Motorola XOOM 2 (3G/wifi, 32GB) is now available in Singapore (as of 13th January 2012) for a RRP of SGD$978.

Motorola XOOM 2

Technical Specifications

• Software: Android 3.2 Honeycomb
• Display: 10.1″ (1280 x 800) HD display with scratch resistant Corning Gorilla Glass
• Special features: Splash-guard and special flattened edges for easier holding
• Camera: 1.3 MP front and 5 MP rear-facing HD cameras with digital zoom, auto focus, and LED flash
• Memory: 1GB RAM; in-built 32 GB storage, additional 32 GB microSD slot
• Battery life: Up to 9.7 hours of video playback / Up to 28 days stand-by on 3G
• Sound: 3D virtual surround sound
• Dimensions: 253.9 mm x 173.6 mm x 8.8 mm
• Weight: 608g

Official Site: Motorola XOOM 2

The Motorola RAZR will be available on sale in Singapore from tomorrow, 11th November 2011 onwards for a recommended retail price of SGD$888 (without contract). It also will be available at all three local telcos, SingTel, StarHub and M1.

Motorola RAZR

I have a chance to played with the Motorola RAZR at the media event last week. My first impression on it was it is indeed thin (69mm wide x 131mm long x 7.1mm thin) and light (127g). The materials used to make it is interesting, Kevlar fibre coating for the body and Corning Gorilla Glass screen for the touchscreen.

The build of the phone is so good that the product manager challenge me to drop my iPhone 4S without casing from the same height together with the Motorola RAZR. Obviously, I dare not take up the challenge, point taken that the Motorola RAZR is indeed tough.

Even the advertisement (below) uses the phone to pry open the lift doors! Now, if only Motorola did an advertisement of the Kevlar material used being bullet proof. It might just go viral!

The phone packs a 4.3″ Super AMOLED display of qHD resolution (960×540), 1GB of RAM and a dual-core 1.2GHz processor running on Android 2.3.5. It has 16GB of storage on board and supports up to an additional 32GB via microSD card. The camera is pretty impressive too, the rear camera is a 8MP Camera with LED flash capable of recording 1080p videos and the front-facing camera is a 1.3MP HD Web Cam capable of recording 720p videos.

Technical Specifications

• Form Factor: Full Touch Screen
• Dimensions:69mm wide x 131mm long x 7.1mm thin
• Weight: 127g
• Battery: 1,750/1,780mAh (non-removable)
• Memory: 1GB DDR2 SDRAM / 16GB on board (16GB eMMC NAND Flash), supports up to 32GB microSD
• OS: Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread
• Display: 4.3″ qHD (960×540) Super AMOLED Advanced
• Bands/Modes: WCDMA 2100/850/900/1900, GSM 850/900/1800/1900, HSDPA 14.4 Mbps (Cat.10), HSUPA 5.76 Mbps (Cat.6), GPRS Class12
• Messaging/Web/Apps: MMS, SMS, Email (Corporate Sync, Gmail, POP3/IMAP embedded, Push Email)
• Camera: (rear) 8MP Camera w/ LED flash, (front) 1.3MP HD Web Cam
• Processor: Dual Core 1.2GHz Processor
• Connectivity: 3.5mm, micro USB 2.0 HS, Corporate Sync, BOTA, Wi-Fi 2.4GHz & 5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n, Stereo Bluetooth Class 2, Version 4.0 LE + EDR , DLNA, HDMI port
• Sensor: 3-axis accelerometer, proximity sensor, Ambient Light sensor
• Browser: Android Web Kit with Adobe Flash Player
• Video:
  Playback
  • MPEG4 ASP/SP up to 20Mbps, 1080p at 30fps
  • H.263 BP up to 4Mbps, 4CIF at 30fps
  • H.264 BP/MP/HP up to 20Mbps, 1080p at 30fps
  • VC-1 Advanced MP up to 20Mbps, 1080p at 30fps
  • Xvid MPEG-4 ASP up to 4Mbps D1 at 30fps
  • VP8/WebM

  Capture

  • Video H.264 up to 16Mbps, 1080p @30fps
  • Audio AAC up to 64kbps, 44.1kHz, Stereo

  Streaming

  • VGA in MPEG4, H.264, H.263 @30 fps
  • MPEG4, H.263, H.264
• Audio: AAC, AAC+, AAC+ Enhanced, AMR NB, AMR WB, MIDI, MP3, WAV, WMA v10, WMA v9
• Location Service: Tmapor OllehNavi, eCompass, aGPS with Google Maps, Google Latitude

MotoCast
At the event, they also showcased MotoCast. It is something like Dropbox, except that instead of uploading files to the cloud, you are actually accessing files in your computer.

