Motorola FLIPOUT Announced with Android 2.1 and Enhanced MOTOBLUR

Motorola just officially announced their latest Android offering, the FLIPOUT.  Some of you may recall seeing this phone when it was rumored with names like ‘Ruth’ and ‘Twist’ a few months back.  The compact and stylish phone features Android 2.1, a 3 megapixel camera, and an updated version of MOTOBLUR that offers seven home screens.  Flipping the unqiue handset open reveals a five-row QWERTY with a directional pad.  This marks the first device from Motorola to launch with Android 2.1 and options such as live wallpapers and added security for corporate email.

The FLIPOUT will be available in select European countries later this quarter and will come in country-specific colors that include Licorice, Fairway Green, Raspberry Crush, Brilliant Blue, Poppy Red, Saffron, and plain ol’ White.

The FLIPOUT is a full-on Google experience phone meaning it has all the requisite apps- Gmail, Market, YouTube, Search, and Maps.  The web browser features multi-touch pinch zooming and Flash (lite) capabilities. The 3 megapixel camera is complemented with KODAK PERFECT TOUCH technology which helps provide better, brighter pictures.

Unfortunately, the press release is light on the hardware details but we don’t think its target demographic really cares about memory or processor speeds.  This looks to be a highly niche device with a select audience.

Features of the enhanced MOTOBLUR include:

• Happenings and Messages widgets – filter by social networking account, by contact(s) or by contact group to only see the information you want
• Screen customization – move and resize preloaded widgets on up to seven home screens
• Battery Manager – manage battery consumption by operating in one of three performance modes
• Data Manager – monitor data usage from the home screen to better manage pay-as-you-go and limited data plans
• Personal and Corporate e-mail – pushed directly to the device
• Re-tweet capabilities