Motorola CLIQ 2 Hands-on

Looking back at things, it can be argued that Motorola's first Android venture with T-Mobile, the CLIQ, was completely overshadowed due to the strong presence of the Motorola DROID for Verizon. Still, it seems as though it managed to somehow impress people with its MOTOBLUR interface and physical keyboardto warrant a fitting successor. Enter the Motorola CLIQ 2 which follows in the same path as being a mid-range Android powered smartphonne – and of course, it has some improved specs to keep up with the times.

First and foremost, there's no denying that the Motorola CLIQ 2 follows in similar fashion to its predecessor since it mainly relies on a complete plastic exterior combined with a landscape sliding keyboard. Time after time, we've seen a fair amount of Android devices produced by Motorola for T-Mobile, which doesn't necessarily embody the super high-end feel of Motorola's Android lineup for Big Red. In fact, the specs don't particularly scream anything groundbreaking and mainly relies on the tried and true hardware we've seen put out already – but of course, updated in small ways. The Motorola CLIQ 2 features a 3.7” capacitive display with a resolution of 480 x 854, 1GHz processor, 5-megapixel auto-focus camera, and HSDPA 10.1 Mbps. Repectable? Yes! But naturally, it's nothing we haven't seen before.

Motorola has gone far and wide when it comes to making devices with physical keyboards, but this time around, they've taken a unique approach with the design for the CLIQ 2. It's not to say that the keyboard on the original CLIQ was any good, but it's rather difficult to say whether or not the one with the CLIQ 2 is an improvement. Arranged in a honeycomb like pattern, the plastic keys are raised enough to offer a subtle distinction, but they felt a bit too stiff when pressed. However, we'd imagine that after some time and usage, it could eventually offer an appropriate response to make it feel more tactile. Regardless, they're average in size to make it easy for most people to speed type without much problems.

Underneath the ho-hum specs, we find the handset running that all too common customized MOTOBLUR interface running on top of Android 2.2 Froyo. From a cursory handling, the speed felt good enough for most people to tolerate, but it's nothing blistering fast compared to the titans in the Android world. Some will adore the personalized options that MOTOBLUR has to offer, such as the multitude of themes available, but security conscious individuals will take a liking for its support for remote SD card wipe. Now even though you'll have to live with Android 2.2 Froyo when it's released for T-Mobile starting on January 19th, it's positioned to receive the Gingerbread love some time down the road – but there's no word on when that will all happen.

The only unknown for now is pricing which can undoubtedly make or break the Motorola CLIQ 2. Moreover, it's anyone's guess as to when Motorola will actually come around to produce that all too important Gingerbread update that most people will probably expect nowadays. With all of that in mind, we can't emphasize enough that it's going to ultimately come down on pricing to see whether or not the CLIQ 2 will succeed or just flounder in the sea with all the other mid-range Android handsets trying to get a piece of the pie.

LG Optimus Black Hands-on

This year's CES certainly brings us a lot of excitement due to the numerous unveilings of high-quality smartphones that are going to shape the mobile landscape for at least a year from now. Among these high-end handsets we find LG's latest pride and joy, its new Optimus smartphones, namely the LG Optimus 2X and Optimus Black.

It's not a secret that in 2010, LG was fairly quiet on the ever so blossoming smartphone market. It was only at the end of the year when the company outed itsOptimus One series of phones that managed to cause quite a stir. However, we can't remember when we last saw a true powerhouse by the manufacturer that could face the toughest of competition on the mobile front. Well guys and gals, the waiting is obviously over as we now witness the rise of not one, but two awesomely-spec'd Android phones.

Of course, we took our time to pay a visit to LG's booth at CES so we could play with these here newcomers. The LG Optimus Black is undoubtedly the more interesting of the two right now, because we knew almost nothing about it, prior to its yesterday announcement. What's very intriguing here is that LG says that it'll be the world's thinnest smartphone, at 0.36” (9.2mm). Just for reference, the iPhone 4 is 0.37” (9.3mm). Anyway, this will stay true only for the time being, as when Sony Ericsson releases the Xperia Arc, it will take the gold with its impressive thickness of just 0.34” (8.7mm).

While the LG Optimus Black isn't really a looker, it still has a few touches in its design that deserve to be mentioned. We're talking about its tapered left and right sides, which make it a tad more comfortable to hold in your hand compared to something boxier like the iPhone 4. What's of greatest value here though is the so-called NOVA display, which is said to be the brightest screen on a phone, reaching a brightness of 700 nits. During our short hands-on experience we did find it to be quite vivid, but we'd still like to first test it in our usual environment, before drawing a bold conclusion. The screen size is set nicely at 4”, while the 480x800 pixels of resolution play nicely to it.

This thing here also has the world's first 2MP front-facing camera for video chat (the Optimus Black supports regular HSPA). We hope those video calls through Qik will really look good...  By the way, there's one more feature of the LG Optimus Black that should set it apart, which is called Wi-Fi Direct. This new technology actually acts like Bluetooth, allowing you to connect to other devices (without the need of a hotspot) and transfer files. Apparently, Wi-Fi Direct promises better range and speed over Bluetooth, but we're yet to see if it actually brings any practical benefit.

The LG Optimus Black is running a build of Android 2.2 Froyo, which is customized by LG's Optimus UI 2.0. The interface should allow for faster access to messages, emails and missed calls from the lock screen, although, to tell you the truth, it looks a bit like a TouchWiz 3 clone. However, its special Gesture UI seems to add some value to it as it will let you do typical stuff like taking a call by doing a gesture like a specific shake or a tap. How is that better than a good old press of the answer key we don't know, but hey, those units have to get off the shelves somehow!

