You will not regret getting this phone April 19, 2011

Reviewer:  Corey Brown "disgruntledProgrammer" 

I've had this phone for the better part of a month now, and am quite familiar with most of its features. When I was first shopping for a new phone, I was pretty set on getting an iPhone 4. Though I'm not a big Apple fan, admittedly, I had a 3G and it was a good phone. Frustratingly slow at times, yes, but a good phone. In the store, I tried both this phone and the iPhone 4. Oddly enough, I left the store still thinking I'd order the iPhone. Boy am I glad I didn't.

So, head to head, the iPhone is more responsive generally, in two ways. When changing screens on the home screen, and when going from portrait to landscape mode, the iPhone is noticeably smoother and faster. However, in every other respect the Atrix is as fast or faster. Opening apps, scrolling around, zooming, all are instantaneous and as smooth as glass on the Atrix.

So, that encompasses everything the iPhone does better, in my experience.

The biggest thing that the Atrix/Android does so, so much better is in the usefulness of the home screen. In iOS, there are essentially three ways that you can interact with an application - launching the application, getting a popup notification, and overlaying a number over an application that indicates, for example, the unread number of emails or posts in Facebook.

In Android, there are two dimensions added to this. First, there are these widgets you hear everyone talk about. These are incredibly useful. Rather than merely seeing a count of the number of emails that I have waiting for me, I have a summary of the contents of the emails, and if I tap on the widget, a miniature version of the messaging app pops up and I can quickly read through my email.

Another great app I've used on both operating systems is Remember the Milk. In Android, I can add a widget that shows me the contents of any given list, and tapping on the widget takes me directly to the list in question. I can also, of course, just add a link to the app itself as in iOS to my home screen.

These are just a few examples of the customize-ability of this OS. There are also shortcuts, which provide quick access to certain parts of applications. For example, I have two navigation shortcuts, one which takes me to work and one which takes me home. With a single tap, I am ready to go to work or go home, using the built-in Google Navigation app.

Which brings me to the richness of the apps built in to this phone. As mentioned before, it includes a navigation app, which is on par with all of the standalone GPS units I've used. It also includes Swype, which is a new form of keyboard input for touch screens. This can be incredibly faster than typing in individual letters once you get used to it.

The voice command application included, Vlingo, is also of note. This application is also available for the other major phone operating systems, but it is included in this case, and is incredibly useful. Text input is even faster using this app, bringing the usefulness to a new level. It can be used with any text input box, thanks to the flexibility of the Android OS.

And, finally, that brings me to the amazing flexibility of this (mostly) open source OS. Because the OS is open source and well designed, it is incredibly flexible. Don't like the default home screen? Download GO Launcher EX, and you're given a whole new universe of customize-ability. Don't like the default dialer or contact list? Same thing. Likewise, you can choose which voice command provider you wish to use, or replace the text-to-speech engine that applications such as the navigation app use.

Another cool feature, though, I only use it off and on, is the live wallpaper. Remember how cool it was that the iPhone 3GS could have wallpapers on its home screen? Well, Android one-ups that with 3D wallpapers that can show anything from a spinning customizable globe to the weather, to more abstract wallpapers. They're fun to play with, though I stick with the static wallpapers currently due to battery consumption. Oh, I should also mention that you can easily, through the settings menu, figure out which apps are taking up the most battery life. I have nothing to complain about regarding the battery life, though it's nothing to write home about.

With iPhone, it's like you're a child again and a condescending adult tells you what is best and makes all of your decisions for you. With Android, you're the adult and in charge, with all of the responsibilities that that entails. I've only scratched the surface here, really, and have yet to find my ideal home screen setup. I really can't say enough nice things about this OS. It's like I've turned 18 and have the freedom to do what I want, when I want. I'm an adult.

Anyway, enough about the OS. More about the phone. The fingerprint sensor is awesome. Once you set it up, you can unlock your phone practically instantly. No PIN needed. This is a great feature, though it takes a bit of getting used to. Once you get your swipe down, though, it seems so archaic to have to actually input a code to unlock your phone.

The touchscreen is wonderful. It's quite sensitive, and sometimes I swear it responds without me even touching it - it's that good.

Another big plus is that the battery is removable and replaceable. Though this is irrelevant to me at the moment, it's a big deal if my battery ever dies.

