who have their hands on some leaked pics.

The first is from TMOtoday – see more pictures from them here:

And the folks at DroidSector also got some lucky XT loveliness-here for more:

Not too long before you’ll be enjoying the CLIQ XT yourself instead of having to rely on others – sit tight!

So you’re a T-Mobile employee and you’re standing in an elevator with a customer for 60 seconds. You desperately want to sell them the Motorola CLIQ XT but aren’t exactly sure how to make the sale in that limited amount of time. No problem – that’s what training (and pamphlets) are for:

The above is from a pamphlet provided to employees and leaked to Engadget.  For the folks who can’t read fine print, allow me to help:

Sell It in 60 Seconds

• The MOTOROLA CLIQ XT with MOTOBLUR is the thinnest Android phone at T-Mobile. The CLIQ XT gives you access to thousands of apps from Android Market, plus it has MOTOBLUR – a service that automatically syncs messages, emails, posts and pictures from your favorite accounts to one place – not into separate apps.
• MOTOBLUR also syncs, consolidates, and updates your work and play contacts – automatically in real time. So if your friend chanes a phone number on Facebook, the change will also be reflected in your contacts book. You can view a contact’s latest profile picture and status update at a glance, from the Happenings widget, your contacts book, or even when you get an incoming call.
• Of course, you can share your world as well – snap pics with the 5-megapixel camera with LED flash and post them to all your favorite sites, or update your status across Facebook, MySpace and Twitter with just one click
• Plus, CLIQ XT’s enhanced Google HTML browser and Adobe Flash Lite let you see more of the Web, while pinch-and-zoom and the front-touch navigation tool give you more control of it.

So… are you sold? Not yet? No problem… allow me another minute of your time to reveal a wee-bit more of the pamphlet:

How ’bout now?

By the way I definitely agree with Mary Morgan at the moment.

We were always worried about Verizon Wireless suffocating their Android handsets – but they didn’t. Over the weekend it was AT&T’s turn to launch their first ever Android handset, the Motorola Backflip, and customers are starting to complain about the phone being somewhat crippled. That is… AT&T has removed features that SHOULD be available on the phone by default but chosen to block for one reason or another.

We knew the Backflip was on Android 1.5 and replaced Google Search with Yahoo Search… fine, it’s not the end of the world. But today we’re hearing reports from around the web that not only does AT&T prevent you from deleting their branded apps from your phone, you’re also not able to download non-market Android Apps. You know the option in your settings “download from unknown sources”? Doesn’t exist on the Backflip – you simply can’t do it.

This is sure to make a lot of customers upset and it’ll be interesting to hear if AT&T offers an official reasoning, but my guess is they want to “control” the experience a bit more to protect their customers. Suppose someone finds (on a random website) a “bank account phishing app” and have their identity stolen – you’re pretty much screwed, right? But if AT&T only allows apps through Android Market then they could likely track any malicious activity back to a developer account/individual.

I’m not defending AT&T and saying it’s the RIGHT thing to do, I’m just explaining what I assume their line of thinking to be. This brings the Android experience on AT&T closer to the iPhone experience although Android Market itself is still much less locked down than the App Store. I’m wondering if AT&T will be taking this same approach on ALL of their Android Phones or whether they’re trying to “ease in” to Android or what the deal is.

Here is the frustrated response from an XDAer:

[Android] Motorola Backflip – DON’T BUY, HERE’S WHY!

OK, so I’ve been using a Kaiser/Tilt with Eclair on it for awhile. I’ve spent countless hours drooling after the Nexus One. When AT&T finally got the “Backflip” from Motorola, I just couldn’t resist. I took the plunge.

I should’ve known better. I have plenty of AT&T horror stories, and this is the same carrier that wont allow you to tell your Java apps NOT to ask for permission more than once (making Opera mini a PITA but the only usable browser for it).

