Motorola Atrix 4G Android Phone (AT&T)

5 Responses to Motorola Atrix 4G Android Phone (AT&T)

1. 

   D. Hoelck September 14, 2011 at 5:46 pm #

   153 of 157 people found the following review helpful:

   
   You won’t ever look back., March 16, 2011

   By 

   D. Hoelck (Chico, CA USA) –
   
     

   This review is from: Motorola Atrix 4G Android Phone (AT&T) (Wireless Phone)

   A bit of context, just so you know where I’m coming from on this…

   - I upgraded from a Motorola Backflip. The best Android phone AT&T had to offer at the time, but I’d had enough of the ridiculously slow processor.

   - Rather than wait another 8 months to renew my contract, I took an exclusion renewal, so I got the Atrix for only about $100 under retail price.

   - I don’t spend much time on social networking sites, so the Motoblur features aren’t a selling point for me.

   - I’ve used iOS devices, and their UI design is excellent, but I’d never buy an Apple product (I find their walled-garden policy patronizing and their hardware restrictions unethical.)

   So when I looked into upgrading, I cross-checked the specs on a few different phones (Android’s great, but I was willing to try Windows or Blackberry if the hardware was right). The dual 1ghz processor sold me on the Atrix.

   Remember when cell phone LCDs first went from black and white to color? Within the first five minutes, this phone completely changed my paradigm for mobile phones. Everything is fluid and responsive – no more half-second delays between action and response, no more waiting for a window to load, it’s all instantaneous.

   I won’t waste your time with a glowing review (there are enough on here already), I’ll just cover the questions I had when looking into upgrading my phone. And I’ll start with the cons, because the Atrix is just that impressive:

   Cons:
   1. Battery life is pathetic. While we’ve come to accept that with touchscreen smart phones, it’s a shame that 8 hours of moderate use will suck down the whole battery. It’s on par with other high performance phones, so plug it in to your car adapter, PC, or outlet whenever you get the chance.

   2. Android 2.2 is almost a year old, and 2.3′s been out for a while now. It would be nice to have an ETA on when the 2.3 update will be pushed to these phones.

   3. The usual Motorola/AT&T rebranding and lockdown of the OS. It’s unnecessary restriction just to squeeze a bit of extra cash out of their customers, and they should be ashamed of themselves.

   4. No physical keyboard. People that are used to touchscreen-only devices won’t even raise an eyebrow about it, but this is the first phone I’ve owned that didn’t have a keypad of some sort.

   5. The accessories are gimmicky and overpriced. If you want a laptop, spend the $400 on a laptop. If you want to play media on your TV, use the Atrix’s built-in DLNA to run it through your Xbox, HTPC, or any of the other DLNA devices you’ve already got connected. The dock is crazy expensive, and the phone comes with an HDMI cable, which is really all you need.

   6. The battery gets a warm when charging – scary warm, like it might not be healthy for the phone. Phone also charges slowly when connected to a PC.

   7. The power button is about the same size and shape as the loudspeaker, and it’s in about the same spot (only on the opposite side of the phone). I’ve caught myself pressing the speaker to turn on the phone, rather than the power button, at least 10 times this week. That can’t be good for the speaker.

   Pros:

   1. FAST. Insane fast. The responsiveness of this phone is like nothing I’ve seen before – there is no noticeable delay in using any of the UI menus or features.

   2. The screen is enormous, vivid, and crisp – almost on par with a PC monitor.

   3. All the I/O ports you need: micro USB, stereo miniplug, and mini HDMI. (And it comes with a free mini HDMI to HDMI cable, so you can plug it right into your TV or home theater receiver)

   4. DLNA is fantastic – I never considered how useful it would be on a phone until I saw it in the apps menu. Access all your Windows 7 shared libraries, media on your Xbox 360, or shared media on any other DLNA-enabled device on your network. Transferring files from your computer to your phone is as easy a tapping a few icons – no cables required, and transfer speeds are quick – ballpark, I’d say it was around 1 MB/s.

   5. Voice recognition is excellent. For the first time, speaking a text message is actually faster and easier than typing it in. Accuracy is good, and my only complaint so far is that it automatically censors swear words. Which is bull****.

