Motorola Atrix 4G (AT&T)
Manufacturer: Motorola Part number: 5100311
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The laptop dock is a decidedly cool (and pricey) feature, but the dual-core Motorola Atrix 4G has plenty to offer on its own. The smartphone packs speed and high-end features into a sleek package and earns its place at the top of AT&T's Android lineup.
Read more
Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  | In stock Get free shipping on orders over $25! | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 05/24/2012 |
CNET editors' review
Motorola Atrix 4G (AT&T) price range: $309.99
- Reviewed by: Bonnie Cha
- Reviewed on: 02/09/2011
- Released on: 03/06/2011
The good: The Motorola Atrix 4G features a dual-core processor and a sharp qHD (quarter HD) display. The Android 2.2 smartphone has a sleek design and a 5-megapixel camera, a front-facing camera for video calls, and an HDMI port.
The bad: No 1080p HD video recording or playback at launch. You can't install non-Market third-party apps. We didn't experience great HSPA+ 4G data speeds.
The bottom line: The laptop dock is a decidedly cool (and pricey) feature, but the dual-core Motorola Atrix 4G has plenty to offer on its own. The smartphone packs speed and high-end features into a sleek package and earns its place at the top of AT&T's Android lineup.
Editors' note: In addition to the review below, we also have an in-depth look at the Atrix's laptop accessory.
The review has also been updated with a clarification on third-party apps and more information about the slow upload speeds.
To say that AT&T's Android lineup was lacking would be an understatement, but fortunately, it looks like the company has finally gotten the memo. The carrier introduced three new Android handsets at CES 2011, but the one that impressed us the most was the Motorola Atrix 4G. The Android 2.2 smartphone boasts a dual-core processor (Nvidia's Tegra 2 chipset), 4G support, a 4-inch quarter HD display, and a front-facing camera that enables video calls over a cellular or Wi-Fi network. But wait, there's more.
Motorola designed a laptop dock and software to work with the Atrix that would allow you to still access the contents of your smartphone but provide you with a more PC-like experience. It's why we awarded the Atrix 4G our Best of CES Award in the cell phones and smartphones category, and it's why we were so thrilled when we finally received the devices to check out.
In this review, we'll focus on the Motorola Atrix 4G as a smartphone. (We've made some general observations about the laptop dock here, but CNET's laptops and Netbooks editor, Scott Stein, has delivered a closer look at the accessory to see if it's worth its steep price tag.) We can say that the Atrix excels as a smartphone. The dual-core processor delivers, and the Atrix finally brings some of the higher-end features that AT&T customers have been missing out on, such as video calls. Certainly, the laptop dock is a big selling point for the Atrix, but whether you decide to get the dock or not, you're still getting one of AT&T's best Android smartphones to date.
The Motorola Atrix 4G is expected to ship March 6 or sooner. The price for the phone alone is $199.99 with a two-year contract. AT&T will also offer a bundled package that includes the phone and laptop dock for $499.99 with a two-year contract and tethering add-on and after a $100 mail-in rebate. If you'd rather not sign up for the tethering plan, you can buy the dock separately (and use a Wi-Fi connection) from the phone for $499.99.
Design
Touch-screen smartphones are a dime a dozen, and it may seem like if you've seen one, you've seen 'em all, but that's not necessarily true. Each design has its highs and lows, and the same holds true for the Motorola Atrix 4G. Thankfully, there's much more to like than dislike here. The Atrix is sleek and lightweight at 4.6 inches tall by 2.5 inches wide by 0.4 inch thick and 4.8 ounces. The handset's slim profile makes it easy to slip into a pants pocket, and the rounded corners and tapered edges make it comfortable to hold.
However, compared with the company's other recent handsets, such as the Motorola Droid X and the Motorola Cliq 2, the Atrix doesn't quite have the same premium feel to it. It's still very much a solid device but just lacks some of the finer details like a soft-touch finish on back.
On the front, you've got a 4-inch qHD (quarter high definition) capacitive touch screen with a 960x540-pixel resolution. It's comparable to the iPhone 4's 940x640-pixel Retina Display, but since the Atrix has a slightly bigger screen, the pixel density isn't as great, so text and images don't look quite as smooth as they do on the iPhone. Still, the display is sharp and vibrant. As is typical, the screen washed out a bit in bright sunlight, but we were still able to see what was on the screen.
The touch screen is very responsive, both in terms of registering our touches and switching between portrait and landscape mode. And thanks to the dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 chipset, general navigation felt zippier compared with any smartphone we've tested recently. Even a simple task, such as pulling up the app menu, was noticeably faster than on the HTC Inspire 4G, which uses a 1GHz Snapdragon processor.
Below the display are the standard Android shortcuts: menu, home, back, and search. There's a volume rocker on the right side, and a Micro-USB port and an HDMI port on the left side. The camera and dual-LED flash are on the back, as well as the power/lock button, which sits at the top center. It's a bit of an awkward location, but the button can double as a fingerprint scanner for extra security (to use, go to Settings > Set up screen lock).
AT&T packages the Motorola Atrix 4G with an AC adapter, a USB cable, an HDMI cable, and reference material. Aside from the laptop dock bundle, which we'll talk about a bit later, AT&T also offers an Entertainment Access Kit for $189.99, which includes the Motorola HD Multimedia Dock and remote control, a Bluetooth keyboard, and a wireless mouse.
