Motorola unveiled its Backflip phone this week at CES, adding to its growing portfolio of Android phones. It features a slide-out keyboard and is scheduled to be available in the first quarter. It could be headed for AT&T, complimenting the carrier’s iPhone with an Android device.
The Backflip features a 3.1-inch HVGA screen with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth as well as a 5 mega-pixel camera. It runs Android 1.5 (upgradable to Android 2.x) with a 528 MHz Qualcomm MSM7201A processor.
The Backflip uses Motorola’s MotoBlur social networking software, which enables users to sync contacts, posts, messages, and photos from e-mail and from a variety of social networking sources including Facebook, MySpace, Twitter.
“Since introducing our first Motoblur-based device, we’ve remained focused on differentiating the Android experience,” said Jha in a statement. “Backflip maximizes the multi-tasking and multi-functional potential of Motoblur.”
Yesterday, Dell and AT&T announced they were officially joining the Android party. Dell’s new Mini 3 is a Google-powered, 3G phone, similar to the ones Dell’s already selling in Brazil and China. Details about Dell’s Mini 3 will be announced by AT&T closer to device availability expected during the first half of 2010.
Dell’s Android slate computer has a 5-inch screen. Dell declined to provide other details, or say if Dell’s new slate, which looks like a large smartphone, would hit the market.
On Wednesday AT&T announced it will offer five Android phones this year, but it did not specify whether Motorola’s Backflip will be one of them.
Motorola’s prototype Android Tablet has a 7-inch screen and has room for 32 gigabytes of external memory. “I can anticipate it being a $300 device but we have to go through the pricing process,” said Don Schoch, Motorola’s director of program management.
