The Cell Phone Junkie

In a world of black slabs the Motorola Admiral stands out as a unique device.  Front facing QWERTY keyboard and hard-hitting rugged build with all the fun of a typical Android device sets this device apart.  The Admiral is a very similar product to Sprint Motorola XPRT we reviewed last year but it represents a substantial upgrade in almost every way.    It represents the perfect blend of  Android, a BlackBerry, and a typical Nextel phone for business and commercial use.    A well designed BlackBerry-style keyboard for easy-to-use messaging and mil-spec build quality with Sprint’s new walkie-talkie service gives this device a clear advantage for road warriors and commercial users.  Granted, the  3.1″ screen is a bit smaller than many Android devices currently on the market, but that is completely negated by the fact there is no onscreen keyboard consuming half the display.  And even further, the Admiral has an impressive, high pixel density display with a 258 DPI retina-like quality (just a few points below an iPad 3rd Gen).    Pair this wonderful screen with the silky-smooth 1.2 GHz processor you have a perfect Android device.  Gone is the ultra-laggy and slow response the XPRT gave me during the review.   The  Admiral even puts my own Nexus S 4G to shame with a  message notification light, razor-sharp color accurate screen but it also includes a much smoother interface.

Keyboard

While most Android phones these days use the onscreen keyboard there are a few physical keyboard options.  Most of those devices have cumbersome landscape sliders, but the Admiral has the other more rare alternative, the portrait orientated front-facing QWERTY keyboard  like a BlackBerry.  This form-factor is my second favorite (behind a clamshell, of course), no mechanical slide to manipulate and screen stays in the email-friendly portrait orientation.  This keyboard provides traditional BlackBerry users a comfortable migration to an Android device with a few changes to the typical BB keyboard layout, the numbers are on the top row and a no-ALT-required period.  The buttons on the keyboard have a scalloped design with an easy-to-press action.   Like other Android devices, words are spell checked and suggestions appear on the touch screen while typing.

Mil-spec ruggedness

Taking a chapter out of the Nextel playbook (not that PlayBook), Motorola went back into their history and built a device that can be used in a harsh environment day-in and day-out.  Meeting seven tests of the military standard 810G (dust, shock, vibration, solar radiation, low pressure, high and low temperatures) means you can trust this device will hold up to heavy use. Even the screen is made from the gold-standard in tough and scratch resistant Corning Gorilla® Glass!

Direct Connect

Again, from the Nextel playbook, the Admiral features the new walkie-talkie DirectConnect service that runs over the EVDO Rev A network.  Sprint partnered with Qualcomm back in 2006 to bring QChat  to the Sprint network.  In 2011, QChat was updated to improve features (up to 200 chat participants) and reduce call setup time.  The Sprint DirectConnect network has a claimed three times larger footprint and is compatible with all existing Nextel iDen phones as well.    To access the DirectConnect feature you have to be at the home screen (why?) and then press the blue button on the left side of the device.   From that screen you choose the contact(s) for the chat.  The blue button flashes during a session making it obvious when a chat session is active.   Chat calls were almost as good as a Nextel device, but did suffer from some brief digital dropouts.  Most of Sprint’s network is QChat compatible, but I did find some areas where an icon on the status bar indicated that DirectConnect was not available.

Android

Gingerbread 2.3.5 is the stock operating system with the Motorola Blur front-end.  While this isn’t the latest available operating system from Google, there is something to be said for a device that was designed for and released with the same operating system.   As mentioned above, the 1.2 GHz processor really makes this OS shine with smooth finger tracking and quick response.  Motorola Blur includes a few business upgrades over stock Gingerbread like enhanced Exchange corporate email (with search and folder support, a la Ice Cream Sandwich) and encryption options.  Normally I would prefer not to have MotoBlur running, but the Exchange email upgrades makes it worthwhile on the Admiral.   Motorola includes the Quickoffice app for creating and editing standard Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents.    The Admiral is the twin brother of the Motorola Pro+ device, and while Motorola has not ruled out an Ice Cream Sandwich update, they have not committed to it.  Top that with the Sprint specific apps and the DirectConnect app the likelihood of an upgrade is very slim.

Camera

Typical 5MP camera with a single LED flash.  Pictures are decent, but nothing extraordinary.   Refer to the photo gallery to see of a few sample  shots from the camera.   Welcomed on the Admiral is a dedicated camera button on the right side of the phone that acts as a launcher at any time when the phone is unlocked and a shutter button within the camera app.

