The Motorola Bravo MB520 is AT&T’s newest Android 2.1 device that was launched alongside another mid-range Android, the Flipside. The ergonomic feel of the Bravo’s design will charm anyone that has ever had a phone slip out of their hand. The included MotoBlur 1.5 will appeal to the social networking addict by simplifying ways to update status and share media. The Bravo ships with Android 2.1, and we don’t yet know if it’ll receive a Froyo 2.2 update. The Motorola Bravo is available for $129.99 after a new two-year service agreement with AT&T Wireless. Motorola Bravo measures 4.3 by 2.5 by 0.5 inches (HWD) and weighs 4.6 ounces. The oval, tapered design is a nice change from the usual rectangular slab. The Bravo’s mix of glass, soft-touch plastic, and glossy plastic accents looks classy. The 3.7-inch, 480-by-854-pixel, glass capacitive display is one of the best things about the phone. The same size and resolution as the Motorola Droid’s screen, it’s sharp, bright, and vibrant. The resolution comes in particularly handy for viewing Web pages in landscape mode; it’s like an actual desktop browser.
The Bravo employs quad-band GSM and dual-band 7.2Mbps UMTS 850/1900. Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR, Wi-Fi b/g/n, aGPS, and an FM radio keep the Bravo connected to what people want most in a smartphone. The integrated sensors included are a proximity sensor, light sensor, accelerometer, and digital compass.
The camera is a 3.1 megapixel without a flash or dedicated hardware button. The video quality is only at CIF resolution (352 x 288) and works well for capturing small video to share quickly with family, friends, and associates. For charging and syncing the Bravo utilizes the mobile standard of microUSB. There is a green notification LED that blinks for messages and stays solid while charging. The Bravo has a 3.5mm headphone jack for audio that also doubles as an FM antenna when a headset is plugged in.
Music tracks sounded clear over Motorola S9-HD ($129, 3.5 stars) Bluetooth headphones, and the music player displayed large album art thumbnails. The Bravo indexed my standalone video files quickly, and played them smoothly in full screen mode. The UI was especially responsive here compared to the Motorola Flipside, no doubt thanks to the Bravo’s faster processor.
One habit of most Android smartphones is short battery life. The Motorola Bravo has kicked that habit by combining power saving features in the software and providing a large 1540mAh battery. The call time is moderately unheard of, at about 6.8 hours. The standby time is similar in surprise, at about 10 days. Of course this is all relative to how much the device is used.
All in all the Bravo is a well-built device that feels comfortable in hand. The call quality is excellent. The large 3.7 inch screen is attractive and goes nearly from corner to corner and edge to edge. There are rumors that Motorola will be updating to Android 2.2 in the near future. This phone is nearly perfect for any avid smartphone enthusiast except for the low quality camera.
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