If we’re talking about interesting form factors then we’re talking about the Motorola Backflip. The phone pretty much turns inside out making the touchscreen and the keyboard exposed on the outside. Another interesting factor about the Backflip is that even thought the phone has the Google Android system built into it , it has no trace of any Google references, it’s even defaulted to Yahoo search!

Carriers: Motorola	Retail Price: $
Manufactured by:	Contact Price: $

Pros: The Motorola Backflip features a cool form factor. It’s also affordable and runs Android featuring MotoBlur. The screen is vibrant and the QWERTY was roomy. The camera also had flexible angles.

Cons: The Motorola Backflip could sometimes lag behind. It lacks all Google traces including Google search and voice search. Sometimes MotoBlur can get a bit overwhelming on the screen. The QWERTY and the touchscreen are also exposed at all times making it an easy surface to scratch.

If we’re talking about interesting form factors then we’re talking about the Motorola Backflip. The phone pretty much turns inside out making the touchscreen and the keyboard exposed on the outside. Another interesting factor about the Backflip is that even thought the phone has the Google Android system built into it , it has no trace of any Google references, it’s even defaulted to Yahoo search!

When the device is closed the touchscreen and the QWERTY keyboard is exposed. With this form factor users are able to use Backflip tablet style on the 3.1″ HVGA touchscreen in portrait orientation. Users will also be able to prop open the device in a manner that it’s easy to watch movies. Other features include a backside trackpad which can be used to maneuver through items when the phone is closed.

The QWERTY keyboard on the Backflip is actually quite roomy. Compared to other Motorola devices that have a QWERTY the Backflip takes up no extra space than what a sliding phone would take. The phone is compact and light and measures 4.25″ x 2.08″ x 0.6″ and weighs 4.69 ounces. The device is wrapped around with “platinum silver” plastic opposed to other Motorola devices that have a heavy aluminum body. Another cool thing is that the camera is placed on the bottom left corner of the QWERTY keyboard making it handy for self portraits or outward facing pictures.

One bad thing about having the screen and the QWERTY exposed is that the users run the risk of scratching up the phone. This could happen if the user puts the phone in areas where items could scratch the phone and poke in between the keys. During the time I was testing it didn’t seem like too much of a problem but it could turn into one in the future.

Users that are familiar with the Cliq (T-Mobile) or the Devour (Verizon) then the back flip will be simple to use. All three devices share some of the same usability and performance details. MotoBlur is also included on the Backflip which allows users to add layers of social networking and apps on the main screen. Users will be able to see live feeds from different social networking accounts like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter.

The Backflip is edgy and has a bunch of cool features but it sometimes lags behind. When switching screen orientations it can sometimes take longer than what it should. This could be because the phone is built around a 528 MHz processor and 256 MB of RAM. So if you’re expecting a phone that works as fast as the Snapdragon devices then you’re expecting too much out of the Motorola Backflip.

The display on the Motorola Backflip is a great part of the phone. It’s not AMOLED but it’s clear, vivid, and bright. It measures in at 3.1″ and is a good size for multiple things like app usage, texting, and web use. The phone doesn’t have multitouch but the rear mounted trackpad was handy to navigate through pages.

When it comes to the software of the phone I’d say that the MotoBlur feature is handy but at the same time it can sometimes get confusing. Sometimes it seemed like the feeds were just overwhelmed so it became evident that I would have to install Twidroid which would help deal with Twitter. But what’s good is that you can disable certain social networks and you can disable happenings and social status.

On the downside the phone does not have Google search which means it doesn’t have the voice search widget. Since its only running on Yahoo search this feature is not available. It really makes no sense that there are absolutely no traces of Google on this Android phone.

The rest of the features on the phone are standard, it includes a 5 megapixel camera that has flash and a video camera. It’s compatible with a 3.5 mm headset, HSPA data, GPS, 802.11 b/g WiFi, microSD slot, microUSB and Bluetooth.

Overall the Backflip was a cool phone to work with. With its unique design I could see it attracting a young generation. But in the end it seems like a risk factor to have the QWERTY and touchscreen exposed at all times.