Motorola MILESTONE preview: First look

Introduction

Motorola must have enjoyed the feel of ropes against their back. There's no other explanation for the MILESTONE. They obviously needed to be pushed against the ropes to remember what made them the world's largest manufacturer. It's been a long road for them, with plenty of milestones. But that last one marks the end of a particularly steep downhill stretch.

Motorola MILESTONE official photos

We haven't seen an Android phone generate so much hype since... the first one, the T-Mobile G1. The Motorola MILESTONE seems to be the powerhouse that the Android family needed and obviously many customers were looking forward to.

Here's what we mean.

Motorola MILESTONE at a glance:

• General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 900/2100 MHz, HSDPA 10.2Mbps; HSUPA 5.76 Mbps
• Form factor: Full QWERTY side-slider
• Dimensions: 115.8 x 60 x 13.7 mm, 165g
• Display: 3.7" 16M color capacitive TFT LCD touchscreen of WVGA resolution (854 x 480 pixels)
• OS: Android 2.0
• Memory: 133 MB internal memory, 256 MB RAM, microSD card slot (up to 16GB) , 8GB microSD card included in the retail package
• CPU: ARM Cortex A8 550 MHz processor with dedicated graphics accelerator
• Camera: 5 megapixel autofocus camera with dual LED flash and D1 video recording at 30 fps
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, standard microUSB port, GPS receiver with A-GPS, 3.5mm standard audio jack
• Misc: Accelerometer for screen auto rotate, Motonav navigation software, digital compass, Proximity sensor for auto turn-off, Multi-touch input and pinch-zooming gestures
• Battery: 1400mAh Li-Ion battery

The first Android 2.0 handset oozes with power. It's a milestone for Motorola, but perhaps for Android too: we're certainly looking at the most complete all-round device to ever do the droid walk. Given the huge potential of the platform, it's no wonder Motorola and the MILESTONE are enjoying this kind of interest.

Motorola MILESTONE at ours

Yet, there are quite a few new droids waiting around the corner so being the best is one thing but staying the best takes quite a push. There is little evidence to suggest that Motorola will come up with a successor any time soon, so the MILESTONE better open a gap on competitors or it won't be in the same league as the handsets to come in the first half of next year. The company's future is more or less hinging on the MILESTONE and it's as simple a case of make or break as it gets. And the handset's first weeks of sales bode well.

We are already working on a detailed review of the Motorola MILESTONE, but until it is ready we will give you a short preview to keep you warm through the holidays. It might be useful if you are considering getting one any moment now.

Prepare to meet the Motorola MILESTONE in its full might right after the break.