   6. Very light for its size.

   7. Front-facing camera and rear camera with a bright LED flash.

   8. Six input buttons: Volume up/down, menu, home, back, and search (search was a new one for me)

   9. The usual bonuses that come with buying non-Apple phones: you can take the battery out if it freezes or you keep a spare; microSD port allows you to expand your storage space up to 48GB; you can load and play DRM-free media without using any apps or programs; reasonable replacement plans for…

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2. 

   Flex Diaz September 14, 2011 at 6:30 pm #

   157 of 168 people found the following review helpful:

   
   Best Phone I’ve Ever Had (I’ve had every iPhone Including the iPhone4), February 24, 2011

   By 

   Flex Diaz –

   This review is from: Motorola Atrix 4G Android Phone (AT&T) (Wireless Phone)

   I’ve been an iPhone user ever since the first iPhone and upgraded to every version of an iPhone, every other year I would upgrade at full price. What I can tell you is I’ve had the Atrix for only a few days and the customization that you can do with Android phones is Incredible.

   I’ll try and list what I like about it;
   You can customize widgets to your home screen to display a mini version of your most used programs, I use it like a preview without having to open the program.

   There is a bar across the top of the phone that has all the phone notifications.

   I use the Finger print recognition to unlock the phone which I find it to be much faster than entering a code, there is a code backup just in case something happens to the fingerprint reader or if you are wearing gloves.

   Downloading and Installing applications is faster than any phone I’ve ever used. There are a lot of Free apps on the Android Market that are paid apps on the App Store.

   The best analogy I can tell you is; This phone is like a custom race car, It will take a few days to customize, but once you do, it’s like nothing you’ve ever driven before.

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3. 

   Thomas M. Taylor "runman" September 14, 2011 at 7:13 pm #

   198 of 216 people found the following review helpful:

   
   Nice Android device, February 26, 2011

   By 

   Thomas M. Taylor “runman” (Phoenix, AZ) –
   
     

   This review is from: Motorola Atrix 4G Android Phone (AT&T) (Wireless Phone)

   When I first saw the Atrix, I was mesmerized and had to wait a few months to get my hands on the phone. The specs of the Atrix is awesome and I have hope that the phone will live up to the promise that has been made. I have never used an Android phone before this one, but have used the Iphone since it came out and have the Iphone 4. I have used the Palm III, treo, BlackBerry ect… you get the point.

   What comes with the phone? You get the phone, USB cord, A wall plug and the HDMI cable, instruction manual and battery. Everything one need to step off into the Atrix Android world.

   One thing the iPhone user will notice that the Android software is more difficult to use. It may take a few hours just to get the basics down, but after the few hours a whole new world starts to open up. Unlike the Iphone who’s software is easy to operate, the more you learn about Android, the more powerful the phone becomes.

   Just a quick comparison Iphone 4 VS Atrix, the Iphone 4 display is way clearer and the screen is a little more responsive. The Artix has a user replaceable battery and the phone can be taken a part and fix for a lot less money than the Iphone. Now, I have never tried to take apart either phone, but the instructions and professional review of the taken down is on line.
   One thing I would like to say is that the finger print reader works very well.
   The world of Apps…
   In Apps, Apple wins. Not much else to say there. The Apps that I use mostly are iHeart Radio (does not work on Atrix), Scrabble (Not found on Android store), Farkle (Android has but quality is lacking), Bloomberg and Fox News.

   Wall Paper…
   Android leaves Apple in the dust. The active wall paper cannot be beat by apple, you can have multiple home screens with live wall paper. I love knowing the time, temperature and forcast. If you are like me, the Android system, cannot be beat.

   Ease of use…
   Apple is a lot simpler to use. Just like pen and paper is easy, but if you are in the computer world, than a pen and paper just won’t due, and this is where the Android system comes in. I cannot honestly say which system is best, Android or IOS. If you want simple, but lacking power, Iphone is the way. If you are a person who likes to play, Android is the choice.

   Display:
   The display is bright and colorful, but the diplay is not nearly as nice as the iPhone 4. The lack luster display is noticed especially noticed when reading texts and PDFs.