User interface
The Motorola Atrix 4G runs Android 2.2 with Motoblur. Though we weren't huge fans of Motorola's custom user interface when it first launched, the company has toned down the UI quite a bit and enhanced the customization abilities, so that it's much more useful and reduces the information overload aspect of the previous version. One thing that does irk us is that you have to sign up for a Motoblur account when you first set up the device. Afterward, you can sign in to all your other e-mail and social network accounts to import your contacts, messages, and calendar appointments.
You get seven home screens that you can personalize with various widgets and shortcuts, such as a social network feed, weather widget, and mini media player. Interestingly, Motoblur now has a function very similar to HTC's Leap screen feature where you can view all of your home screens in thumbnail view--not that we mind, since it allows you to easily switch between the screens.
For more about Motoblur, you can check out our review of the Motorola Cliq 2.
Features
Obviously, one of the big draws of the Motorola Atrix 4G is the dual-core processor. The smartphone is equipped with Nvidia's Tegra 2 chipset, and if you want to get technical, this includes dual ARM Cortex A9 cores clocked at 1GHz and an ultralow-power GeForce GPU graphics processor--all this backed with 1GB of RAM. What this means for you is that you should experience snappier performance, faster browsing, and better gaming graphics, among other things.
Though we've only had the device for a short amount of time, we've certainly been impressed with what we've seen so far. In comparing the Atrix 4G with the HTC Inspire 4G, the difference in overall performance isn't significant but it is noticeable. The Atrix was always just a tick faster than the Inspire when loading apps, menus, and tasks. Games were also snappier to load, and the gameplay was quicker-paced and smoother as well.
The Atrix also handled Flash content well. Though the Atrix and Inspire loaded the media--in this case, a CNET TV video on the phone's WebKit browser--in roughly the same amount of time, the Atrix went on to play the video playlist without problem, whereas the Inspire couldn't play it at all. We'll continue to do more in-depth performance testing, but we wanted to give you an idea of what we've experienced so far.
Another feature supported by the Nvidia's Tegra 2 processor is full HD 1080p video recording and playback via HDMI. Unfortunately, this feature will not be available at launch; instead, it will come at a later time through a software update, so for now, the Atrix can only handle 720p HD video capture and playback through HDMI.
Aside from 720p HD video recording, the Atrix's 5-megapixel camera also offers a dual-LED flash, autofocus, and digital zoom. Editing options in the camera app are rather limited compared with competing products. You can select from one of five picture resolutions and a variety of scene modes and effects, but there are no white-balance controls, ISO settings, or the like. The options are pretty much the same in camcorder mode.
Picture quality was decent. Images came out mostly sharp, but there was some graininess and colors could have been brighter. Video quality was above par. Clips recorded at 720p looked sharp, even with action scenes, and there wasn't any cloudiness or weird hues ruining the picture.
The Atrix offers 16GB of onboard memory with the option of expandable memory; the expansion slot supports up to 32GB cards, so that should be plenty of storage for your photos, videos, and music. The smartphone's media player is compatible with multiple audio and video formats, including MP3, WMA, AAC, AAC+, AAC+ Enhanced, AMR NB, 1080P MPEG4 (with the exception noted above), H.264, WMV, and Xvid/DivX at 30 frames per second.
Since the Atrix features an HDMI port, you can use the included cable to connect your device to your TV; what's cool is that the smartphone turns into a remote control, which you can use to peruse the phone's multimedia gallery. The attractive and easy-to-use interface is an added bonus.
In addition to the 5-megapixel camera, there is a front-facing VGA camera, which you can use to take self-portraits and make video calls. The Atrix doesn't come preloaded with a video chat client, but you can visit the Android Market and download an app of your choice, such as Fring or Qik. Whether you can make video calls over the cellular network or Wi-Fi is dependent on the app, but AT&T does not put a restriction on either method.
For regular voice calls, the Motorola Atrix 4G offers quad-band world roaming, a speakerphone, call waiting, call forwarding, conference calling, voice dialing, and text and multimedia messaging. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, (802.11b/g/n), and assisted GPS are also onboard, as well as 4G over AT&T's HSPA+ network. The Atrix can be used as a mobile hot spot for up to five devices. To use this feature, you need to pay an additional $20 per month on top of the Data Pro plan, so $45 per month total for 4GB of data.
With Android 2.2, the smartphone supports such features as those outlined in our Froyo article here and Google's various services, including Google Maps Navigation. The Atrix can also sync up with multiple e-mail and social networking accounts, and offers a unified inbox and shared calendars.
The handset ships with a few preloaded apps: Quickoffice, Vlingo's voice recognition program, and the Blockbuster Video mobile app, to name a few. Of course, you've also got your obligatory AT&T services--AT&T Navigator, AT&T FamilyMap, and AT&T U-Verse Live TV--on there, but for once, you can actually uninstall any of these apps if you wish. No change of heart on third-party applications, as that feature is disabled on the Atrix. Unfortunately, AT&T does not allow you to sideload third-party applications that aren't in the Android Market.
Laptop dock
The dual-core processor is certainly a big part of the Motorola Atrix 4G's story, but it's not the complete story. As we said before, one of the reasons why we gave the handset our Best of CES Award in the cell phones and smartphones category is because of its unique laptop dock.
