Motorola Atrix 2 Review

Connectivity

In this department, the Motorola has tried to equip the Atrix 2 with as much as possible. Connectivity options include – 3G (up to 21Mbps), WiFi with DLNA support, wireless streaming using the MotoCast app, Hot Spot creation, EDGE/GPRS, Bluetooth with A2DP and EDR and of course USB 2.0. Using apps like Motorola Webtop, you can hook your phone up via HDMI to larger (supported) displays and access web apps and surf the net while taking and receiving calls and messages. Moto Phone Portal lets you manage your phone content via your PC and MotoPrint allows you to print wirelessly. A noticeable glitch which we could attribute to this being a test device (hopefully) occurred when switching over from WiFi to EDGE. It wasn’t seamless, so much so that we were required to switch the handset into Flight mode and then back for data connectivity to reactivate. Restarting the handset is obviously not an option. 

Quite a bit of connectivity options

In the GPS department only Google’s Navigation, Maps and Places are available. Motorola’s Navigation application that used to be pre-installed on older devices is, unfortunately not available anymore. On the social media front apps like Google+ and it’s corresponding Messenger come preloaded with Google’s Latitude. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram et al are all easily available through the Google Play store.

Misc. Features

Aside from the basic Android-centric apps like the calendar(syncs with Google and Facebook),Calculator and Tasks app, Motorola has thrown in a few extras in their Widget Section like Sticky Notes, a File Manager and OfficeSuite for reading documents on the go. A news RSS reader and News and Weather App are also available. An app called GoToMeeting powered by Citrix will allows you to keep a tighter rein on your schedule. For Enterprise purposes, Citrix Receiver for dedicated apps and cloud based services has been provided. 

Camera 

The Atrix 2 features an 8 megapixel auto focus camera with an LED flash. Features include GeoTagging, basic effect settings, Scene modes, Multishot and Panorama mode (auto-stitch) and exposure control. It can also record video in full HD i.e. 1080p (@24fps). Image quality is right up there with the best of them. For most part pictures captured and viewed in native resolution (on a PC) look quite sharp and with a reasonable amount of color retained in both indoor and outdoor settings. Low light image capture is not its forte but it still manages to do a decent job. On the whole, the Atrix 2’s camera is another feather in its hat. 

Looks quite crisp in normal conditions

Macro shot with flash

Battery

The Atrix 2’s 1785 mAh battery proved to be a real asset. In our Video-Drain test we ran the device non-stop for over 7 hours playing a standard definition video with WiFi running constantly in the background downloading emails, chat message, updates etc. In our tech2 Loop Test we managed to get a full loop – 2 hours video, 2 hours audio, 1.5 hours talk time, 2 hours audio streaming – and also started off a second loop that gave us 1.5 hours of video, 1.5 hours of audio and squeezed out another 15 minutes of audio streaming. That works out to over 10 hours of rigorous usage with Wi-Fi constantly active. 

Not too slim

The Bottom Line

The Motorola Atrix 2 is priced at  22, 900 which makes it one of the top handset to consider in this price bracket. The only real issue you’ll have to contend with is the slightly bulky demeanor of the beast. If superficial aspects are not your concern then the Atrix 2 is a solid investment. It’s fast, fluid and well equipped with great battery life and features galore. We say, it’s real value for money.