My phone is BLUR?

My MotoBLUR BackFlip

This is my 1st smart phone… but I am shocked that the 1st thing I have to do (to start using the phone), is to create a motoBLUR account. A really smart phone with a BLUR account? I guess thats why Moto is having some strange difficulties despite some really good products… like this BackFlip phone. .. I happen to be one of those rare ones that really do like my smart Blur BackFlipping phone 🙂

Good size flip out keypad that lights up.

Ok, so it was just $98 with a 2yr Singtel contract. Cheap, I would think. .. and no, I didnt sign up for mobile broadband. Only wanted a phone that was smarter than me, but didnt need it to be more social than me… 😉 Thank you, I much rather surf on my other brainy gadget, the thinkpad. Big screen, full size keyboard and touchpad. Call me old fashioned, but I am not going into micro gadgets just yet. My eyes cant take it and the little ones are not quite taking over the world yet.

Back, with the phone folded away.

I tried the wifi with this little guy. Browsing is ok, google search is fine, but facebook is not. .. no mafia wars! I mean there is a separate apps for mafia wars, but really, do I want it? Its difficult to get around… and any FB game on apps is a chore.. IMHO.

So what do I do with the little puter that is not on mobile broadband? .. well, so I downloaded some game apps that didnt need a server, some comic strip apps (I hardly wanna use that),… and a todo list app that is so cool! Its so much better than the standard todo list that comes with the calender. .. I am letting ColorNotes managing my life :O and I like it! There are zillions of free Andriod apps out there waiting for me to download and try them out. .. I gotto pace myself and yes, I am slower than most with such things.

Picture of unknown roadside plant taken with my BLUR phone

Taking photos and transfering them to my puter is so much easier now. The picture quality is bad.. but maybe its my expectation that is high. I am a staunch advocate of big lens camera for real pictures. Compact cameras are so well developed now and have all the features (if not more) of the SLRs. They are great for hassle free quick snaps, if one is not too particular about line distortion and to some extent, picture quality. Its not the pixels that count, its the lens! My Blur phone camera is still way off the mark in terms of color, clarity and field. Yea, I will use it in a fix. Like it will be better than nothing. Like taking pictures at the scene of accident, if I am still able to get out and take pictures for evidence. And yes, the flash works great. Cant have camera that dont have a flash! Its totally not acceptable to not have a FLASH!

I sneaked a picture of my coke cans collection with my BLUR phone. Cameras not allow at my workplace, but phones with camera ok.. how dumb.

BTW, I am not thrilled by the super loud autofocus and snap sound! I hate it that there is nothing I can do to turn it down… even if I turn the ring volume off! I hear this feature is a legal requirement for all phones sold in SG, so that no sneaky pictures can be taken. Anti-paparatzy?

Oh, I like the well organized keypad. It lights up when in use, so I have no problem finding letters in the dark… and I usually do use the phone in the dark. Having a keypad does aleviate the need for predictive text, but that does not curb the wish to have one! Its the one thing I really miss.. but maybe not.. how do you compare “unrestrictive freedom of text” vs “predictive text”? I dunno..

The touch pad mousy thing is quite useless.. at least its not in a obstructive place and its a feature you may use, if you so wished. Really, who needs a touchpad under the touchscreen? I cant imagine.

Overall, its a okay beginner smart phone. The BackFlip folds away nicely and slides into it little baggie. Wish I could attach a lanyard to it, which would make it easier to extract from its baggie… Only flaw I can find to its casing design. … but for S$98? I guess the price is right for a phone plus camera with flash plus life manager plus entertain pad.