By We were one of the first to score pictures of the interestingly unique Motorola Backflip and now Motorola has made it official in a just-published press release. The Backflip gets its name from a reverse QWERTY keyboard unlike any other you’ll find on the market. It also comes with MOTO BLUR – Motorola’s custom designed version of Android – and in this case that means Android 1.5. Fortunately Motorola is updating it to Android 2.X as you can clearly see here.
In terms of specs the Backflip has a 3.1-inch touchscreen, 5MP camera with auto-focus and LED flash, MicroSD slot, 3.5mm headset jack and and all the other goodies you would expect with an Android device (GPS, Bluetooth, etc…). Check out the full press release below:
LAS VEGAS – CES – Jan. 6, 2010 – Today Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) announced the latest addition to its Android™ portfolio: BACKFLIP™ with MOTOBLUR™. The Motorola BACKFLIP, which combines the social saviness and personalization of MOTOBLUR with the multitasking performance of a smart phone, will be available in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia beginning in Q1 2010. The unique reverse flip design makes it easy to enjoy videos, music and photos, and the QWERTY keyboard allows you to blast through e-mails, texts, news feeds, social network messages and more.
“Since introducing our first MOTOBLUR-based device, we’ve remained focused on differentiating the Android experience and bringing it to new carrier partners around the globe,” said Sanjay Jha, co-CEO of Motorola and CEO of Motorola Mobile Devices. “BACKFLIP maximizes the multi-tasking and multi-functional potential of MOTOBLUR with its unique design elements, making it as smart as it is social.”
MOTOBLUR is Motorola’s Android-powered content delivery service created to make phones more personal and socially smart. It is the first and only solution to sync contacts, posts, messages, photos and much more—from sources such as Facebook®, MySpace, Twitter, Gmail™, work and personal e-mail, and LastFM—and automatically deliver them to the home screen. Content is fed into easy-to-manage streams allowing you to spend less time managing your life and more time living it.
BACKFLIP is designed around the MOTOBLUR experience and provides multiple features to keep phone conversations moving. Multi-tasking has never been easier with BACKFLIP’s reverse-flip QWERTY keyboard and high-res 3.1” HVGA screen—letting you see more and respond faster. Navigate quickly and easily through menus and features with the new and unique BACKTRACK™ feature. BACKTRACK is a touch panel located on the other side of the device, offering you a new way to scroll through—the Web, texts, e-mails and news feeds without obscuring the home screen.
The truly original design allows BACKFLIP to create new ways to enjoy photos, music and more. In the reverse-flip, tabletop mode, listen to music or view videos hands free. The digital picture frame mode lets you show off your latest adventures. You can even turn BACKFLIP into a bedside alarm clock for your morning wake up call.
BACKFLIP comes fully equipped with the MOTOBLUR features you know and love. The full HTML browser on BACKFLIP’s 3.1” high-res, touch display will be sure to impress, and, with 3G speed and Wi Fi access, you will never be out of the loop. Android Market™ gives you access to more than 18,000 apps and widgets, so you are free to customize BACKFLIP to your liking. Capture the moment with BACKFLIP’s 5 MP camera with flash and easily upload to your favorite photo sharing or social site. Additional extras such as aGPS and stereo Bluetooth1 make BACKFLIP the complete package.
Finally, MOTOBLUR provides end-users with convenience and peace of mind, as lost devices can be located from a secure personal information portal and even remotely erased if necessary. Then, one user name and password brings back your contacts, messages and connectivity to your previously configured networks and email providers.
BACKFLIP with MOTOBLUR will be available in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia beginning in Q1 2010. For specific regional availability and pricing, contact your local Motorola representative. To experience BACKFLIP, please visit www.motorola.com/backflip.
The company also issued a fact sheet about the phone that includes some additional specs if you’re interested. It’ll be interesting to see exactly what type of people are attracted to the form factor with the reverse flip keyboard. Are you one of them? Why or why not?
android 1.5 ? They should call it the BackTrack.