The front facing camera is a good idea; I like the idea of videoconferencing with my phone. There are a few issues here, though, at the moment. The iPhone clearly wins in this category when compared to the Atrix. First, the Atrix has problems with audio with VOIP apps. Basically, it doesn't work at the moment. This is apparently a firmware issue, and will allegedly be fixed in the future. In addition, Skype doesn't work with video calls, though this is an issue with the software rather than the phone or OS. So, in a nutshell, don't get this phone for videoconferencing in the near future.

In conclusion, this phone is a gift from heaven for any geek. If you like to customize your gadgets to any degree, or resent the excess control that other companies exert over your device, this phone is for you. If you expect to video-conference or have a simple experience that's similar to iOS, then this phone may not be for you at the moment. For me, it's a 5 star no brainer.

great phone but... April 12, 2011

Reviewer:  R Johnstone 

AT&T and Moto need to update the phone to Android 2.3 or better yet, 2.4 and enable full HSUPA.

Right now, Android 2.2.1 barely supports the dual core CPU, many apps cannot even see both cores let alone use them.

No HSUPA means slow upload (less than 300Kbps) and download speeds. This means NO 4G service at all.
Don't let the little H+ icon fool you. It barely does 3G speeds.

The fit and finish on the phone is great and MotoBlur isn't too shabby.
Could use a facelift though.

Would I recommend this to others, not right now.
If AT&T and Motorola resolve the issues mentioned, this phone will be a beast.

The Atrix BEATS the iPhone 4! April 9, 2011

Reviewer:  Ojai Roy "Ojai Roy"  (Ojai, Ca.) -

I'm glad to read all the positive reviews on the Atrix. What a phone! I bought it during the Japan quake/tsunami and during my lunch breaks I was able to watch live news broadcasts which you CANNOT do with the iphones. Apple will lose many customers if they don't change to java flash browsers. I love this phone but Motorola needs to dump the commercials showing their dock system and concentrate on comparing it to the iPhone since the Atrix does so much more than the iPhone.
Here is my review-
Winner of CNET's "Best of CES 2011" award!
After 2 1/2 happy years with the iPhone 3GS I did research on the latest ATT smartphones and in March 2011 I bought the Motorola Atrix 4G. After just the first day I realized what a SUPERB phone this is! This phone has many useful features that were lacking on my 3GS and hopefully Apple will implement these.
The main camera has 2 flashes and a videorecorder and the web browser allows flash so you can see videos just like on your home computer. Apple needs to switch to flash browsers or they are going to lose a lot of customers such as myself. Three other things that the iPhone also lacks- 1) Atrix has a back button, 2) when your phone is in the sleep mode there is a small green LED that blinks if you have new mail or messages, and 3) it has a very useful status bar on the top of the screen. This lets you know if you have new mail, what apps are being downloaded and then installed, data transfer arrows and much much more.
You can also multitask audio apps, unlike the iPhone. This means you can be listening to Pandora while listening to Police Radio and watching the Tsunami video on KTLA.com.
The GPS Navigation app is AWESOME. She announces the name of the streets that you need to turn on, shows you traffic conditions and also shows you the satellite images which means you see yourself driving through the actual town in 3D.
And the "voice commands" are also very clever as you can open any app by just saying "Open Soundhound" so you don't have to scroll through all your apps.
You can also easily replace the battery if that time ever comes, you can attach a micro usb and it has a HDMI port and comes with that cable.
Here are just some of details on the Atrix-
It has 1 gb of RAM - the most of the smartphones.
It has a dual-core 1GHz processor - most powerful of any smartphone.
It has the option of unlocking by swiping your fingerprint.
It's screen has a higher resolution than any other phone other than the iPhone 4.
It has amazing (although overpriced and not really needed) OPTIONAL accessories that no other phone offers.
It has a 1930 mAh battery, way better than anything else available.
It has a front-facing camera, which does not require wi-fi to work.
I'm sure I will run across more surprises on this great phone.
***I used the free app IDrive Lite to transfer my contacts from my iPhone to the Atrix.***

Touch screen starts having problems November 13, 2012

Reviewer:  C. Leung  (Plano, TX United States) -

Have the Motorola Atrix 4G since February 2012. Everything works great for awhile, then about 3 weeks ago, some areas of the touch screen do not respond to touch anymore. Reset everything to factory defaults and the problem remains.

It's very frustrating when you text/email when some letters cannot be typed since no response to touch in those areas. Equally bad when you try to open some apps and the touch does not respond. Searched different internet forums for reasons/solutions and found out that my problem is not uncommon.

