The latest iteration of Motorola’s BlackBerry clone, the Pro+, has just landed in Canada by way of Bell Mobility.
Besides the familiar keyboard, the Motorola Pro+ packs 4 GB of local storage, a 1 GHz processor with 512 MB of RAM, a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash, and a 3.1-inch 640 x 480 touchscreen. Connectivity includes 14.4 Mbps HSPA, which Bell would like you to think is 4G, as well as Wi-Fi b/g/n with mobile hotspot capabilities, and Bluetooth 2.1 with enhanced data rate.
As a BlackBerry guy, I can see the appeal of a phone like this. There aren’t many Android handsets out there rocking a portrait-oriented physical keyboard, and the ones that do still don’t hold a candle to RIM. While Motorola might be blatantly ripping off the BlackBerry style on that front, I can hardly blame them. It’s just too bad that the upgrade from Motorola Pro to Pro+ involved shrinking the battery down to 1600 mAh from 1860 mAh. I still really want to see the Motorola Admiral, which keeps the form factor, the giant battery, the nice keyboard, the latest version of Android, the 1.2 GHz processor, and throws in military-grade ruggedization for good measure. Something like that would have a good chance at winning me over from BlackBerry if I was a free man.
I’ll be interested to see the uptake for the Pro+ on RIM’s home turf where BlackBerry still rules the smartphone world. You can snag the Motorola Pro+ for free on a three-year contract, or $349.95 with no strings attached at the Bell online store.