T-Mobile said it will begin selling the Cliq, Motorola's first Google phone, on October 19 for $200.

Motorola Cliq (MB200) More Photos Read Review View Specs

The Bellevue, Wash.-based carrier said existing customers can pre-order the Cliq online before the smartphone becomes widely available in stores on November 2.

Motorola reorganized its entire handset unit around the development of Google's Android phones, betting that smartphones will help it regain lost market share from rivals Apple's iPhone and Research In Motion's BlackBerry devices in the fast-growing smartphone market.

The highlight of the Cliq is Motorola's new "MotoBlur" software -- an interface that pushes updates from contacts, messages and emails, along with postings and photos from social networking portals like Facebook and Twitter into one combined view.

Stored information is backed up on a secure server, so users can retrieve, or erase, data from a lost or stolen handset remotely.

"T-Mobile customers text message and access social messaging on mobile devices more than those of any other carrier," said Wendy Pinero DePencier, T-Mobile's vice president of brand marketing. "That's why we're excited to give them the first opportunity to purchase the Cliq."

T-Mobile said the Motorola Cliq will be able for pre-order online on October 19 and in stores on November 2, costing $200 with a two-year contract.

Tweet

Share

Digg

1. Posted by timmyjoe42	Tue Oct 20, 2009 11:42 pm
This phone looks pretty awesome, aside from the same processor as the G1, comes with Cupcake (instead of Donut or Eclair) and no UMA support.
2. Posted by Nemo2	Wed Oct 21, 2009 6:47 pm
I played around with one for 30 minutes today at a T-Mobile store. The unit I had belonged to a rep so it was fully functional, with SIM card, web access, etc. Overall, I thought it was a very nice addition to the set of Android offerings in the US. The keyboard, to me, was awesome; I thought definitively better than the HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1). It appears to come with a std. jack for headphones (which is a big complaint on the G1), but I did not ask so may have that wrong. (I don't see it listed on the spec sheet posted on Mobiledia at ./phones/motorola/cliq.html ) The multiple screens for screens for personalization of your layout seems a great idea. For what it's worth, I can't find the Motorola Cliq on the Mobiledia comparison feature page either -- but I imagine it will be posted there soon.
3. Posted by Nemo2	Mon Oct 26, 2009 6:11 pm
Does the Motorola Cliq support Adobe Flash. This is the functionality that is on the HTC Hero (T-Mobile G2 in Europe; released in the US only by Sprint, to date) but was not on the earlier HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1) and the HTC Magic (T-Mobile myTouch 3G). Does the Cliq support Adobe Flash such that it is comparable to the other recent Android offerings?
4. Posted by mpapple10	Tue Oct 27, 2009 5:54 am
No flash on it. Adobe will be releasing flash in q1 2010 I believe
5. Posted by Nemo2	Sun Nov 08, 2009 4:32 pm
I went ahead and bought a Motorola MB200 cellphone, marketed as the Motorola Cliq, about the middle of last week. I'm still shaking out the usability and feature/function of this new Android platform, the first Android smartphone from a major mobile phone manufacturer and the first non-HTC Android phone. Overall, I'm fairly impressed to date. I should note that this is my first smartphone and first Android phone so there are a LOT of features and functions that any smartphone, just like a PC, can deliver; there are myriad capabilites in both hardware and software. Thus, any review, even after several weeks, could necessarily only scratch the surface of testing the entire suite of functionality available. I am not using the "social networking" features of the Motoblur software that will likely interest many. I'm more of a business user that wants the open platform and myriad relatively uncontrolled-by-the-manufacture and uncontrolled-by-the-telecomm-company options that Android and Android Market has to offer. There is substantial addition info about this phone on both the T-Mobile Cliq forum and on the Motorola Motoblur forum. I do look at the phone as a very substantial and well-engineered hardware platform, very solid feel. This is truly a viable option for the "business phone" class of users, comparable to Blackberry etc. This is not noted in the Mobiledia "comparison" feature where "Type" for the Motorola Cliq includes "Fun phone" and "Messaging phone" but, for some odd reason, not "Business phone" which is listed for all three of the other Android offerings (G1, MyTouch, Hero). I'll try to say more at a later time, especially if there is any interest.

Post a comment and discuss this story with other readers.