Omio News Blog

Motorola Droid 2 Pics Leaked!

Droid Life have managed to get their hands on the Android based Motorola Droid 2.

Admittedly, the handset looks very similar to the Droid 1 and it appears that the only major difference between the two handsets is the keyboard, which looks more similar to that on the Nokia N900 and has lost the d-pad from the original Droid.

The technical specifications show that the Droid 2 will run on Android 2.1 (FroYo), while the screen measures a large 3.7″. Under the hood the Motorola packs a 750Mhz OMPA processor and in terns of storage the Droid 2 has got 8MB internal, plus a bundled 8MB SD Card, making 16GB all in all.

On the back of the device there’s a 5 megapixel camera although there’s no front facing camera for video calls like on the iPhone, or HDMI cable like on the soon to be released Motorola XT720.

At present, no release dates are available for the Motorola Droid 2, although we’ve heard that US staff will receive training on the handset on June 22nd in preparation for the launch.

More information as it becomes available!

Motorola and RIM Announce Settlement: Moto Wins

After some pretty weighty worldwide litigation between Motorola & RIM the two parties have entered in a Settlement and License Agreement which ends all outstanding disputes. Under the agreement, Motorola and RIM will benefit from a long-term intellectual property cross-licensing arrangement that involves the parties cross-licensing various patent rights which include certain industry standards and certain technologies such as 2G, 3G, 4G, Wifi 802.11 and wireless email. In addition the parties will swap patents between each other.

The financial terms of the Agreement favour Motorola, with payments going from RIM to Moto, but RIM will at least be relieved that the sanctions Motorola had initially called for, which included a ban on RIM imports, were avoided.

RIM might be settled with Motorola but they certainly aren’t out of the woods yet though: Kodak have still got a pending case against the Blackberry manufacturer for patent infringement on their digital camera design.

Source

Motorola Flipout – Hands-on Pics!

Another exciting handset on the wayfrom the US manufacturer is the socially savvy Motorola FLIPOUT. With the MotoBLUR interface keeping users connected to a whole host of networking sites and an array of eyecatching snap-on colour covers, the FLIPOUT could become a hit in the notoriously tough to impress youth market.

Check out some pics of this cool phone in the flesh.

Motorola Milestone XT720: Hands-on Photos!

Well, we’re up bright and early at Motorola’s morning briefing to bring you the first shots of the Milestone XT720, their latest slender Android handset boasting an 8-megapixel lens and the first Android phone to come with a Xenon flash. The XT720 also has a host of multimedia functionality including: video recording of 720 pixels and  HDMI port for hooking up to your TV, bundled 8GB memory card (upgradeable to 32GB). The screen is a 3.7″ WVGA (480×854) display so whether you’re browsing the web or your media gallery, you’re eyes get a treat.

Check out our photos below!

There it is, chilling alongside the new Motorola FLIPOUT. More news on this exciting Android snapper-phone when we get it!

Motorola Milestone XT720 Unveiled: Xenon Flash Makes Android Debut

The Motorola Milestone XT720 has just been made official – an 8-megapixel packing Android monster that promises to ‘eliminate the barriers to consumers for creating and consuming media on the go’.

A keyboardless version of the original Motorola Milestone, the XT720 originally popped up on our radars a while ago as the Motoroi - an attractive Asia-only Android offering, with today’s announcement confirming an arrival onto our shores soon enough.

The specs are certainly some of the strongest we’ve seen in an Android device – 3.7-inch WVGA display, an 8-megapixel camera with 10x digital zoom, 720p recording and a xenon flash, as well as an HDMI port to show off those directorial mobile masterpieces and an 8GB memory card in the box.

The XT720 will be running on Android’s latest 2.1 software, meaning the suite of Google’s mail and navigation services – as well as the app-rich Market – will all be available. Hopefully a bump up to the forthcoming ‘Froyo’ update is also on the cards…

Whether the XT720 will sport the multitouch functionality of the original Milestone is yet to be confirmed, but as the Motoroi proudly touts pinch-to-zoom, we hope it’ll also make an appearance here.

Release dates and pricing are still on the way, but the Milestone XT720 is yet more proof that Android and Motorola are here to stay in the mobile world, and they mean business!

More details and handset hands-on pics to follow!

Motorola FLIPOUT Flips Out, Sports Android 2.1 With Enhanced MotoBLUR

Motorola’s leaky, boxy smartphone dubbed the FLIPOUT has finally been given an official unveiling, and dare we say that it looks really good!

