By: Nate Nelson (Contributing Writer)

In a continuing nod to their pick for the future of mobile operating systems, Motorola announced their newest Android enabled phone: the QUENCH. This will be the eighth Motorola/Android device released around the globe.

QUENCH, which will be branded the CLIQ XT in the United States, will do all of the standard smartphone things like web browsing, messaging, and email. QUENCH also features a pinch and zoom ready touch-screen and navigational touch pad; the browser includes Adobe Flash Lite, which gives it an Internet advantage over Apple’s iPhone. A voice activated search feature can perform Google searches, find contacts, or launch application.

The killer app of QUENCH is the new MOTOBLUR content delivery system for Android, which syncs the user’s social network to the home screen of the device, including posts, updates, emails, messages, and photos. MOTOBLUR is compatible with Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace (if anyone still uses it), as well as Gmail and other POP3/IMAP email accounts. Contact information is automatically synched to the device when it changes, so address book information remains fresh.

QUENCH also features a media player that connects to both the Internet and social networks. The media player connects to third party websites like TuneWiki, SoundHound, and YouTube, and an MP3 store provides simple purchase and downloading to the phone. A music search feature also includes the ability to view synchronized lyrics in multiple languages, which is useful for anyone who has always wanted to learn how to sing, say, Captain and Tennille’s “Love Will Keep Us Together” in Swedish (“Kärlek Kommer att Hålla Oss Samman”).

The MOTOBLUR system also provides security to gadget owners with a “secure personal information portal” that can find lost devices or remotely erase the data, if necessary. Then, once the gadget has been located, the information can be restored with a single username and password.

QUENCH/CLIQ XT will be available in the U.S. exclusively through T-Mobile, with an official launch to be somewhat ambiguously in “Q1 2010.” As smaller mobile service providers gear up for the anticipated marriage of Apple iPhone and Verizon, they are launching more devices like this, which have all the features of the iPhone with a similar design. No pricing information was forthcoming on Motorola’s website, but the QUENCH/CLIQ XT looks to be a reasonable smartphone option for those who like Android, do not like Apple, or want to stick with a T-Mobile data plan.

(via HotHardware)

By: Tariq Bamadhaj (Senior Editor)

The Droid and MotoCLIQ were released within days of each other yet, mention Motorola and Android in the same sentence, and chances are, you’ll hear more about the former than the latter. So was the CLIQ a dud that Motorola should have forgotten about? Or is it a raw diamond that’s just waiting to be held and enjoyed?

Hardware Design

The CLIQ is a looker. That dark chrome finish adds a touch of class and sophistication that you rarely see in a social device. I did wish that there were more buttons on the front, especially a search button as well as a DPAD or trackball but I guess that was more that I was used to having Android devices with those than anything else. After a while of using the CLIQ, I did learn to adapt to this new set up and work with it.

The built quality of the device is great. It does have a bit of a give when the phone the keyboard is hidden, but nothing that bothered me too much. The sliding mechanism is solid and gives you the impression that it can handle all the times you need to whip out the keyboard in a jiffy.

What I particularly liked was the Vibrate slider on the side. No longer do I need to get my phone out of standby and continuously press the volume rocker before going into the cinema or a meeting, just a quick slide and I am done. Even the buttons (e.g. Power and volume) which I initially thought did not come far enough was not an issue in my day to day use.

Keyboard

Here’s where I am sitting on the fence. On one hand, I have heard rave reviews about this aspect of the device and some of my friends who sport a CLIQ also swear by the keyboard. It does have amply-sized keys and that DPAD sure is useful which I’m sure are the reasons for the accolades.

On the other hand, I guess my indecision lies with the fact that I have been spoilt by the HTC Touch Pro 2 keyboard. Thus far, I have not come across a better keyboard than that of the TP2.

All that aside, I did like using keyboard on the CLIQ. It took a lot of getting used to, in fact, it was not until the second week of using it that I started getting used to it. The buttons have a nice feedback about them, making them a joy to type on. The fact that the top row of keys were not too close to the upper half of the device also ensured that experience.

One thing I Motorola could have done to further enhanced that experience was to maximize the space. Sure, each letter on a keypad had an accompanying symbol but that bottom row of 5 keys makes me wonder if they would have fared better converting it into a row of numbers. The position of the DPAD is also one that I find interesting. Most devices that I’ve encountered usually have this located on the right and to be honest, the CLIQ is the first that I came across that actually has it on the left. Like the keyboard, this doesn’t necessarily impact your experience in a negative way, just that it might take you some getting used to.