With this accessory, you can dock the smartphone to a laptop shell to continue using it but with a full keyboard and 11.5-inch screen. A window will appear onscreen to show you a mirrored view of your phone's home screen, where you can interact with it just as you would if you were holding it in your hand. You can make and receive calls using the dock's speakers or a Bluetooth headset, send text messages and e-mail, download apps from the Web-based Android Market, and more.
Also, the combination of the smartphone's dual-core processor and the Webtop app developed by Motorola allows you to have PC-like functionality, including a full Firefox 3.6 browser and Adobe Flash Player, with just this 2.4-pound dock and your smartphone. There's also an integrated Citrix application that gives account holders access to their virtual desktops.
The laptop dock is beautifully designed. It's lightweight while still feeling solid. The screen is brilliant and crisp, and the keyboard is very reminiscent of the MacBook Air. It also features two USB ports in the back. The battery is rated for 8 hours of battery life, and it will charge the phone while it's connected to the dock. You can get online by connecting via Wi-Fi or AT&T's tethering plan.
We had a quick go with the laptop dock and absolutely loved this added functionality. It's an intelligent and well-executed way to expand the capabilities of the smartphone, and we applaud Motorola for it. The integration was seamless, and it was wonderful to be able to type messages with a full keyboard and get the full browsing experience. However, this privilege comes at a big cost.
As we mentioned, there are two purchasing options. One is a bundle package that includes the Atrix 4G and the laptop dock for $499.99 with a two-year contract, Data Pro data plan, and tethering add-on, and after a $100 mail-in rebate. If you'd rather go the Wi-Fi route and not deal with the tethering add-on, you can buy the dock alone for $499.99. Either way, it's a large chunk of change that will certainly be a turnoff for many.
As we said at the beginning, we'll be handing the Atrix and the laptop dock over to CNET's laptops and Netbooks editor, Scott Stein, so he can give it a full rundown and see if it's worth the money. Check back soon for his review.
Performance
We tested the quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) Motorola Atrix 4G in New York using AT&T service, and call quality was fair. The audio on our side of the conversation was mostly clear with good volume, but there was some slight background hissing. Voices occasionally sounded garbled as well. Friends had positive things to say about the sound quality. Most said all was clear on their end, but a couple of callers mentioned some muffled sounds, though nothing bad enough to disrupt the conversation.
Motorola Atrix 4G call quality sample
Listen now:
Speakerphone quality was largely similar to regular voice calls: clear but with a faint background hiss. There was enough volume to have a conversation in a louder environment. We successfully paired the smartphone with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset and the Motorola S9 Bluetooth Active Headphones and were able to make calls and listen to music through them.
As we experienced on the HTC Inspire 4G, we didn't get the most impressive speeds from AT&T's HSPA+ network. Using Ookla's Speedtest.net app to measure and record network speeds, we averaged download speeds of around 1.40Mbps and upload speeds of 0.18Mbps. The speeds, particularly for uploads, were less than impressive, but there's a reason for that. AT&T admitted recently that the HSUPA radio on the Atrix was not enabled at launch. The carrier has promised to provide an update in April to turn it on, so we will retest the device then. For now, with existing speeds, CNET's full site loaded in 30 seconds, and the mobile sites for CNN and ESPN came up in 11 seconds and 10 seconds, respectively.
The Motorola Atrix 4G ships with a 1,930mAh lithium ion battery with a rated talk time of 9 hours and up to 10.4 hours of standby time. In our battery drain tests, our final results got us between 7 and 10 hours of continuous talk time on a single charge. The duration was dependent on the strength of the 4G signal we were getting, as a stronger signal meant that more battery being depleted. This is typical of most smartphones today, but the Atrix has one of the biggest batteries, if not the biggest, we've seen in a smartphone. That said, we should note that we were using the device heavily to try to test as many features as we could. Here are our official CNET Labs tested results. More smartphone testing results can be found here.
| Video battery life (in hours) | Audio battery life (in hours) | Boot time (in seconds) | Web page load time (in seconds) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motorola Atrix 4G | 7 |
12.3 | 48 | 6 |
According to
User reviews
-
-
Traded my iPhone 4 for an Atrix 4G and am quite happy!
by GeneRiley on July 1, 2011
Pros: Fingerprint recognition rocks!
4-inch screen
Tons of apps
Excellent camera and 720p HD video recording
Complete app integration
Complete Google integration
Acts as a USB memory stick
Over the air updates
Voice to teCons: Battery life, It's good but not great
No Netflix!
Front-facing camera... useless?Summary: Yep, I traded my iPhone 4 for this phone! Why? Because most of my life is in Google so I figured I might as well give Android a try. So, ...
Summary: Yep, I traded my iPhone 4 for this phone! Why? Because most of my life is in Google so I figured I might as well give Android a try. So, speaking as someone who's owned both platforms for a while, here's a quick list of pros and cons:
P.S. If you will buy this Motorola Atrix 4G I suggest at: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004KZP4BQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=***************&********=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&************=B004KZP4BQ
Atrix Pros:
1> Fingerprint recognition rocks! Imagine being able to unlock your phone with one hand! No code to remember, just key by swiping either of your two index fingers. Easy and secure.
2> Smooth edges and lighter in the pocket. My son showed me how his iPhone 4 has left a permanent imprint in his jeans front pocket. He's even got a spot where the sharp edge of the iPhone 4 case has actually cut a hole through his jeans. By contrast, my Atrix has rounded corners (like the iPhone 3 used to) and is much lighter so I barely feel it or see it sitting in my pocket.