There is NO option to install applications from untrusted sources. This means anything on your SD card, downloaded from the web or over your wifi at home WILL NOT WORK. Naturally, you also cannot use the “su” command in terminal.
Motoblur is nice I guess, but the uninstallable AT&T paid apps, the limitations of 1.5 firmware (ie: no google navigator, no voice search) and the locked-to-yahoo-search-bar are enough to get me to say NO to any further AT&T abuse.

With the Kaiser’s bloatware, they removed/hid apps from you so you wouldn’t try to use them and replaced them with their crapware.

AT&T does not know the meaning of “open” and they do not understand Android. You are not buying an Android phone when you buy from AT&T.
You are buying a device LOCKED to a market with a smaller number of applications that the iPhone (I don’t use Apple products either ) forced to use a lesser search engine for your most convenient option and subject to losing any application that was once on the market but then removed. You can’t install your own apps or even test them on your device. Period.

Also on my first day of using it I got a number of “Force Close” messages including on the built-in applications (ie: Motorola’s flavor of the desk clock).

It’s decent hardware, it feels pretty zippy to me, but this is exactly why I WONT buy an iPhone.

Screw you, AT&T. I will make sure that everyone I know is properly informed about this crippled device that is nothing like the Android experience is supposed to (expected to!) be.

/endrant phew, going to go breathe for awhile.

This certainly isn’t a welcome development for AT&T Android fans – will this change anyone’s mind who was thinking of getting the Backflip or an upcoming AT&T Android Phone?

[XDA via A&M]

Welcome to the SlashPhone Week in Review. This is where we take a look back at the week we’ve just left behind, and rehash the most important articles. It’s one of the ways we like to make sure that you’re not missing anything, just in case you couldn’t stop by on your busy Monday. After all, you wouldn’t want to miss the launch of a brand new phone, now would you? Of course not. So get comfy, grab a drink and some popcorn, as we dive in.

On the first, which was Monday (just in case you lost track of time), Samsung went on the record as officially launching the Caliber (SCH-r860) for MetroPCS. While this isn’t the highest of mid-range devices, it does offer some pretty good stats: a 3.2-inch (resistive) touchscreen; 3MP camera, Bluetooth, and access to a MicroSD card. Considering it’s a touch-based Samsung, you shouldn’t be surprised that TouchWiz is rocking the User Interface side of things. It also has a full HTML browser, so go ahead and surf away. The MicroSD can be expanded to 16GB, so you can make use of the on-board MP3 player.

Next up, we’ve got a new line of phones from industry heavy Nokia. They introduced the first in their C-Series of devices: the C5. It’s a “smartphone” running S60 3rd Edition, and like most phones coming out these days, it’s a media-centric device with a heavy tilt towards social interation. You can access Facebook status messages through the phonebook, and access to your favorite contacts can be had right from the homescreen. It’s got access to Nokia’s OVI Maps, which means navigation is free for life (or as long as you own the phone), and comes in at EURO 135, so nothing that’ll break the bank. The device is set to launch some time in the second quarter of 2010, so if this something you’re interested in, keep your eyes peeled.

Despite the fact Research In Motion would appear again later in the week, we wanted to make you aware of this story more than anything. Meet what is being called the BlackBerry Storm 3. It’s a slider. Yes, that’s right. Leaked images of a sliding formfactor BlackBerry started making the rounds on Wednesday, showcasing what Research In Motion might be planning for some time later in the week. Nothing was confirmed of course, but as it stands, RIM could use another industry-changer (like the original Storm), and we’re eagerly anticipating anymore images we can get our greedy hands on.

Just past the middle of the week now and we’ve got Samsung on the chopping block again. This time around we’ve got two phones that are seeing shelves around the world, with no plans (as of now) for any State-side sales. We’ve got the Samsung Clutch, which is ridiculously shiny. However, Samsung may want you to think you’re getting a high-end device based on looks, going a bit deeper into the User Interface shows us that TouchWiz is still there in its full glory, with something Samsung is calling a “lady UI.” We’re still not sure what that means exactly, but apparently having applications like a calorie counter and party planner equate to a lady UI. It costs about $520. The Samsung Diva is something less than the Clutch, both in aesthetics and UI. Missing all the flashy “lady” parts (…), the Diva is indeed still aimed at a more female userbase. We’ve got to give it to Samsung: they know how to create phones.