Plan to take it back to the AT&T store and see if they can help. Wish me luck.

Avoid Motorola November 12, 2012

Reviewer:  Karen 

Shortly after my warranty expired (though from researching on owner forums, it's clear the warranty is worthless anyway), the problems started. I realized I was burning through my data plan, then found it was because my wireless internet was not working. When trying to connect, it would simply say Error. This is a common problem with this phone. Customer support walked me through wiping my phone, which did nothing. They then offered to "look at it" for $120. I declined the ridiculously inadequate offer, and then my phone started getting worse. It now powers off and back on several times an hour. This drains the battery quickly, and I need to charge it every chance I get. It seems like any interaction makes the phone power down. It's no longer good for phone calls, because it is guaranteed to power off mid-conversation. The problems I'm describing are very common for this phone, and no one I've talked to in forum has gotten any help from Motorola, with or without warranty. Please research Motorola's inferior products before buying.

Must go to Motorola for phone service after 30 days May 31, 2012

Reviewer:  robbiego "rgp9"  (Los Angeles, CA USA) -

The phone has been very problematic. It randomly turns itself off at least twice a day, every single day. AT&T said, "Sorry, we can't help you because you bought it at Amazon Wireless." Amazon Wireless said, "Sorry, we can't help you because it's past 30 days from the purchase date." Finally, Motorola is being helpful. But, I have to mail them my phone and be without it for who knows how long. I'm on hold with them now. This is the last time I buy a phone from Amazon Wireless.

Honest.. Simple.. Opinion May 8, 2012

Reviewer:  MaximumStar 

Had this phone a few times.. Let it slip away due to financial issues.. But have missed it since. Here's why..

1st. It's in the top 2 of best smartphone speakerphone quality EVER!

2nd. Also in the top 2 of the best web browsing smartphones EVER!

3rd. If you really get down to what a cell phone is meant for.. It's EASILY one of the best you could ever find .

So Far So Good March 17, 2012

Reviewer:  Cowboy  (Creighton, MO) -

Just received it yesterday. Accidentally dropped it this morning 5 feet drop onto a flat rubber backed rug. Back came off battery popped out. Put it back together and turned it back on and its still going strong. Update more if I remember. Fast as well. :)

atrix January 11, 2012

Reviewer:  carbondalebaby "stacy"  (us) -

i just got this phone with an upgrade from best buy and i love it its so fast everything loads in seconds so wonderful to have a smartphone that is actually smart.

Best phone ever September 30, 2011

Reviewer:  CHW "Hoarder of Fine Goods" 

Have had iphone, multiple blackberries, sony cybershot phones, etc. This one is the best, especially with other android devices. Highly recommended.

Works for me! September 23, 2011

Reviewer:  Ranger Rick 

I enjoy this phone. I was about to finally by the next iPhone (never bought an iPhone yet) , yet it never came out and will be extremely expensive compared to android phones. Through amazon you can by this phone and lots of accessories for much less than an iPhone.

This phone is nice because it is extremely thin, yet is has all of the hardware, and 4" high resolution screen. The phone is extremely fast and i can view regular webpages without having to zoom.

I was upset at first that msn did not have any apps to run their software. They clearly want you to by a windows phone. Soon after I learned that the live mobile website works great and I do not need their app, and all of the office compatible products read all of my office documents.

The android market is great. First you have a choice of buying at retail price from apple or downloading the amazon android market for amazon prices.

Since I am in the Architecture profession I wish Google would bring out a sketch up app for an android phone or at least a 3d model viewer.

Awesome phone! September 18, 2011

Reviewer:  BLys  (Austin, Tx) -

I've had this phone from the day it came out in stores and I couldn't be happier! My previous phone was slow and crashed frequently, but I've only had this phone restart on me a handful of times. It has some cool Apps, and now there are more opportunities as the Amazon App Store is now available! There is some "bloatware" on it (applications that come pre-installed on the phone) but it can be managed or deleted.

I have not tried any of the attachments for the phone (like the Multimedia HD dock or the Laptop dock), but the phone by itself is simply amazing.

No problems with the phone so far and I couldn't be a happier Motorola customer!

UPDATE:

I've had this phone for 13 months so far, and I still couldn't be happier! (This is especially amazing for me considering this is by far the longest I've had a single phone since I started using a cell phone 7 years ago.)

