Motorola MILESTONE Specs Prices Pros & Cons Unveiled

Overview of the Motorola MILESTONE

The Motorola MILESTONE, released in November 2009, marked a significant milestone in the smartphone market. Known for its robust design and innovative features, the device was one of the first to offer a QWERTY keyboard alongside a touchscreen interface running on the Android OS. The phone quickly gained popularity due to its distinctive design and functionality.

Design and Build

The MILESTONE boasts a solid build with dimensions of 115.8 x 60 x 13.7 mm, making it relatively compact for its time. Its weight stands at 165g, which gives it a sturdy feel. The device features a horizontally sliding QWERTY keyboard that makes typing long texts more comfortable than on-screen keyboards. The sleek black color gives it a professional and clean look. The Corning Gorilla Glass protection on the display adds durability, ensuring resistance to scratches and minor impacts.

Display

The device is equipped with a 3.7-inch TFT display offering a resolution of 480 x 854 pixels. This results in a pixel density of approximately 265 ppi, which was sharp enough for its time. The screen’s 16:9 aspect ratio is ideal for watching videos and browsing web pages, providing a decent viewing experience despite the advancements in displays since then.

Performance

Under the hood, the MILESTONE is powered by a 600 MHz Cortex-A8 processor, paired with a PowerVR SGX530 GPU. Although not competitive by today’s standards, it was capable of handling basic smartphone tasks and some moderate multitasking. The device originally shipped with 256MB of RAM and had internal storage of 133MB, expandable via a microSDHC card, which came with an 8GB card included. These specs provided sufficient space for essential apps and data storage, reflecting the use patterns of the period.

Camera

The Motorola MILESTONE features a 5 MP rear camera with autofocus and dual-LED flash, a notable feature at that time. Although it lacks a front-facing selfie camera, the main camera was capable of capturing decent photos in good lighting conditions. Video recording is possible at 480p@24fps, adequate for casual video capturing.

Software

Initially, the device came with Android 2.1 (Eclair), upgradable to Android 2.2 (Froyo). This upgrade introduced features such as better performance, the ability to use Wi-Fi hotspots, and improvements to the user interface. The Android OS on the MILESTONE allows users to tailor their experience with apps from the Android Market, enhance usability, and leverage the phone's hardware capabilities.

Connectivity

The MILESTONE supports multiple network technologies, including GSM, UMTS, and HSPA, with speeds up to 10.2/5.76 Mbps. In terms of wireless connectivity, it supports Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g standards and Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP for better multimedia streaming. It lacks a radio but includes GPS with A-GPS support for precise navigation and location-based services.

Battery Life

The smartphone is powered by a removable Li-Ion 1400 mAh battery, providing up to 350 hours of standby time and approximately 6 hours and 30 minutes of talk time. Given the optimizations in the Android OS and the hardware specs, this battery life was adequate for a day’s typical usage at the time, aligning with users' needs effectively.

Audio and Multimedia

The MILESTONE features stereo loudspeakers that deliver reasonable audio quality for media consumption and calls. It includes a 3.5mm audio jack, giving users the flexibility to connect a wide range of headphones and earphones. The audio quality tests show decent noise reduction and crosstalk levels, making it suitable for audio playback and calls.

Conclusion

The Motorola MILESTONE stood out as a formidable contender in the early days of the Android era. Its combination of a physical keyboard, robust design, and the flexibility of the Android ecosystem made it a favored choice among smartphone users looking for a blend of functionality and durability. While the technological advancements have surpassed its specifications today, the MILESTONE holds a nostalgic value and is remembered for its role in shaping the smartphone landscape.