Cons

While the Admiral is a major upgrade to the XPRT, it surprisingly does not provide global GSM roaming like the XPRT.     The Admiral is also a typical Sprint phone with a handful of applications you do not want or need running in the background taking up valuable memory and CPU cycles.   For most people, the onboard 4GB of memory will be sufficient but it is a bit lacking compared to most phones on the market, luckily there is an empty microSD slot ready for a 32 GB card.  The plastic bezel surrounding the keyboard and screen appears to be very soft as it was easily dented by a one foot drop.

Conclusion

The Admiral has a stylish Art-deco accent that flows from the keyboard around the display proving this business-class device isn’t only for working.  With plenty of games and Netflix support (nice, loud front speaker) this phone is fun, too!   Call quality is great with a front mounted microphone and a loud speaker phone designed suitable for louder environments.    My Nexus S has been mighty jealous these past two weeks with me reaching for the Admiral every time a notification hit!

$99 with contract and after a $50 rebate. Review unit provided by Sprint.

Full Specifications

• ANDROID™ PLATFORM - Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
• CDMA 800/1900, CDMA EV-DO Release A
• QWERTY BAR
• Camera - 5 MP with Digital Zoom & LED Flash
• Video Camera – DVD Quality 720P up to 30fps
• Video Playback - AAC, H.263, H.264, MP3, MPEG-4, WAV, WMA9, eAAC+, AMR WB, AMR NB, AAC+, WMV v9, MIDI
• TALK TIME (CONTINUOUS) – up to 9 hrs.
• STANDBY TIME – up to 79 hrs.
• BATTERY TYPE – 1860 mAh
• WI-FI – 802.11 b,g.n 2.4 GHz
• BLUETOOTH® TECHNOLOGY - Stereo Bluetooth, Version 2.1 + EDR (support profiles, A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HID, HSP, OPP, PBAP)
• 3G MOBILE HOTSPOT- Be a mobile hot spot for up to 5 other devices
• USB CONNECTOR TYPE – Micro USB 2.0 High Speed
• DLNA (DIGITAL LIVING NETWORK ALLIANCE) – Share content wirelessly with other DLNA equipped devices
• GPS AND LOCATION SERVICES - aGPS (assisted), sGPS (simultaneous), Google Maps™, Google Maps™ Navigation, Google Latitude™, Google Maps Street View, eCompass
• HEADSET JACK – 3.5 mm
• HEARING AID COMPATIBLE - Rated M4, T3
• TEXT TELEPHONE (TTY) COMPATIBILITY
• DEDICATED KEYS - Speakerphone, Volume control, Back, Search, Menu, Power/Lock, Direct Connect®, Home
• MEMORY – 4GB storage, 512MB RAM
• DISPLAY – 3.1 inch 640 x 480 TFT, 16M colors, 258 ppi pixel density, Corning Gorilla Glass
• PROCESSOR – 1.2 GHz Scorpion
• CHIPSET - Qualcomm MSM8655 Snapdragon
• GPU - Adreno 205
• SENSORS – Proximity, accelerometer, ambient light and eCompass
• SIZE - 61.95 x 118.95 x 12.15 mm  (H X W X D)
• WEIGHT – 134 grams

Today’s prepaid service providers have really stepped up their game in recent years providing data and smartphone options like BlackBerries and Android based devices. Typically the devices offered are not the best and fastest out on the market, but are often very compelling for the price. Over the past two weeks I have been able to try out Sprint’s prepaid Boost service with the LG Marquee. Boost mobile uses the native Sprint network to provide coverage.

The LG Marquee provides a fully modern smartphone experience with the benefits of the prepaid service, namely no contracts and very competitive service rates. Jumping into the hardware itself, my first impression of the device is that it is very lightweight and easy to grip. Even though this is a typical Android “black slab” device, there is a subtle flowing edge design to give the body some style. Now while my main personal device is a Sprint Nexus S 4G, the Marquee is basically the same device. Both have 1 GHz single core processors and 4″ high-end displays with capacitive buttons below the screen. I can’t help but be impressed that such a device is available on prepaid because it represents the latest technology from just one year ago.

