Motorola ups its smartphone game

Dubai: Motorola has finally come out with a phone which can really compete with the rivals in the smartphone space.

The Motorola Atrix is a dual-core processor which actually does quadruple duty as a laptop, set top box, desktop computer and, of course, a phone.

At first glance, the Atrix resembles the Motorola Defy. It sports a four inch, 960 x 540 display capacitive touchscreen that Motorola calls its qHD display.

The Atrix isn't really about looks — it's about raw power.

The optional laptop and desktop docks are what change things: they make a strong argument that you don't need another computer; All you need is a phone.

It has a blazing 1GHz dual-core Tegra 2 processor CPU, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage onboard (plus a microSD slot for another 32GB).

It ships with Android Froyo 2.2. It seems odd for Motorola to launch its new flagship handset with an old operating system especially since Gingerbread 2.3 has been out now for several months.

Motorola has slapped its own skin on top of Android, which it calls Motoblur.

Motoblur can be used to collect your social networking data remotely and as well as letting you remotely track and wipe the device if lost or stolen via the web.

On the top rear of the phone is a power/sleep button which just happens to be a fingerprint scanner too.

Along the right side is the volume rocker. On the left side you'll find the Micro USB and HDMI ports.

Stylish casing

Around back, the stylishly patterned casing is broken by the 5 megapixel camera with LED flash, and a speaker along the bottom of the phone.

The fingerprint scanner seems fairly novel — but in practice it's a little frustrating.

Unless you really need the high security, a standard passcode will suffice for most people.

To put it straight, this is one of the fastest Android phones I've ever tested.

Besides the laptop dock, Motorola is also providing options for desktop and home entertainment setups via its HD dock which comes equipped with three USB ports and an HDMI jack around the back.

You can also shoot videos on various modes from QVGA right up to 720p (which is set by default). Front- and rear-facing cameras have the ability to record in HD.

Media is at the heart of the Motorola Atrix. It supports most formats.

On the battery side, the Atrix 4G packs an impressive 1930mAh battery inside, and even though Android is data intensive, I found myself squeezing more than 24 hours out of the device on a single charge with fairly heavy use.

In all, though, this is a powerful offering from Motorola and has set a high bar for the next crop of dual core phones.

The home entertainment package will feature the Atrix and HD Dock for Dh2,599 and the work package will feature the Atrix and laptop dock for Dh2,799. The standalone phone costs Dh2,399.

Pros