Samsung Infuse 4G Hands-on

For a good while now, if you wanted to find mainly mid-range Android handsets, then you'd only need to look closely at AT&T's offerings. Their lineup is filled to the top with less impressive Android smartphones, which don't necessarily tickle your fancy in ways that other devices, like the HTC EVO 4G or Motorola DROID X, have accomplished over at their respective carriers. However, that's all looking to change as AT&T customers are in for a special surprise with the Samsung Infuse 4G that came out of left field to surprise many out of their seats.

We know what you're thinking, that “4G” tucked to its name might imply as being a potential LTE handset, but instead, it will simply offer nothing more than HSPA+ connectivity. Despite that, we managed to get a decent look at this upcoming device that's sure to cause some stir over at AT&T's lineup, since it's one of the few devices to stand out from their existing crop. 

We're especially surprised to find it looking ever so streamlined and thin, but even more when you consider that it boasts a number-crunching 4.5” Super AMOLED Plus display with a resolution of 450 x 800 pixels. Needless to say that it radiates all of the magnificent qualities we find with other Super AMOLED panels, but the Plus in its name provides for better viewing angles, 50 percent higher sub-pixel count, which was the main drawback of the first generation Super AMOLED, and improved brightness, so it's easier to view outdoors.

Even though we still can't take our eyes off its slim form, it manages to pack some improved hardware over its other Galaxy S siblings – such as a 1.2GHz Hummingbird processor, 8-megapixel auto-focus camera, and a 1.3-megapixel front facing one. Looking past its respectable specs, it's currently offering the TouchWiz interface running on top of Android 2.2 Froyo. 

We are sure that people are probably contemplating already on when this high-end handset will be getting its Gingerbread treatment. Nevertheless, for AT&T customers, it's surely going to be a win-win situation, since the Samsung Infuse 4G is undeniably a handset that's worth saving for. 

LG Optimus 2X Hands-on

And here we are finally having our sweet hands-on time with the much-leaked and much-talked about LG Optimus 2X smartphone - the first dual-core handset to become official. Although we didn't see much from LG in terms of high-end smartphones during the course 2010, we're now pleased to know that the manufacturer will right the wrong in 2011 with both the Optimus 2X and its super-thin sibling, the Optimus Black.

The LG Optimus 2X actually doesn't fall behind when it comes to being streamlined and sleek-looking. The phone is certainly made of premium-feeling materials and has a very reassuring in-hand feel. Appearance-wise, it's refreshing to see some small details being added like the tapered edges of the front.

We've got to tell you, folks, the Optimus 2X's 4” WVGA IPS screen is simply magnificent! It has a really crisp image quality with warm color tones. What makes all the fun possible though is the super-fast dual-core Tegra 2 chipset that is running the show behind the scenes. It's simply fantastic to see Android 2.2 run with absolutely no lag when navigating around the platform. We assure you, never has Android been running so smoothly! But that's all thanks to Nvidia, of course. So only time will tell just how much of an impact that company will have on the wireless industry.

In terms of photo-taking capabilities, the Optimus 2X should fare pretty well with its 8MP main camera with autofocus and LED flash, which nicely complements its overall high-end specs sheet.

We're a bit saddened by the fact that the Optimus 2X isn't running the latest version of Google's mobile OS, but one can never have it all, right? At least we hope that Gingerbread will become available for the handset at some point in the (very) near future. Similarly to the Optimus Black, the 2X has LG's Optimus 2.0 UI to give it a customized look, along with the Gesture UI, the purpose of which is to add some fancier gesture controls to the interface.

Overall, the LG Optimus 2X seems like a very promising smartphone. It's expected to become available globally as soon as this quarter.

Samsung 4G LTE smartphone Hands-on

Verizon currently offers two devices from the Samsung Galaxy S family, but now it looks like they're adding on yet another addition to their growing family – theSamsung 4G LTE smartphone. Sounds pretty original, don't you think? In any event, this is yet another super phone that's being graced with the LTE love which should propel it to the near top of the ladder amongst Verizon's lineup.

Sadly, we're not all too impressed with the design of the Samsung 4G LTE smartphone since it doesn't provide that initial wow factor with its all plastic exterior. Sure it makes the handset feel extremely light weight, but it doesn't exude that premium feel when you think about a device that's expected to bring forth all the wonders of LTE. In fact, it feels as though it's more of the same and doesn't necessarily embody something drastically original and different.

However, its massive 4.3” Super AMOLED Plus display shines brightly amongst the heap as it radiates a blinding luminance that other devices only dream about. Dishing out some crisp details and saturated colors, it has the recipe to instantly awe any wandering bystanders in their tracks. Adding to its monumental tow, it features things like an 8-megapixel auto-focus camera, 1.3-megapixel front facing one, 1GHz processor, and Samsung's usual TouchWiz interface running on top of Android 2.2 Froyo from the onset.

Needless to say that the other main attraction about the handset is its support for Verizon's LTE network– which should make the handset fly like no other in terms of browsing the web. Now if you happen to own either the Samsung Fascinate or the Continuum, it's rather difficult to say whether or not if it would be a worthwhile investment for you to upgrade. Its large 4.3” display is indeed intriguing, but then again, Super AMOLED still stands tall amongst the competition out there. However, the biggest contributing factor in purchasing the Samsung 4G LTE smartphone is none other than faster data speeds with LTE. Still, it's going to come down to pricing for the monthly cost for LTE connectivity – which is something that hasn't been released just yet.