When Motorola released the first ATRIX, the award winning device was met with high praises, thanks to its stunning screen, dual-core processor, versatility, and exclusion of the motoBLUR skin. With the ATRIX 2, Motorola hopes to follow up on its success and hopefully further carve out a spot for themselves in the mobile phone market place. This page not only reviews this new Motorola device, but also points you in the right direction of where to buy the Motorola Atrix 2.
Design and Features
At the core of the ATRIX 2, is a dual-core 1GHz TI OMAP4 processor. Basically, this is Texas Instruments fourth generation ARM derived chip, and one that has received widespread praise from reviewers. Coupled with the 1GHz dual-core processor is 1GB of system RAM, 8GB of onboard storage and the ability to increase that via a microSD card slot that supports cards up to 32GB.
The 4.3-inch qHD screen comes with Gorilla Glass protection that will produce 540x 960 pixels which amounts to 240 ppi. An 8 megapixel camera is included with LED flash as well as a front facing 0.3 megapixel VGA camera that will do video recording. The rear facing 8 megapixel camera is good for 1080p video recording as well at 30fps.
Connectivity features include quad-band GSM, triband UMTS and A-GPS. Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR are onboard as well as Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, microUSB 2.0, HDMI 1.4 and DLNA support.
Other specs include accelerometer, compass, light and proximity sensors as well as a dedicated GPU for graphically intense apps.
Not much has changed in the design of the ATRIX 2. Though the edges are smoothed out a bit, you will be hard pressed to find many alterations. Personally we like the design of the Photon 4G better than the ATRIX 2, but the design is not a deal breaker.
Performance
For those who are familiar with the original ATRIX (also known as the ATRIX 4G on AT&T), the phone put up some high scores in our performance tests and most of these results were as a result of the dual-core processor as well as lack of motoBLUR. The ATRIX 2 did not seem to best it’s older brother by much however. While we did notice improvements in browsing heavy JavaScript pages, overall performance was in line with the ATRIX 4G.
This in of itself is not bad as the ATRIX 4G is still a competitor in the market, though it can no longer boast being the most powerful phone in the industry. Suffice to say, the different chips and GPU on the ATRIX 2 versus the ATRIX 4G does meddle with the performance scores. That said, overall performance on the ATRIX 2 is grand and we did not find much that could slow it down, other than 1080p Flash videos which has this affect on every phone we have tested so far.
The Atrix 2 runs on the Android 2.3 Gingerbread platform, and no specific details have been released about a potential update to the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system version as of yet, but this is not surprising since there is only one phone currently running on this newer Android OS.
The screen is unchanged from the previous device except it has been increased by 0.3 of an inch. This might lend to the ATRIX 2 not beating the ATRIX 4G. The camera on the other hand has been increased to 8 megapixels up from the 5 megapixels of the previous device. Photos are crisper on the ATRIX 2 as well as the 1080p video shooting is a nice upgrade to the 720p we found on the last model. The enhancements and upgrades make this an easy choice, driving many consumers to buy Motorola Atrix 2 devices.
Battery life is greatly improved over the original ATRIX. We’re thinking this has to do with the change in processor . But whatever the case, on average usage, the ATRIX 2 will be able to last a full day without needing to charge. Heavy usage will warrant a charge every eight hours or so.
Call quality is another plus on the ATRIX 2. We had clear and crisp calls with minimal distortion in low signal areas. Suffice to say, you should have no problem with reception under most circumstances
Both the Atrix 4G and the Atrix 2 have an impressive eco-system of innovative accessories that can transform either phone into a HD entertainment center, vehicle GPS, or a fully functioning Laptop or desktop PC. Learn more about the Motorola Atrix 2 Smart Accessories.
Conclusion
Ultimately, buying an ATRIX 2 will depend on your preference and finances. If you are an owner of an original ATRIX 4G, you’re not missing anything. Best scenario would be to wait until version three hits or if you absolutely want to upgrade, check out the competition. However, for those who are looking for a solid performing phone and do not own the original ATRIX, this could very well be the phone for you.