Camera

The camera on the CLIQ is rated at 5 megapixels, and coupled with its autofocus function, allows you to take some really shots. The camera launches relatively quickly and a small window at the corner shows you the last photo taken, a feature which I thought added a nice touch and provides quick access to your taken photos. Like most camera phones I encountered, the pictures look pretty good when zoomed out but upon closer inspection, you can make out some noise here and there. It gets even more pronounced for pictures taken in low lighting conditions, no thanks to the lack of flash on the MotoCLIQ. For those wondering how those photos turn out, here are raw images of them, just click on each to view the full version:

One thing I noticed, and I think this to be more of a software issue than anything else, was the black screen that I encountered the camera from time to time. Whether it was activating it from the app tray or pressing the camera button, that issue occasionally cropped up. I initially thought that to be because I was geotagging my photos but even turning off that option did not seem to help. Hopefully a software update will resolve this issue.

MotoBLUR

This is what makes the CLIQ tick and stand out from the rest. Android, in all its glory, still falls short in the social networking department but couple it with MotoBLUR and you have a killer combo. For the uninitiated, think of it like Palm’s WebOS that constantly connects to the web with the sole purpose of keeping you updated with your social networks, be it Facebook, Twitter, MySpace or all of them. No matter what time of the day it is, you no longer have to press refresh every time you launch your social network application of choice as motoBLUR does it all for you. And if you are one of those who update more than 1 social network consistently, you’ll love it’s ability to allow you to do just that.

But that’s not all when it comes to MotoBLUR. The widget on the homescreen is just the beginning. Thanks to Android being an open-source platform, Motorola has integrated this system into your Messaging and Contact application as well. You now have a universal inbox, similar to those found on the Blackberry, where you can view all your messages from all your social networks, emails as well as picture and text messages. If this sounds too overwhelming to you, fret not because you will also have the option to filter out to a specific service and focus on it.

The Contact application also some cool features up its sleeve. Sure all your contacts are loaded from your various networks (email, social, corporate) but what I found pretty nifty was the status updates, both current and recent, of those who are on it. So if you see that Jenna is mad because her assistant didn’t show up, you don’t have to go through hills and valleys to find out that she’s been waiting for almost 2 hours for him. And if your her assistant and have a MotoCLIQ, you’ll see her latest status and prepare yourself for the onslaught that is about to follow when her 36th call comes in. Truly a social networker’s dream phone isn’t it?

And if you thought that was cool, you should see what Motorola has done outside the device. They’ve created a portal for all MotoBLUR users where you can log in and manage your device. Say you’ve misplaced your phone and need to locate it, a quick visit to the portal will show you just where it is. What if you lost your phone? Well hopefully you have insurance to cover the replacement but Motorola takes it a step further and lets you wipe all the data on your phone, even if you don’t have your device password protected.

Battery Life

The social networker’s dream phone does come at a price. As highly rated as the 1500mAh battery is, it never lasted me a full day. There were heavy days when I had to charge it up to 4 times just so I could use it till I go to bed and there were days when a quick hour charge during lunch break was all that was needed when my usage was considerably lighter. While the battery was never dead when I had it charged 4 times that day, it did get low enough that my device would shut down if I didn’t do so in the next hour or two.

I was curious as to how the device would last if I just left it as is and let MotoBLUR do its job so I went to bed one night at 11pm with the battery at 50% and all my services set up: Facebook, Twitter, 1 Gmail, 1 email via IMAP and 1 corporate email. By the time I woke up the next day at 9am, the phone was already dead.

This reminded me of the days when I used the HTC G1 and while Android and manufacturers have improved considerably over the year, the addition of MotoBLUR takes that away, maybe even more. Sure, you could cut down on your networking, but that wouldn’t that defeat the purpose? If you’re looking to get the MotoCLIQ, be sure to have a spare battery handy, or a portable charger, or even both if you are a heavy user!

Reality Grade

The MotoCLIQ is truly a social networker’s dream. If you love keeping up to date with your friends on Facebook and Twitter, you can’t go wrong with it. Its tight integration with your contact and messages is well done though I would have loved for it to have filters and more options during the setup process. By that I mean allowing me to choose which updates I want to see (only those in my contacts and not everyone I follow) and how often I want it updated (once every hour is sufficient for me, and I don’t need any when I am sleeping). With such options, I feel that one would definitely be able to prolong the time between charges of their device.

If you are in the market for a device to keep tabs on your friends and have been wanting to get on Android for a while now, be sure to check out the MotoCLIQ. It’s keyboard will help your push out those updates and MotoBLUR will ensure you send it to all your services in the shortest time possible.

