Questions about the Moto Backflip

[tae_254]

I went out and got the backflip today.. I like the phone but i just have a few questions. Coming from the 9700 (blackberry) What does this OS offer over the blackberry OS. Does anyone know if there is anyway possible to add google as the default search on the Motorola Backflip. Im really liking the phone but it is bugging me not to have google as default search.

Also does anyone know if there is a way to remove all of AT&T's bloatware from the phone.

 

[xXgator_coreXx]

As far as removing any AT&T "bloatware" just grab the icon and hold for a second and drag it to the bottom of the screen and the Trash Can icon appears which will allow you to remove the unwanted program.
The biggest difference is how the software works including the true multi-tasking ability and the availability of widgets. The widgets are one of my favorite things about the Android OS, and have made selling/using this phone extremely easy so far!
I should be getting my Backflip soon to play with as my secondary line, but I will keep my BB as my primary device for the time being.

 

[JORDAN#IM]

Return that weak ass phone!
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AT&T locks down its first Android phone, the Backflip


As Android reviewers and the hacking faithful are finding out this week, the Motorola Backflip on AT&T has been locked down a bit. Namely, you can't load apps from outside of the Android market. It's not just that the option is turned off, as it is by default on most (if not all) Android phones. It's that the option isn't even there on the backflip.

And so what?

The Backflip is a Motoblur device. That is, it's got an operating system that's heavily skinned for social network aggregation and isn't really meant to be a phone nerd's dream device. And if AT&T wants to take out an option that could potentially open up the phone to trouble, then so be it. I'm willing to bet that 95 percent of the people who buy the Backflip don't even know what sideloading is, let alone care to do it. So what if they can't load beta apps. You think they care about using the PDANet app that MobileCrunch uses as an example? If you're buying this phone, you're doing so because you want easy access to Twitter, Facebook and the like, and you want that crazy keyboard, and Android, and that's it.

So, yeah, AT&T took out some functionality. It's allowed to. (Oh, and by the way, it has nothing to do with the iPhone. At all.) If you need to sideload that badly, chances are you're not going to be buying this phone in the first place.

We never like seeing a carrier or manufacturer strip functionality from the phone. But to the typical Backflip (and Motoblur) user, it's a non-issue in this case.

Update: OK, except for when you take into account Engadget's interview with AT&T exec Ralph de la Vega a year ago. Oopsie, pal.

Update 2: Android and Me points out that you can sideload over ADB. Which proves our point even more

 

[wezra]

I went out and got the backflip today.. I like the phone but i just have a few questions. Coming from the 9700 (blackberry) What does this OS offer over the blackberry OS. Does anyone know if there is anyway possible to add google as the default search on the Motorola Backflip. Im really liking the phone but it is bugging me not to have google as default search.

Also does anyone know if there is a way to remove all of AT&T's bloatware from the phone.

Having been a Blackberry (or more over a RIM) user for 10 years + I find that Andriod beats BB's OS hands down in terms of the web surfing experience as well as music player. I use the web a lot and it got to the point where it was clear that RIM was so far behind it would never catch up. I dumped my 8900... didn't even bother with the 9700 and went to the Motorola CLIQ. Even running 1.5 (which will be updated sometime in the next couple of months to 2.1) the CLIQ has it all over any BB on the market today.

I am using Gmail to sync my business email and contacts and find it perfectly fine. No, it is not instant push email, but I could care less. Actually, I got tired of my phone vibrating every 2 seconds. I have had no issues receiving email or text messages and responding to them in a timely manner.

The overall user experience is far better then BB. From my perspective, and I have seen RIM grow and expand over the years and used nearly every BB thats been on the market... RIM has hit the wall big time. They offer nothing exciting or worthwhile that would lure me back to them. I have been using OS 5.0 for some time and even that is a total joke. Andriod has a very bright future and RIM had better get their act together if they are going to have any future at all!

 

[naplesbill]

I have used BBs for years, along with WM/iPhone/Android. Android takes the best of the others and mostly makes them better. I still give the nod to BB for pure messaging. The Android notification system is the best IMO though.

 

[devlow]

That's a bummer, AT&T decided to lock down on some of the features for the backflip.

 

[naplesbill]

The lockdown is so overly exaggerated it's ridiculous. Anyone who would actually care about sideloading apps (non-market apps) will have no problem doing this via a PC. The Yahoo thing is also easily side stepped. It's not big deal at all really.

 

[Duvi]

I'm sure there is or will be a mod to get Google back.

I honestly think AT&T should have chosen Bing, but then again, they should be yielding the same search results.

 

[marvin]

I'm sure there is or will be a mod to get Google back.

I honestly think AT&T should have chosen Bing, but then again, they should be yielding the same search results.

Read The End of Yahoo Search. Yahoo is using Bing as the backend for it's search engine.

 

[Duvi]

Read The End of Yahoo Search. Yahoo is using Bing as the backend for it's search engine.

Yeah, that's what I meant by they should yielding the same results.