If you loved the the Motorola Cliq, you’ll love the Cliq 2. The latest entry-level Android smartphone on T-Mobile is one of those quality entry-level phones that we’re so keen on these days.

It’s got a proper horizontal slider keyboard. The keys are a little scrunched together, but that’s on purpose. It has a bit of that honeycomb (as in bees, not Android OS) feel to it, but it’s not as pronounced as we’d seen in leaked photos.

The OS (Android 2.2) is plenty snappy atop a 1GHz processor. You’ll be able to snag this guy Jan. 19. Price hasn’t been set yet. Couple more pics after the break.

Hands-on with the Motorola Cliq 2 posted originally by Android Central

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Fans of the Motorola Cliq (there are a few, I know it!) now have something to look forward to if you were wondering if there ever would be a second generation of the device. New renders have popped up showing off the Motorola Cliq 2, which is expected to launch at CES with a release shortly after. The device itself doesn’t stray too far off from the original when it comes to specs, meaning it’s nice but nothing to write home about:

• Full QWERTY slide out keyboard
• 5MP camera with LED Flash
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• Wi-Fi B/G/N
• aGPS

It’s also been mentioned that Wi-Fi calling may be in the cards as well as a new version of MotoBlur to run it all. No confirmation on what Android OS it will be running, but if we had to take a guess, we’d give it FroYo out the gates with an update possible later. That "Honeycomb" keyboard is rather misleading, we think. [CellPhoneSignal]

New device renders show off the Motorola Cliq 2 posted originally by Android Central

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Another day, another patent lawsuit. And this time around it’s Apple suing Motorola over multitouch on nearly all its Android phones — basically everything up to and including the Droid X. In addition to the multitouch infringement claims, there’s also:

• Object-Oriented System Locator System
• Touch Screen Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface for Determining Commands by Applying Neuristics
• Method and Apparatus for Displaying and Accessing Control and Status Information in a Computer System.
• Support for Custom User-Interaction Elements in a Graphical, Event-Driven Computer System.

Needless to say, this will take a while. And, no, if Moto loses it doesn’t mean your phone will be taken away — it just means Moto will have to either change how it’s doing things — and/or pay a bucketload of money to Apple. Get the full breakdown on the suit at the source link. [Patently Apple via 9 to 5 Mac]

Posted originally at Android Central

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Motorola has updated its update chart, which updates us as to the status of the latest updates for its Android smartphones. Nothing earth-shaking for those of us in the U.S., though they acknowledge that testing Android 2.1 on the Motorola Cliq is under way. And you Backflip owners — and we know who the six of you are — can still look forward to an Eclair update in the fourth quarter. [Motorola]

Posted originally at Android Central

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It seems like only yesterday we mentioned that some lucky testers would be getting the Motorola Cliq Android 2.1 update early.  Of course today being the big day meant that we had to dig around to try to get things set up for the people who didn’t make the cut for the testing group, and we came across a really cool find — the official instructions and download link that went out to the testers is public on the web, and anyone is able to download the files and update their Cliq to Eclair!

We’ve got it all laid out in the Cliq forums, and there’s even a mirror or two just in case this becomes "unpublic" in the near future.  Head over to the forums and check it out, and get your 2.1 on! [Android Central Forums] Big thanks to everyone who helped us out this morning!

Posted originally at Android Central

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The wait for Android 2.1 on the Motorola Cliq continues, but we’ve gotten word that field trials are about to get under way, with a couple of thousand users asked to give Eclair a go. We’ve already seen Eclair leaked and running on the Cliq, and Moto’s own update list still says it’s slated for the new software in late Q3/early Q4, so we should be seeing it any time now, hopefully. Couple of more shots after the break, and you can try to get in on the testing here.

Posted originally at Android Central

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This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, as the Motorola Devour already is listed as end-of-life, but now it officially won’t be getting an upgrade to Android 2.1. In happier news, the Backflip is slated for an update in the third quarter, and the Cliq and Cliq XT should see their updates in late Q3/early Q4.

There are a slew of other changes to Motorola’s roll-out chart, including the Milestone getting Froyo in the fourth quarter, so check it all out at the source link.

And to offer whatever consolation we can to you poor Devour owners, a present, after the break. [Motorola]

Posted originally at Android Central

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Your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you, that’s really Android 2.1 (Eclair) + Motoblur running on a Motorola Cliq.  It’s not official (of course) but reports are mostly good — you might have to recreate your Blur account, and it’s pretty laggy until everything gets settled in.  You’ll have to be rooted and able to install custom ROMs, but a pre-rooted, semi-official leaked build of Blur 2.1 might just be worth it.  You can grab it HERE, and I suggest mirroring it ASAP. [ModMyMobile] Thanks Joe for the link and S for the pic!

Posted originally at Android Central

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It’s been officially stated that the Motorola CLIQ and CLIQ XT will definitely be receiving an Android 2.1 update, but now the question is: When?  Well, folks, just hold your horses.  Motorola jumped on Twitter this morning and released a statement:

For those asking for an update regarding a software upgrade on CLIQ in the U.S., we’ve made a decision to take more time on the release to optimize the experience in some key areas. We will continue to work to deliver it as soon as possible and apologize that we have been unable to provide an upgrade to these users in Q2 as planned.

We are working hard to provide an upgrade to Android 2.1 as soon as we can. Our consumers’ experience is our first priority and we will provide an upgrade when we can deliver the best possible user experience.

Basically, that’s Motorola saying that the update just isn’t ready yet, and they can’t tell you when it will be. Luckily, last week they opened mailing lists that will inform you when 2.1 has walked through the door. Until then, all we can do is be patient. [Motorola via Twitter]  

Posted originally at Android Central

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Good news for Cliq, Cliq XT and Backflip users — Motorola has set up mailing lists for you to stay abreast of the news about your Eclair (Android 2.1) update.  Again, Moto is using the phrase ‘when the 2.1 arrives’ and not if.  You’ll need to be a member of the official Motorola forums (see source link for details), and you can sign up here:

Cliq update news ; Cliq XT update news ; Backflip update news

No dates are given (of course) and I’ll stress again that we have no idea when you’ll get your update.  Head over and get signed up! [Motorola Owners' Forum] Thanks Jahntassa!

Posted originally at Android Central

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