Motorola is taking another run for QWERTY keyboard lovers and business users with the Motorola PRO+, a mobile phone that combines a physical and virtual keyboard design. The Android smartphone sports a decent display for the design, but let’s look even further at the model’s details.

Overview

Though it has a typically Motorola plastic case, it doesn’t look tacky or cheap. The rounded edges, curved bottom and wavy back panel, as well as the well-balanced weight, on the mobile phone make the Motorola PROPlus very comfortable in the hand.

The raised-key QWERTY keyboard is a little awkward at first, but most users find that that falls to the wayside after a small amount of practice and experience. The keyboard’s placement at the bottom of the screen can make keyboard input a difficult operation with only one hand, however, but the PRO+ isn’t the only QWERTY keyboard mobile phone with that handicap.

The virtual keyboard app is very awkward to use with long correspondence, but it does come in quite handy during quick input sessions; most users find the virtual keyboard well-suited for minor editing or a quick text response that doesn’t require in-depth content. The keyboard app apparently works in only landscape mode, though. Switching the device’s orientation might be awkward for one-handed input, depending on the user’s situation.

One of the biggest bonuses with the Motorola PRO+ is the audio package it provides. The 7digital music marketplace app provided allows users to download music directly onto the smartphone instead of transporting files from a PC, laptop or tablet.

Navigation in the Android device can be choppy at times, and the browser is better than it used to be, but it’s still not as smooth as some; progress has been made, but there’s still a way to go.

On to the specifications and technical details.

Specifications

Dimensions: 119.5 x 62 x 11.7 mm / 113 g
Display: 3.1 inches / TFT capacitive touchscreen / 640 x 480 pixels at 258 ppi.
Operating System: Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread
Speed: 1 GHZ
Memory: 512 MB RAM, 4GB on-board, expandable to 32 GB via microSD slot.
Battery: 1600 mAH / Talk: up to 8 hours / Stand-by: up to 312 hours
Camera: 5 MP, dual LED Flash / 2592 х 1944 pixels, autofocus.
Connectivity: WiFi, Bluetooth. / 2G: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 / 3G: HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100 or HSDPA 850 / 1700 / 2100 or HSDPA 900 / 2100. / HSUPA / GPRS / EDGE /

Additional comments: User interface can be customized. FM Radio with RDS. GPS slow to initiate and compute but runs smoothly afterwards. Video capability at 720p. Sound player compatibility: MP3 / WAV / WMA / AAC+ player/ MP4 / WMV / H.263 / H.264 player.