Motorola BACKFLIP with Motoblur Phone

by Motorola

Product Features

• ALWAYS FREE SHIPPING WITHIN THE USA

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Powered by the Android OS and featuring the socially minded MOTOBLUR overlay, the Motorola BACKFLIP for AT&T features an original reverse flip design, 3.1-inch touchscreen display, spacious physical keyboard, and unique BACKTRACK touch panel located behind the screen when the device is folded open--providing you hands-free navigation of the phone without having to touch the display. It also boasts super-fast Web browsing on AT&T's 7.2 HSPA 3G technology as well as Wi-Fi networking with access to more than 20,000 AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots.

The unique BACKFLIP features a reverse flip design, spacious keyboard and BACKTRACK touch panel (see larger image).

With MOTOBLUR, updates from Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter as well as e-mail are automatically delivered to the home screen and fed into easy-to-manage streams.

MOTOBLUR helps you to stay on top of both work and personal e-mail as well as keep tabs on all your Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter pals--all automatically delivered to the customizable home screen. You can also update your status to Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter simultaneously and sync your social network contacts with your phonebook and e-mail contact lists.

With integrated Google technology, the Motorola BACKFLIP brings one-touch access to the popular Google mobile services millions use every day, including Google Search by voice, Google Maps with Street View, GTalk instant messaging (with presence capabilities), YouTube, and Picasa. The BACKFLIP also provides easy access to both personal and corporate e-mail, calendars, and contacts supported by Exchange Server and Gmail.

This GPS-enabled phone can access Google Maps as well as the AT&T Navigator service for voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions. The BACKFLIP comes with a 2 GB microSD memory card pre-installed, and it's compatible with optional additional cards up to 16 GB in size. Other features include a 5-megapixel camera/camcorder, Bluetooth for both hands-free communication and stereo music streaming, full HTML Web browser, and up to 6 hours of talk time.

Revolutionary Design

The BACKFLIP's original design can be used in a unique tabletop multimedia mode so you can watch movies, TV shows or other streaming video on the 3.1-inch widescreen display--it's also the perfect set up for using as an alarm clock. And the BACKFLIP's full QWERTY keyboard makes sending messages fast and easy.

It also features another Motorola innovation--the BACTRACK rear navigation pad, which simulates a PC experience and makes scrolling and surfing effortless. With the rear BACKTRACK touch pad, you can flick through photos or Web pages for your friends without your fingers obscuring the home screen.

Key Features

• Fast 3G connectivity via AT&T's HSDPA/UMTS network (850/1900 MHz bands; 3.6/7.2 Mbps speeds with network availability).
• Powered by the Android operating system (version 1.5) with deep integration of Google services and access to thousands of apps to customize your phone via the Android Market. (Learn more)
• Innovative widget-based MOTOBLUR overlay to Android automatically delivers Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Gmail, and work and personal e-mail updates to the home screen in easy-to-view streams so there is no need to open and close different mobile applications. (Learn more)
• Update Facebook, MySpace and Twitter at once instead of opening individual apps as well as upload your photos to Facebook, MySpace, Picasa and Photobucket.
• MOTOBLUR continuously displays your friends' latest profile pics as part of your texts, calls, e-mails and address book.
• View your friends your way: MOTOBLUR lets you view friends from A to Z, by contact history or in groups you make yourself.
• Customize your home screen with your favorite widgets and short cuts
• Your information is continuously updated and backed up into a secure environment, so you're connected and protected even if you lose your phone.
• GPS navigation capabilities via AT&T Navigator service includes audible turn-by-turn directions, real-time traffic updates and re-routing options.
• Built-in accelerometer and eCompass for use with location and orientation apps.
• 3.1-inch touchscreen display (320 x 480 pixels, 65K colors)
• 5-megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom, LED flash, video capture (24 fps), and easy uploading of videos to YouTube,
• Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g) for accessing home and corporate networks as well as hotspots while on the go.
• Bluetooth connectivity (version 2.0) includes profiles for communication headset, hands-free car kits, and the A2DP Bluetooth profile--enabling you to wirelessly stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones or speaker dock. (Profiles supported: A2DP, HID, HSP, HFP, AVRCP and GAP)
• Memory expansion via microSD card slot with support for optional cards up to 32 GB (2 GB card included).
• Full HTML Web browsing
• Text, picture and video messaging
• Instant messaging via AIM, Windows Live, Yahoo!, and Google Talk
• Push e-mail via Google and Exchange with support for IMAP and POP, MSN Hotmail, Yahoo Mail and AOL Mail
• Google and corporate calendar (supports Exchange 2003 and 2007 protocols)
• Back-up and security: Contacts, log-in information, home screen customizations, e-mail and social network messages are backed up automatically on the secure MOTOBLUR portal. The portal also allows you to use the phone's fully integrated aGPS to help locate the phone if misplaced. Remote wipe easily clears information from a lost device.
• 3.5mm headset jack
• USB connectivity
• Dual microphone with noise cancellation
• Voice dialing capabilities
• 528 MHz processor, 256 MB flash memory

