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Motorola Android phones (photos)

As the world processes the news of Google's acquisition of Motorola Mobility, CNET takes a look back at some of Moto's more notable Android phones.

Bonnie Cha
Bonnie Cha was a former chief correspondent for CNET Crave, covering every kind of tech toy imaginable (with a special obsession for robots and Star Wars-related stuff). When she's not scoping out stories, you can find her checking out live music or surfing in the chilly waters of Northern California.
Bonnie Cha
1 of 14 Josh Miller/CNET

Motorola Cliq

Google just shocked the world by announcing it plans to acquire Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion. What that means for Moto's future handsets remains to be seen but here's a look back at some of the company's more notable Android phones.

Release date: October 2009

The Cliq was Motorola's first Android smartphone. It featured a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and shipped with Android 1.5. The Cliq was also the first device to run the company's custom Motoblur user interface for Android.

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2 of 14 Josh Miller/CNET

Motorola Droid

Release date: October 2009

Thanks to a clever campaign by Verizon, one could argue that the Motorola Droid really put the Android operating system on the map. The smartphone was the first to run Android 2.0 Eclair (sans Motoblur) and brought such things as native Microsoft Exchange support and an improved browser.

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3 of 14 Josh Miller/CNET

Motorola Devour

Release date: February 2010

The Motorola Devour was the first device to debut with Android 1.6 Donut and was called the Droid's "little brother." Its feature set wasn't quite as high-end as the Droid, but it also gave Verizon customers a more affordable Android option.

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4 of 14 Sarah Tew/CNET

Motorola Backflip

Release date: March 2010

Debuting at CES 2010, the Motorola Backflip featured an interesting design that included a fold-out keyboard and a trackpad on the back of the phone that you could use to navigate through the phone's menus. The Backflip was also AT&T's first Android device.

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5 of 14 Josh Miller/CNET

Motorola Droid X

Release date: June 2010

The keyboard-less version of the Moto Droid really beefed up things in the multimedia department with an 8-megapixel camera with HD video capture and an HDMI port. The smartphone also marked the debut of a revamped Motoblur interface that allowed you to resize widgets among other things.

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6 of 14 Josh Miller/CNET

Motorola i1

Release date: July 2010

Announced at CTIA 2010, the Motorola i1 marked the first Android phone with a prepaid carrier (Boost Mobile) and was also the first iDEN Android device. The rugged smartphone met military specifications for resistance to dust, shock, vibration, and so forth, but only shipped running Android 1.5.

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7 of 14 Josh Miller/CNET

Motorola Charm

Release date: September 2010

The Motorola Charm was the second handset to feature a trackpad on back and also sported a unique square design. It was a very affordable, entry-level Android option for T-Mobile customers, but its small design and display proved to be a bit of a pitfall.

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8 of 14 Josh Miller/CNET

Motorola Flipout

Release date: October 2010

You can't say that Motorola doesn't take some risks with design. This time the company added a swiveling keyboard, which we found to be quite usable. Unfortunately, the rest of the phone's design didn't work and the phone's performance was rather sub-par.

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9 of 14 Sarah Tew/CNET

Motorola Droid Pro

Release date: November 2010

The Motorola Droid Pro took aim at business users and the BlackBerry set with its enhanced security features and touch screen and QWERTY keyboard combo. Running Android 2.2, it was also Verizon's first Android world phone.

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10 of 14 Sarah Tew/CNET

Motorola Atrix 4G

Release date: March 2011

The Motorola Atrix 4G really brought a powerful Android phone to AT&T's lineup with its dual-core processor, qHD display, and support for the carrier's HSPA+ network. In addition, the Atrix also has a Webtop app that allows you to connect it to a laptop dock and continue using it in a more PC-like experience.

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11 of 14 Sarah Tew/CNET

Motorola Droid X2

Release date: May 2011

The follow-up to the popular Droid X featured a faster dual-core processor and higher-resolution display, but stopped short of adding 4G support and a front-facing camera. Still, it offered fast performance and good battery life.

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12 of 14 Sarah Tew/CNET

Motorla Droid 3

Release date: July 2011

As the third iteration of the smartphone that put Android on the map, the Motorola Droid 3 was a bit of a disappointment. Though it looked like a good upgrade to the Droid 2 on paper, with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, a dual-core processor, and a better camera, it didn't really deliver in real-world performance.

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13 of 14 Josh Miller/CNET

Motorola Triumph

Release date: July 2011

Seeing the need for more higher-end Android phones for prepaid carriers, Motorola released the Triumph for Virgin Mobile. As the flagship device, the Triumph offers a 4.1-inch WVGA display, a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, and a 5-megapixel camera.

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14 of 14 Josh Miller/CNET

Motorola Photon 4G

Release date: August 2011

Motorola and Sprint announced a renewed partnership this summer to bring more innovative products to the market together. One of the first handsets to come out of it was the Motorola Photon 4G, and it did not disappoint. With its dual-core processor, 4G capabilities, and other advanced features, the Photon 4G is one of Sprint's best smartphones, particularly for business users.

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