   Camera and Flash:
   The camera takes pretty good pictures. The LED flash works really good. I was able to take a picture in a nearly dark room and the subject came out clear and in focus. The LED flash filled the entire room. As a side note, there is a forward facing camera. I have not used and more than likely won’t.

   Speaker:
   Very loud and clear when using to make calls, talk radio and listening to music. It is a small speaker so you will not get a lot (if any) bass from this little speaker.

   Operating System:
   I have never used Android before, so I have ability to describe between the Android, the Moto Blur, and if ATT messed it up I can’t tell. The user of the Atrix must use the one app store that ATT backs, and the icon for the store comes preloaded. It would be nice to have more access to more stores, like Amazon, but if you get this phone, you are going to be stuck. The few apps that I have downloaded all seem to work fine and most of them were free. It would be nice it ATT did not pull the apple store garbage with this phone though.

   The Atrix comes loaded with lots of software, commonly known as bloatware, but you get a lot of it. The software that runs on the computer is called “Motorola Media Link”, this is kind of like “iTunes” in the sense that the Media Link software is a way for your computer to communicate with the Atrix. This nifty program will take you itunes music (Not DRM protected) and place the music on your new phone. You can also transfer your pod casts too. The Media Link is automatic and does not need to be messed with. I had no problems with the installation or use of the software. The Software is stored on your phone and will try to load on any computer that the Atrix is hooked up to.

   Some of the really things about the Atrix that I like is the Micro SD slot (32BG max) for added memory and the user can remove the battery without having to go find apple support. I was also able to keep my unlimited data package, although a lot of AT&T customers have not been so lucky. AT&T also offers their $5.00/ month warranty on the phone as compared to the Iphone, and you do not have to hook the phone up to a computer the first time you use it. You do need to sign up for a MOTO account, nut it only takes a few seconds and you are able to use you new cell phone…

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4. 

   NOIR X September 14, 2011 at 7:18 pm #

   171 of 191 people found the following review helpful:

   
   Black (RAZR) is Beautiful, May 12, 2005

   By 

   NOIR X (New York, NY) –

   This review is from: Motorola RAZR V3 Unlocked Phone with Camera, and Video Player–International Version with No Warranty (Black) (Wireless Phone Accessory)

   The Black RAZR V3 is the wireless phone I have always wanted. It’s that simple.

   Before having bought mine, I would read commentary from people who would cite all of the features the RAZR doesn’t have: “I could buy the (insert model number of cheaper, but still expensive phone which does 100 different things–all of them poorly) and get more for a lot less money.” When I would research a model recommended by these self-proclaimed gadget freaks, I’d find that it’s dimensions make keeping it in a pocket an awkward and uncomfortable proposition; I’d find that the pictures it takes are not nearly of comparable quality to those taken by even a modest digital camera; I’d find that the lo-res video it can shoot serves no practical purpose; I’d find that web-browsing, game-playing, Instant messaging, streaming television content, all suck up battery-life and ultimately make the device useless for the unlikely purpose of placing and taking phone calls; I’d find that the phone casing is composed of cheap and flimsy plastics which make me wonder how long it wll last; I’d find that little attention had been paid to how the phone’s design will contribute to, or detract from, user comfort. After my investigation, I concluded that for all the money I would save by buying “Phone X” over buying a RAZR, I would still have paid hundreds too much for a filmsy hunk of cutting-edge technojunk. (Don’t take my word for it. Look around on the Net for comments about the RAZR around the time of its inroduction and see the recommendations from consumers that people choose the Motorola V600 instead. Then look at the consumer reviews of the V600 on this site.)

   The RAZR has a camera, a web-browser, Instant messaging capability, and a whole array of other features all of which are listed in the product description. To the extent that the RAZR does these things adequately I will offer little, if any, comment–mainly because I don’t care about them. That to which I can and will attest is that the RAZR exceeds my expectation on how it serves AS A PHONE.