3> The four inch screen is a full half inch larger than the iPhone 4. The extra half inch real estate really does make a difference, surprisingly.
4> Tons of apps - some are free on Android while the same ones on iPhone cost money. Case in point, Angry Birds is free on Android but is a paid app on iPhone. Amazon's own Android app store (which AT&T doesn't presently allow for Atrix but they promise a fix soon) also offers a daily paid Android app for free.
5> Excellent camera and 720p HD video recording. Plus, according to what I've been experiencing, I'm recording audio in stereo.
6> Complete app integration. When I add a new social app like Facebook to my phone and select to share something like a photo, the Android system immediately offers Facebook as an option to share/send to. With the iPhone, you're stuck with whatever sharing options are set in the OS. Sure, you could launch the iPhone Facebook app and share the photo that way but it's refreshing to see the wealth of choices immediately available to me when I'm already in the photo app and I just took a picture I want to share.
7> Complete Google integration. The first day I signed into my phone with my Google account, I instantly had all my Gmail contacts, mail and calendar items populated in my phone. Plus, Motorola automatically links in your other contacts - like Facebook, Twitter, Live.com, etc. once you add those accounts to your phone. So my contacts listings include a plethora of information about my friends - including their Facebook birthdays (which also show in my calendar!), their latest social postings and my last few personal interactions with them (texts, calls, emails, etc.). Another neat part of this integration is whenever a friend changes their profile picture, it automatically updates their picture in my phone's contacts.
8> Micro USB standard connection for charging and computer connectivity. It's really nice that I now have the same USB connection as my Kodak HD pocket camera and my daughter's phone. We keep a single cable in the car so we can charge any of these devices on the go.
9> Acts as a USB memory stick. This ability is built into Android. You plug it into a computer and you get several options for connectivity. One of them (USB) allows you to access the phone's entire memory (internal and micro SD) so you can easily transfer contents to/from the phone to any computer. I can't stress how nice it is to no longer be "married" to a single computer. I also can't stress how nice it is not to have to rely on iTunes to manage my phone's contents.
10> Over the air updates. I received my first firmware upgrade from Motorola about a week ago - it came directly to the phone! What a breath of fresh air to be able to upgrade my phone while it's just sitting on the coffee table. No cable required, no computer required. If you check the list of requirements for any iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, you'll find a computer is absolutely required! Not so for Android phones. These things *are* computers in their own right.
11> Google Maps with spoken turn-by-turn directions! This amazingly free app from Google is available only on Android phones. It uses accurate GPS and depicts your location on a map which is capable of various layers (satellite, traffic conditions, terrain, etc.). Zoom into a city using just the map layer (all other layers off) and you'll see 3D renderings of all the buildings. Panning and changing direction or perspective is butter-smooth! Get directions to a location and you'll be brought to the Google Navigation app - which speaks directions to you while showing you your location on a map (which can also be set to show various layers). I used this app to get me successfully to a remote spot in Spokane WA I'd never been to before. I prefer this app to my car's dedicated GPS device!
12> Voice to text and text to voice! Speaking commands to my phone and speaking out texts and social updates has become so second nature to me now that I hardly find it necessary to type any more. While I'm in the car, the excellent Vlingo app (free and came with the phone) speaks out text messages to me loud and clear and lets me reply just by speaking! I can update Facebook or text a friend safely now while driving. It's also nice to hear a text spoken to me while I'm busy washing the dishes so I can choose whether or not it's important enough to stop what I'm doing to reply to. Voice recognition is built into Android and is available wherever a text input is found in any app throughout the system.
13> HDMI-Out rules! I went on a small trip to visit friends who had moved a few hundred miles away and brought my HDMI cable with me. Unlike the iPhone 4, HDMI-Out is built into the device and the cable is included. It was an easy thing to connect my phone to my friend's living room TV. The phone becomes a remote control for the content on the TV. You can view photos, videos and play music from your phone. No frame rate issues, no skewing or any anomalies at all. The 720p HD videos I'd shot earlier that day were a joy to watch on his large screen. The quality was so good my friend remarked how surprised he was to see actual HD content rendering from such a small device.
14> Flash for web sites! I used the excellent Pulse app when I had my iPhone 4 and routinely found myself staring at a blank, white square when I happened to link to a news article which contained a flash video (as so many do). Now, on my Atrix 4G, I use the same Pulse app but can now see and play the same content I was missing all along. This is a huge benefit for me as I no longer have to make an Evernote with the URL so I can remember to view at home what I couldn't view on the road.
And now for the cons:
1> Battery life. It's good but not great. I start my day with a fully charged phone around 6:30am and by the time I'm back in bed (around 11pm), I typically find myself at 20% or lower at the end of my day. Everyone uses their phones differently and I'm a sometimes heavy user who doesn't always bother to stop background apps and keeps wifi and GPS on 24/7. Why? Well, I've noticed usage of these background apps is handled relatively well by Android 2.2. They're often at zero percent CPU so I figure why bother closing them? In this way, Android is better at multitasking than the iPhone - which, if you keep too many apps open on an iPhone, it can actually crash/lockup! I also keep GPS and wifi on all the time because I've noticed they don't actually get used/accessed unless I launch or switch to an app that uses these systems. When I launch the map, I want the GPS function. When I launch the camera, I also want GPS (for geotagging my photos). When I'm wandering into Starbucks, I want to easily access their network without first having to start wifi on my phone.
