The Motorola Atrix - a phone that listens!

It’s a pretty safe bet that, like cars, most of us have had several phones in the last few years.  Like squirrels and shiny objects, we seem to be drawn to the latest and greatest phones that come down the pike, all promising to make our lives easier, faster, or better.

The Motorola Atrix

 Some live up to the hype, like our friend the Samsung Note, others fall a bit short of expectations.  Having spent a few weeks with the Motorola Atrix, sporting the AT&T service, this little number thus far as been on the impressive side.

Let’s start the basics.  The phone is less than ½ of an inch thick, so it is easy to tuck into pants or even into the inside pocket of a suit without creating a bulge.  With over 4 inches of screen, there is a lot of viewing room.  On the back, the Atrix sports a layer of Kevlar, which helps protect it, although I am not sure I would chuck it across a room. 

It also has an HDMI and 2, count-em 2 SIM card ports on the side.  If you are a budding shutter bug, you will be happy with the front and rear cameras, the later of which is an 8MP HD camera that shoots video in 1080p.  We’ll get back into the cameras in a few minutes.

Ok, so we can stipulate that it is a good looking phone, but unless you are thinking that you need a paperweight, the real question is: How does it work?

Glad you asked. 

The Atrix runs on the Android OS, and brags on its dual-core 1GHz Cortex-A9 processor.  It’s quick.  It comes loaded with all the usual goodies from Google and other partners.  If you have driven an Android or two, you understand the basic functions of the phone, but there are some nice touches to the Atrix.

First, let’s start with the some of the primal functions.  As safety continues to be a primary concern for phone users, texting is in the spotlight; both while driving and even walking.  Partially because of this, and the fact I am possibly the worst texter on the planet, (just ask ANTYONE who has ever received a text from me) I give the speech to text functions on my phones a workout.

The speech to text function gets a thumbs up from this textually challenged user, for sure!  Let me share a story – on my way into work the other day, I was voicing a quick message to my producer, and sent it. (Of course, I composed while STOPPED at the traffic signal)  As per usual, I listen to talk radio on the way into work, and as I pulled up to the station, I noticed that the Atrix had “listened” to the radio also, and had transcribed several minutes of the show.  I was, of course, curious, so I read what my little phone had heard, and it was nearly word for word.  WOW.

Speaking of other cool in-car functions, the Atrix offers a car kit for about $10 bucks when you buy it.  This is where it gets slick.  After you attach the car dock to your windshield, you slip the Atrix in, and click the connecter that fits smartly into the HDMI and USB ports.  The phone automatically changes to car mode, offering larger buttons, and customizable app options.  It’s pretty slick – and much safer than the alternative.  There is even a speech to text function that reads you any messages that come in as you motor down the road, allowing you to keep your eyes where they belong.

To add to this, I have paired, via Bluetooth, the phone with my Jabra Cruiser 2 speakerphone.  Once the initial pairing is made, the sound is good; however, it is a bit tricky to get the phone to talk to the Jabra on the fly, even once paired.  The Atrix’s “Smartactions” feature tries to second guess what you are trying to do.

The Jabra Cruiser 2

Call quality is good, with a volume that will give you some dB without distorting the caller, but do many of us really use our phones to actually make calls anymore?

Speaking of the Smartactions feature, the Bluetooth issue not withstanding, is pretty cool.  You can program the phone to do certain things for you…you know, turn the ringer off in the important meeting, ask it to hold “some of your calls,” like ones from work, when you are enjoying the family and the like.

As with most phones in this social media age, the Atrix is packed full of ways to integrate 17 social media platforms into your everyday life, and if the pre-loaded apps don’t suit your fancy, a trip to the Play Store will fill the need.

As of late, I have been making the most of my Netflix account, catching up on everything from Parks and Recreation to SOA, I made the most of the HDMI port, connecting it to my TV, and BOOM, Jax Teller on the big screen with nearly no buffer.  Pretty slick.  The Atrix certainly makes the most of the 4G AT&T network.

I am still in the middle of a long term test drive, and will continue to find some of the cool, and without a doubt some of the annoyances of the Atrix…let’s be honest, no phone is perfect.

For you tech-spec geeks, here is the Atrix by the numbers.

The bottom line:

The Motorola Atrix is a solid, slick phone.  The 4G is quick, there are several short-cuts and features that are in the Android based phone, and my favorite part, the text to speech is finely tuned.