The Motorola Flipout looks like a strange device with its square design, but behind the 67mm x 67mm x 17mm, 120g shell lies an impressive little smartphone.

Ironically, the Flipout looks much better when the Qwerty keyboard flips out, unlike the Sony Ericsson Vivaz Pro.

The 2.8in touchscreen definitely punches above its weight as the colours are sharp despite a 320 x 240 resolution and it is very responsive.

Running on Android 2.1 Éclair, and packing Motorola's MotoBlur UI, the Flipout is easy to navigate, with customisable options aplenty.

The 3.1-megapixel camera has a whole host of features including 4x zoom, geotagging, panorama and the excellent Kodak Perfect Touch, which increases the quality of pictures instantly.

Messaging using the slide-out Qwerty keypad is another plus. The large keys are spaced out nicely and the predictive text - although a little annoying - is present.

The arrows in the bottom left hand corner of the keypad appear a little squashed, but they are unlikely to be used often as the touchscreen will be the main source of navigation.

Everything about the Flipout's design feels unique, especially in a market where a lot of devices are starting to look almost identical. The lime green colour casing on the back gives the phone a chic look.

It is easy to understand why Motorola has experienced a resurgence in the US, as the Flipout is easy to use and comes with a host of apps and features that would satisfy the typical smartphone user.

The only thing negative that has been spotted so far is that the phone, powered by a 600Mhz processor, appears to suffer from the occasion lag.

Look out for the full review which will be posted on V3.co.uk soon.

29 Jul 2010