2> No Netflix! Although I hardly ever played a Netflix video on my iPhone 4, just knowing I can't do that with my Atrix 4G irks me. It's like someone has taken a tool from my tool belt. Even though I may hardly ever use that tool, I miss having it and know it's gone now. In lieu of an actual video streaming Netflix app, I've settled for a Netflix queue managing app. At least I can browse titles and move them into my streaming queue for viewing at home on my Blu-Ray player.
3> Front-facing camera... useless? Another tool I hardly used but now feel is missing is FaceTime on the iPhone 4. Sure, I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've used FaceTime (since it requires another iOS device or a Mac to communicate with) but it was neat. I've tried Tango, Fring and Yahoo Messenger on the Atrix but they either don't make use of the front camera at all or the results are a bit jittery). I hope Skype comes through for us Atrix owners soon!
Overall:
Overall, I'm happy with my decision to trade my iPhone 4 for an Atrix 4G. Eventually, AT&T will release the 4G cap on this device. Eventually, there will be a decent front-facing camera app. Eventually, Netflix may allow streaming videos. Let's face it, there is no such thing as the perfect phone. But, when you weigh the pros and cons for this phone, you can easily see there are more benefits to owning an Atrix 4G than owning an iPhone 4. I'm quite happy with my trade and enjoy seeing commercials which tout my phone as being the most powerful phone AT&T presently offers. Of course, that's bound to change very soon but the point here is I don't think I'll ever be tempted by the "fruit" again.
Updated on Jul 29, 2011
Updated on Sep 27, 2011Edit Broken Link:
If you will buy the Arix 4G I suggest at: http://beam.to/Arix4G
Updated on Apr 18, 2012New Update!
Check for best deal of the Motorola Atrix 4G, before you will buy it at -> Androidlikeit.blogspot.com/p/motorola-atrix-4g.html58 out of 59 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Uninformed people need to learn a few things....
by johnnydeathmatch on February 9, 2011
Pros: NO HUGE KEYBOARD TO CARRY AROUND, GENIUS. You can use ANY bluetooth/USB keyboard you like. It comes with an HDMI cable! Hook it up to a TV/monitor along with a Bluetooth keyboard, and use the screen as a touchpad. Very nice media player interface.
Cons: 1080p video hasn't been enabled yet. Really? You're gonna complain that a PHONE can't play 1080p videos? I'm sure this will be resolved anyway very quickly. 5MP camera with dual LED flash: It's a phone! I want at least 20MP! C'mon!!!!
Summary: LOAD WHATEVER APPS YOU WANT! The cnet writer here, as well as the other reviewers all state that you can't install third party apps. Way to confuse everyone with ...
Summary: LOAD WHATEVER APPS YOU WANT! The cnet writer here, as well as the other reviewers all state that you can't install third party apps. Way to confuse everyone with false information, CNET! Quote: "...against the nature of android market," well, actually, the Android Market comes with the phone so you can install all the apps you want from the Android Market. Sideloading, which is a different subject, is not enabled, but anyone who has enough intelligence to use Android and wants to sideload apps can figure that out. Google it, there are lots of articles (there's a great one on Lifehacker) and tools (such as the Sideloading Wonder Machine and Appbrain) to make that easy to do. I own a Captivate currently, which had the same limitation. That lasted from the time I left the store until the time I got home. Took two minutes to fix. Also, AT&T has stated that they will be allowing sideloading soon, so by the time this phone comes out it may not even be an issue. For everyone knocking the Atrix for not supporting sideloading, can you please give me an example of an app that you would like to sideload? Didn't think so. If you aren't smart enough to figure out how to enable sideloading, then there isn't anything that you would want to sideload anyways.
As I've pointed out, the reviewer is a special person for writing that. Third party apps are supported. They were trying to refer to sideloading, but the writer doesn't seem to understand the difference.
Weak HSPA+ on AT&T? What the hell does that mean? My Captivate doesn't even have HSPA+ (just HSDPA) and I consistently hit 2Mb to 4Mb downloads and 1Mb to 1.5Mb uploads. It's plenty fast for me to do downloads, browse the internet, and stream video in high def. The other reviewer hopes Verizon will be better, well Verizon's "unlimited" data plan is capped at 5GB. T-Mobile kicks you down to Edge after 5GB. Sprint charges an extra $10 a month for 4G network access. So none of the other carriers are any better. If you want to stream video and actually use your unlimited data connection without being limited, the only way to go is AT&T (grandfathered) or Sprint (extra $10/mo.)
The reviewer also knocks AT&T's Android lineup, apparently unaware of phones like the Samsung Captivate, Dell Streak, and even the SE Xperia X10. Maybe you should do a little research before you write an article, so that you can be slightly more informed than your readers. Or continue in ignorance.
This phone won best device at CES by just about every news outlet and blog covering the event. That's right, best out of EVERYTHING at CES.
Add to all the power and the great feature set everything that may become possible once the hackers at XDA get ahold of it. Imagine a full Linux distro (or at least more applications), or Chrome OS instead of the webtop that it comes with! Or Windows 8 when it comes out (ARM compatible)!