Microsoft may have wowed the world with their upcoming Windows Phone 7 Series Operating System, but apparently they’ve also got something else being worked on in secret. Well, it hasn’t been much of a secret for awhile, but now we’ve got pictures! Microsoft’s Project Pink is apparently meant for the more teenage-age range of customers, with media, messaging, and social networking the focal point. They’re bringing two devices –the Turtle and Pure– to Verizon Wireless in April, if we are to believe the rumors. While the pictures may not speak to everyone, at least we can say the Turtle is one of the most interesting devices we’ve seen in awhile. And that’s saying a lot.

Speaking of Windows Phone 7, LG was nice enough to show off their first device running the mobile Operating System of the future. While everyone has been focusing on the top of the parameters for the hardware, LG wanted to show off what’s been called the second chassis. A slider, with a full, physical QWERTY keyboard, and a touchscreen. There wasn’t much else to go on at the time, but the codename did come out a bit later. LG is going to (according to further rumors) call the new phone the Panther. (Yes, they could have chosen a better name.) But! Even better than an LG slider-phone, is what Eric Rudder showed off at TechEd in the Middle East. He walks us through playing an Indie game on his computer, and then moves the same game over to his Windows Phone 7 Series-based device, and finally moves it over to the Xbox 360 to finish the experience. Rudder (and subsequently Microsoft) have shown what the convergence of the three screens will finally look like, and it looks awesome.

And finally, we’ve got Motorola. They’ve gone ahead and launched their latest Android-based device, but that’s not really the big news. Instead of hitting T-Mobile, Sprint, or even Verizon, this one’s heading to AT&T. That’s right, the second largest carrier in the States has finally received their first Android device, and, well, it’s interesting. It introduces a very intriguing form factor, and one that you’ll have to see to believe. We’ve got a review of the device over at SlashGear, which you should definitely check out, even if you’re not on AT&T or want an Android device. Just go look at it.

That ends this week. Be sure to stop by next week for another wrap-up.

AT&T customers will get their chance at purchasing a Motorola Backflip unit starting today, either online from the carrier’s website or from local stores. The handset goes for $99 after rebates and it’s bundled with a 2 year contract. Pictured below, this quad band GSM device incorporates a 3.1 inch HVGA touchscreen and Android OS 1.5.

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Tags: Motorola Backflip, Motorola Backflip on AT&T, Motorola Backflip price, Motorola Backflip specifications

It’s been out in Canada for a little under three weeks now, but the Motorola MILESTONE has already proven itself to be quite the popular handset thanks in part to all of the Canadians watching American TV and witnessing Verizon’s huge media blitz for the DROID. For a device that has been on sale in one form or another for many months, we have to wonder — is the MILESTONE still worth it? Put on your reading glasses, sit back and relax, and join us after the jump for our hands on the the TELUS Motorola MILESONE to find out.OS

Seeing as this is a hardware review we decided we’d bypass once again dissecting Android because everything that needs to be said about the Android OS has already been said by BG in his epic Android tirade post. If you’re seething at rage just thinking of what it is he said or simply as the prospect of reading well over 1,400 words then let us quickly catch you up to speed: Android, while a damn fine OS that has all the promise in the world, has “practically no human emotion with Google when it comes to technology. Everything is statistical and analytical.” On we go.

