The all new Motorola Atrix 2 has been recently launched by AT&T for just $99.00 along with their service contracts. It is an Android powered phone(Gingerbread), very much like its previous version, the Atrix 4G. The $99.00 pricing suggests that this device is created for basic smartphone utilities, rater than as a high end device.
The Atrix 2 has more of a businesslike demeanor, as it has nothing too flashy about it. However, there are a few changes made from the original Atrix to give it an elegant look. The screen size is 4.3 inches which is considerably bigger than the new iPhone 4. The front part is made of complete glass that edges all around the corners. Unlike the popular bright chrome sides that we see on most of the phones these days, the sides of this phone have a dark, silvery metal rim. The parts don’t appear to be expensive but that is quite understandable according to the pricing of the phone. It is more businesslike than glamorous.
The front side button layouts of the Motorola Atrix 2 are very much like its original version. You can see the Home, Menu, Search and back buttons nicely placed to accommodate easy finger movements. On the top right corner you can see the status indicator light. It glows whenever there are any pending status notifications that require your attention. If you are switching over from the BlackBerry, you will find this feature quite useful. The ear peace is metallic with grilled protection, and it is nicely positioned next to the front-facing VGA camera.
The rear panel is made of black plastic with matte finish. It has the soft texture that is thoughtfully designed to give a better grip while pulling out the phone from the pockets. The 8 MP camera is quite on par with better phones in the smartphone segment. The LED flash above the camera is helpful for clicking photos under poor lighting conditions. Below the camera you will find a single speaker. However, the grill over the speaker is pushed inside unlike the original version, which could significantly reduce the speaker volume, especially if your phone is placed on some soft surface.
If you compare Motorola Atrix 2 to the previous versions, you will see that the company has gotten rid of the power button with fingerprint scanner combination that used to be positioned on the top. They have replaced it with a simple power button, close to the jack for inserting the headphone. This is probably a reasonable change considering that the fingerprint button did not gain much popularity among the users. You might however miss it if you had grown used to that feature.
The HDMI and the USB ports are positioned in the same place as on Atrix 4G phone. However, their positions have been swapped to give more compatibility to the Lapdock 100. The positioning of volume buttons makes them rather difficult for the users, but they should not have much problem once they get used to it. This phone has the exclusive button for camera on the side too.
Overall, it is a pretty decent phone, but it does not specifically have the appearance of a high end device. The features are well worth the pricing of just $99.00.
