T-Mobile Motorola CHARM Outed: QWERTY MOTOBLUR Candybar

Having been spotted in various leaks before now, it comes as little surprise to see Motorola officially announce their latest Android smartphone, the Motorola CHARM.  Due to arrive on T-Mobile USA this summer, the CHARM has a 2.8-inch touchscreen with a full QWERTY keyboard underneath; it runs Android 2.1 with the latest iteration of Motorola's MOTOBLUR social networking aggregation.

Other hardware includes a fixed-focus 3-megapixel camera paired with Kodak image processing technology and – like we saw on the Motorola BACKFLIP – a trackpad on the back of the phone which can be used to navigate on-screen without blocking the display with your chubby fingers.

As on the DROID X, the CHARM's processor can be underclocked into battery-extending mode to lengthen runtimes.  There's also a new feature whereby you can access the CHARM's content via a USB or WiFi connection from a desktop browser.  Of course you also get WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, a 3.5mm headphone socket and multitouch; Motorola have even used Gorilla Glass to make the CHARM's touchscreen more resilient in your pocket.  No word on pricing at this stage, but the CHARM will hit the US this summer exclusively on T-Mobile.

[via Android Community]

Press Release:

Motorola Announces its Newest Device with MOTOBLUR™: Motorola CHARM™
Exclusively for T-Mobile USA, Motorola CHARM packs smartphone features and social graces into a pocketable design with Android™ 2.1 and MOTOBLURTM enhancements

July 07, 2010

Libertyville, Ill. — July 7, 2010 —Motorola (NYSE: MOT) today announced the upcoming availability of Motorola CHARM™, a touch screen smartphone that packs a social networking punch with Android™ 2.1, MOTOBLURTM enhancements, a compact design and a BACKTRACK™ feature that makes screen navigation even more intuitive.

Motorola CHARM is expected to be available this summer exclusively in the U.S. for customers of T-Mobile USA, Inc.

"Motorola strives to provide an increased customizable user experience, which is enabled by our latest enhancements to MOTOBLUR and featured on the new Motorola CHARM," said Jean Pierre Le Cannellier, vice president, Americas Marketing, Motorola Mobile Devices. "Combine that with a compact design, easy handling and all the features you would expect from a smartphone, and we believe that CHARM with MOTOBLUR adds the social ability and workability consumers are looking for."

Motorola CHARM provides consumers all the features of a smartphone with the intuitive navigation of a 2.8 inch touch screen – all in a compact, pocketable design that makes messaging a snap using the combination of a full QWERTY keyboard and touch screen. The BACKTRACK navigation pad, located on the back of the smartphone directly behind the home screen, is similar to a laptop touch panel and enables an unobstructed view of the Web, texts, e-mails and news feeds. Plus, with Android 2.1 and enhanced MOTOBLUR features, CHARM offers new customization and filtering options.

"Being social with friends and family comes naturally for T-Mobile customers, and we think mobilizing their social experiences should be effortless," said Saj Sahay, director of product management, T-Mobile USA. "With the new Motorola CHARM and enhancements to the Android and MOTOBLUR experience, we're bringing more social skills to our broad portfolio of Android-powered smartphones."

Motorola CHARM will be the first device in the U.S. to feature an enhanced version of MOTOBLUR built on Android 2.1, which syncs contacts, posts, messages, photos and much more in easy to manage streams — from sources such as Facebook®, MySpace, Twitter™, Gmail™, work and personal e-mail. MOTOBLUR now allows for even greater customization, providing users more options to follow who and what really matters.

MOTOBLUR filters can be selected from a single social networking account, contacts, group or messaging account so that users can select only the information they want to stream live to the Happenings and Messages widgets. Users can move and resize pre-loaded home screen widgets to personalize up to seven home screen panels for an even more custom experience. Lastly, consumers can manage their phone's battery consumption by selecting different power modes to conserve battery.

Contacts in MOTOBLUR are automatically synced to the phone from personal and work e-mail and social network accounts. MOTOBLUR will continue to provide convenience and peace of mind, as lost devices can be located from a secure personal information portal and even remotely erased if necessary. In addition, one user name and password brings back contacts, messages and connectivity to previously configured networks and e-mail providers.

Last, but not least, Moto Phone Portal enables you to access and manage your phone's data from any browser through a USB or Wi-Fi connection. Edit content and view important phone information while at home or on-the-go. Leave pictures on a friend's PC, share a video at the local Internet café or share a presentation during an important business meeting.

Additional features on Motorola CHARM include:

Adobe® Flash® enabled Web browsing experience to view most of today's content-rich sites

Full suite of Google™ services including: Google Search™, Google Maps™, Gmail™ and access to thousands of apps on Android Market™

Pinch to zoom functionality and two-finger swipe to easily surf the Web and sort through photos

Capture sharp photos with a 3MP camera and KODAK PERFECT TOUCH technology for better, brighter pictures

One-touch social media uploads to Facebook®, MySpace, PicasaTM and PhotoBucket®

CrystalTalkTM PLUS for enhanced audio and call quality with a second microphone for increased voice quality while filtering out background noise

Corporate email pushed immediately to the device for instant inbox updates

Availability

Motorola CHARM with MOTOBLUR is expected to be available exclusively to T-Mobile USA customers this summer. For more information on Motorola CHARM with MOTOBLUR, please visit here. To view images please visit here.