[Hands0n]

Not too long ago Motorola was in trouble. After their rip roaring success of 2004 with the RAZR range of handsets they slipped into the doldrums. Corporate troubles manifested in an incoherent range - the RIZR Z3, Z8 and Z10 did nothing to restore the public's faith in the product. I have a Z10 that I bought in a moment of madness. It is okay, but that is about all I can really say about it.

And so Motorola went very quiet, what emerged in the way of handsets was completely so so, very under-average, and mostly ignored. How many people do you know who have a Motorola handset?

Not so long ago Motorola put out their Dext (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/10/29/review_phone_motorola_dext_mb200_android_smartphon e/) - an Android-powered social networking oriented smartphone. Currently the Dext is only available from Orange in the UK and currently on pre-order only from Expansys (http://www.expansys.com/d.aspx?i=189610) for a SIM-only.

But in the closing months of 2009 the talk of the town has been the Motorola Droid (in the US) otherwise known as the Motorola Milestone (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/12/17/review_phone_motorola_milestone/) in the UK.

The Milestone is another Android-powered smartphone from Motorola, but this one is a veritable beast. It is possibly the most powerful Android handset to date, and the first to carry Android 2.0 - in the US they have 2.1 already, I am not sure if it is available in the UK version yet.

The screen is a huge 3.7 inch 480 x 854 pixels resolution monster. The handset sports both touchscreen and slide out keyboards, although the latter does come in for some criticism.

The 5mpxl camera also comes in for some critique - with claims that it does generate a lot of image noise and false colours. This is a real shame if true, and the link above contains a page of pictures taken with the Milestone. They are not at all attractive when viewed full size and easily surpassed by other handsets with much lower rate of megapixel. This could, of course, just be a software problem with the Milestone. Equally it could be the electronics. Buyers will have to hope and trust Motorola to address the problem if it is possible to do so. But at the price these go for that is a pretty big leap of faith, especially if picture-taking is important to you.

At £449.99 SIM-free from Expansys the Motorola Milestone is an attractively priced top of the range Android smartphone. It is very capable, with enterprise capabilities for those that want or need. It is solidly built with a metal casing, and has slim dimensions. So slipping it into a pocket, albeit a well reinforced one, will be easy enough.

Is this Motorola's renaissance? Looking at the Milestone and the Dext it very well could be, if they keep on course and don't get all silly. So, well done Motorola, well done indeed.

[Ben]

See, the Milestone looks OK. I want an Android handset. I'm just not sure that this is the one... tempted to hold out a bit longer for one that seems to tick all the boxes.

[hecatae]

motorola and fw updates, enough said :rolleyes:

[miffed]

Just watched a Video of the Milestone in action on Youtube, and the thing that strikes me is that the difference in "User Experience" between a top end Android and a bargain basement one is negligable ! I am not sure whether this is a good or bad thing TBH .
Of course , the Qaulity of Hardware / Camera / speed / audio Visual quality is going to be the difference - it is up to the user to jump in at whatever price point suits them , I am not sure whether this is great or not ? same experience right down the line , but extra "polish" available , added to taste ? - or , will we be left thinking "Why should I pay £500 for a phone that doesn't do anything my £91 pulse does ? even if it does do it a little slicker & quicker ?"
Time will tell I suppose !

[Ben]

Just watched a Video of the Milestone in action on Youtube, and the thing that strikes me is that the difference in "User Experience" between a top end Android and a bargain basement one is negligable ! I am not sure whether this is a good or bad thing TBH .
Of course , the Qaulity of Hardware / Camera / speed / audio Visual quality is going to be the difference - it is up to the user to jump in at whatever price point suits them , I am not sure whether this is great or not ? same experience right down the line , but extra "polish" available , added to taste ? - or , will we be left thinking "Why should I pay £500 for a phone that doesn't do anything my £91 pulse does ? even if it does do it a little slicker & quicker ?"
Time will tell I suppose !
That's the 'problem' with Android in a nutshell. As Moto neglected to include Motoblur the Milestone has little to differentiate it from other Android devices.

[Hands0n]

Is that Android's Achilles heel? Or is it Android's great strength?

I like the predictability of Android expressed across quite different hardware. I can then choose whichever most pleases me at the price I'm prepared to pay. All of that while knowing that there is no learning curve to worry about. Wasn't that once Nokia's own success, that going from one model to the next was near seamless. Now it is bewildering at times!

I do not think £450 for a handset with a weak camera is value at all. Motorola have to fix this. To think that behaves no better than a budget model is scandalous. I've a Nokia 6310 that can do much better with it's 3.2mpxl camera! But of course if camera is unimportant it becomes another story altogether.