Pros:
- I've heard some reports of the fingerprint reader going out, but mine still works just as well as it did the first day I owned it.
- I have never put my phone in a case or put a screen protector on it, nor will I ever. There is no need! I'll be the first to admit that I'm clumsy, especially with my phone, but it still works great. There are some scratches on the plastic at the corners from the times I've dropped it, but they're difficult to spot unless you're specifically looking for them.
- Even though I download a few new apps a week, my internal memory has not run out of space yet, nor does it appear to be getting close.
- Bluetooth connection is wonderful, I have a single-ear bluetooth for calls and a pair of dual-ear headphones for music, and they both connect without issue.
- The full version of Quickoffice that comes pre-installed on the phone has saved me in more meetings than I can count. The internet is fast and allows me to download any files I need within seconds, and open them easily on my phone, ready to be simply read or even edited.

Cons:
- The one con is with the front-facing camera. I very rarely put my phone anywhere else besides in the pocket of my bluejeans, and the lint from said pocket has creeped under the face of the phone to lodge in the front camera. However, I never used it anyway, so no biggie for me. The rear camera still works great, though!
- For the music-lovers out there, I installed a 32 gb micro-SD card with around 3,500 songs on it. Unfortunately, the music players I have used (Amazon MP3, the pre-installed Music player, Cloudskipper) have had issues with the number of songs. Typically it will only list 2,000 of the songs, leaving out nearly half of my music collection. New players may have been released, or updates may fix this issue, but it's one of my main pet peeves.

Final thoughts:
After owning for a solid 13 months, I still highly recommend this phone for workaholics, studious students, casual users, new users, and everyone else!

Very pleased with this phone September 14, 2011

Reviewer:  Jean Luc "Jean Luc"  (TX USA) -

This is my second ever smart phone. My first being an iPhone 3G which I've had for 2.5 years. My wife recently upgraded to an iPhone 4, and I switched to the Atrix after reading the very positive reviews of this phone after it was upgraded to the Gingerbread release of Android. So far I really like this phone. It had very mixed reviews in its early days but the recently upgraded OS has drastically fixed most of its issues.

Pros:
- Price! Can get this phone for $50 from Amazon, Radio Shack and Best Buy. Motorola's flavors of this phone for Sprint and Verizon are $200 and $300.
- Battery life for me is excellent. The upgraded OS now has a built in "task killer" which stops unused programs from continually running and draining the battery. I read other reviews that said they would lose 30% power overnight. I had mine on for 3 days with normal usage before the battery got low. Basically as good as an iPhone. The battery itself is about the largest in its class. More power than most other phones.
- Screen is quite nice and high resolution. It has basically the same resolution as an iPhone 4.
- The phone is VERY fast and quite stable. I have not had any issues with applications lagging or hanging. No reboots and such have been necessary. Again this is related to the recently upgraded OS.
- Call quality is quite good. Motorola phones are generally acknowledged as being superior in this area. Any call quality issues would be related to the network and not the phone itself.
- There is no longer any artificial upload/download speed restrictions. The ATT network can't compare to Verizon LTE but the Atrix has very fast transfer speeds compared to my iPhone 3G.
- It's a nice size with its 4 inch screen. Some of the newer phones have 4.3 and 4.5 inch screens which means they can't be easily placed in a pocket.

Cons:
- The only critique for me, since I am slightly far sighted and sometimes need reading glasses, would be that the native font is a bit small due to the high resolution of the phone - but side by side it is identical to my wife's iPhone 4. It would be nice if the native font could be adjusted, but that is really an Android limitation (unless you root and then hack the phone) and not a limitation with the Atrix itself.

Other notes:
- I bought the Invisible Shield screen protector which thus far is working better than other shields I've used in the past. Medium difficulty to install and more expensive than most but is supposed to have a lifetime warranty.
- Picking a case can also be a hassle. I settled on the Ballistic SG for Motorola Atrix. It fits the phone perfectly and gives it a lot of protection.

amazing fast phone September 10, 2011

Reviewer:  SDB  (California) -

lots of other detailed reviews, so I won't bother to go into detail. Here is the synopsis:
pro = super super fast. no lag what so ever when opening apps or using it.
con = only one I can think of is that battery drains rather quickly, like most smart phones. Plug it in often and it won't be an issue.