Tech Specs

When its EV-DO counterpart came out late last year, it was easily the most advanced Android handset to come to market. Quite a lot of things have changed since that time — what with the release of the Nexus One and the announcing of the Desire — but as it stands, the MILESTONE is still no slouch. Here are some key specs to keep in mind before you go on:

• Android 2.0.1
• 550MHz OMAP3 processor
• 256MB RAM / 512MB ROM
• 3.7″ WVGA capacitive touchscreen display
• 5 megapixel camera with dual-LED flash
• aGPS with MotoNav pre-loaded
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
• 10.2Mbps UMTS/HSDPA
• 6.5 hours talk time / 380 hours standby (3G)
• 60mm x 115.8mm x 13.7 mm, 165g
  

Build Quality

As far as build quality goes, it’s pretty hard to fault the MILESTONE. On the top half of the device we have the display, encased by a metal bezel, and made up of a sturdy slab of plastic that does a more than admirable job of resisting scuffs and scratches. Underneath this is a fairly unique sliding mechanism that relies not on an easily breakable spring but a simple and unseen rail system. When pushed open or closed, it locks itself into place with a delightfully reassuring “click”.
On the lower half of device is where we see the plastic components come out of hiding. But fear not because they’re amongst the best we’ve ever encountered. The bezel immediately surrounding the keypad and d-pad is matte black while the entire backing of the device is made up of rubberized plastic save for the rectangular piece directly below the camera module that bears the “with Google” mark. Your average hardware-related creaks and groans and nowhere to be found on this device.
The only real concern we have with the hardware is the volume rocker/camera zoom because it’s looser than… well, we’ll let you fill in the blank. All of this high quality fit and finish means that the MILESTONE weighs in at an incredibly hefty 165g but oddly enough it feels great in the hand and surprisingly light in pockets. Bonus: This weight equals crime deterrent.

Display

It’s not an AMOLED nor is it even Super AMOLED, but for the life of us, we haven’t come across many screens that have wowed us like the 3.7″ WVGA display on the MILESTONE. Popping to life with rich color, easily viewable from all angles and bright enough to overcome direct sunlight, this display is also very accurate making things like web-browsing and typing on the virtual keypad all the easier. How would we rank it overall? Second only to the iPhone, but just by a few hairs because of the slightly better capacitive factor.

Keyboard

We know it looks like it might be nightmare to type on what with its lack of very flat surface, lack of major definition and overall footprint, but the QWERTY keyboard on the MILESTONE is actually quite nice. Okay, it doesn’t even come close to anything RIM makes and could definitely have used a bit more refining before the design was finalized (who in God’s name thought the tiny spacebar, two blank keys and non-sensical punctuation layout was a good idea?), but after a few days we think most people will be rather happy with it. And let’s be honest: with the stock Android virtual keypad being as bad as it is (who actually likes it?) you’re really going to want to use the real deal as much as possible. Or get Swype.

Camera

The MILESTONE’s 5 megapixel auto-focus camera is barely passable as a camera on a modern smartphone. It boots up in an acceptable amount of time, but the saving of images consistently took 4 plus seconds. The worst part is that after going through the whole boot up, focus, snap the pic and save it routine, any special moment you had hoped to capture forever will invariably come out looking like they were taken on a VGA webcam in a dimly lit room way back in the early 2000’s. Just in case you were wondering, the dual-LED flash seems to be as effective as the goggles Radioactive Man once infamously wore. Yeah.

Multimedia

Simply put, Android needs some work when it comes to multimedia. It can do everything you want reasonably well, but the interface feels rushed and incomplete and, what’s more, is quite clunky and cumbersome. We did find ourself enjoying videos if only for the screen, but things like the music player might prove to be a cause for concern for those hat refuse to carry a phone and a dedicated MP3 player. Nonetheless, it still manages to do an admirable job given what we honestly feel is a lack of effort on Google’s part.

Browser

Thanks to the MILESTONE’s snappy processor, awesome display and a little thing called multi-touch, the web experience on the MILESTONE is fantastic. We hate to do it, but for the sake of a benchmark that everyone can understand, we pitted the device against an iPhone 3GS (you knew this was coming, didn’t you?), the de facto standard for mobile web browsing. Speed wise both devices loaded up content-heavy sites within +/- 2 seconds of one another over 3G and 1 second over Wi-Fi. What set them apart, however, is rendering. We really appreciated how big everything seemed on the MILESTONE and how easy it was to read even the tiniest text, but overall the  iPhone 3GS did a much better job of accurately and properly rendering websites as they’d appear on a desktop. But again, it’s a very close call.

