Hasta La Gadget!

Motorola is set to rival HTC in the ability to crank out Android phones at a breath-taking pace. Motorola has introduced a new phone called Flipout that features a pivoting pop-out keyboard and a compact touchscreen display.

The Flipout will have a 2.8 inch screen, 3 megapixel camera, video recording capability, Wi-Fi and GPS. It will run the Android 2.1 version of the operating system.

The phone will also have the Motoblur Android skin that we have already seen on other Motorola devices such as the Cliq and Backflip. Motoblur aggregates e-mails, messages and status updates from different social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Myspace to present it as a stream of data on a single screen.

With its square form and social networking features, the Flipout seems like a good alternative to Microsoft’s recently launched Kin Two phone. But it is not clear if the device will make it to the U.S. Motorola already has Backflip, a device with a nifty mode that allows its to be placed on the desk like an alarm clock and the Cliq, the first of its phones featuring the Motoblur skin.

Sure, its about giving consumers choice but with the Cliq, Backflip, Devour and Droid already out, is there such a thing as too many phones from a company? Especially when the features start to blur and minor tweaks in hardware design are all that sets one device apart from the other.

The Flipout will launch in the next few weeks in “certain regions around the world,” says Motorola. The company won’t disclose pricing either but that’s likely to depend on the deals it can ink with the wireless service providers.

See Also:

• Motorola Introduces New Android Phone, the Backflip
• Android 2.1 Update for Motorola Droid. At Last
• Wired Review: Motorola Droid
• Wired Review: Motorola Cliq

Photo: Flipout/Motorola

While we’ve got no way to confirm at the moment, here’s some proverbial food for thought. A friendly reader last night published in our comment thread for the two rumored Verizon-bound Motorola devices with the above picture (subtitles added by us), claiming the bottom image is the Droid 2’s upgraded QWERTY keyboard. The story goes that his friend had one but no other information is currently available — the font on the keys is identical, and the mic icon on the bottom left is distinctively Android. If it’s legit, we gotta say we’re hopeful; the keys look to have a more protruding center à la the CLIQ, which should make typing on the little guy much easier than before. And if it’s not the Droid successor, well, it’s still something we haven’t seen. Could this be the updated QWERTY-fied Android solution we’ve been waiting for? Time will tell.

Update: Droid Life has what it claims to be a screencap from the Verizon inventory system showing the M1955, a.k.a. Droid 2, hanging out in Ontario, California. Easily fakeable? You betcha, but it’s not like the Droid name is going to any other carrier. Interesting food for thought.

Update 2: The original source of the image just got back to us with some purported specs — and yet again, let’s remind you that we can’t confirm any of this yet. What we’ve heard: it’s out in the field for testing purposes, it has a 3.7-inch screen, is nearly identical to the original Droid in size and shape, and is chrome instead of black (though that might just be the prototype). And in case you weren’t convinced yet, this is definitely not the same as the Shadow.

[Thanks, mabbikeel and Tuan Tran]

Motorola Droid 2 found in Verizon system, keyboard makes an online cameo? (update: specs) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 20:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The story is a familiar one: an employee takes a phone prototype for a spin in the real world, misplaces the thing, and the company bricks it. In this case, however, the company in question seemingly didn’t realize the device was missing before an eagle-eyed bystander snapped some shots of the handset.

The device in question is reportedly the Motorola Droid Shadow, rumored to be the second Verizon Android handset from Motorola. The phone was discovered in a Verizon corporate gym in Washington state. The Shadow was apparently picked up by a gym employee who confirmed some key details about the device with the Verizon employee who was tasked with picking the phone up.

According to Gizmodo: “[I]t has 16GB of internal storage, runs on a Snapdragon processor, has a HDMI port, and yes, the 8MP camera and 4.3-inch screen all checked out too.”

Judging from the photo, the device is also really, really large.

Image courtesy of Gizmodo.

Color us highly skeptical of the backstory, but Gizmodo claims to have received a picture of Motorola’s rumored 4.3-inch Droid Shadow. The device above was supposedly left behind at a Verizon corporate gym in Washington. As the story is told, a gym employee managed to snap the photo above and identify an HDMI jack, 8 megapixel camera, Snapdragon processor, and 16GB of storage before the handset was remotely locked and the owner returned to claim it. Suspiciously, there’s only one photo of the device shown at precisely the same angle as the supposedly leaked “getting started” image seen three days ago — right, just enough time to cobble together a Photoshop. The refined Motoblur UI seems to align though so who knows… really, who knows?

[Thanks, Aaron]

Motorola’s 4.3-inch Droid Shadow found in a unicorn gym? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 May 2010 06:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why hello there… you. Over at the HowardForums, a certain “wnrussell” has uploaded a picture of what looks to be a Getting Started manual for a Verizon-bound Motorola Droid that we can’t recall ever seeing before. There’s unfortunately no other information provided at the moment, except maybe a hint from the filename: Shadow. Is this the same 4.3-inch phone we’ve been seeing rumored for some time now? At any rate, we gotta say, this is a pretty attractive device — and if that’s a new hue for Motoblur, we’re all for it. Now how about pulling out a secret slide-out keyboard to make our lives complete…

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Mystery Motorola Droid (Shadow?) spotted with Verizon branding, set to be starting somethin’ originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 22 May 2010 16:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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