Motorola announced a Europe-destined version of its Motoroi phone called the Milestone XT720, offering Android 2.1, 720p video capture, HDMI, and an eight-megapixel camera with xenon flash. Meanwhile, Motorola is also prepping a somewhat similar “Droid Xtreme” successor to its original Droid for Verizon in the U.S., reports claim.

Motorola claims that the XT270 is the world's slimmest (10.9mm) eight-megapixel Android phone, and the first to have offer xenon flash technology. In fact, the company's Korea-targeted Motoroi, recently shipped, could match all these claims. The Milestone XT270 appears to be almost identical to the Motoroi except for the former's lack of a DMB (T-DMB) mobile TV receiver.

The XT270 was announced in the U.K., and according to several reports, will first be deployed in the U.K. and Northern Europe. Pricing, availability, and carrier support were not divulged, however.

Motorola Milestone XT270
(Click to enlarge)

The Milestone XT270 appears to  mimics the dimensions and design of the Motoroi exactly, right down to the lower right-hand buttons for camera control (see farther below for details).

Meanwhile, a somewhat similar Droid Xtreme model is heading to the U.S. in July, according to DroidLife, although the leaked photos show a slightly different design (pictured below).

Alleged photo of Motorola Droid Xtreme
(Source: DroidLife)

Designed as the heir to the popular Droid by Motorola, The Droid Xtreme will offer an eight-megapixel camera and HDMI out, says the story. The Xtreme runs Android 2.2 with nine home screens, but without Motorola's MotoBlur UI extensions, adds DroidLife.

The Droid Xtreme is the same phone that was earlier tipped by Gizmodo as the Verizon-destined Motorola Shadow, says DroidLife. According to a new report by Gizmodo, however, Verizon is planning to ship both the Shadow and the higher-end Xtreme, as both models are said to have recently appeared on a Verizon inventory list.

The Shadow is a more modest update of the Droid by Motorola, which retains and improves the keyboard, and offers 2GB of memory, says Gizmodo. The touchscreen-only Xtreme, however, offers an eight-megapixel camera and 4.1-inch display, and runs Android 2.2 on a Qualcomm Snapdragon, says the story.

If true, this would make the Xtreme an fairly significant upgrade to the Motoroi and Milestone XT270, both of which offer 3.7-inch displays. Whereas HTC and other Android phone manufacturers have moved to the 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon, Motorola has so far stayed with the slightly lesser powered Texas Instruments OMAP3430.

The processor was not stated for either the Motoroi or XT270, but based on the stated support for Open GL ES graphics acceleration and 720p video support, it is likely to be the OMAP3430.

More about the Milestone XT270

The 3G-ready Milestone XT270 is equipped with 256MB RAM, 512MB internal flash, and an 8GB microSD card, expandable to 32GB, says Motorola. The phone provides a 3.7 inch, 854 x 480 pixel capacitive touchscreen, says the company.

Side and back view of the Milestone XT270
(Click on either to enlarge)

Like the Motoroi, the XT270 offers 802.11b/g, GPS, Bluetooth, and an FM radio, says the company. A USB port, accelerometers, and a 3.5mm audio port are also said to be supplied. An HDMI port, meanwhile, lets users output 720p quality video to a TV set, says Motorola.

The eight-megapixel camera offers the xenon flash technology found on "real" cameras, rather than the LED flash phones typically feature. Other camera features include 10x zoom — digital, presumably — plus panorama, face detection, and multishot (six shots in a row), says the company. Measuring 4.6 x 2.4 x 0.4 inches (115.95 x 60.9 x 10.9mm), the XT270 is said to weigh 5.64 oz (160 grams).

Specifications listed for the Motorola Milestone XT270 include:

• Processor — Unnamed processor with OpenGL ES 2.0 hardware acceleration and 720p video capture (likely OMAP3430)
• Memory — 256MB RAM; 512MB internal flash
• Flash expansion — 8GB microSD card in slot supporting up to 32GB
• Display — 3.7 inch, 854 x 480 capacitive touchscreen
• Cellular — WCDMA 1700/2100; GSM 850/900/1800/1900
• Other wireless:
  • 802.11 b/g
  • GPS/E compass
  • Bluetooth Class 1, 2.1 + EDR
  • FM radio
• Other I/O:
  • Mobile HDMI type D
  • USB 2.0 HS
  • 3.5mm headset jack
• Camera:
  • 8-megapixel autofocus
  • 10x digital zoom
  • Xenon flash
  • Panorama, face detection, multishot features
• Sensors — 3 axis accelerometer; proximity sensor
• Software:
  • Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, YouTube
  • Android Market
  • Motorola MotoNav
  • Multiple accounts management, including email synch
  • Document editing
  • WebKit browser
• Battery:
  • 1390 mAh Li Ion
  • Up to 270 min. (4.5 hrs.) 3G talk time
  • Up to 540 min. (9 hrs.) GSM talk time
  • Up to 320 hrs. standby
• Dimensions — 4.6 x 2.4 x 0.4 inches (115.95 x 60.9 x 10.9mm)
• Weight — 5.64 oz (160 g)
• Operating system — Android 2.1

Stated Ralf Gerbershagen, VP and GM for Motorola's Mobile Devices business in Western Europe, "Slim, sophisticated and technically savvy, Milestone XT720 is a high performance device designed for those who are actively engaged in both their work and social lives."

Availability

Motorola did offer pricing or availability information on the Milestone XT270, but it appears to be heading for the UK and Northern Europe. More information may be found here.

The latest DroidLife Motorola Droid Xtreme photos may be found here.

The Gizmodo story on the Xtreme and Shadow may be found here.

---

This article was originally published on LinuxDevices.com and has been donated to the open source community by QuinStreet Inc. Please visit LinuxToday.com for up-to-date news and articles about Linux and open source.