Email Support

Being a product of Google, Android naturally has great Gmail support built into it and supports all of the goodies you’d expect like labels (sadly you cannot create, edit, or remove them), stars and search so we’ll leave it at that. The thing we really want to talk about is Exchange. Yes, the MILESTONE supports it, but we use the word support loosely. We hooked up one of our Exchange accounts to the MILESTONE and, truth be told, we wouldn’t count on Android for our BGR email if you paid us. Here’s a few reasons why: On several occasions the notification panel let us know we have a new Exchange email only for us to find it actually hadn’t been downloaded by the Email. This either led to us having to wait 5 seconds (!) while a sweet and simple text email was downloaded or manually hit Menu > Refresh. No doubt this is a bug and will likely be addressed in a future update, but the reality is we have no idea when an update is coming and have no guarantees it will completely fix the issue. Another fatal flaw with Exchange is folders because you can’t actually place an email into a folder of your choosing. To make matters worse, you can’t look at emails that are already in folders that are older than the maximum length you set up for synchronization (it caps out at one month). Add to this the fact you cannot even do something as basic as search for messages and the picture is quite clear: business users stay the hell away, get on board with Google Apps, or use one of the hideous looking but very function third party clients like Touchdown.

Telephony

We don’t often use our cell phones for actually calling people any more thanks to things like email, IM, BBM and SMS, but when we do we demand excellence, and thankfully the MILESTONE delivers. Calls came in loud and clear on both ends, and a few of the people we spoke to made a point of mentioning the lack of background noise.

The Network

Reality check: TELUS’s HSPA+ network is brand new and most of its customers are still milling about in the land of EV-DO. Because of this we think it would be unfair and inappropriate for us to compare its network (or Bell’s, for that matter) to Rogers’s which has been at the GSM/HSPA game for years. Having said that, commenting on it in and of itself is fair game. So how then would we summarize the network? Mind-numbingly fast. In fact, we ran speed tests on a daily basis and not once did we see speeds drop below 4Mbps.

Two Huge Issues

So far most of what we have said about the MILESTONE is positive, so naturally it’s time for two huge drawbacks.
The first is that paid apps from the Android Marketplace are unavailable in Canada. So unless you want to be greasy and get into pirating apps, you’re just going to have to make do without. Hope might be on the horizon considering it was just this week a spokesperson for Google mentioned the possibility of an announcement related to paid apps in Canada as early as next week, but this wouldn’t be the first time we’ve heard such a thing.

The second major drawback won’t hit everyone like the lack of paid apps, but it will sting the keeners. As you no doubt know, one of the greatest things about Android devices past is the ease in which users can root, hack, and load custom ROMs. Unfortunately when it comes to this particular device, Motorola has made what we consider to be a very weak move in locking up the bootloader. It doesn’t mean hacking is forever out of the question, it just means it’s going to be tough and take some time (odds are someone ends up gaining root access not too long after the first software update is issued). Nonetheless, we can’t help but think such a move violates the spirit of Android and is just plain odd considering the DROID does not have this restriction. “Smartphone Without Limits”? our asses.

Overall

There’s no denying that we’ve had some pretty uncomplimentary things to say about the MILESTONE, but it must not be forgotten that we’ve also given it a lot of praise. As we sit back and try and think of how to sum up our thoughts into a few sentences, we can’t help but come to the inevitable conclusion that, despite our perceived flaws, we think the average consumer who is out for a smartphone will really enjoy the MILESTONE provided they’re okay with dedicating some time to what is for some a bit of a difficult learning curve. As for the nerds, it’s really hard to say. If you’re not totally put off by the lack of paid apps and the fact that rooting is presently an issue then we say give the MILESTONE a shot. After all, we like it.