As an AT&T customer, I’m glad to see that we’re gonna be finally getting some android love, but that is one ugly phone. Bring on HTC!
^^i see what u did there
Seems to me, based on this phone, the “Calgary” (or whatever it is going to be called) and the Cliq that Motorola got some help when they developed the Droid… and they better get that help back, because their designs suck.
@jo IF you read the article, you would see Motorola is updating MOTOBLUR to Android OS version 2.X, confirmed to be version 2.1, same as the Nexus One, and DROID soon after.
I don’t know bout you, but i’m going to take a week off from Phandroid. I still can’t get over how I wasted a month of my life consuming all the hype about nexus only to be let down be Tmobile in the end.
Ugh! Motorola BackFire, coming toan AT&T store near you…
I totally agree with JayMonster – seems like someone quit Moto after the droid, and what we have left is teh Cliq and the BackFire/BackFail.
Jo also makes a valid point.
1.5? Seriously?
The BackFire has basically the same specs as the G1, which is going on two years old… The G1 even has a (marginally) larger screen!
Anyone still wondering why Motorola Mobile Devices is on it’s last legs?
Motorola, um, thanks, but no thanks, mmkay?
Go back to making cable modems and police radios. You’re going to single-handedly give Android a bad name…
I can’t believe Sanjay had the kuzuts to stand in front of everyone, at CES, and present this, um, “thing.” Especially the day after Google+HTC release a 1gHz, 512M RAM, 3.7″ display, android 2.1-powered device.
Ya got a pair, Sanjay, ya got a pair! Hopefull that pair will come in handy at your next gig, after Motorola shuts down the cell division.
Phandroid is good in my books, i would rather have over coverage then no coverage.
However disappointed they did not cover the N1 coming to Canada for WIND Mobile I would have liked to hear that even though i would rather have the Milestone or X10:
Twitter from WIND employee says working on the Nexus One.
http://www.androidincanada.ca/android-phones/wind-nexus-one-works-in-canada-were-in-talks-with-google/
Oh lord…I seriously hope that they’ve implemented some sort of lock mechanism for that keyboard…so many bad things could go wrong in one’s pocket, especially if the owner has more than one device with them.
Del, when closed, the keyboard is locked. You also need to engage the power button, since it locks the touchscreen as well. It has been thought of correctly. No pocket dialing or mistakes occur.
@Jo…PWND? Not at all sure what you mean by that…T-Mobile has nothing to do with that phone.
@Beanz0nToast: I think what Jo means is that in order to take advantage of the cheaper pricetag offered by the T-Mo plan users are required to sign on to specific contracts which are rather expensive, which is kinda sorta REALLY restrictive of T-Mobile.
While on demo with 1.5, we don’t know what it will actually ship with, do we? Furthermore this might be targeted as a lower end Android phone, maybe in the $50 sub range.
that first picture looks waaaaaaay to much like the iphone. photoshop anyone?
What’s the point of launching with Android 1.5? why not Android 2.1 immediately?
A few 14 year olds who like mot-blur and the idea of being different might buy this engineering mistake. But I’d wait a few weeks after they go on sale; they will be trying to give them away soon thereafter.
@everyone
If you read what Rob wrote it says that the Design version came with 1.5 but that the release version is coming with 2.1. So the phone is coming with 2.1 when selling.
So if Moto is releasing MotoBlur for Android2.X will they offer MotoBlur to Moto Droid users as well?
@Dean Cory:
No. The Droid and any other Google Experience phones come with stock Android (which is why the N1 doesn’t have Sense UI – HTC’s affected by this as well, and would any other OHA manufacturer).
how much is for this phone && where can i get it?
I can’t believe Sanjay had the kuzuts to stand in front of everyone, at CES, and present this, um, “thing.” Especially the day after Google+HTC release a 1gHz, 512M RAM, 3.7″ display, android 2.1-powered device.