I have been in like with the G1 in view of the fact that it came out a year ago, but I couldn’t get over that hideous chin sticking out! I was beyond ecstatic when the MyTouch 3G was released, but after playing with the device for 3 hours I realized what a piece of crap it was and returned it. The screen wasn’t that huge and it made texting and instant messaging a living nightmare. In addition to that, the phone was not multi-touch competent, so if you’re a quick texter and really quick with the emails then the MyTouch 3G is not for you. The virtual keyboard could only handle one letter at a time and I found myself hitting the incorrect letters on so many occasions. I would hit a letter and the phone would pick up the surroundings letter. This really is ashame because the thirty-five dollar data plot is mandatory and its travesty that one can’t even use it to the best of their ability. The lack of a keyboard also made the MyTouch 3G a huge downer. Anyway, I digress.

Now, let’s get to the Motorola Cliq. This phone is everything that the G1 and MyTouch 3G should have been, but better. This device doesn’t come with Eclair (Android OS 2.0), but it functions just fine. With a bit of luck a mandatory upgrade will be made available to all Android users soon. This is a fantastic PDA smart phone for anyone who is heavy into texting, emailing, and surfing the web. It’s a full featured phone, but at the same time it’s nothing groundbreaking. There is certainly some acclimation when it comes to the Cliq because I am so use to my Blackberry 8900 and I reckon its one of the best built devices with a very responsive well built OS.

If you’re looking for a device that is very similar to the iPhone on the T-Mobile network then this is probably the closest that you will ever get. My early impression of the phone was not a excellent one because it kept asking me to start a user name and password. I thought it was asking for an email address (Yahoo, AOL, Gmail), but it wasn’t. It was asking you to start a MotoBlur account. I did, but kept getting an error message. T-Mobile customer service didn’t know what to do and [...]has an area to sign into MotoBlur & an option to start a motoblur account, but when you click it there’s nothing on screen that lets you start a name/password.

Android OS – Many broadcast have said that the Android OS is a game changer in view of the fact that its release back in the fall of 2008. It seemed like the only thing at the time to combat with the forces of the iPhone. To some extent it is and to some extent it’s just not quite there yet. To be trustworthy it’s a bit on the clunky side. It does take a few seconds to exit out of particular applications, or to even get to the main home screen menu when exiting out of email and texting. When you become so use to using your cell phone for just about everything – speed is everything. That also includes how responsive and quick your phones OS is. My only gripe is that I wish there wasn’t that few second lag in-between operations.

Motoblur – The Cliq includes MotoBlur which lets you connect your Facebook, MySpace, and twitter fiscal statement directly to the advice, so whenever your friend writes a new comment it immediately goes to the homepage of the phone. This is a fantastic thought and saves you time from going into the web browser and having to log in each account in order to check for updates. But, this feature is a battery killer. I have mine turns off, besides if you lend your phone to someone else to use (To make a call or use web browser) they will all be up in your business. I could careless about this feature.

Email – This is also not an Android device that has Google branding with it. It’s just a Motorola phone using the Android OS. There is NO G1 branding logo anywhere. But, you can still sync up your Google email address, but the Gmail feature is such a disappointment. Synchronization has to be turned on for the Gmail to function to the best of its ability & that’s a BIG battery draining feature. You can also sync your Yahoo & AOL email addresses. The AOL and Yahoo email feature is way better then Gmail and doesn’t require synchronization to be turned on. This helps save tremendous battery power. When you send an email from your desktop it doesn’t come to the phone straight away, but you can set the phone to check for new emails every 15 mins, 30 mins, or manually, etc. It doesn’t work the same with Gmail which is a huge let down. I am a huge fan of the Blackberry and it’s the only device on the market that gets an email within 2 seconds of sending it. The same can’t be said for the Android OS. Much work needs to be done.