Phone is just about perfect so far September 6, 2011

Reviewer:  Suresh 

I've had this phone for a week, I think it is amazing. It has extremely good design, is light and compact unlike most of the smartphones in its class. It does everything an iphone does. applications for android are great and there is huge selection. touch screen works perfect. the fingerprint scanner is extremely useful and works perfectly. I think this phone deserves five stars, at least in the short term. with all that said, it does seem extremely fragile and i am worried about how long this phone is going to last. the touch screen seems like it may not last for the long run. but that might just be me. overall great phone so far and definitely a potential iphone killer.

Ups and downs. September 1, 2011

Reviewer:  Jm 

First off this is a pretty good phone. It is mostly quick in anything that it does and the screen is nice and sharp. Some people say you can see pixelation on the pen-tile displays but I have not noticed anything like that.

Pros - fast, nice screen, the motoblur widgets are pretty cool and you can resize them to fit into your homescreens better.

Cons - Had the occasional restart, many issues getting this connected with wifi, and video playback colors sometimes feel washed out on the edges of the screen. Also the software that comes with it to upload your media to your phone is not that great, I have been using Double Twist instead.

The main issue I had was getting this phone to connect to my wifi. I ultimately ended up buying a new router and that seemed to work cause now I can connect. So a warning if you have a belkin n1 router and you are getting this phone, they do not seem to be compatible.

Coming over from iOS, had the original iphone and the 3gs and my girlfriend had the 3G and iphone 4, I am pretty happy with android. I enjoy the bigger screens and being able to see flash on my phone is a huge plus. The apps are not as diverse as Apple's but I have been able to get all the ones I used most on apple on the android store. The notification system is also much better on android.

Overall I am happy with the phone and disappointed. I think I would like to try the new galaxy s2 or even the infuse if it ever gets upgraded from android 2.2. I am just not sure I can be happy with this phone for the duration of a 2 year commitment.

Awesome Phone/computer August 31, 2011

Reviewer:  R. Jones "Koheleth"  (Lamar, AR) -

This may be one of the best smart phones on the market. The Android OS works well. It has almost an unlimited number of apps. Don't care for the Motorola Blur, I think it is a waste of space on the device. Most everything one can do on a computer, one can do it on this phone plus some things you can't do on a computer. Even has an HDMI output. The number one negative about this phone is the short battery life. With all the power this phone has, I do not understand why Motorola can not put a longer lasting battery in it. I do not spend a lot of time using this phone, but it barely makes it through a day without charging it again. Some energy monitor apps help. One can also turn off bluetooth and wifi when not needed to save energy. I purchsed two phones at the same time and one had the 2.3... version and the other had only the 2.2... version. The 2.3... is much better. Of course you can download the 2.3... But if you have a choice get it with the 2.3.. It takes a while to download the update. Had it not been for the poor battery performance this phone would have received 5 stars.

Great phone! August 23, 2011

Reviewer:  Parag "Parag"  (Eden Prairie, MN) -

Great handy phone!
Had some problems before gingerbread update (shut down, speed)
But after the update it's working great & battery life almost doubled..
Camera (mainly video) quality is great!
[...]

With medium use, I am getting 2 days of battery life..

Motorola Atrix - The perfect smartphone for me August 18, 2011

Reviewer:  KM  (Los Angeles) -

I purchased It yesterday at Fry's. Coming from a Iphone 3g and 3 gs, I was not sure what to expect. But I purchased this phone since It was a great deal and didn't want to pay $199 for a Iphone 4. The 24 hours I have had this phone has blown away my expectations:

First the Positives:

1. Great Fit and Finish and holds well. Perfect size. Not to big or small.

2. I had the phone up and running in about 10 minutes including setting up the Motoblur account

3. Smooth experience in setting up email accounts, saving contacts from SIM.

4. Testing and sending emails is a breeze

5. It is blazingly fast.

6. After 24 hrs of moderate use (sending a few texts, emails, browsing the web) the battery is at 90%. In comparison my Iphone 3GS would be at about 50% level.

Negatives:

It does not look fashionable compared to Iphone 4 since this is all black and plastic. But It is sleek and conservative in looks.

In conclusion, I love this phone,

The Best Phone!!! Hands Down August 13, 2011

Reviewer:  Enrico 

Simply the best phone out there. No flaws. Intuitive. Fast. Really Fast. Extremely Light. Never freezes up. Nothing compares. Bottom line....make the purchase.