Anyone that listens to the show knows that I am a huge fan of the “stock” Android experience that is typically reserved for Nexus phones. While the Marquee is not a Nexus phone, this is the next best thing as there is no manufacturer front-end software! This means that you can expect the best performance and better app compatibility. And while there has been no announcement for an official update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, this device has a chance of getting the upgrade.  With capable hardware and a posting on LG’s Facebook page, the Marquee is listed as a “maybe” for getting the new operating system.   However, Boost mobile may not roll out the update if it ever becomes available from Lucky Goldstar.

Software Highlights

• Android – The Marquee comes with Android Gingerbread 2.3.4 with very little customizations and no front end.  Also included is a Boost Zone mobile application to manage your account and the Sprint ID service to easily theme the operating system. 

• Google Navigation – Google provides a full-fledged GPS navigation program that requires a data connection.  Navigation provides real-time traffic and voice turn-by-turn directions.  My favorite part of using Navigation is Google StreetView picture of the destination is shown when you reach your destination (when StreetView is available for that area).
• Netflix – Netflix plays great on the Marquee, battery life on 3G does take a big hit.  The speaker is a bit quiet but louder than my Nexus S.
• Polaris Office – Includes the ability to edit and create Word, Excel and Power Point presentations
• Adobe Flash – Comes pre-installed for a full web experience.
• Swype keyboard – I was surprised to see the highly-rated Swype keyboard included.  This was my first experience with Swype and it was very easy to type by swiping my finger around the keyboard. Personally, I am so used to typing with two fingers swiping was a difficult transition, but the keyboard also acts like a normal two finger keyboard.

Hardware Highlights

• Size – The Marquee is a lightweight and thin phone.  Makes my Nexus S 4G feel heavy and thick in comparison. Very easy to grip and hold, despite a lack of a rubberized coating this device does not feel like it is going to slip right out of my hands.

• Screen – The screen is very bright and high quality, still decent in direct sunlight.   The image easily exceeds the quality of the SuperAMOLED display on my Nexus S and solid colors do not have the grainy look like they do on the Nexus S.
• Battery – Ran more than four days on cell standby with wifi on.  This test was performed with no app or email syncing.  With my normal GMail account and Exchange account running,  the battery life was similar to my Nexus S, meaning over a full day of normal use.
• Vibration – Has a traditional vibrator motor opposed to the weak linear oscillating vibrator found in some newer devices.
• Capacitive buttons – Keeping a smooth front panel, the Marquee features capacitive buttons with a very nifty color changing back light that turns blue after a press allowing you to see what button you activated.
  
• Front Camera – 2 megapixel camera allows video chats with Google Talk, Skype and easy self portraits.

Device Low-lights

• Uncomfortable for phone calls -  The top edge is sharp and the earpiece is located at the very edge. In order to hear the other party, you need to have the sharp edge pressed against your ear.  Not pleasant.  Otherwise, phone calls were normal.
• Heat – When using or playing Netflix, the device back does gets warm. Not hot, but a lot warmer than my Nexus S.
• No tethering – Being a prepaid service, it is not surprising that wifi tether is not included, but there is no option to purchase it.

Specifications

• Camera – 5.0 Megapixel Autofocus Camera and Camcorder
• Music Player – MP3, WMA, WAV, MIDI,Unprotected AAC, Unprotected AAC+,Ogg Vorbis, and M4A Formats
• Smartphone – Andriod™ 2.3 OS
• Speaker Phone – One-Touch Speakerphone
• Bluetooth – Version: 3.0 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)
• Screen – 4″ 16M Color TFT, 480 x 800 Pixels LCD IPS  NOVA Display Capacitive Touchscreen
• Processor – 1 GHz TI OMAP3630 Cortex-A8 Processor
• Frequency – 1.9 GHz CDMA PCS EVDO Rev A
• Dimensions – 4.80″ (H) x 2.52″ ( W ) x 0.36″ (D)
• Weight – 3.95 oz.
• USB – 2.0 MicroUSB port
• Talk Time – up to 5.5 hours
• Standby Time -  up to 348 hours
• Internal Memory – 512MB RAM, 2GB ROM
• microSD™ Memory Slot – 2GB microSD card included, up to 32GB memory card can be installed

The Boost LG Marquee is available for $279.99 with no contract. The device used in this review was provided by Sprint.

Sample Pictures from Camera

Full Gallery