Vital Statistics
The Motorola BACKFLIP weighs 4.7 ounces and measures 4.25 x 2.09 x 0.6 inches. Its 1400 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 6 hours of talk time, and up to 324 hours (13.5 days) of standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies as well as AT&T's dual-band 3G network (850/1900 MHz; HSDPA/UMTS) plus 2100 MHz international 3G networks.

What's in the Box
Motorola BACKFLIP handset, rechargeable battery, charger, 2 GB microSD memory card, quick start guide, user manual

AT&T Services

High-speed data connectivity via AT&T's 3G mobile broadband data network: The dual-band 850/1900 MHz 3G network provides up to 3.6/7.2 Mbps of download speed, making it possible to enjoy a variety of feature-rich wireless multimedia services, and it gives you the advantage of offering simultaneous voice and data services. Additionally, this phone is also compatible with 2100 MHz 3G networks found in international territories. (For use outside the United States, an AT&T international data plan is recommended.) When traveling outside the U.S., you can enjoy wireless voice coverage in more than 215 countries and wireless data coverage in more than 185 countries--as well as access ultra-fast 3G mobile broadband services in more than 100 countries. In areas where the 3G network is not available, you'll continue to receive service on the AT&T EDGE network, which offers availability in more than 13,000 US cities and along some 40,000 miles of major highways. Providing average data speeds between 75-135Kbps, it's fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services, including full picture and video messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and email on the go.

The full-featured, premium AT&T Navigator GPS navigation application includes audible turn-by-turn directions, real-time traffic updates and re-routing options, and 3D moving maps (additional charges applicable). AT&T Navigator offers several other features to make your commute more enjoyable and reliable, including mobile access to Yellowpages.com. Additionally, AT&T Navigator is the only mobile phone-based GPS service that provides integrated speech recognition for address entry and points of interest search.

Learn More

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The Power of Android and MOTOBLUR

Powered by the Android OS, you can customize your Motorola BACKFLIP with thousands of apps available via the Android Market.

The Motorola BACKFLIP runs the Android operating system, which provides easy access to a wide assortment of messaging tools and Google apps. With Android, you're able to richly personalize the entire theme of the Motorola BACKFLIP with new widgets, icons and wallpapers--which can be added directly on the home screen--in order to truly make it your own.

Developed by Motorola, MOTOBLUR is an innovative solution that manages and integrates communications--from work e-mail to social networking activity--on your BACKFLIP. Updates to contacts, posts, messages, photos and more are streamed together and synced from sources including Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Gmail, and work and personal e-mail. MOTOBLUR automatically delivers these updates to the home screen in easy-to-view streams so there is no need to open and close different mobile applications to keep up with the latest content.

The BACKFLIP also features multitasking capabilities and one-touch access to the Google mobile services millions use every day, including Google Search by voice, Google Maps with Street View, YouTube and Picasa. Easy access to both personal and corporate e-mail, calendars, and contacts is supported by Exchange Server and Gmail. e-mail and contacts are also supported by Yahoo!, Windows Live Hotmail, and other POP3 and IMAP e-mail services. It also combines instant messaging support for Google Talk, as well as AOL, Yahoo! Messenger and Windows Live Messenger.

Additionally, the Android Market hosts a wide variety of unique applications, and with the Motorola BACKFLIP's one-click access to it you can find and download a wide range of innovative software applications--from games to social networking and on-the-go shopping--to personalize your phone. Here's a sampling of just some of the available applications:

• Sherpa, created by Geodelic, learns a person's likes and dislikes through behavior and user feedback, prioritizing recommended retailers, restaurants and attractions. Sherpa features a learning machine that automatically customizes itself to the user's preferences.
• imeem Mobile streams music customized to your tastes, recommending new songs and artists based on which songs you identify as your favorites.
• WorldTour puts live webcams from around the world onto your home screen.
• Phonebook offers an upgraded, more personalized phonebook for Android.
• FreshFace is a theme engine to further customize your phone.
• Movies by Flixster takes the aspect of movie reviews to the next level. Through integration with Facebook, you can find friends who also want to see that movie or read reviews from friends who have already seen it.