In another words, MotoCast streams documents, videos and music to your Motorola Razr phone from anywhere in the world via 3G or Wi-Fi. The only thing you need to do is to leave your computer switched on and install the MotoCast software on your computer (works on PC & Mac).

You have the option to download the file if you do not want to stream it. But you can’t actually upload files from your phone to your PC. I wish they have this feature sometime in the future. You also can access your files in your PC on your desktop browser via MyMotoCast.com if you do not have your Motorola phone with you.

I kinda like this service because afterall, storage on your local PC’s HDD is still cheaper than any cloud storage out there.

Official Site: Motorola RAZR
Official Site: MotoCast
Official Site: Mototola Singapore

Wow, Google is acquiring Motorola Mobility for USD$12.5 billion! This comes as a surprise for me! Looks like future Google’s Nexus Phone will be made by Motorola. Next, Microsoft will acquire Nokia for USD$27 billion or less.

Press release as follows:

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA and LIBERTYVILLE, IL – AUGUST 15, 2011 – Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) and Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: MMI) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Google will acquire Motorola Mobility for $40.00 per share in cash, or a total of about $12.5 billion, a premium of 63% to the closing price of Motorola Mobility shares on Friday, August 12, 2011. The transaction was unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies.

The acquisition of Motorola Mobility, a dedicated Android partner, will enable Google to supercharge the Android ecosystem and will enhance competition in mobile computing. Motorola Mobility will remain a licensee of Android and Android will remain open. Google will run Motorola Mobility as a separate business.

Larry Page, CEO of Google, said, “Motorola Mobility’s total commitment to Android has created a natural fit for our two companies. Together, we will create amazing user experiences that supercharge the entire Android ecosystem for the benefit of consumers, partners and developers. I look forward to welcoming Motorolans to our family of Googlers.”

Sanjay Jha, CEO of Motorola Mobility, said, “This transaction offers significant value for Motorola Mobility’s stockholders and provides compelling new opportunities for our employees, customers, and partners around the world. We have shared a productive partnership with Google to advance the Android platform, and now through this combination we will be able to do even more to innovate and deliver outstanding mobility solutions across our mobile devices and home businesses.”

Andy Rubin, Senior Vice President of Mobile at Google, said, “We expect that this combination will enable us to break new ground for the Android ecosystem. However, our vision for Android is unchanged and Google remains firmly committed to Android as an open platform and a vibrant open source community. We will continue to work with all of our valued Android partners to develop and distribute innovative Android-powered devices.”

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of regulatory approvals in the US, the European Union and other jurisdictions, and the approval of Motorola Mobility’s stockholders. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2011 or early 2012.

Press Release: Google to Acquire Motorola Mobility
Source: Official Google Blog: Supercharging Android: Google to Acquire Motorola Mobility

Motorola XOOM Wi-Fi will be available at Challenger, Courts, Newstead, Best Denki, Harvey Norman and Mustafa from this Friday, 22nd April 2011 at a recommended retail price of SGD$888.00.

Motorola XOOM

Motorola XOOM WiFi Specifications

• OS: Android 3.0 (Honeycomb)
• Differentiation: Larger and higher-resolution display in smaller form-factor, first tablet with Honeycomb software, dual-core 1GHz processor, and a wide range of docking options
• Dimensions: 249.1mm (h) x 167.8mm (w) x 12.9mm (d)
• Display: 10.1″ 1280×800 resolution
• Weight: ~708g
• Processor: 1GHz dual-core processor
• Battery: Up to 10 hours video playback
• Connectivity: 3.5mm, micro USB 2.0 HS, Corporate Sync, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR + HID
• Network: 802.11n b/g/n
• Messaging/Web/Apps: Email (Corporate Sync, Google Mail, POP3/IMAP embedded) , WebKit w/ Flash
• Audio: AAC, AAC+, AMR NB, AMR WB, MP3, XMF
• Video: HD capture/playback/streaming, H.263, H.264, MPEG4
• Camera: 5MP rear-facing camera with dual LED flash / 2MP front-facing webcam

Press Release

SINGAPORE – April 20, 2011 – Motorola Mobility today announced that the highly-anticipated Motorola XOOM Wi-Fi will launch in Singapore on April 22, 2011. Motorola XOOM Wi-Fi runs on the Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) platform designed specifically for tablets. Singapore becomes the first market in Southeast Asia to launch the tablet.

