Motorola MOTOLUXE deals & review

The Motorola Motoluxe is clearly intended for mid-range usage. It will not compete with the likes of the Droid Raxr Max for top position in the Motorola line-up. This being said, the Motoluxe is perfect for anyone in search of a large touchscreen with good definition, and a built-in, high quality camera. The lack of a premium price tag puts this in the nice and affordale category, and as such represents a good bargain. The Motoluxe is due to be released in February to Latin American and European markets.

In terms of appearance, the Motorola Motoluxe doesn’t do anything particularly radical. The large, end-to-end touchscreen is made of a hybrid glass and plastic, making it sturdy and less smudge-susceptible than other models. Measuring 117 x 60 x 9.85mm and weighing in at a healthy 123.6g, this phone is large and sturdy enough to feel worth its price tag, without forcing you to eschew your favourite skinny jeans. With a narrower bezel, coming as part of the edge-to-edge display that Motorola’s design team have latched onto, this phone works a lot better and more efficiently than other 4in smartphones.

Underneath the sizeable LCD screen you have the usual capacitive Android buttons: Menu, Home, Back, Search. Nothing special there. Below these failsafe buttons, however, lie some of the features that really mark out the Motoluxe. A horizontal notification light and a groove for a lanyard take up a bit of space on the bottom of the model. The notification light displays different colours depending on what sort of mail/message you have. It makes sense; discreet phones are a big plus in most boardrooms these days. The lanyard option on the other hand is a bit of a headscratcher. For people seeking a truly handsfree experience, it might be a positive option, though you do run the risk of looking a bit like Screech from Saved By the Bell with your mobile around your neck. The Motoluxe is also equipped with an 8 megapixel camera with autofocus, a microUSB port for charging and data transfer, and a dedicated shutter button.

The Motoluxe runs Android 2.3.7 which has been skinned with the new MotoSwitch UI which brings together all your friends and favourite apps in large widgets which can be placed on one of the homescreens. In general, there is a noticeable difference in performance between the Motoluxe and phones like the Galaxy Nexus. Though you couldn’t say navigation is laggy, it is less efficient than other phones leading the market today.

This phone is a good performer in this category. The general feel of the phone is a positive one,with a simple and transparent navigational system. The touchscreen is responsive without the problematic ‘small buttons – large fingers’ frustration of other displays, and with a battery life promising up to 6.5 hours talk time and up to 450 hours of standby time you won’t have the serial-charging problems that some previous smartphones have suffered from. This phone also comes with WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, aGPS, DLNA support and FM Radio.

The Motorola Defy+ is a similar model, with the added bonus of being water-resistant. You could also look to the LG Optimus 2X for a higher end (and higher priced) version of what Motorola have done with this affordable smartphone.