Review: Motorola Pro+ 4G

Text and photos by Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Has Motorola built a BlackBerry for Android users? The Motorola Pro+ 4G ($349.95 outright from Bell ) and also known as the Motorola Admiral in certain markets, is the Android answer for anyone whose love for the QWERTY keyboard has kept them loyal to their BlackBerries even when they've toyed with the idea of trying out something else.

Aside from a very familiar keyboard style, look and feel, the Motorol Pro+ features a 1GHz CPU, 512MB of RAM, Android 2.3, a 5 megapixel camera and a touch enabled 3.1-inch VGA (640 x 480) display.

What sets the Motorola Pro+ 4G from many of the the Android devices out there is the QWERTY keyboard which looks very similar to the one on the BlackBerry Bold even with the metal accents separating the rows of keys and the scalloped and beveled design of the keys themselves.

The Moto Pro+'s keyboard is narrower than the BlackBerry Bold 9000-9900 which makes it a smaller yet equally functional smartphone with very similar keyboard properties. The solid feel and feedback of the keyboard and its keys is spot on, Motorola even got the keyboard sound right.

The BlackBerry Bold's, um, inspiration, doesn't end with the keyboard. Event the placement of the soft touch Android buttons on the Motorola Pro+ 4G approximate where RIM placed the four control buttons. The design of the Motorola Pro+ 4G also recalls the Palm Pixi which was a webOS focused on the QWERTY keyboard.

The Motorola Pro+ 4G is a well balanced phone, feels substantial but lightweight and the keyboard will appeal to BlackBerry owners if they are willing to learn the ins and outs of Android OS.  Clearly targeting the business user, the Motorola Pro+ 4G is solidly built with a well designed plastic rear case.

After spending time with the Motorola Pro+ 4G it became apparent that its skillset might not be suited to your typical Android enthusiast who might crave a dual core processor or a larger screen. 

Credit goes to Motorola Mobility for creating a diverse range of Android devices in various form factors which in turn should attract various users. 

Battery on the Motorola Pro+ 4G lasted over a day on a full charge with around 6 5 minute calls and random Internet searches as well as checking on Facebook and Twitter feeds. Call quality was superb.

Motorola is clearly going after BlackBerry's market with the Motorola Pro+ 4G. By shoehorning Android into a smaller yet QWERTY enabled form factor, it can tempt keyboard dependent users who want to get their Android fix yet still have the convenience of a keyboard for SMS, email and typing in URLs. 

Rating: 4 out of 5