By If Motorola was considered late to the Android game, then they can’t be knocked on their variance in regards to their handsets. Now, Another unique and quirky handset is making its rounds across the web. This flip-phone, which doesn’t even have a code-name yet, looks to be running the latest version of MOTOBLUR atop Android 2.1.
The phone’s “flipping” part is a transparent cover: basically a screen protector that doesn’t do much more than – you guessed it – protect your screen. Oh, and I’m guessing we might see the earpiece for phone calls located at the inner-top, as well. This prototype is rumored to be equipped with a 5-megapixel camera, 720p HD video recording, and might house dual-3G capabilities (as we see dual data indicators in the phone’s notification bar). Either that, or it could just be a side effect of an unfinished device.
I must say, I’m not a fan of “flippy-ness” making its way to the Android market, but you have to give it to Motorola for bringing a large variety of form-factors to appeal to more people (and inevitably strengthening Android that much further).
[Source: IT168 via Android Community]
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I was hoping this was going to have 2 screens, don’t really see the point in a cover.
@FourthLetter
well look at it this way with this phone you wouldn’t need a screen protector or cover or case.
I bet this is going to be apart of the Cliq series which would also mean headed to T-Mobile if true.
actually…you know what form factor i’d like to see again? remember the old skool HTC Touch Dual? i mean, i’d actually love to have a t9 again, but with an optional touch screen for touch screeny stuff :P
just think there are still alot of ppl out there who still love their t9 phone buttons and having something liek the old skool HTC touch dual format will give ppl a taste of android goodness without having to dump their buttons all together?
unless…android doesnt allow a t9 format? :S
Not a bad idea. Problem is is that it has to be a SMALL phone. Otherwise if they put an ear piece on the top of the flip it is going to be extremely awkward to use. Think about it. It would measure at least 6 inches if not more from top to bottom.
It reminds me the a120 or the far past
Motoming
I’m not one for the flip either especially this device is going to painfully remind them of the horrible Motorola krave if this were to make its way to Verizon.
It reminds me of the Moto A1200 or the Krave ZN4.
uh, barf…flip phone, a horrible product design from 1999.
My wife likes her old flip phones because they always hang up and reset to the home screen when they’re closed, and it will never dial a number while it’s closed. She’s also faster on her T9 than I am on my G1.
i wonder if you can still use the touchscreen with it closed…. hmmmm
This looks like an Android-suited Motorola Krave ZN4 (which I happen to have, but not for long, Droid Incredible here I come!!). It will be interesting to see if tjis phone has a needed feature in it that the Krave doesn’t have…
SCREEN CALIBRATION!!
What’s the point of a transparent flip cover? not worth the extra bulk if all it does is protect the screen. I would still prefer just putting on a thin layer of transparent protective film like I do for most LCD screens and be done. If a flip phone had a qwerty keyboard & screen, like a traditional flip-phone, but bigger for the qwerty keyboard, then that’s worthy of consideration.
yet another formfactor isn’t going to make motoblur suck any less.
I know I’m in the minority but I had a Krave before getting my Droid and I loved the flip screen. It did have some touch recognition through the screen and the ear piece gave me a more comfortable feel when talking.
It wasn’t perfect but it did meet my needs. And saved me from continually buying screen protectors.
At least on A1200 Ming, the flipping part also housed the antenna. I don’t know on Krave ZN4.
Anyway, good to see that people still talk about good ol’ flip phones ;-)
maybe if it detached somehow and still looked good without the screen protector being on (hinges exposed, etc..)
Didn’t Motorola patent a design like this recently? As I remember it turned 3D when you flip down. If so, it’d be pretty cool, as a gimmick. Hopefully you can still touch the screen while it’s flipped down.
The A1200 was also a linux phone. Moto is rehashing the design. It was popular in asia because it had handwriting recognition.
I’m curious about which source said the cover was just a cover? Following the references I don’t see that said. Did the author of this post just make that part up? Guys, if you’re going to blog about the newest and latest stuff, at least be factual or Phandroid is going to quickly lose credibility as a source of Android “news”. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen (incorrect) speculation posted here as fact.
Didnt the write an article about motorola filing a patent for a flip 3d phone? the reason i say this is because that really looks like the drawings. In them it said it was a 2d screen but 3d when the cover flipped down..
@ Quentyn: This looks to be their 3D phone…
“A cover is mechanically coupled to the housing and may be moved to overlie the display. The cover includes an optical element, such as a transparent lenticular material, through which the display may be viewed. The display presents images in two dimensions, and when the cover is “open“, the operator sees the displayed images, for example, diagrams and text, in two dimensions. However, when the cover is “closed“, the operator perceives the images presented through the optical element as three dimensional.”
http://androidandme.com/2010/04/news/will-motorolas-next-android-phone-offer-3d/