Product Description

The Motorola BACKFLIP shares similar specs with the company's first Android phone, including a 3.1-inch touchscreen, 5MP camera and QWERTY keyboard. The social-centric MOTOBLUR interface is also here to keep you up to date with your buddies latest thoughts about life.

Product Details

• Item Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• ASIN: B003A4HWYU
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 70 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cool alternative to iPhone, March 12, 2010

By 

M. Jecha (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Motorola BACKFLIP with Motoblur Phone

I've had the BackFlip since the day it was released and I'm having fun exploring all the functions. I'm so glad that I went to see the phone for myself rather than relying on reviews from the various geek sites. Several claimed that the phone is crippled and limited which made me quite apprehensive. However, for my needs, it fits the bill so far.

I had a short list of "have to have" features:

Good signal - Check - I've experienced better signal than my Samsung windows mobile phone
Touch screen - Check - pretty large, given the small phone size
Keypad - Check - Larger keys than my last phone, great for texting and browsing!
Decent camera - Check - 5.0MP baby! With flash! Again, better than last phone
Multi-window Web browser - Check - Up to 4, plenty for me. Changed home page to Google and I'm good to go!
Apps - Check - Market has large assortment and I've downloaded several already. Enjoying bar code reader and Amazon apps.
SD Expansion - Check - up to 32GB

I'm new to the Android, but I like the intuitive interface, plus Motoblur and the weather, calendar and message widgets, but I'm sure I'm just scratching the surface. I'm not one to indiscriminately download software all over the web, so open access outside the Market is not a deal breaker for me. The one complaint I'd have is that I'd like to get rid of some of the preloaded AT&T apps that I won't use...or at least find a way to hide them, but I can work around that till I figure something out.

Bottom line, love the phone and I don't miss the things that others have complained about. I'm a geek, but apparently not as geeky as some. It cost me less than the windows mobile phone I had, plus has better features, it's lighter, faster AND IT'S NOT an iPhone, so it's all good!

40 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Start, March 9, 2010

By 

Jennifer L. Hughes (Jacksonville, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Motorola BACKFLIP with Motoblur Phone

I'd like to correct something another reviewer said. You can actually install applications from the web. I tested one of these phones out in the store and successfully downloaded, installed, and ran the Pandora application. The phone has a really nice interface. The touch screen seemed responsive and intuitive, and the navigation not difficult to figure out. Yes, like all other AT&T phones, this comes with some applications pre-loaded, but you can also expand the memory on this to 32GB, so it would be an exaggeration to claim that these few items affect the usability of the phone. I hope to receive the one I ordered this week and will leave a more in-depth review then, but don't let a few gut reactions dissuade you from trying this phone for yourself.

Now that I've had it a few days, I have to say I'm very glad I got it. The only real issue I've had so far was in transferring my contacts. For some reason, when I tried to copy them all from my old SIM I only got one number per person and no other related data (birthdays, addresses, etc.). So I am still working on fixing that little issue, but the rest of the phone is great. I've installed a number of other applications with no problems, and for those of you concerned that you cannot install anything from outside of the Android market, do a little research and I'm sure you'll find a way around that issue. Personally, I haven't yet found a need for that.

As the the things I love, I'll start with five customizable home screens. Having the ability to make this look however I want with the shortcuts, widgets, and background I choose is awesome, and puts this heads above the iPhone in my opinion. I personally always hated having to scroll through the multiple screens on the iPhone just to find the one thing I wanted. The ability to have everything about a contact show up in one place no matter how many different accounts that person has and different ways I communicate with them is amazing and another way I feel this beats the iPhone hands-down, and the "happenings" widget that displays it all real-time is designed to make it all very intuitive. The ability to make this into a nice alarm clock by opening it at a 90 degree angle is very cool and came in quite handy when traveling this past weekend... especially the fact that not only did it show the time, but the current weather/temperature conditions as well. The integration with all my various accounts (social, email, photos, etc.) is so useful and seemless that I already can barely imagine how I lived without it. The 5 megapixel camera and integrated flash are nice and can take some amazing pictures outside (and inside if you can hold your hands steady), and the ability to directly upload those photos to picassa, facebook, emails, etc. makes this feature even better. Having the camera integrated into the keyboard seems a little odd at first, but makes taking self-portraits so much easier, and having it record your location from the integrated GPS while taking the photos is very nice! The flash is crazy bright though, and the response time is a bit slower that I'd like so it probably won't fully replace my digital camera, but as a phone, I never expected that it would. Battery life so far has been pretty good. I've been running numerous applications on it while testing it out this first week, but I would say the drain seems about right for that. I'm sure once the novelty wears off a bit and I stop messing with it every few minutes it will last much longer, but I would say the specs seem about right.

