Motorola's Atrix 4G is a quality Android 2.2 smartphone on AT&T's network, providing a solid answer to Verizon Wireless' Droid lineup and the various Samsung Galaxy S handsets.
The Motorola Atrix 4G, which launched earlier this month
on AT&T for $199 with a two-year agreement, is a powerful smartphone that
is clearly the best Android handset to grace AT&T's lineup.
Finally! I've been testing Verizon Wireless' Droid phones
since November 2009, and while I've played with a few Android gadgets at
AT&T's stores I haven't really found one that I'd wanted to spend a lot of
time testing.
With Apple's iPhone 4 catching attention at
Verizon Wireless, the
Atrix 4G changes that mindset. I've been using the Android
2.2-based Atrix 4G for the last several days and it's a joy to use.
Supported by AT&T's HSPA+ network, the Atrix 4G is super fast. The only
Android device I've tested to date that was comparable was the Android
2.3-based
Samsung Nexus S on T-Mobile.
The Atrix 4G is 4.6 inches long, is 2.5 inches wide and
0.4 inches thick, the perfect size for my hand. At 4.8 ounces, it's heavier
than it looks, but not so heavy you'd fumble it in surprise. The phone's
corners are rounded, much like the Samsung Galaxy S devices I've tested.
The 4-inch screen sports another new technology from
Motorola: Quarter high-definition (qHD), with a 960-by-540 resolution. While
the Atrix 4G screen won't be mistaken for a great Samsung Super Amoled display,
it's close. Very crisp, very bright. I could really tell the difference in screen
quality holding it next to the Droid X.
Angry Birds, for example, on the Atrix 4G was gorgeous,
both faster and crisper on the screen. In fact, every app I tested appeared to
zip better than on my Droid X.
I'm counting Facebook and Twitter for Android, YouTube, Google
Places, Google Latitude, which is actually preinstalled in the app launcher,
Google Maps, Gmail, and several other apps performed well.
As for the OS, I'm more than comfortable with Android
2.2, which in my opinion is the first decent Android smartphone OS build. The
touchscreen keyboard is something I'm very used with my Droid x, but others
have found the keys too narrow for their taste.
Motoblur, with all its Gmail, Facebook and other social network
aggregation that stitch together users' accounts on the phone, also rules the
Atrix 4G. If you don't like the Motobur UI for whatever reason, don't buy this
phone.
Good news: Motorola said it's getting the bump to Android
2.3 later this year. The
Gingerbread
keyboard is certainly superior to the one in Froyo devices.
Email
Print
