Immediately after the Motorola Alexander took its first steps into the internet’s oh-so-harsh light, things looked bleak. Purported to be Moto’s “last stand” in the mobile hardware biz, folks were expecting it to be some valiant effort to change the world (or at least the world’s opinion of Motorola’s post-RAZR handset lineup); instead, it ended up being a crappy Windows Mobile 6.1 phone with a cramped looking keyboard. When the QWERTY-less version of the Alexander, the A3100 (otherwise known as “Atila”), debuted at CES, things looked no better. This was essentially half of the Alexander, and it sucked something fierce – so at its best, ol’ Alex would be 50% suck.
Whether its due to the impending launch of (and the lack of compatibility with) Windows Mobile 6.5, their new found love for Android, or a sudden realization that the handset just wasn’t up to par, Motorola has killed Alexander’s great voyage before it even left the dock. Lending credibility to the idea that the handset just plain sucks, they’re also cutting back on the number of markets in which they’ll be peddling the A3100.
Don’t worry – you’re not missing much.