I was at a Motorola MOTOBLUR event earlier today. I got to check out the Android 1.5 powered BACKFLIP, DEXT and QUENCH. The BACKFLIP will be on TELUS, DEXT on Bell and QUENCH on Rogers. I also got a demo of the MOTOBLUR Social networking software.
Here’s a tour of the BACKFLIP:
Motorola MOTOBLUR demo:
Hands on with all 3 devices and comparisons with some competitors:
Both the BACKFLIP and DEXT are similar software wise. Hardware wise both have QWERTY keyboards though their physical design is quite different. The QUENCH lacks a physical keyboard but gets a few extra software features; a special on screen keyboard, multi touch support and a nifty music app. Check out the last video to see those features in action. All run Android 1.5. Motorola is saying that they’re evaluating whether they’ll offer an upgrade in the future so that’s a no for now. While the Quench has the most features software wise I thought the BACKFLIP had the most interesting design. All will be available later this year.
You can pre-order the Sony Ericsson X10 from Rogers with a free MW600 bluetooth headset now for $149.99 on a 3yr voice and data plan. It should be available the week of April 12th (next week).
The X10 has a 4″ 854×480 LCD display with a 1Ghz Snapdragon processor, 8 megapixel autofocus camera and an included 16GB Micro SDHC card. It’s powered by Android 1.6 (an upgrade should be available before year end) and includes Sony Ericsson’s signature Timescape and Mediascape applications.
Timescape is a program which ties your address book, phonebook, SMS, photos, music, Twitter and Facebook together so whenever someone from your phonebook tweets, updates facebook, sends you an SMS or appears in a picture it will show up in chronological order within Timescape. Timescape does not support Instant messaging. The X10 can take your photos and recognize up to 5 faces in each and automatically sort them based on your phonebook.
Mediascape allows you to watch videos, listen to music or look at pictures. It has built in links to Google search and YouTube so you can search for related content as your listening/watching. It also has integration with Rogers UrMusic service.
Here’s the LG Shine Touch. It’s a touch screen device with a 3″ 400×240 display, 3 megapixel camera and WiFi. The back has a metalic finish which reminds me of the original LG Shine.
It’s available on Rogers now.
You can visit LG’s website to download a song from Jason Derulo plus be entered for a chance to win a $5,000 shopping spree in Los Angeles at LG.ca/shinetouch
The Samsung Galaxy Spica (it’s pronounced speak-ah (I hope Samsung doesn’t try to sell this one in Mexico)).
It’s similar to the Samsung Galaxy I reviewed a while back but it adds a 800Mhz Samsung processor (up from a 528Mhz Qualcomm) plus if I remember correctly the Spica will get a Android 2.1 upgrade eventually. The Spica lacks the original Galaxy’s 5 megapixel camera and has 2GB instead of 8GB of built in memory.
Rogers now offers the following plans for those who roam to the US:
$20 Personal Email on BB CDN/US
$35 Consumer/Small business BB (BIS) 500MB CDN/US Plan
$35 Consumer/Small business 500MB CDN & US Data Plan
$40 Consumer/Small business BB (BIS) 1GB CDN & US Plan
$40 Consumer/Small business 1GB CDN & US Data Plan
$45 500MB CDN & US Mobile Internet Flex Rate Plan
$50 DAP (for MSD customers) 1.5GB CDN & US Data Plan
$55 Corporate BB (BES) 1GB CDN & US Plan
$55 Corporate BB (BES) 500 MB CDN & US Flex Rate Plan
Overage is $0.25 per MB. These do not include the Gov’t Regulatory Recovery Fee.
Last year Android wise Canadians got to choose from the HTC Dream, Magic and Samsung Galaxy. This year we’re got/are getting the Motorola Milestone, Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 and now the Acer Liquid.
The Acer Liquid has a 3.5″ WVGA (800×480) display, Snapdragon process that runs at 768Mhz (as opposed to 1Ghz on the X10 and Nexus One), 5 megapixel camera with no flash and runs Android 2.1.
Look for it Q1 this year. Pricing has yet to be announced.
Well it turns out they were listening. Rogers has made 3 changes to WhoCalled:
First and most importantly you’ll only get notified if you were out of service when you received the calls. That means no more notifications when you ignore a call from a telemarketer/private number.
Secondly the WhoCalled message now has the number and time on one line
Thirdly now you can call the number you missed from the text message.
For donations to Salvation Army Canada: text the word Haiti to 45678
To donate $5 to the International Rescue Committee: text Haiti to 25383
To donate $5 to the rescue Union Mission and MedCorp International: text Haiti to 85944
To donate $5 to the Yele Foundation: text the word Yele to 501501
To donate $10 to the Red Cross in the U.S.: text Haiti to 90999