And talk about future-proof (which is really an oxymoron; future-less-obsolete would be more accurate). This is about as future-proof as you can get in a phone. Dual core CPU and nVidia GPU, just try to beat that next year. TI just announced the OMAP5 SOC which will be quad core at 2GHz (which is the next logical progression) and it won't hit the market until the second half of 2012... which is a year and a half away. Not to mention that TI hasn't even shipped the OMAP4 in any devices yet, so the Atrix is as good as it gets, for quite a while.
The article doesn't even bother to mention that the WiFi radio in this phone is cable of both 2.4GHz and 5GHz connections. The article also knocks the screen for not looking sharp enough, despite a pixel density of 275PPI, the highest of any Android phone available in the US. The human retina's effective dpi is 250 anyway. Really, to be able to distinguish the pixels in this display, you'd have to hold the phone at the same distance from your face as the end of your nose. So, once again, the reviewer here shows their lack of research, intelligence, effort, and/or regard for their job and journalistic responsibility of informing the reader of factual information.
Also, I'd like to thank the reviewer for testing the phone in New York City. That's a great way to get real information on the quality of the microphone and data speed, in an overcrowded city that always has bad service. Way to have a balanced review! Upload speeds of 0.18Mb? I've never seen speeds that slow on AT&T's 3G service (at least with one or more bars), let alone 4G. At least I have no idea what kind of speed to expect under real world (not NYC) usage. Knocking the battery for only lasting a day while being used constantly for testing is just weird. Heavily using any other smartphone I've ever seen results in a dead battery in a few short hours.
Updated on Feb 9, 201158 out of 97 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Come on, guys.
by drewnusser on February 24, 2011
Pros: Great screen, dual core cpu, has great optional accessories. Also, you gotta love Android.
Cons: AT&T isn't great everywhere, but this doesn't mean that the phone isn't amazing. It's also on Android 2.2, but they promised an upgrade later this year.
Summary: Okay, I'm sick of people giving this bad ratings because of the network it's on, or the price of the OPTIONAL accessories. Really, if you hate AT&...
Summary: Okay, I'm sick of people giving this bad ratings because of the network it's on, or the price of the OPTIONAL accessories. Really, if you hate AT&T's network so much, why not jump on and give all of their phones an awful ratings.
Also, I agree that the accessories are priced way too high, but that doesn't mean that the phone is any less impressive. We're reviewing the PHONE here, and uneducated people who haven't even seen the phone are missing the point of the PHONE review are giving this thing a bad name.
Here are the facts:
It has 1 gb of RAM - the most of the smartphones.
It has a dual-core 1GHz processor - most powerful of any smartphone.
It's screen has a higher resolution than any other phone other than the iPhone 4.
It has amazing (although overpriced) 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.
Am I leaving anything out? Probably. Either way, there are very few PHONES that even come close to this one.
To sum it up, we are supposed to be reviewing the Motorola Atrix here - not AT&T. Don't blast the most powerful smartphone on the planet because you have issues with what AT&T has done with it. And if you still want to after reading this, be sure to go and trash talk all the other phones that AT&T offers.17 out of 20 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Who uses third party apps?
by LostAngelinTX on February 17, 2011
Pros: Specs are awesome. Android 2.3 is planned by the end of the year.
Cons: All the docks.
Summary: If you want a netbook or laptop, buy one. This is a smart phone. Also, if the app you want isn't in the marketplace, chances are you don't /...
Summary: If you want a netbook or laptop, buy one. This is a smart phone. Also, if the app you want isn't in the marketplace, chances are you don't /won't use it anyway. Now if ATT was to block the app from being loaded from the marketplace(I haven't heard of them doing this, but anything is possible), then the solution is so simple a caveman could do it.
Also is rumored to have used Gorilla Glass on the display. If this is true and the gg lives up to its reputation, then no need for screen covers. I would still get the Otterbox case though.
1. Power off the device.
2. Remove the sim
3. Power on the device (without the sim)
4. Connect via wifi
5. Install app
6. Power off phone
7. Re-insert sim
8. Power on phone.
9. Enjoy!
Updated on Feb 17, 201116 out of 20 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
wheres the 4G
by afghanmoose on February 23, 2011
Pros: battery life is better
screen quality is better
lighter feeling
snappy OS
swype with microphoneCons: most apps and Android OS not optimized for Dual core yet
apps crash , probably because not configured with Dual core or speed
Needs a dedicated "Facetime" tweek for all android devices with forward facing camerasSummary: Bottom line is, Motorola should listen to its users
Summary: Bottom line is, Motorola should listen to its users
6 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Dear Motorola, thanks for nothing but disappointment.
by Rule_o_Wrist on March 22, 2011
Pros: Cool concepts, lots of potential.
Cons: Motorola built a really horrible phone. low quality hardware, firmware has more bugs and glitches than an ant farm.
Summary: I bought this phone day one with high expectations. Took it home, and loved it...for the first couple days. Then I started having problems. The screen would sometimes freeze ...
Summary: I bought this phone day one with high expectations. Took it home, and loved it...for the first couple days. Then I started having problems. The screen would sometimes freeze when charging. The phone sometimes not re-connect with AT&T data after leaving wifi range. It would take a hard reboot to get it to reconnect. So I take the phone back, and trade it out for another one, hoping it was just my particular phone. I get the second one home, and what do you know...more problems. I try using the flash on the camera, and one of them flickers and goes out. Now I'm down to one flash out of two, and the second one starts flickering, and goes so dim i have to have the lights off to tell that it is coming on. After two brand new phones and nothing but problems, I am now a proud HTC inspire owner. Maybe I'll give Motorola a year to fix their junk, and try them again. Maybe.
