If you can look past its design pitfalls, the Motorola Charm is an affordable and usable entry-level Android handheld. Android power users, on the other hand, may want to look elsewhere.
Nicole Lee
Nicole Lee is a senior associate editor for CNET, covering cell phones, Bluetooth headsets, and all things mobile. She's also a fan of comic books, video games, and of course, shiny gadgets.
The Motorola Charm is a unique Android smartphone. It has a square form factor, a small screen, and a slate-style QWERTY keyboard.
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Interface and screen size
The Motorola Charm runs Android 2.1 and features the MotoBlur interface that overlays the home screen with widgets for messaging and social networking features. Unfortunately, the MotoBlur interface combined with the small 2.8-inch screen size results in a very cluttered interface.
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Backtrack
The Motorola Charm has a "Backtrack" trackpad on the back of the phone. This acts as a kind of optical mouse, as an alternative to the touch screen on the front.
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Slim
The Motorola Charm is very skinny at only 0.5 inch thick.
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Keyboard
The Motorola charm has a roomy QWERTY keyboard, and each key is raised in a dome shape so it's easy to text and dial by feeling your way around.
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Palm
The Motorola Charm is lightweight at only 3.7 ounces.
