Motorola - Milestone XT720 review
high end Android smartphone complete with 8-megapixel camera
Review date: 03 September, 2010. Review by: Sandra Vogel
The novel feature is an 8-megapixel camera with Xenon flash. This, along with 720p video recording and HDMI out for showing the results on a big screen, makes the Milestone XT720 sound like a photographer's dream device. You even get the HDMI cable in the box and an 8GB microSD memory card too, to help you store the oodles of photos and video you are bound to want to shoot.
But then again, maybe not. The Xenon flash is certainly better than its more widespread LED counterparts but that's about all the good news, really. Still shots taken with the camera are not the best we've ever seen. They are perfectly presentable and we'd not be ashamed to share them, but the 8-megapixel headline doesn't give a huge boost over a good 5-megapixel camera.
Video is just plain disappointing. The results are jerky and that makes watching them an unsatisfying experience. The screen doesn't help matters, either. We found it difficult to see in bright outdoor sunshine, so framing shots was not always easy.
As for the rest of what is on offer, well, remember that quirky design feature we mentioned? It is a bulge on the right side of the casing that makes the Milestone XT720 a little wider at the bottom than it is at the top. It doesn't seem to serve any practical purpose, and it's neither annoying nor particularly pleasant. Take it or leave it, really, but it does contribute to the overall dimensions of 116 x 61 x 11mm and fairly weighty 160g.
The Milestone XT720 is, for the most part, a very well specified smartphone. Its screen measures 3.7 inches and delivers a respectable 480 x 854 pixels, making it ideal for mobile web browsing or, indeed, for watching video. It is capacitive and very responsive if a little overly fingerprint-attracting. It offers five home screens and you can use a speech-to-text engine to speak your emails, SMS messages and so on. That worked really well for us.
There is Wi-Fi, GPS and 3G, an FM radio, good music player, and the usual range of Android goodies in terms of supplied apps as well as access to the Android market. The operating system is Android 2.1. Battery life proved a bit on the short side, though, and the processor isn't the fastest at 550Mhz.
Verdict
The Motorola Milestone XT720 has a large, high resolution screen and a good range of top end features. But compare it with other leading edge Android smartphone such as the Samsung Galaxy S and HTC Desire before taking the plunge.
Company: Motorola
Contact: 01202 552936
