Tech Shout

• Tweet

• Tweet

We won’t know if Nokia and Intel’s MeeGo platform is going to create a dent in the popularity of the current mobile OS favorites until it makes an appearance. Meanwhile, Android’s still churning up news with Froyo while a lot of mobile phone manufacturers rush forward to adopt it. The latest is Motorola who has taken the covers off a sequel to the Milestone that’s been dubbed the Milestone 2.

The Android 2.2 phone comes equipped with a touchscreen that accommodates multi-touch, pinch to zoom and double tap zoom gestures. It’s 5MP camera is capable of 720p video capture and playback, while the web experience is enriched with Adobe Flash Player 10.1. A 1GHz processor works behind the scenes to enable multitasking, opening of several web pages simultaneously and moving through content without too much bother. There’s a slide-out QWERTY keyboard that features larger and more responsive keys for comfortable typing.

“Milestone 2 offers more power, more speed, with an improved keyboard, so users can send, access and share information even quicker than before to manage their work and personal life. This introduction not only reaffirms our commitment to innovate on Android but offers consumers the leading edge features they crave including fast web browsing, messaging, application downloads and multimedia,” remarked Alain Mutricy, senior vice president, portfolio and device product management, Motorola Mobility.

The Milestone 2 ships with 8GB of on-board memory and an 8GB microSD card although the memory capacity can be expanded by up to 32GB. It also integrates the newest version of Motoblur as well as DLNA, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity. The chassis has a 3.5mm standard audio jack and users can download the Motorola Media Link utility for managing their music for free. It also features Google applications like Google Search, Gmail, Google Maps with Latitude and Street View, YouTube and Google Talk.

The handset extends IM support for Google Talk, Enterprise Exchange, Quick Office document viewer, GPS and E-Compass Latitude support. It allows for IMAP/POP3, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Corporate Sync and push e-mail. What’s more, the phone’s 3G mobile hotspot capability permits users to host a mobile hotspot that can connect up to five Wi-Fi enabled gadgets simultaneously. Add to all of these access to the Android Market that has over 70,000 apps which stands testimony to the increasing popularity of this mobile OS among developers too.

Motorola plans to introduce the handset across Europe by the fourth quarter of this year. There’s no word on the expected pricing details though the phone will be bundled with a wired headset apart from the aforesaid microSD card. Customers can purchase additional accessories like the car cradle or the multimedia station that the company is offering for this handset or its prequel.