What I Like About It

• Great social network integration
• Inclusion of 3.5mm headset jack
• Free MotoBLUR service to help locate and wipe your phone if needed
• 5 megapixel camera

What Could Be Improved

• A newer version of Android (1.6 would be a nice start)
• More customizations and options when it comes to choosing which contacts to follow
• Addition of a DPAD or trackball on the front would have been nice
• A dedicated number row instead of a bottom row with only 5 buttons

By: Tariq Bamadhaj (Senior Editor)

When you first hold the Motorola CLIQ, it feels really solid, the kind of feeling you’ve always wanted your device. It’s got a good weight so you know it’s there in your pocket. It’s got that brushed metal that runs around the perimeter of the device and that screen that’s under the one piece top covering it. In fact, when I first handled the CLIQ, it seemed like one of Apple’s designer had defected to Motorola and designed it. Let’s continue that tour and take a closer look at it.

Front

Unlike most Android devices that I have encountered that sports 4-6 buttons and a trackball, the CLIQ opted for a minimalist approach by having only 3 buttons: Menu, Home and Back. Above that, you have a 3.1” capacitive screen that works well for navigating the Android system. Just above that, you have Motorola’s logo elegantly etched on the left and an LED on the right that is well-hidden until activated. Right at the top, you have the phone’s speaker.

Left

Moving over to the left, you have your silent ringer at the top, similar to that on the iPhone. With a quick slide, you switch your phone from normal to vibrate. No more having to turn on the device, unlock it, and then press the volume down button repeatedly just to mute the phone. A slide in the other direction will bring this phone back to alerting you with your groovy music for those incoming calls and messages.

Just below it, you have the standard 2 button volume control. Up for increase and down for decrease. Nothing fancy here, my only wish was that it came out more because it was almost flushed with the device.

At the end of this side, you have your micro USB port, the port that’s set to become European standard in 2010. This port currently serves 2 purpose: to charge your device and hooking it up to the computer for file transfers.

Bottom

Nothing to see here. Move along now…

Right

2 buttons here, a power/lock button at the top and a camera button on the other end. Like the volume buttons, these were almost flushed with the device which can make pressing them troublesome. Due to the lack of an End button (the button you use to end your calls) on the CLIQ, you’ll actually have to use the power button to put your device into standby. A quick press does just that and holding on to it slightly longer would bring up the option to turn off your device.

The camera button is a 2 step button, just like that on a digital camera. Pressing it halfway activates focus on the camera while pressing down on it fully takes a picture.

Top

A standard 3.5mm headset jack is located right in the center. If you’re not happy with the headsets that came with your CLIQ, feel free to use your favorite, thanks to this standard jack which we are starting to see a lot more on newer devices.

Back

The back is rather non-descript, save for the 5 megapixel camera that lacks a flash (what’s up with that?). Also of interest is the design of the battery cover which looks blur when you stare at it long enough. Whether it’s there to tell you about the MotoBLUR technology inside the phone or just part of the design, I’m not too sure. Maybe you can share your input in the comments below?

Keyboard

Sliding the top half of the phone to the right yields a 37 key keyboard with a 5 button directional keypad, 4 for directions and 1 for selecting. Each letter key sports an alternate character when you activate the Shift key.What’s interesting is that Motorola decided to skip a dedicated number row and instead fill it with just 5 buttons. Was this a smart move on Motorola’s part?

Another unusual setup is with the DPAD on the left instead of being on the right. With most devices being set up on the right, it might take some users getting used to with the DPAD on the right.

Specs

• Android 1.5 with MOTOBLUR
• Dimensions: 58 x 114 x 15.6 mm
• 163g with battery
• Qualcomm MSM 7201 A 528MHz
• 256MB RAM
• 256MB ROM
• 3.1” screen with 320 x 480 resolution
• 4 row 37-key keyboard with DPAD
• microSD card slot (comes with 2GB card)
• Bluetooth 2.0 + Enhanced Data Rate (EDR)
• Wi-Fi (B/G)
• GPS
• 5 megapixel camera
• 1420mAh battery

Conclusion

At first glance, the CLIQ looks really good and packs a good weight to it. However, there seems to be some questions with the design such as the almost flushed volume and power buttons which makes me wonder if Motorola had sacrificed form over function. The keyboard layout also raises some eyebrows with its left-set DPAD and bottom row buttons but I’ll be putting all this and more to the test in coming reviews. Be sure to check it out soon!