Motorola Flipout smartphone

Product Motorola Flipout smartphone
Website www.motorola.com
Specifications Android 2.1 with MotoBlur, 120g, 67mm x 67mm x 17mm, 3.5mm headset jack, USB 2.0 HS, Wi-Fi, NGP, 2.8in display 320 x 240 pixels, QVGA TFT, 3-megapixel camera with digital zoom and fixed-focus, Android HTML WebKit, Adobe Flash enabled.
Price £299.99 SIM free

Hot on the heels of its popular Droid smartphone, Motorola is shaking things up a bit with the Flipout. At first sites it's an odd-looking piece of kit, but give the screen a quick flick and it transforms into something that looks a bit more like a standard handset.

Its 2.8-inch capacitive touch screen is generally responsive, and there are three touch buttons just under the screen. The display isn't the biggest or the clearest at a resolution of 320 x 240, but this is justifiable as the unit is designed primarily for messaging.

Motorola ships the Flipout with Android 2.1 and its own MotoBlur interface which, like HTC's Sense, has proved popular with consumers. A menu button on the far right of the home screen allows immediate access to the full list of apps, and shortcuts to contacts and numerical keypad are permanent fixtures on the home page. The rest of the home screen is fully customisable, and users can drag whichever applications they want onto the home page. It is possible to add widgets and shortcuts to six other screens.

Users are required to set up an account to make full use of MotoBlur. This takes five minutes to activate and allows synchronisation with popular apps including Facebook, LastFM, Twitter, Picasa and Microsoft Exchange. Once the accounts are added, the Flipout also offers a 'data saver' option that could help to prevent going over a data cap. The Flipout is powered by a 600MHz processor, the same as one of its closest rivals, the Sony Xperia X10 Mini Pro. Like the Mini Pro, Motorola's device is also susceptible to occasional lag.

The well proportioned five-tier Qwerty keyboard makes messaging and typing very easy. Finding punctuation may take a little getting used to, as it is spread out over a number of letters. The predictive text can be distracting as it runs along the bottom of the screen. It is a useful addition, nonetheless, especially with longer words. The only niggle about the keypad is the arrows in the bottom left hand corner. They appear squashed, and could have been omitted as most people will navigate the smartphone through the touch screen. It is also possible to input text using a full touch screen Qwerty interface. This is surprisingly good, and many people will not always feel the need to flip out the keyboard.

As well as the usual suspects such as Google Maps and YouTube, Motorola also provides 'Messages' and 'Happening' apps designed to aid the management of text-based communication. Messages provides a universal inbox which can be set up to record Facebook, Twitter and text messages, and Happening allows users to carry out activities such as updating Facebook status.

The Flipout is never going to challenge devices such as the HTC Desire or Samsung Galaxy S when it comes to providing the handheld browsing experience; the latter provides a way to surf the web similar to using a small laptop or tablet, which is something this Motorola product was not designed to do. Web pages on the Flipout are miniaturised to such a degree that the text appears pixillated. It is only possible to see what is written when using the pinch-to-zoom function to get a closer look. Pixilation is not present when accessing a web site specifically designed to be displayed on mobiles, so it won't be present all the time.

The 3.1-megapixel camera includes 4x zoom, geo-tagging and panorama features. It lacks a flash, however, so taking good pictures in low light will be hit and miss. The excellent Kodak Perfect Touch feature brightens up the pictures instantly to compensate for the lack of flash. The Flipout comes with CrystalTalk noise-reduction technology and sound is crisp and clear. It also has a full range of connectivity, including 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, as would be expected from the latest smartphone.

There is up to 357 minutes of talk time and 377 hours of standby time, according to Motorola. In our tests, battery life was good, with the device lasting a solid two days with regular use. The battery management option allows users to squeeze every last drop from the battery and make sure that only the applications that are wanted are using up valuable juice.

Overall, the Flipout is a great effort from Motorola, and the fact that the firm is testing edgy designs shows it's riding on a wave of confidence. The Flipout is a great little device that would satisfy Android fans who want something a little different.

In Short
The Motorola Flipout just about outshines the Sony Xperia x10 Mini Pro when it comes to usability. However, both phones are pricey considering the quality of the screen and users would be well advised to check out the HTC Wildfire, which is cheaper and just as rich in features.

The Good
Unique compact design, Android 2.1 and MotoBlur UI, good messaging input, multiple syncing options, good battery life.

The Bad
Low-res screen, no camera flash, not great for browsing.

The Ugly
Expensive.

Bartender's Score
7/10