Cell Phones and Accessories

The first GSM Android 2.0 handset from Motorola is expected to heat the European markets this December. It's the Motorola Milestone QWERTY slider and has been released under a different name as the Motorola Droid in the US with just a slight difference ' the US edition under Verizon won't get multitouch capability even if both uses capacitive technology.

Another difference lies in the GPS feature. The Droid comes pre-loaded with Google Maps while the European version comes with Motorola's own Motonav which has the same spoken turn-by-turn navigation and mapping feature. Other than these differences, both smartphones have identical hardware features.

Availability

Italy and Germany will get it first in time for Christmas and other EU countries to follow.  It's not sure if UK markets will get it before the year is out.  The O2 Germany web site indicates a contract-free price of '481 which certainly puts it in the affordable range of flagship smartphones.

Flagship Features

Motorola is hoping to bring back its glory days as a mobile phone leader with this remarkable flagship.  It packs high end features at a price that's definitely friendlier than many top class smartphones in the market.

• This is a quad band GSM and twin-band UMTS supporting HSPA data connectivity for a fast internet browsing and downloading experience on the road.  Plus, you get WiFi 802.11b/g as well as Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR for wireless data connectivity.
• This is a hefty device with real glass covering the display and a metal casing to give it 169 grams of weight.  But it is very close to the iPhone 3G size at 115.8 x 60 x 13.7mm which still makes it pocketable. Were it not for the fact that it's a QWERTY slider, the Milestone could very be a direct rival to the iPhone.
• It's got top-of-the-line imaging features from a 5.0 megapixel autofocus camera that gets flash support from the latest Android 2.0 OS (Previous versions couldn't support one.).  Though exhibiting some shutter slowness, you do get quality VGA recording at decent frame rates.  As it is, the N97 is a better rival and easily trumps it.
• There's a 256 MB internal RAM and 512 of storage for the users, plus a micro SD slot for up to 32GB of external memory.
• Its multimedia features start with a large 3.7' capacitive touchscreen with wide-VGA resolution that can shame the Samsung AMOLED displays on their flagship models.  To say that it is stunning is an understatement.
• With a 1400 mAh lithium-ion batter, you get 6.5 hours of talk time and 14 days on standby, which is fairly typical for smartphones of this size and class.

Conclusion

The Motorola Milestone/Droid smartphone will certainly be a major milestone for the company. If anything can turn around Motorola, this is it.  At a very reasonable price tag, this is one handset that combines the versatility of flagship phones like the HTC Hero with the sophistication of a Nokia N97 housed in an elegant all-metal case that feels very solid in the hands.  No other full QWERTY slider touchscreen smartphone can touch it with the value proposition it brings to the market.