Motorola CLIQ 2

Available now
6th January 2011

The original Motorola CLIQ was Motorola's first Android device. Launched at the end of 2009, the CLIQ was the first of very many Android devices from Motorola, and along with the original DROID, it is one of the handsets that helped set Motorola off in its new direction.

The old CLIQ wasn't a particularly high-end device, but the Motorola CLIQ 2 significantly raises the stakes and is very close in specification terms to the new Milestone 2. The primary differences between the Milestone 2 and CLIQ 2 are cosmetic.. the Milestone is a typical black slabby device with a very conventional keyboard, the CLIQ 2 is more rounded with an unusual "honeycomb" design when it comes to the keypad.

The CLIQ 2 has a 3.7" 854 x 480 pixel display, a 5 megapixel camera with LED and flash, 3.5G support, WiFi (including 802.11n support) GPS, and Bluetooth. Video capture resolution is not mentioned, but the Milestone 2 does manage HD and we would be surprised if the CLIQ 2 doesn't. There's an FM radio (something the Milestone 2 lacks) and a 3.5mm audio socket as well.

It's quite a heavy device at 175 grams, but then it does come with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard which adds to the weight. Talktime from the 1420 mAh battery is quoted as being up to 7.9 hours and 13 days standby time, but Android users probably know that in real life use the battery tends to drain more quickly.

Other features include support for DLNA and remote wipe (in case it gets stolen), Motorola also say that you can use the CLIQ 2 as a WiFi hotspot for up to four laptops.

Launching with Android 2.2 "Froyo", the CLIQ 2 isn't quite up-to-date when it comes to the version of the operating system. There's no word of an upgrade path to Android 2.3, though we assume there must be one. In addition to the usual Android features, Motorola have included their MOTOBLUR social networking and data synchronisation service.

The Motorola CLIQ 2 should be available from T-Mobile USA from January 19th 2011 onwards. There's no word on a "DEXT 2" version of this phone, but we feel that Motorola might not bother given the closeness in specification to the existing Milestone 2.