Motorola XOOM Wi-Fi features a 1GHz dual-core processor, 32 GB of memory and 1GB of RAM, front-facing and rear-facing cameras, true multi- tasking functionality, and the latest Google Mobile services on a10.1-inch widescreen HD display.

“Motorola XOOM Wi-Fi re-defines what the tablet experience should be,” said Spiros Nikolakopoulos, vice president and general manager, International Distribution Markets, Motorola Mobility. “Designed from the ground up with the user in mind, it provides more ways to have fun, connect with friends and stay productive while on the go. Whether surfing the Web, watching the latest hit movie as it was intended or video-chatting with friends, Motorola XOOM Wi-Fi will delight customers with its ease of use, speed and vivid graphics, as well as its Motorola Smart Accessories.”

Motorola XOOM Wi-Fi features – a new mobile experience
Motorola XOOM Wi-Fi delivers exceptionally fast performance with its 1 GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM. The tablet showcases the innovations of the Honeycomb user experience – including widgets, true multi-tasking, tabbed browsing, notifications and customization – on a 10.1-inch widescreen HD display with 1280X800 resolution enabling video content that’s richer and clearer than ever before. Support for HDMI enables viewing of videos and movies on larger screens, such as HD televisions. A 5 MP rear-facing camera captures HD video, and a 2 MP front-facing camera enables clear video chats using Google Talk.

The latest Google Mobile services include Google Maps 5.0 with 3D interaction and access to more than 150,000 apps from Android Market. Motorola XOOM Wi-Fi also supports a beta version of Adobe Flash Player 10.2 downloadable from Android Market, enabling the delivery of rich Flash-based web content including videos, games and rich Internet applications. The tablet also features a built-in gyroscope, barometer, e-compass, accelerometer and adaptive lighting. It supports up to 10 hours of video playback, and charges in half the time of competitive tablets on the market.

Motorola Smart Accessories

• A Standard Dock for watching video content or listening to music through external speakers as the device charges
• A Speaker HD Dock for sending HD content directly to a TV or clearly listening to music through two built-in speakers without attaching external speakers
• A custom Bluetooth wireless keyboard with special Android shortcut keys.

Official Site: Motorola XOOM

Box View

SingTel send me the Motorola BackFlip for a review last month but because of my busy schedule I can only review it till recently. I apologize for the delay. I will be only covering the physical aspect of the phone because in terms of OS and software it is very similar to the Motorola Dext which I reviewed 5 months ago.

Package Content

If you notice the battery cover comes separately in the package instead of being pre-fixed to the back of the phone.

Back View

I would consider the Motorola BackFlip a form factor of its own because it is neither a candybar phone, sliding phone or a flip phone. The reason it is called a BackFlip because at the back instead of the usual battery cover, you will see a keyboard and the keyboard can be flipped so that it is directly below the screen.

Keyboard And Screen

Trackpad

Once you did that, the hidden trackpad at the back of the screen is revealed. You can use the trackpad to navigate around the phone. It takes quite sometime to get used to. Because of the trackpad, the Motorola BackFlip has 3 forms on input method, touch screen, QWERTY keyboard and trackpad. I would say it is an overkill because I don’t think you can move the mouse cursor faster than you tap on the screen.

Keyboard

The keyboard does not have any gap because most of the time it will be facing down on a table and having gaps means dust and even bits of food will get into the keyboard (like our desktop’s keyboard, I know we all eat in front of our computer at one point). The keyboard provide moderate tactile feedback but it felt a little stiff when typing on it. The camera and LED flash light is located on the keyboard also put placed at the top. It looks pretty well camouflage.

USB Port Light

Charging

When your battery is getting weaker, it will prompt you to charge via blinking the light around the micro USB port. When it is being charged, the light will be lighted permanently. I think that is a pretty cool feature.

The review unit that I received is still Android 1.5, but no worries as it is upgradeable to Android 2.1 when it is make available by Motorola. I can’t seem to find any difference in terms of hardware when compared to the Motorola Dext. The battery of Motorola BackFlip is 20mAh lesser than the DEXT which I don’t think it will be that noticeable. Similar to the DEXT, navigating around the BackFlip is laggy as well and all the cons about MOTOBLUR platform that I mentioned in my Motorola Dext review are still present. Pretty disappointed with that. Common Motorola, I believed you can do better than that!

You can get the Motorola BackFlip exclusively from SingTel Hello Stores or SingTelShop.com for SGD$248 with a monthly subscription plan of SGD$39.00 (3G Flexi-Lite AMPed) or for just SGD$98 with a monthly subscription plan of SGD$55.99 (3G Flexi-AMPed).

Official Site: Motorola BackFlip
SingTel Site: Motorola with SingTel