While the touchscreen slate form factor has emerged as the standard for today's smartphones, the Blackberry-style QWERTY candy bar remains a preferred design among a big segment of mobile workers. And the Motorola Admiral offers one of the better devices for that specific crowd.
Physically, it looks very industrial, despite the rounded corners and curved edges. It's not a looker, but it does mirror what it's supposed to be -- a workhorse phone. Construction feels tough, the way phones in this category were always meant to be, Display is a 3.1-inch capacitive touchscreen (480 x 640 resolution), with a physical QWERTY keyboard right below it. The screen is good enough, although we wish it held up better under sunlight (as it is, it remains usable, but colors are washed out). The keyboard is very responsive with a comfortable design.
As a phone, the Admiral makes for good calls. Everything is clear, although I could have used more volume (in crowded places, you'll need to cover up to hear). Being a push-to-talk phone, the speaker is very loud, making for great hands-free conversations and, of course, PTT calls. Battery is great and will likely last moderate users up to two days.
You get all the usual smartphone favors (it runs Android 2.3.5 with Motoblur on top), including a full messaging suite, full set of wireless connectivity (3G, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, DLNA), and a good selection of apps. We particularly like those targeted for business use (there are plenty), since this is a business phone.
With that said, it's a decent media phone, too, and offered good performance with its 1.2GHz Snapdragon S2 processor. The 5.0 megapixel camera takes great outdoor shots. Indoors, however, pictures look washed out even with the LED flash in play. It manages decent 720p videos, as well.
We love the Motorola Admiral for the excellent construction and overall responsiveness. It serves its workhorse purpose well. Price is $99.99 with a new two-year agreement from Sprint.
Motorola Admiral Review: Durable Make, Solid FeaturesNoel2011-12-01 18:46:57 While the touchscreen slate form factor has emerged as the standard for today's smartphones, the Blackberry-style QWERTY candy bar remains a prefe...
Phone ReviewsMotorola Admiral Review: Durable Make, Solid Features While the touchscreen slate form factor has emerged as the standard for today's smartphones, the Blackberry-style QWERTY candy bar remains a prefe...
