Review: Motorola Backflip

Motorola's Android 1.5-powered Backflip smartphone.

Keyboard or touchscreen? Deciding which of the two to build into a new device is always a dilemma for phone manufacturers. A growing number of handset users are proficient touchscreen tappers, comfortable with the concept of a virtual QWERTY display that appears under the glass whenever it's needed.

Some of us, however, still prefer the tactile experience of a real keyboard, even if the keys in question are ridiculously small for bashing with normal-sized human thumbs.

In a valiant attempt to please all-comers, Motorola has given us the Backflip, a touchscreen phone that opens up Transformer-style to morph into a keyboard device whenever serious typing is called for.

First impressions

I've always been partial to phones that come in the shape of doll-sized laptops. Before the Backflip there was the Nokia N97 mini, for example.

I find two-thumb typing on a keyboard sitting below the screen to be an efficient way of bashing out an email on a mobile. The Motorola Backflip includes a trackpad on the back of the display, which means while your thumbs are doing the typing, your index finger remains poised for navigating around the screen.

The Backflip has all the media, connectivity and social networking components we expect in a smartphone. The most obvious disappointment, however, is the phone's now-dated Android 1.5 operating system.

Hardware

In closed-up mode, the Backflip feels solid, yet not to chucky. The 5-megapixel camera produced good photos and the devise also wins bonus points for its removable battery.

The 3.1-inch, 320 by 480 pixel touchscreen is adequate but not outstanding.

The keyboard is a good size for two-thumb typing, although not having raised keys means there is a tactile element missing when it comes to keeping your bearings across the QWERTY layout.

The phone does not include an FM radio.

Software

The Backflip is well set up for social networking and email, with Facebook, Twitter and messaging applications front-and-centre on the homescreen by default.

Motorola's Motoblur interface, which runs on the phone, also helps enhance the networking experience by integrating a number of social media sites onto a single platform.

Version 1.5 of Google's Android mobile operating system is getting a little dated now. Backflip users in the US have been able to update to version 2.1, and have been impressed by the improvements it offers.

Unfortunately, according to the usually well-informed chatter on local tech forum Geekzone, the upgrade won't work on New Zealand versions of the phone, although Telecom has indicated an upgrade to Android 2.2 is in the pipeline.

Verdict

Telecom recently slashed $150 off the handset-only price of the Backflip, bring it down to $649. This isn't bad for a fully-featured smartphone with a real keyboard and a 5-megapixel camera. The price cut is probably recognition that the phone's Android 1.5 operating system is looking a bit decrepit these days. But if the latest OS is of less concern to you than a decently priced fully-featured phone with a thumb-friendly keyboard, then the Backflip is definitely worth considering.


Motorola Backflip
$649 handset only (Telecom)

SPECS

Screen: 3.1-inch capacitive touchscreen, 320x480px resolution
Operating system: Android 1.5
Camera: 5-megapixel autofocus, LED flash
Connectivity: Bluetooth v2.1, Wi-Fi
Processor: Qualcomm MSM7201A 528MHz processor; 256 MB of Memory: 256MB RAM, 512MB internal storage, microSD slot w/ 2GB card
Other features: GPS, accelerometer and proximity sensor, flip-out keyboard