Motorola Photon 4G Android Worldphone Review


Design

The Photon 4G uses the traditional candy bar form factor that is typical of many Android handsets today. A small differentiating point with the Photon 4G is that it has angled corners rather than rectangular or rounded corners as seen on many phones. The back cover has a soft rubber-like feel which makes it easy to grip.

Just below the Photon 4G's 4.3-inch qHD display, you'll find four traditional touch sensitive backlit buttons (Menu, Home, Back, Search).  The front-facing webcam is at the top of the phone to the right of the speaker grill.

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At 5.6 ounces, the Photon 4G is just slightly heavier than the Droid Bionic, which we reviewed recently. Here's a better look at how the Photon 4G compares to some of today's popular phones:

Samsung Galaxy S 4G 4.2 ounces
Nexus S
4.55 ounces
Samsung Galaxy SII Epic 4G 4.6 ounces
HTC Droid Incredible
4.6 ounces
Apple iPhone 4
4.8 ounces
Apple iPhone 4S
4.9 ounces
Samsung Droid Charge
5.04 ounces
Motorola Droid Bionic 5.57 ounces
Motorola Photon 4G
5.6 ounces
HTC EVO 3D
6 ounces
HTC Thunderbolt
6.23 ounces

On the left side of the Photon 4G, you'll find the phone's microUSB and micro HDMI ports. The right edge of the phone houses the volume rocker and a dedicated camera button. The volume rocker and camera button are slightly raised and textured, which makes them really easy to find by touch without looking at the phone.

  

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You'll find a power button and headphone jack on the top edge of the phone. When you turn the Photon 4G over, you'll notice the 8MP camera along with a dual LED flash. You'll also notice the phone's kickstand which can be especially useful when you're watching movies on the phone. By removing the back cover, you'll get access to the microSD card slot, battery, and a SIM slot.

Click to enlarge


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