Image coutesy Newsmarket.

Previously a Sprint SERO Customer, I have  had Windows Mobile smartphones for the last 2 years.  As I was looking to do more business from away from the office, I needed a plan with more minutes and a phone with more functionality.  After seeing the reviews on  Windows Mobile 6.5, I knew my next phone would not be another Windows Mobile device.  As someone who really values open platforms (which doesn’t necessarily mean open source), I couldn’t go to an iPhone. I chose Android.

The Motorola Cliq was the phone I selected, which is currently an Android 1.5 device with MOTOBLUR in lieu of Google.  I have it on the unlimited everything plan for 79.99 per month, and bought the device outright so I am not on any contracts anymore (yay!).  I’ve had the device for a few weeks, and I wanted to share my experiences with the phone and T-Mobile.

Let’s start from the beginning.  Purchasing the phone was a pleasant and easy experience at my local T-Mobile store.  Everyone was helpful, and I was able to play with all of their Android phones in real life for a good hour before making my decision.  Then, when it came time to buy, the representative was extremely helpful and buying the phone, transferring my number and everything was seamless.  The only issue I ran into was the delay between phone calls and text messages getting switched over.  For several hours after voice service had been successfully moved over, text messages were split into about an even third between just disappearing into the abyss, and between my Sprint and T-Mobile phones.

Image coutesy Newsmarket.

Now for the Hardware

Build quality is pretty good.  They only issue I have is the keyboard slides out to the left, which means that if I hold the phone in my left hand, my thumb wants to push the phone open.  The screen is extremely bright and clear; those of you in the older generations may some things on the screen may be too small to read.  The camera is stunningly good, it’s an Auto-Focusing 5 megapixel camera, which takes pictures on-par with an entry level point and shoot camera.  Toss that in with the camera interface that allows for easy sharing to Facebook, MySpace, PhotoBucket, Flickr and more and it’s going to be my primary camera from now on.  The radios in the phone (WiFi, Cellular, GPS and Bluetooth) seem to all provide acceptable quality.  The cellular connection is usually very strong, and in my rough comparison tends to be a little better than the G1 (slight, but occasionally noticeable).  WiFi is quick, and reliable.  At home, speed tests consistently give me 6 Mbps performance, which is fantastic for a mobile device.  The GPS seems to be pretty accurate, though it doesn’t work very well in a car.  If it had a window mount and real turn by turn directions, however, it would probably be more useful.  It was great for getting my bearings the last time I went walking downtown, though, and it’s probably great for Geo Caching.

And the software, specifically MOTOBLUR.  MOTOBLUR is Motorola’s UI built on top of the base Android.  It features very nice integration with most social networks, including Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and others.  It ties your contact data together between your social networks and includes their photos and statuses in various places throughout the experience.  I personally can’t take advantage of the Twitter integration since I follow far too many people, but if you socially network only with your primary group of friends, it’s perfect.  The marketplace has apps for pretty much anything I want to do with my phone, and they are improving daily.

I needed to call customer service as I am roaming while writing this article.  I wanted to ensure that I wouldn’t be racking up huge overages while I was away.  The customer representative who assisted me spoke great English, the phone system was easy as cake to work with, and he stayed on the phone plenty of time to ensure that I was happy – not only that my question was answered but that I was truly happy with T-Mobile and my device.  Unfortunately, I still don’t seem to be able to make a data connection with my phone over the AT&T Network, to which I had to keep connected.

Overall, I think it’s a heck of a phone.  Sure, it has flaws, but overall it’s very customizable, flexible and open.  It’s reliable enough for me to trust it with all of my business communication needs, and I think it’s a great product.  Is it right for you?  Maybe.  That’s for you to decide.

Alex Conner : A local geek and owner of Geekery for Rent who loves startups - especially local startups.