7 out of 12 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Not an IPHONE killer
by matute008 on March 7, 2011
Pros: Hardare, really good. Fast and reliable.
Cons: Software. Not even half the functionality and simplicity you get with the iphone
Summary: After reading all the positives reviews I decided to go with this phone. The screen is bright and really nice. Good camera. I bought this phone mostly for its frontal ...
Summary: After reading all the positives reviews I decided to go with this phone. The screen is bright and really nice. Good camera. I bought this phone mostly for its frontal camera. I also took into consideration the fact that it is a 4G phone (I am in Philadelphia and I got good speeds).
When I turned it on I downloaded Skype to get a video conference with my family and to my surprise, not only skype video is not available for android, but also the cell phone does not allow to place voice calls over the 4G network (the iphone does). Then I spent ours looking for an application that would let me make video calls to a computer. The ones that work (at least on wifi) did not allow me to use the front camera. What is the point of the front camera, take pictures of myself?.
What is the point of having 4G device if you cannot stream video. Netflix is not available for Android. Youtube has been working over 3G. Video conferencing is not enable.
The browser does flash, however it is not as responsive as Safari. Still, it is pretty good.
I returned the phone the following day and I got the Iphone which allowed me to make skype video calls over 3G, with really good quality, right out of the box.
Bottom line, if you are planning to make video calls get an iphone. This one will not work for a few more month. And it will only work if skype doesn't become a brand specific software. Like netflix is planning to do.5 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
DOA due to AT&T greed.
by All4ChAos on February 10, 2011
Pros: - Unique (at least until MCW) dual core processing, putting the phone in a class of its own.
- New and innovative idea with the introduction of a laptop dock and multimedia dock that places this phone head and shoulders above the competition.Cons: - Ridiculous pricing of $500 for the laptop dock as a stand alone, or $300 bundled with the phone with a requirement for tethering.
- Motoblur
- Locked boot loader.Summary: Motorola and AT&T had the goose the lays golden eggs, but decided to kill it, pluck it for a down pillow and cook it rather than reap the ...
Summary: Motorola and AT&T had the goose the lays golden eggs, but decided to kill it, pluck it for a down pillow and cook it rather than reap the eggs over time.
Yes. Greedy...and short sighted. The MSRP on the laptop dock is utterly ridiculous. It's less than $50 in parts for Motorola and full fledged laptops with more processing power, more ram, more storage, a larger screen and even a blu-ray player could be purchased for a comparable price to what they're asking for it stand alone.
This phone was unique in its design and truly innovative when coupled with its accessories. It could have made the loss of the iPhone exclusivity a non-issue.
Instead, what amounts to a keyboard, monitor and battery with no memory, storage or processor by itself, was priced in the same range as a more powerful laptop with all of those things, and required to buy $480-$720 in services if bought bundled with the phone.
What the Atrix had going for it, unique hardware, will become moot once Samsung and HTC announce their dual core offerings, which is certain at the Mobile World Congress the week of February 14th in Samsung's case, and highly likely in HTC's case.
While neither offering is likely to have such an innovative group of accessories, the Samsung is sure to have a Super AMOLED screen, and the HTC will come with an unlocked boot loader that will allow near immediate updates of Android as they become available. The processing power of both phones is also sure nearly match, if not better that of the Tegra2 platform.
This makes the Atrix no longer unique as a phone by itself. Because it's boot loader is locked, and it comes with Motoblur, which is undesirable for many users, if the hardware isn't better than anything else, there's no point in buying the phone with the ridiculous pricing AT&T has placed on the accessories.
It's a shame really. They had the advantage of earlier release times...but that was squandered by unrealistic and greedy pricing.
Updated on Feb 13, 2011
Requiring tethering, a purely AT&T idea, is just patently stupid. As there is nothing the laptop dock can do without the phone, why would the addition of a dock require tethering if the phone does not?
The only answer is greed...and short sightedness.
Updated on Feb 14, 2011First day of MWC and we already have the LG optimus 3D with benchmarks in the 2900 range...400-500 higher than the Atrix and Android 2.3. Samsung has released it's Galaxy S2...also with a dual core. HTC is expected to announce it's Pyramid dual core later in the week.
So much for a unique phone. Now all the Atrix has going for it is ridiculously priced accessories.14 out of 30 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Started off Excited but disappointed so far
by scct1 on April 2, 2011
Pros: fast, great concept and alternative to iphone, battery life good, voice command great
Cons: programs freeze, my contact tab worked great for week now it takes me to call history, cleared history now contact tab takes me to blank data, cant get jawbone to connect to bluetooth on phone, cant get browser tab to open up in igoogle instead of yahoo,
Summary:
UPDATE: THE MORE I USE AND LEARN THE BETTER I LIKE THE ATRIX, MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER HAVE THE IPHONE 3 AND 4 AND WE ...
