Motorola Photon 4G Android Worldphone Review
Introduction & Specifications
There are a myriad of nice smartphones on the market today. And since we're all for choice and options around here, we like the competition we're seeing in the mobile market. If you're a Sprint customer, you've been given the choice of a few really good 4G options this year. One of those options, the Motorola Photon 4G, has all of the specs you'd want from a high-end phone.
The Photon 4G features a 1GHz dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor along with 1GB of RAM and Android 2.3 "Gingerbread". Although the Photon 4G has been out for a while, it still has some compelling features that other phones don't offer. For example, the Photon 4G is the first WiMAX equipped phone from Sprint to feature global GSM roaming. If you're a fan of Motorola-branded smartphones, you may also recognize that the Photon 4G is the first 4G WiMAX phone that Motorola has produced.
Like some of Motorola's other popular phones, the Photon 4G can be used with Motorola's Webtop to expand the functionality of the phone. By placing the Photon 4G in the HD Multi-Media dock accessory and connecting it to your HDTV, the phone can become a multimedia hub, letting you watch videos or surf the web on a larger screen. Of course, this functionality isn't free; The HD Multi-Media dock accessory is sold separately for about $100.
The Photon 4G is currently available from Sprint for $199.99 with a two-year contract, which is in line with Sprint's other high-end phones that are currently available. Does the Photon 4G live up to the standard set by today's high-end 4G smartphones? Read on to find out! But first, let's take a look at the Photon 4G in action...
![]() |
|
Network |
Sprint |
Bands/Modes |
WiMAX 2.5, WCDMA 850/1900/2100, CDMA 800/1900, GSM 850/900/1900, CDMA EV-DO Release A, EDGE Class 12, GPRS Class 12 |
OS |
Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) |
Display |
4.3-inch qHD (Quarter High Definition) |
Processor |
1GHz dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 |
Memory |
1GB RAM; 16GB onboard memory, expandable up to 48GB |
Talk and Standby Time |
Talk time: CDMA: up to 10 hours, WCDMA: up to 9.1 hours; GSM: up to 10.4 hours Standby time: CDMA: up to 8.3 days; WCDMA: up to 13.1 days; GSM: up to 12.2 days |
Dimensions |
2.6 x 5.0 x 0.5 inches (WxHxD) |
Weight |
5.6 oz |
Battery |
1700 mAh |
Connectivity |
3.5mm, USB 2.0 HS, HDMI, DNLA, Bluetooth |
Camera |
8MP with dual LED flash front-facing VGA |
Audio |
FM Radio Receive, AAC, AAC+, AAC+ Enhanced, AMR NB, AMR WB, MIDI, MP3, WAV, WMA v10, WMA v9 |
Video |
720p capture; 1080p playback |
Location Services |
eCompass, aGPS with Google Maps, Google Latitude, Google Maps Street View |