Motorola Milestone

We imagine that Motorola is feeling pretty annoyed right now. After betting the farm on Android by pulling support for Windows Mobile and releasing the Droid handset amid a flurry of hype and publicity, the company’s thunder has been well and truly stolen by Google itself, thanks to the recent unveiling of the Nexus One.

Whereas the Droid - which is now available in Europe under the moniker Milestone - was seen as the world’s premier Android-based phone, that accolade now rests on the shoulders of Google’s self-designed handset.

Still, there’s no denying that the Milestone (we’ll use the European name from this point on, to avoid rampant confusion) made one hell of a splash when it hit US shelves last year; reports claim that the sudden spike in Android users is largely thanks to Motorola’s efforts.

However, whereas American consumers were quickly swept away by the hype, European buyers have a more difficult choice to make - with the Nexus One now available, is Motorola’s unique flavour of Android worth sampling?

As always, we’re here to enlighten you on this particular debate.

Motorola’s recent mobile outings have been decidedly mixed in terms of aesthetics: the days of the stunning RAZR seem like a lifetime ago.

The good news is that the Milestone is a welcome return to form, although it arguably lacks the drop-dead-gorgeous looks of Apple’s iPhone, we can see it appealing to unashamed tech-heads thanks to its sharper lines and more futuristic feel.

Like the T-Mobile G1, the Milestone boasts a slide out keyboard, which gives it an definite advantage over the Nexus One.

The sliding mechanism is a lot different, though: while the G1 had a distinct kick to its opening movement, the Milestone requires a bit more effort. In fact, it’s possible to only open the keyboard halfway without it snapping into place, which almost gives the impression than the mechanism is broken.

The quality of the keys is also somewhat lacking when compared to those found on the G1. Rather than featuring separate buttons, what we have here is a rubber membrane which has pressure points under each key. Because there’s little space between them, it’s too easy to make incorrect key presses.

The inclusion of a D-pad is welcome, but the decision to locate it on the right-hand side of the phone is puzzling. The Motorola Dext’s pad was on the left, which made it perfect for gaming, and it’s a shame that the company didn’t follow suit here.

One element of the Milestone hardware that most definitely impresses is the screen: it’s positively gigantic and features a massive resolution of 854x480 pixels, so the image is pin-sharp.

There’s also a 5 megapixel camera to round things off, but sadly the photo quality isn’t quite as good as you might expect: images exhibit a disappointing washed-out appearance, which is something that afflicted the shots generated by the G1, too.

One of the big selling points of this phone when it graced American stores last year was the fact that it was the first phone to come with Android 2.0 pre-installed.

To be honest, you’d have to be a real dedicated Android user to spot the improvements and additions, but on the whole the operating system is as flexible as it ever was - although it’s a little lacking when it comes to overall customisation.

Only three separate Home screens are available and there’s none of the flashy social networking integration that made the Dext’s MotoBlur and HTC Hero’s Sense UI so intriguing.

US owners were tickled pink by the inclusion of Google Navigation software with the Droid, which essentially renders SatNav devices obsolete.

For one reason or another the Milestone lacks this element, although Motorola has been kind enough to include its proprietary equivalent, MotoNav.

However, it’s not all bad news: European users get a multi-touch capable web browser which was bizarrely omitted from the US firmware.

Naturally, being an Android phone the Milestone benefits from complete access to the Android Market, which is growing in stature as each month passes.

There’s not much to say about this element: obviously, the procedure of downloading apps is very much the same as it ever was and most noteworthy programs and games have subsequently been updated so that they function properly on the Milestone’s larger display.

Because the phone is backed by a faster processor it runs things a lot faster, though. We put Pocket Gamer emulation favourites Gensoid and Nesoid through their paces and we’re happy to report that both run at full speed with sound - something that wasn’t possible on the G1 or the Dext.

Thanks to the Milestone’s slightly delayed European launch we’ve been fortunate enough to review this handset from a perspective that was obviously denied to those who waxed lyrical over the phone’s American release.

The Nexus One has moved the goalposts in spectacular fashion and with the backing of Google itself it’s little wonder that the smart money seems to be resting on the newer phone.

However, in truth there's little to separate the two devices. Both run a very similar operating system and many would argue that while the Nexus One has a faster CPU and is more appealing to the discerning eye, the presence of a physical keyboard on the Milestone means that Motorola’s challenger is the one to go for.

Forgetting the competition for one moment, there’s little doubt that the Milestone is a fantastic handset and is probably the best thing to come out of Motorola in years: there’s a real sense that the company has put a phenomenal degree of effort into the crafting this phone.

It’s not perfect - there are quirks in the design and the fairly restrained nature of the OS robs the Milestone of some of the pizzazz that surrounded the HTC Hero - but it’s one of the best Android phones seen so far.