   Using my own criteria, a wireless phone should draw and hold a signal; It’s earpiece should deliver clear sound at a volume which can compete with background noise; it’s mouthpiece should pick up the users voice clearly; it should be compact enough to allow for placement in clothing pockets without creating prominent bulges; it should be solidly built out of durable materials which are not prone to scratching; it should have decent battery life. And yes, anything for which I pay hundreds of dollars should be designed with aesthetics in mind: there are far too many wireless phones which look like disposable children’s toys, or like awkward, all-purpose, button-riddled gadgets.

   Using the above criteria, the RAZR V3, particularly the Black model, is close to perfect. The sound from the ear piece could certainly be louder, but I have yet to have a caller’s voice drowned out by the noise of busy New York City streets. The people to whom I’m speaking have reported to have heard my voice loudly and clearly. Battery life could be longer, but then, the same could be said about many wireless phones which are bulkier and have larger batteries. I have used the phone on both T-Mobile and Cingular networks and found that it draws a strong signal on both; it has never dropped a call. I found the speaker phone to be loud and clear despite my expectations to the contrary. Is the much-lamented Motorola phone book program clunky? Yes it is. But the RAZR’s voice-dialing works well, making it possible to avoid scrolling through the phone book if one hates it that much.

   I’ll try to boil it down with a somewhat clumsy analogy: Complaining that the RAZR doesn’t do enough in the way of tech-gimmicks to justify its price (which is considerably lower that it was when it was introduced) is like complaining that an exotic sports car isn’t worth the money because it doesn’t have a cup holder, a GPS system, and DVD player like the Minivan you’ve been looking to buy. That ridiculousness ignores the engineering that makes the sports car a superior performer on the road, and the attention put toward making it sleek and aesthetically pleasing. The RAZR’s performance has made concern over signal strength a thing of the past. and its design is unmatched–not just for it’s ultra-compactness, but for the solidity of it’s build. That makes it worth what I paid for it. And my inability to speak to the quality of other phones on the market put them out of consideration.

   Besides, as they say, black is beautiful.

   That the RAZR cannot serve as a business-card scanner doesn’t trouble me. For those who need to have whichever feature-laden mobile gadget is most desired at the moment, buy a Samsung MM-A800, clip it on you belt (you’ll need to), and earn yourself the right to say your phone can do just about…

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5. 

   redhill September 14, 2011 at 7:40 pm #

   151 of 169 people found the following review helpful:

   
   Decent reception + sound. Short Talk-Time. Lousy Camera., June 18, 2005

   By 

   redhill (London, UK) –

   This review is from: Motorola RAZR V3 Unlocked Phone with Camera, and Video Player–International Version with No Warranty (Black) (Wireless Phone Accessory)

   I’ve been using a black RAZR for 3 months and here are my thoughts:

   THE GOOD
   ========
   - FREE!! with a T-Mobile 1-year family plan

   - Better reception than my previous, 3 yr-old Nokia handset (6610)

   - Can use the same phone when travelling in Europe, Asia. Just need to get a pre-paid SIM chip locally.

   - Can be charged from laptop using included USB cable.

   - It’s BLACK.

   THE OK
   ======
   - Passable voice quality. (Maybe it’s just because it’s GSM technology, and coverage is not fantastic in outside of cities.)

   - Slim profile, though a little heavier than my previous handset

   - Nice colors in screen. Great ringtone sounds. Though these are pretty standard nowadays.

   - Decent bluetooth range. Paired this with a Jabra BT800 headset and I can run into the coin laundry with my ear piece and still connect with the phone in the car outside.

   THE BAD
   =======
   - Short battery life. 7 hours talk-time as advertised is a imaginary. Phone starts to beep after 2-3 hrs of talking.

   - Organizer (calendar, alarm, notes, contacts) doesn’t sync correctly with Outlook.

   - Oily screens!! The inside and outside screens and the metallic keypad get oily fingerprints after every use (is it just my skin?!) Looks yucky and kinda destroys all the aesthetics.
   Tried wiping now and then but notice minor scratches start to accumulate. (My clothes are not always cotton and I don’t usually carry eye glass cloth.)

   - Low camera resolution. Other new phones have close to twice that resolution. Pics always kinda dark.

   - Camera doesn’t take video.

   - No MP3 or radio. Some of the newer Nokia and Sony models are close to iPod Shuffle capacity already.

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