Overall, it's a strong product. The interface can be a bit laggy at times, but so can all the other phones out there when you're running as many applications simultaneously as I have been. The buttons and placement of things is taking some getting used to, but I have no real complaints over the design of the phone. If it weren't for the extra work I've had to put in to get my contacts copied from my old phone I'd have given a full 5 stars. Honestly though, if you're like me and have been waiting for a good alternative to the iPhone on AT&T that had actual buttons, this is a good choice. The Android OS is very user friendly and there are already lots of applications out there for you to try out.

---------------Update 3/17/10------------------
I have had to contact support to send back the phone after an overheating incident yesterday has rendered the product completely non-functional. I am hoping this is an isolated incident, but it's very early in the release of the unit to tell for sure.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Continues to be a great smartphone!, May 14, 2010

By 

HDS "stewcanoe" (Wheelersburg, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Motorola BACKFLIP with Motoblur Phone

UPDATE NUMBER 2 :D
Even happier with this phone now than I was before! I have gotten used to using it and it is like second nature. The little touchpad is a life saver. (Discussed below...) A few other things I have noticed are:
1. that the phone is narrow enough to easily reach all areas of the screen with your thumb while holding the phone normally. On my old phone you had to either use two hands or wallow the phone around in your hand to get your thumb on everything. Though the screen is physically smaller on the Backflip, it is much easier to use and navigate on.
2. The phone and screen are very durable. Mine survived a serious drop of about 10 feet while I was on a ladder. (Yeah yeah. I know. I shouldn't have been using my phone while climbing on a ladder.) Anyway, I dropped the phone onto concrete. The plastic was scuffed up a bit but has had no detrimental effect on the phone.
3. I can play YouTube videos. Evidently iPhone (or the Safari browser) cannot.

So after 6 months I can say I am still very very happy with the Backflip. I will post another update once the Android software update rolls out.

UPDATE :)
I have now had the phone a few months and can still say that I am as pleased with this phone as I have been with anything I have ever bought. It has turned out to be a great smartphone. The apps store may have something to do with that. You can download video players, office tools, games, etc... Even some pretty decent E6B flight calculators! There are a couple of apps I suggest you download right off the bat. The first is Advanced Task Killer from Rechild, or another tool to manage apps. The apps killer lets you shut down apps without having to go to each one and close it down individually. While multi-tasking is great, you can end up with quite a few apps running in the background. Advanced Task Killer lets you manage them more efficiently than you would using the default tools. A good file manager also helps. OI File is a good one. Another good app is Save MMS, which lets you save photos attached to messages. There are also a number of good games and music players. Many of them very inexpensive or even free! Anyway, I liked the phone before, and I like it even better now. The only thing I can think of that needs improvement, is the voice dialing, (mentioned below).

Original review:
I have to admit that this phone took a bit of getting used to. I have had it now about a month and couldn't be happier. My previous smart phone worked great as a phone and to text, but sucked at everything else. Anyway, the AT&T sales agent said this phone was targeted at the "online generation" with a lot of features for Facebook, twitter, email, etc. And it has all that. Motoblur is not just ad hype. It syncs it all. But not only is the Backflip great for all that stuff, it is a very capable business phone as well. It has completely replaced my old phone and my iPaq. And works better than both.

Anyway, here is my rating system. Great :D Good :) Average :| Poor :/ Bad :(

WEIGHT AND DURABILITY :)
The phone is fairly lightweight. Heavier than some other phones, but still easy enough to carry. It feels very well built and solid. Does not have that flimsy feel some other phones have. Nice and narrow. Fairly thin but a little thicker than some other texting phones.

BATTERY LIFE :)
Normally, I can go two days before charging. If I turn on the WiFi while at work, then I have to charge every night. I have never needed to charge the battery during the day. Motorola does not include a car charger, but it accepts micro-USB chargers which can be found inexpensively just about anywhere.

OS and SYNCING :)
The Backflip runs on Android. Completely different than Windows Mobile. It doesn't have anything like Windows ActiveSync, but you can use Google sync. After a little work I installed Google sync which works very well. Syncing occurs over the air so no cables to plug in. I also like being able to attach the phone as a USB storage device. When you plug your phone into a USB port you can choose to attach as USB or charge only. It disconnects the SIM card when used as a USB but it has come in handy a couple of times. The SIM automatically restarts when you unplug the USB cable. You have to buy AT&T's data plan, but the phone is WiFi capable, which speeds up internet browsing experience.