Updated on Apr 10, 2011Summary:
UPDATE: THE MORE I USE AND LEARN THE BETTER I LIKE THE ATRIX, MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER HAVE THE IPHONE 3 AND 4 AND WE ALL LIKE THE ATRIX BETTER, I GIVE IT 4 1/2 STARS NOW
Updated on Apr 10, 20113 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Disappointed!!
by odogwunna on February 23, 2011
Pros: Sleek looks, decent call quality, Android os,
Cons: regular speed. AT&T loaded the phone with garbage! Can not make skype or yahoo calls without wifi (unlike the iphone) When on WIFI, skype call quality is nothing to write home about. Video conferencing is horrible.
Summary: Will keep playing with the phone for the next few days, if nothing is done to improve on the cons, I'm definitely returning it.
Summary: Will keep playing with the phone for the next few days, if nothing is done to improve on the cons, I'm definitely returning it.
4 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Motorola
- Part number: 5100311
- Description: As a phone that acts like a computer, the Motorola Atrix 4G delivers both the power and performance of mobile computing, all while fitting comfortably in your pocket. You now have the freedom to surf the web with a browser and to access all of your files, emails, photos and movies on a larger screen in the office, on the road or at home.
General
- Product Type Smartphone (Android OS)
- Form Factor Touch
- Phone Design PDA
- Integrated Components GPS receiver,
2nd camera,
Digital camera,
Digital player - Width 2.5 in
- Depth 0.4 in
- Height 4.6 in
- Weight 4.8 oz
Cellular
- Technology WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM
- Band WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM 850/900/1800/1900
- Mobile Broadband Generation 3G
- Service Provider AT&T
- Operating System Google Android 2.2
- User Interface Motorola MOTOBLUR
- Application Software Quickoffice
- Input Device(s) Touch sensitive screen (multi-touch)
Messaging & Internet
- Cellular Messaging Services MMS,
SMS - Instant Messaging Services Google Talk
- Supported Email Protocols POP3,
IMAP4 - Supported Social Networks and Blogs MySpace,
Twitter,
Facebook - Messaging & Data Features Text messages,
Multimedia messages (MMS),
E-Mail - Mobile Services YouTube,
Gmail,
Google Search,
Google Play Communications
- Data Transmission GPRS,
EDGE,
HSPA+,
HSDPA - Wireless Interface Bluetooth 2.1 EDR ,
IEEE 802.11b/g/n - Communication Features Internet browser,
Mobile Email client Phone Features
- Phone Functions Call timer,
Conference call,
Speakerphone,
Vibrating alert - Sensors Proximity sensor,
Accelerometer,
Ambient light sensor,
Digital compass - Additional Features DLNA Certified
Organizer
- Personal Information Management Calendar,
Calculator,
Reminder,
Alarm clock Media Player
- Supported Digital Audio Standards eAAC+,
AAC +,
MP3,
WMA,
AAC,
AMR - Supported Digital Video Standards MPEG-4,
XviD,
WMV,
H.264 Processor
- Type NVIDIA Tegra 250
- Clock Speed 1 GHz
Memory
- RAM 1 GB
- Bult-in Memory 16 GB
- Supported Flash Memory Cards microSDHC - up to 32 GB
Digital Camera
- Sensor Resolution 5 megapixels
- Focus Adjustment Automatic
- Camera Light Source LED light
- Video Recorder Resolutions 1280 x 720 (720p)
- Digital Video Formats H.264,
MPEG-4 - Features Video recording
Navigation System
- GPS Navigation A-GPS receiver
- Navigation Software & Services AT&T Navigator,
Google Maps Display
- Type Color
- Diagonal Size 4 in
- Display Resolution 960 x 540 pixels
- Color Depth 24-bit (16.7 million colors)
Connections
- Connector Type Headset jack - Mini-phone 3.5 mm,
Micro-USB Battery
- Technology Lithium
- Capacity 1930 mAh
- Run Time Details Talk - up to 540 min,
Standby - up to 250 hour(s) Miscellaneous
- Included Accessories Power adapter , Power adapter
Product series
-
Manufacturer: Motorola
Specs: AT&T,
WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM,
Up to 528 min (GSM),
Up to 540 min (3G),
With digital camera / digital player,
4.8 oz,
5 megapixels,
4 in -
Motorola Atrix 4G and Laptop Dock Bundle (AT&T)
Manufacturer: Motorola
Specs: AT&T,
WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM,
Up to 540 min,
With digital player / digital camera / FM radio,
4.8 oz,
5 megapixels,
4 in
Accessories
- A-Data Turbo series flash memory card - 8 GB - microSDHC (33796783)9.99
- A-Data flash memory card - 16 GB (34642617)14.99
- A-Data flash memory card - 16 GB - microSDHC (34580093)12.99
- A-Data flash memory card - 16 GB - microSDHC (34641832)14.99
- Motorola Lapdock (Motorola Atrix 4G) Protective Sleeve (34641498)29.99
- Seidio ACTIVE - case for cellular phone (34942661)29.95
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Motorola products on Shopper.com
-
- Manufacturer:Motorola
- Address:
600 N. Highway 45, Libertyville, IL 60048 - Phone: 847/576-5000
%20-%20Compare%20prices,%20reviews,%20user%20opinions%20-%20Shopper.com&srcUrl=http://shopper.cnet.com/cell-phones/motorola-atrix-4g-at/4014-6454_9-34468396.html&x_breadcrumb=8900:3488:3504:6454&x_arw_bkts=MAD:high_wireless_switcher){kind=small}