The mini-mobile still manages to pack in a 2.8-inch touch display, 512MB of inbuilt memory and a 3-megapixel camera, as well as all manner of connectivity goodness in the form of  3G, aGPS (meaning full Google Maps Navigation to stay on the straight and narrow) and Wi-Fi.

That being said, the Motorola FLIPOUT still has the cool factor by coming in a variety of vibrant colours and looks pegged for an affordable price point upon its release this quarter.

Adding to the phone’s novel form factor and rotating five row keyboard is the presence of Android 2.1, with the latest version of Google’s mobile OS enabling Motorola to make some changes to their custom MotoBLUR interface.

A step up from the original interface that debuted on the Motorola DEXT, this upgrade sees tweaks to the ‘Happenings’ social networking widget (including support for one click retweets and corporate e-mail), as well as promising a tastier web browsing experience.

Check out the videos below to get an idea for what’s in store with the Motorola FLIPOUT, and check out the full Motorola FLIPOUT specifications here.

Motorola FLIPOUT: Boxy Android Blower Revealed!

US manufacturer Motorola can certainly no longer be accused of resting on one form factor, leaking a new folding QWERTY handset with a great line in social networking dubbed the FLIPOUT.

The Motorola FLIPOUT runs on the latest version of Android (2.1), and rocks the socially-aware MOTOBLUR interface that debuted on the Orange-exclusive DEXT last year. Status updates and alerts from your fave networking sites filter directly onto the home screen, mingling with Android Market apps and shortcuts seamlessly.

The boxy form factor and selection of colourways is sure to attract the fashion forward set, with the FLIPOUT also managing to sneak a flippy four row keyboard and tiny d-pad onto its square frame.

Features are decent – a 2.8-inch touch display, 3-megpaixel camera and 700Mhz processor sees the FLIPOUT handle things capably – although connectivity does take a dip as 3G and Wi-Fi will not be featured.

Expected to land in mid-June in Brazil according to Gizmodo out there, the prepay price is touted to be around €310 (£266). Let’s hope that we see Motorola FLIPOUT deals spin over to other parts of the globe, this quirky caller looks too good to miss out on!

UPDATE: With Android and Me grabbing the very same angular images and claiming an AT&T June release in the US, there’s hope for the FLIPOUT coming to the UK!

Motorola DEXT Receives Software Update, Android 2.1 Upgrade Now ‘Under Evaluation’?

The Motororla DEXT has seen a new software update to version 1.3.20 roll out over the lest few weeks, apparently clearing up a myriad of issues that affected even the most core functionality of the US manufacturer’s first socially savvy Android phone.

From battery life improvement to faster GPS performance and SIM card management, the improvements are many to this Orange-exclusive device. It does seem that Motorola has noticed almost every shortfall in the DEXT, with support for more media formats, better stability and touchscreen responsiveness tune-ups also in the offing.

The most interesting however, was the claim that call handling was improved, enabling the Motorola DEXT to “consistently notify you when a new call is coming in – reducing missed call notifications”.

Call me old-fashioned, but the need for a phone to let me know when people are calling is right up there on my list of priorities, so this fix is more than welcome…

1.3.20 attempts to make up for the gap between the latest Android software and the 1.6 build that the DEXT continues to languish on, by bringing updates to Google applications including Mail, Maps and the Market.

With a recent price drop making Motorola DEXT deals cheaper than ever (free handset with 200 minutes and unlimited texts for £20 per month), it is still one of the more appealing and affordable Android phones on the market.

In related news it seems like this update might be the closest that the DEXT ever gets to sampling the delights of Android 2.1, if a leaked Motorola update schedule is anything to go by…

Whilst the Motorola MILESTONE / DROID is currently receiving a roll out ‘in stages’ of the latest build, the CLIQ (the US name for the DEXT) and the contorting QWERTY form of the BACKFLIP will be getting upgraded to Android’s newest version (2.1) in Q2 and Q3 respectively. The Motorola DEXT is marked as ‘under evaluation’ in Europe and Latin America, however, as is the affordable DEVOUR.

Despite Motorola’s Facebook fan page proclamations that the DEXT would eventually get 2.1, it seems not all Android phones are created equal…

Sources: TechEye , The Unwired

Motorola Censured Over UK Ad Campaign

Motorola have been censured after a TV ad campaign for the Dext was ruled by the ASA as ‘misleading’. A complaint, lodged by rival manufacturer INQ, took exception to Motorola’s claim that the Dext was “the first phone with social skills”.