Web Browser – One of the best features on any android device including the Cliq is the web browser. Surprisingly, it doesn’t launch [...] as the main homepae when you click browser. The Android Browser is probably one of the best browsers on the market right now and is up there with the Safari Browser and the Palm Pre’s browser. You cant pinch and zoom to enlarge the way you can on the iPhone, but there are zoom in controls which are simple to use. You also get a dedicated YouTube app that lets you mind Youtube videos. Though the video clips aren’t as sharp as the iPhone – There is a setting and option when you are watching the YouTube clip where you can see the videos in “Privileged Quality” so its crystal sharp and less blurry.

There is a huge difference that one will notice when switching from ordinary to HIGHER QUALITY.

3G – TMobile recently launched their 3G network about a small over a year ago, so they are still building from the ground up while the other networks are by now moving into 4G. It’s fantastic that the CLIQ has 3G, but it does get spotty and unresponsive sometimes. There were many times that the 3G would switch between 3G and EDGE. I didn’t have that huge of a problem with it, but I am sure over time it will get better. Wi-Fi is also included, so this is a fantastic alternative for someone who might be at home and only has EDGE access.

Instant Messaging – The CLIQ comes with Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk, and AIM pre-installed. My Blackberry 8900 came with all 3 and included ICQ & Windows Live. Another thing about the IM that was such a disappointment is that synchronization had to be activated in order for you to sign into the messaging client, which in turn drains the battery power like crazy. This was such a disappointment. My BB never had this issue. You sign in and start chatting. There was no extra setting that had to be activated in order to chat, but on the CLIQ it’s a requirement. The extra requirement only means that you have to charge you phone twice in one day because of heavy unnecessary treatment.

Motorola really could have done a better job with the CLIQ, especially for the price. But I reckon most of the minor flaws have to do with the Android OS. I was originally an iPhone user that became a Blackberry user and I have to hand it to the Blackberry because it’s quick, responsive, and built in such a way that its function is superb. Everything from Email to text to instant messaging is just so quick. There is hardly any lag and it’s simple to learn how to use. The Blackberry so far is the best PDA I have ever used, but its web browser needs work. Pick up the CLIQ phone because it’s a winner. There are some minor flaws, but the pros outweigh the negative.

Pros:

Android OS (Can be a pro & a con)

Full HTML Web Browser

Threaded Text message

Email sync

Android Marketplace

Full qwerty keyboard

YouTube Attention

5.0 camera/camcorder

Huge vibrant screen

3.5 MM headjack

Decent call quality (No issues yet)

Mini SD up to 32GB

Use your songs as ringers

Wi-Fi

Personal Email (Up to 10 fiscal statement can be added)

IM

My Favs

Brilliant Multimedia Player

Includes 2 chargers (Wall Charger & USB charger)

T-Mobile offers the best minute and data plans on this earth

Cons:

Poor Battery Life (Lower light setting and turn off Motoblur to save power)

Gmail is a catastrophe (Not push competent)

Needs better notification options when next text/emails come through

No PUSH email capability

Trackball (I miss you)

Occasional lag time when entering/exiting a screen/app

Micro USB (No more Mini USB)

No ear phone or free carry case
Rating: 5 / 5

I delight in the Market feature, where I have downloaded several applications, such as, pandora (a radio), a calendar, a reminder feature, a few games (hang man, tic tac toe, pegs), a glossary, the Bible (finds the exact passage in church very quickly) and a spell checker to name a few. There are thousands of free downloads available.

There are five home screens, I can email, text and browse the Internet all while talking on the phone. Google maps is installed, so it’s like having my own personal GPS. Now I never get lost. Google maps automatically finds your exact location if you are lost. You can zoom in and out of the google maps. This feature works well with “Places” to find everything that is located near you (hospitals, hotels, shopping, food, etc). The camera is 5 mega pixels, and there is a video recording feature as well.

The only negative about this phone is the battery life. It’s very small, in view of the fact that several applications are running at once. You can extend the battery life by only having your phone check for updates every hour vs. every 5 minutes, reducing light on the screen, turning off the GPS and wifi features.
Rating: 5 / 5

Turning out to be a lot of work for a touch that I was really hyped about before the release. Honestly I reckon it’s a fantastic phone. It’s just taking me more “getting used to” that I expected, and I don’t see much improvement over the G1.
Rating: 4 / 5