Motorola Milestone review
The Motorola Milestone, or Motorola Droid to give it its US name, may just be Motorola’s biggest hit since the RAZR back in 2003 – which in phone years puts it smack in the middle of the Jurassic period. Now the Milestone promises the first sighting of Android 2.0 software, huge processing power from a 550MHz ARM chip and a larger, sharper, more responsive touchscreen than the iPhone. Read on to find out if it hits the spot…
Motorola Milestone – the UK moniker of the Motorola Droid is surely a more appropriate name. After all, it’s the first handset with the latest Android 2.0 OS, boasting improved Facebook features, Microsoft Exchange, Bluetooth 2.1 and navigation software so good it tanked shares in Garmin and TomTom.
But fire up the Motorola Milestone the first thing you notice isn’t the new Android, but one of the best screens ever seen on a mobile: 3.7 inches and nearly half a million pixels of touch-sensitive elegance. It’s not just the sheer detail that impresses, the capacitive touchscreen is super-sensitive and it’s bright enough to attract insects .
The US version of the Milestone lacks pinch-to-zoom (rumoured to re-appear on the Euro phone) but tapping to zoom can be easier when you’re walking or riding a bumpy bus. The virtual keyboards are that little bit larger and easier to use than the iPhone’s, and far more finger-friendly than the slide-out QWERTY affair that is the Milestone’s weakest point, suffering flat, unresponsive and awkward keys.
Read our Top 5 Android handset roundup
Sadly, Android’s interface didn’t get too much of a refresh, although the pull-down notification bar still works well. Voice search is fantastic for searching your contact list and quick Google look-ups but struggles with complex, multisyllabic words (such as, ironically, ‘Motorola’). Fire up Facebook and the Milestone matches your mates to your Google contacts, adding photos, status updates and giving one-touch links to call, mail, text or chat.
Browsing is smooth and reliable, and will get another boost in 2010 with the promised addition of Flash Lite – the Milestone definitely has the processing chops to handle rich media. In fact, being able to stream music from the likes of Imeem or Pandora while working in other apps is probably the best use of its multitasking muscle, and preferable to slogging through the clunky on-board media player. Photos from the 5MP camera are grainy and average, although VGA video clips look fine.
Saving the best for last though, Google Navigation is, frankly, awesome. Not only do you get Street View photos of key junctions, maps with traffic, public transport and Wikipedia layers and a great digital compass, Google ups the stakes with completely free turn-by-turn voice guidance. Pick up the bargain ($30, £20) car mount/charger and you’ve got a blistering in-car sat nav right there.
Verdict
The Motorola Milestone is head, shoulders and a chunky waistline ahead of other Android handsets. With the wider roll-out of 2.0, its glamour might fade, but there’s no denying Moto’s gorgeous screen, speedy chip and decent interface (keyboard aside) should give it long-term legs. Just maybe not six years this time, eh?
Love
Beautiful touchscreen
Best in class navigation
Voice search
Hate
Nasty QWERTY keyboard
Weak media player
Blurry photos
The spec
Screen: 480×854, 3.7 inches, capacitive touchscreen
Connectivity: CDMA, Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi b/g, USB 2.0
Camera: 5MP, autofocus
Battery life: Talk time: Up to 385 mins, Standby: up to 270 hours
Storage: 16GB microSD card
Size/weight: 60×116x14mm/169g
November 26th, 2009 at 11:12 am
Sorry to hear of your problems with Google Voice Search. Works like a charm, for me, regardless of handset type. In fact, GVS is _the_ app I whip out when trying to impress the uninitiated…and it has yet to fail, in that regard. I will admit that it helps to exhibit letter-perfect erudition (think RSC/RNT), as well as avoiding loud, ambient noise. But even when I’m rushed or careless, Voice Search rarely ceases to amaze.
That said, I’m willing to bet that being a Brit has not worked in your favor, here. That’s because, rather than license a commercial package, Google created their own voice-rec system. And they have proofed it via 2+ years of their free Goog411 service, here in the ‘States (http://www.google.com/goog411/). Thus, I’d expect to find that it shows greater facility with Yankish phonemes than with offshore variants, however charming.
January 26th, 2010 at 6:51 pm
I have thr Droid and I phone. Got the droid because I have six other phones with verison. Coverage reception is much better with verison. Stop there. After thirty day trial I am sending the Droid back home. Can’t read the contact screen, fonts too small, can’t change them. Contact screen has black bach ground whith white fonts makes it hard to s at night and can’t change it. Buttons on the side are in the way when trying to pick up the phone. Chargeing plug is on the side and very much in the way when holding the phone. Icons are two small and hard to read, can’t change them. Just trying to use the phone is a pain in the rear compared to the Iphone.. I phone is much mor user friendly and easyer to see. Wider brighter and better fonts. I was hopng to be able to get rid of my Iphone. I will try the blackberry now. AT&T reception and plans are just not as good as verison. I was hoping that was not the case. Phone will make calls on it’s own. Getting back to the end the call page is difficult at times. Poor user interface is very poor on the droid phone. Needs better program interface, wider screen, larger fonts better screen color and font options. I will try the next new droid but this one is down and out for me.