INQ were quick to point out the Dext was not the first phone to integrate social networking applications and were keen to defend the reputation of their INQ1 handset, which is widely regard as the first handset to have achieved this type of functionality.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) did note that despite differences in the way the Motorola Dext and INQ1 phones performed, the claim that the Dext was the first phone to integrate social networking applications in one place was misleading.

Although the ASA lacks any statutory powers to enforce it’s rulings, Motorola complied and pulled the advertisement.

First to integrate or not, the Motorola Dext is a fine handset with a pull out QWERTY for hammering out messages and a 5-megapixel camera for taking and sharing pictures when out-and-about.

News also today that Orange will be slashing the price of the Dext by HALF – from £299 to £149 on Pay As You Go!

Source: Cellular News

Top 4 Handsets from Mobile World Congress 2010

HTC Desire – ‘In Your Face, Google!’

Google must be livid- barely had the white-hot buzz on their HTC-manufactured Nexus One started to cool, when leaks came through of the HTC Bravo, which looked undeniably similar.

Officially announced at MWC as the HTC Desire, the handset is essentially a Nexus One, but better. Underneath the stunningly vivid AMOLED screen, there’s a superfast Snapdragon processor, the latest version of Android OS, enhanced 3G capabilities and WiFi and a sharp 5MP camera.

The main improvement however, is the sleek optical track pad which, combined with HTC’s super-easy to use Sense UI, makes for one of the most delightful navigations since Blackberry replaced their trackballs.

With the Nexus One only available to order over the internet, the HTC Desire is poised to clean up this year.

Available on preorder from a variety of retailers now, expect to see the HTC Desire arrive in April.

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Form Factor Acrobatics from Motorola’s Backflip

Sporting a unique design, with a track pad nestled on the reverse of the QWERTY keypad, the Motorola Backflip has certainly drawn a lot of curiosity, but going into MWC, we still wondered if it would be any good.

After a hands-on in Barcelona last week we reckon the Backflip is a winner!

First of all, the Backflip’s form is as comfortable as it is quirky. Meanwhile, the QWERTY is of the best we’ve used – with large spaced out keys, perfect for fat fingers like ours.

Sure, it might not tote the latest version of Android (it runs v.1.5) but as Motorola’s third Google-based phone, this is Motorola’s chance to get the formula right.

Gone are the lag-inducing visual fireworks as experience on the Milestone and as a result it feels similar to the original DEXT – with simple widgets sitting atop an uncluttered UI.

The overall result is that Motorola have produced a refreshing handset in an increasingly clone-like market.

Could the Backflip be the phone to bring Motorola back from the brink? Quite possibly.

Available on these shores from April.

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X10 Mini Pro –World’s Smallest Android Makes Us Drool

After hearing bits and bobs about the X10, the Sony Ericsson X10 Mini came as a bit of a surprise to us.

Not only does it hold the prize for smallest Android handset, but we can also confirm that it is – THE BOMB. But a very small bomb… an incendiary device perhaps?

Sony Ericsson offer a highly customisable version of Android, in contrast to Motorola’s stripped down presentation of google’s OS. At it’s centre is a Social-Media Time-Scape which allows you to manage all your communications with contacts from a single place.

Moreover, the X10 Mini offers customisable shortcuts in the four corners of the device’s cute 2.5” QVGA screen, making navigation even more simple and going some way in sidestepping the frustrations of having to operate a tiny handset with multiple button-pushes.

And if you feel you need a QWERTY, then Sony Ericssson have thrown that in with the Mini Pro too.

You won’t have to wait long to get your mits on this little beast either… expect to see Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro and X10 Mini deals on Omio at the beginning of April.

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HTC Smart

Despite more entry-level phones now claiming to grant you access to all your favourite social networks, few of these actually deliver a satisfactory experience. HTC Smart on the other hand, offers the first smartphone experience at a low price, with uncompromised functionality:

The HTC Smart represents the future of entry-level handsets.

Conceived and executed around the concept of HTC’s “people-centricity”, the HTC Smart features the ‘Sense’ UI, which at it’s core features an integrated friend stream that pulls together all your phone conversations, email, SMS and IM’s into one place.

Clean compact design on the outside is then mirrored on the inside with a clean and efficient BREW MP Operating System, courtesy of Qualcomm.

At half the price of other smart phones, the HTC Smart punches way above it’s weight.

HTC are confident that this is the phone that will entice the youth market away from PAYG and into the wider world of social messaging on the move. Having tried this handset out at MWC, we’re inclined to agree.

Expect to see HTC Smart deals available on O2 from April.