Compare Dext Deals

The Dext from Motorola is a slide phone measuring 58 x 114 x 15.85 mm, with a slide-out keyboard and pillowed keys packed quite closely together. It has a 3.1-inch HVGA resolution (320 x 480) TFT capacitive touchscreen with an accelerometer for screen auto rotate. It is chunky and quite weighty at 163g.

The Dext was the first phone from a major manufacturer to use the Google Android platform, complete with a group of social-networking widgets, including Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and email. All the tweets, status updates and new emails appear as speech bubbles by the relevant widget. It also opens the applications on Moto Blur's own platform, so you can check a new message on Facebook quite quickly, without having to open the Web site. You also have the "universal inbox" application where you can look at all the messages you received across all platforms in one screen.

Being an Android device, the connectivity options are numerous, with the DEXT enjoying, HSDPA up to 7.2Mbps, plus 3G, EDGE, HSCSD and GPRS. Wifi and Bluetooth are also included, for easy connectivity to a compatible PC/laptop and wireless stereo audio. The media player supports all popular file formats and there is a 3.5 mm jack for your own choice of headset along with a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and geotagging (linked to the integrated GPS).

All-in-all, a return to form for Motorola in the smartphone stakes.