The T-Mobile Vibrant gives you some high-powered Android but if you take that thing underwater, it, understandably, be toast. The Boy Genius is hearing that Motorola will bringing a rugged Android phone code-named “Jordan” that could be waterproof up to 33 feet underwater.
There’s not much more to the rumor other than we can expect the Motorola Jordan to hit T-Mobile in November. There’s no word on what version of Android it will run but let’s hope it’s at least Android 2.0 because I’m absolutely sick of new handsets launching with old version of the software – I’m looking at you Dell Streak and Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 on AT&T.
The rugged nature of the Motorola Jordan means the handset won’t be the sleekest device on the market but I’ve found that rugged Boost Mobile i1 felt pretty good in the hands. Motorola also made the i1, so the Android Jordan could share a lot of similarities.
If you want to know how Motorola does rugged Android, you should definitely read our full review of the Boost Mobile i1. If you just want the cliff notes:
The Motorola i1 is not going to give you the best Android experience on the market by a long shot – still a tossup between the Droid X and EVO 4G, in my humble opinion – but it is certainly the best device on Boost Mobile. The older software, the paltry speed of the iDEN network, and some of the poor design elements may turn you off, though.
The Motorola i1 isn’t even cheap out of the gates, as the lowest price we’re seeing is $349.99. That’s without a contract but that’s kind of overstated because the phone only works with Boost Mobile. Compared to a device like the Android-powered Charm, which will be offered free on a new T-Mobile contract, the i1 doesn’t seem immensely compelling on just price alone.
Still, the Motorola i1 is a solid device that does require some compromises on the Android experience. Is that compromise worth $20 to $50 a month off the monthly bill? That’s for you to decide, dear reader.
We’ll keep you up to date when we hear more about the Jordan for T-Mobile. In the meanwhile, let us know what you want from a rugged Android handset in the comments.
Motorola i1 for Boost Mobile Review
[Via BoyGeniusReport, photo]
