Remember the Motorola portrait slider Android device (XT300) we saw not too long ago? The severely blurred images gave us a glimpse at the upcoming Android phone, but now we have clearer photos of the device. And, this time, the XT300 brings some video along with it.
The vertical-sliding QWERTY form-factor is interesting, yet quirky. It looks like the Blackberry Torch may have some competition with this upcoming device, but I have a hard time believing that any Blackberry user would be willing to switch to this Android device. One thing we’re sad to see on this device is Motoblur, Motorola’s social network-centric custom skin doesn’t really add too much functionality to Android phones, and we’d rather have seen stock Android. It’s too bad that this slider won’t even be getting the toned-down version of the skin, which is found on the Motorola Droid X and Droid 2.
We’re not sure what Motorola is trying to do here, but we’re certain that the form-factor of the device will be appealing to some people. The phone definitely looks like a mid-range device, and it may be replacing the Devour when it hits Verizon. The screen on the device looks like the standard 3.1 inch display we’ve seen on quite a few Motoblur devices, and it looks like other than the form factor itself, Motorola hasn’t really put much effort into the device.
It also looks that the XT300 may sport the “backtrack” feature that’s found on the Backflip, which is used as an extra navigation method for the phone, not unlike the mouse pads you’d find on a laptop. BackTrack basically puts a touchpad on the back of the device, allowing you to navigate with your index finger without having to take your thumbs off the keyboard. I find the backtrack to be nearly useless. Then again, you do have the option to turn the backtrack off, so it’s not all bad.
There’s little information about pricing and availability about the device, but we’ll be sure to update you with more info as it becomes available.
So, is this the kind of form-factor you’re looking for in an Android phone? Let us know in the comments below!
[Via: MobileCrunch]