STORAGE: The phone accepts microSD cards. Mine came with a 2GB card included.

POWER ON AND SCREEN LOCK :)
The screen lock function is simple and works one handed. Press the power button, then tap on the unlock area. If you choose a security code, that also can be entered one handed as the numbers are large and easy to tap on. Unfolding the phone also turns it on.

PHONE :D
Leave it folded and it works like most other touch screen phones. Apps come up on the screen and you tap to activate. Tapping the phone icon brings up a very simple and easy to use dialer. One handed phone use is the norm. This phone is made for thumb dialing. The narrow size and large numbers make it very easy to use. On this screen you can also select recent calls, speed dial, or frequently called numbers. Sound quality is superb and as a speaker phone it ranks with the best. The volume can be turned up very high. (Sound gets a little gravely at full volume but still good.) I have not had any dropped calls. I have seen a lot of complaints about AT&T's network but I can't say I have ever had a problem. So I don't know if this is something specific to the phone or the network. Anyway, I have not had a problem.

TEXTING and KEYBOARD :D
Unfold the keyboard and it makes a great texting phone. With my previous phone I found having a real keyboard, (no matter how small) dramatically increases the usability of texting. At least for me. You can develop a feel for where letters and numbers are that I just never got with the touchscreen keyboards. The only complaint I have is that the numbers are tucked up against the top and you have to be very deliberate when pressing them. Still this is a great keyboard. I like the feel and it is spread out enough that even my fat fingers have no trouble. The virtual screen keyboard is OK, but I find the real keyboard better.

APPS :D
There are plenty of apps on the Android Market, and finding and installing them is a piece of cake. I use spreadsheets a lot and I was able to download the same program for this phone that I used on my old phone. Editing documents is also easy using the keyboard. Plus there are all the usual pre-installed run of the mill apps: calendar, calculator, etc... They all work just like you expect them to.

TOUCHPAD?!? WTF?!?! :D
Speaking of spreadsheets, there is this strange little touch pad on the back of the touch screen that you use just like a touch pad on a laptop. I thought it was weird at first, but I have come to love it. It makes scrolling around a spreadsheet a joy. Much easier than swiping or using the arrow keys. I know some people who think it's a waste, but I like it. Nice job Motorola.

MP3 PLAYER :)
It makes a pretty good music device. Sound is good but I thought it got a little gravely at close to full volume. Even with earbuds. I do like the AT&T radio. Actually works very well. Makes up for not having an FM radio built in. Ringtones are MP3 as well. Lots of apps for those.

CAMERA and VIDEO :)
There is a 5 MP camera and a video capture app. The camera works well and has the best flash I have seen on a camera phone. Prints from the phone pics are very sharp. The video seems to work well but I haven't really used it that much. Still it's neat to have.

MULTITASKING :)
You can run multiple apps on the phone while making a call. I did it just to see if it worked. I don't know that this is a great advantage but you can do it. It can get confusing pretty fast.

VOICE DIALING :(
Motorola claims that this phone has voice dialing capability. I could not get it to work well enough to be useful. They could not get it to work well at the AT&T store either. I will miss voice dialing, as my old phone had pretty good voice dialing capability. Voice dialing on this phone just doesn't seem to work well. Very poor recognition. (Just browse on AT&T's support site and you can find a lot of other Backflip users with the same complaint.) I would rate voice dialing on this phone as bad. It is so bad that I think Motorola should not even pretend they offer it.

SCREEN PROTECTION :)
It has a glass screen. Nice, but because the phone flips backwards (leaving both the keyboard and screen exposed) I suggest you use a screen and keyboard protector. Being glass, the screen shouldn't scratch easily but I feel better with a cover on it anyway. Motorola offers a two piece cover that works well for less than $10.00. I am using one that the AT&T store threw in for free when I got the phone. Does not seem to affect the touch screen sensitivity and keeps the keys up off the surface when you lay it down. I do not use a case. I just drop the phone in my pocket.

CLOCK :D
Another neat feature that is a bit different, is that when unfolded halfway and plugged into charge the phone becomes a bedside alarm clock. Not just a phone with an alarm, but a classy looking bedside alarm clock. Pretty nifty. It also has all the normal clock and alarm functions.

OVERALL :)
In summery, this is first and foremost, a really good phone. It also makes for a nice tool to manage your online stuff. A pretty good music player. A very capable... Read more ›