FREE THE BOOTLOADER

Starting today, AT&T customers with a penchant for Android can point their browser to AT&T’s website or hoof it to their local AT&T store to snag the Motorola BACKFLIP. Now available for a mere $99 after rebate and a two year agreement, the BACKFLIP features quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900 MHz), tri-band 7.2Mbps HSPA 3G (850/1900/2100 MHz), a 3.1″ HVGA touch-screen display, Android OS 1.5 (upgradeable to 2.1), 5 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi b/g, Bluetooth 2.0, aGPS, 3.5 mm headphone jack, microSD slot (up to 32GB), fully QWERTY “back flipping” keyboard, and Motorola’s MOTOBLUR UI. So AT&T Android fans, will you grab the BACKFLIP or will you exercise some patience and wait for one of the other four Android handsets to make their debut?

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Motorola has gained a patent for a “Reconfigurable Multiple-Screen Display” that both GoRumors and Engadget seem to make fun of – but I think the end-result could be rather awesome. They’ve suggested the patent is for putting multiple devices together to achieve one large screen, but I think Motorola has a much different agenda. Maybe something like:

Or how about the clamshell form factor like my formerly beloved LG Voyager? That way the two screens could be flush with eachother:

I think people dismiss a lot of patents these days because of how ridiculous many seem (ahem apple ahem). I think this dual-screen version, or even something more outrageous where you unfold a device 3 or 4 times to reveal a huge screen, could be an incredible development. But still… should that be patentable? I can see how touchscreen technology should be patentable but unfolding/fitting a bunch of already-patented screens together to make a bigger screen and patent that – should you be able to?

Of course Motorola could have something COMPLETELY different in mind and many/most patents don’t ever make it to mass market in product form, but I thought it would be fun to speculate on the possibilities, especially since I personally think a pocketable dual/huge screen device would be a great idea.

Here is a pic from the patent filing:

What about having one screen be the actual multimedia and the second screen be thumbnails for picture galleries, album covers, book covers, YouTube videos or something else… so you can browse other selections while you watch the main one? There are already a bunch of “dual screen” offerings out there… but not many (if any) pocketable ones that fold out into larger screens. Unless you can name some/one?

Remember the Opus One, the Android-powered iDEN handset from Motorola we scooped and then spec’d just before Christmas? Well apparently it’s going to be made official sometime in the next few weeks (hello, CTIA!) and will feature one added but obvious goodie: MOTOBLUR. Since we know most of you don’t have encyclopedic memories, here’s a bit of a refresher on what we’ve been told this phone is all about:

• 3.1″ hVGA 320×480 capacitive touchscreen display
• 3 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash
• Accelerometer
• Proximity sensor
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
• Bluetooth
• microSD card slot
• 2.5mm headset jack
• Home, Menu, Back, Speaker buttons are capacitive buttons with haptic feedback
• iDEN PTT & PTX
• Android LBS which is integrated into the iDEN GPS engine
• “Enterprise email”
• Plastic-molded housing with some rubberized texture finishes
• 58mm in width, 118mm in length
• 100g weight
• 512MB Flash / 256MB of RAM
• 64k and 128k iDEN SIM card support
• A-GPS
• Motorola dual-mic technology noise-canceling for noisy environments
• Flash Lite v3.1.x
• Some of the preloaded apps include: corporate email client with ActiveSync support, MOTONAV navigation app, barcode scanner, and document viewer.

Obviously without being official it’s not possible to confirm carriers, but naturally Sprint’s Nextel and Boost are going to get on board while TELUS’s Mike is said to be getting it in Q3.

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We knew from last year that Moto was working on an iDEN Android handset dubbed Opus One, but now it seems that device is meant for a name change, so it’ll be called Motorola i1. The handset will use the MOTOBLUR UI, social networks and widgets included, plus a pretty decent set of specs.

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Tags: Android iDEN phone, MOTOBLUR UI, Motorola i1, Motorola i1 specifications, Motorola Opus One