When it comes to installing Android applications, there are two ways of going about it. The most popular, of course, is directly through the Android Market. And that’s how most of us do it. But from time to time we need to be able to sideload apps. Ma…
AT&T has released a software update for the Motorola Backflip to improve performance and fix bugs, but it’s not an update to Eclair just yet. Instead, you’re getting:Improved Text Messaging: General improvements to text messaging – especially for …
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 t…
Are you one of the (at least several) Motorola Backflip owners jealous with all of the rooting and ROM’ing posts that fill our forums for many other devices, and not yours? Well, for those that have been patient, and stuck with the Backflip, even after it was stamped as crippled (when it’s really not), your patience has paid off. After tons of hard work, the Motorola Backflip has finally been rooted, but now what will come next? Will we begin to see custom ROMs for this device, or some additional features uncovered? A full explanation of the process required to achieve root abilities on your device and all the files needed can be found here. If you are brave enough to give it a shot, please share your experiences with the rest of our community here in our forums! [Myjanky via AndroidCentral Forums]
If you’re in Canada and have a hankering for some twisted, flippy Android keyboard action, know that the Motorola Backflip is now available on Telus. It runs a very respectable $399 off-contract and goes as low as $249 with the Canadian-standard three-year deal. [Telus] Thanks, Jon!
It seems that the motorola backflip must be doing a lot of flips because it is sure getting around. Coming this month the Moto Backflip will be released in Germany this month. The Backflip has already been launched here in the US as AT&T’s first Android phone, but also in China and Italy.
You can also read up on the Backflip in our Forums. [unwiredview]
Hey, you. Over there banging away on your laptop in outrage. Need to let you in on a little secret. The Dell Aero isn’t crippled. Neither is the Motorola Backflip. And you need to stop saying they are.
No, we don’t agree with AT&T’s decision to not allow unsigned apps on the Backflip and, according to Phone News, the Dell Aero, which isn’t even out yet. We’d much prefer the carriers follow in Android’s spirit of openness. But you know what? It’s AT&T’s decision not to.
So before you start an online petition, before you even think — let alone type — the word class-action lawsuit, and before you hop on Twitter to rail against The Man, answer these questions: Were you being forced to buy either of these phones? Sure, they’re the only Android fare AT&T has to offer, and that sucks. But neither of these phones is crippled. (At least not the Backflip — we haven’t seen the Dell actually turned on yet.) They do e-mail. They have a Web browser. They purchase, download and install apps from the Android Market just fine — just like every other Android phone.
What they don’t do is run apps outside of the Market. That’s AT&T’s decision, and that’s just not that big a deal for the vast population of Android users. So think about this before you declare it DOA, especially before you even get a chance to use it.
/rant
AT&T just released a few commercials showcasing the Motorola Backflip and didn’t mention Android once. Instead, they focus on taking another stab at Verizon, boasting that the AT&T network can talk and surf the web at the same time while the Verizon network can’t. It’s interesting how AT&T is approaching their Android devices, stripping Google search in favor of Yahoo and now advertising an Android device without mentioning Android? To each their own, we guess.
Anyway, is talking and surfing the web at the same time a big deal for you guys?
hit the jump to see the AT&T commericals about the Backflip!
Ah, the Motorola Backflip. An odd little phone with a keyboard that flips up under the screen, and a trackpad on the back. Strange, to say the least. But, oddly enough, it works. At least until you turn the thing on.
While some have lamented AT&T’s locking-down of the device — namely in not allowing the sideloading of apps switching to Yahoo instead of Google for search — it’s the internal hardware that’s a letdown with the Backflip. Join us after the break.
If you’re the type of person who’s into Android source code — and let’s face it, you probably are — then you should know that Motorola’s had the source for the Backflip available for a week now. Now you can play amateur Android chef and cook up your own locked-down, drive-a-blogger-nuts Motorola Backflip ROM, just like AT&T. [Motorola]