14 DAY TRIAL // Mobile phone carrier AT&T has just released on its airwaves its first handset powered by Google's Android operating system, the Motorola Backflip. Starting with March 7, AT&T customers willing to try out the Android platform on their carrier's airwaves can do so by purchasing Motorola's handset for only $99.99 upon the signing of a two-year contract agreement and after a mail-in rebate.
The Motorola Backflip does not bring to AT&T only the Android goodness that was already available for users on other networks, but it also comes with a unique form factor, as its QWERTY keyboard has been designed to flip backwards. At the same time, the phone comes with Motorola's own MotoBlur solution thrown over the Android operating system, so that users can enjoy an enhanced experience from their device.
The $99.99 price tag Motorola Backflip sports at AT&T is conditioned by the signing of a two-year contract agreement on a $30 per month data service, the carrier notes. At the same time, we should mention that the $100.00 mail-in rebate the device comes with will be received in the form of an AT&T Promotion Card.
The specifications list of AT&T's first Android-based handset includes a 3.1-inch TFT touchscreen display that boasts a 480 x 320 pixel (HVGA) resolution and support for 256k colors, a 5.0-megapixel photo snapper with 4x zoom and video capture capabilities, the back-flip QWERTY with table top mode, 512MB of NAND flash, 256MB of RAM, and a microSD memory card slot with support for up to 32GB of additional storage space.
Other specs and features of Motorola Backflip include Bluetooth and USB connectivity, support for GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 850/1900/2100 MHz, HSDPA 7.2 Mbps (Category 7/8), EDGE Class 12 and aGPS, a 1380 mAh battery that can deliver up to 6 hours of talk time, Web browser, support for SMS, IM, email (including Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes, Yahoo! Mail, AOL, Windows Live), Multitasking, and media player, all inside a handset that measures 2.00 x 4.25 x 0.6 inches and weighs in at 15.3 ounces. The Motorola Backflip can be seen on AT&T's website here.