The Motorola Atrix 4G is one of the most anticipated Android smartphones for 2011, and rightly so. This dual-core powerhouse of an Android is sure to run the most demanding games and applications that you’ll find on the Android Market to date. Noted as The Worlds most Powerful Smartphone, the Motorola Atrix 4G has given AT&T customers a new, and legit reason to say so-long to their iPhones and get with the rapidly growing industry that is Android.

Prior to getting the Motorola Atrix 4G, I was using the next best Android on AT&T, the Samsung Captivate. While the hardware of the device left much to be desired, I really enjoyed the Galaxy S UI in terms of functionality and customization. Don’t get me wrong though, the responsiveness of the Captivate drove me up walls, and begging for the Atrix 4G’s launch to come sooner than scheduled.

Upon using the new Motorola Atrix 4G since it’s initial launch about a week ago, I’ve become very familiar with the device, its features, and some of the pros and cons that you never really run into until after really getting inside a smartphone. While I feel the pros outweigh the cons by a long shot, opinions are like Androids… everyone has one.

HARDWARE

As you may or may not have heard, the Motorola Atrix 4G is the first Android device on AT&T to utilize an NVidia dual-core Tegra 2 processor. With this kind of technology, it makes literally every action you do on the device respond with almost no hesitation whatsoever. The Tegra 2 processor in the Atrix 4G is normally clocked at 1000MHz, but has been rumored to have been overclocked above that, which would come as no surprise. The Atrix 4G also features a 3D Graphics Hardware Accelerator, pushing mobile gaming to the next level.

Next to its Tegra 2 Chip is a whopping 1GB of RAM. Bear in mind that most Android devices currently on the market don’t sport anything above 512MB of RAM, so a leap this far forward does absolute wonders for overall performance. The device doesn’t come with an additional SD Card, but it’s onboard 16BG of internal memory should be quite sufficient to get you started. On the other hand, if 16 gigs just doesn’t suit your needs, the Atrix 4G can hold up to a 32GB MicroSDHC Card.

The Atrix 4G’s candybar form factor packs a 540 x 960 4″ qHD display that pumps out 24-bit color graphics that bring new life to your multimedia experience. It features a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and LED Flash on the back, as well as a front-facing camera for video calls.

One of the drawbacks of the device’s camera is its inability to record or playback in 1080p at the present time. The good news is that the Atrix 4G will get an update at a later time which will enable such video features.

The device itself is moderately light. Weighing in at 4.76 ounces, it’s a real easy size to fit in your hand, making it convenient for hand-soloing texts, calls, web browsing, etc.

BATTERY LIFE

The Motorola Atrix 4G comes stock with an OEM 1880mAh battery, which initially I thought was going to be more than enough, considering most devices are anywhere from 1550mAh or below. However, after using the device for a week, I’ve realized that you want as little applications running in the background as possible with the Atrix. I was finding myself plugging in the Atrix halfway throughout the day just to keep it alive. After removing over 70% of the bloatware and widgets on the Atrix, I’ve definitely experienced an improvement of life on the device, at least enough to get me through the workday. Could the powerful hardware of the device have something to do with this? Well, absolutely. But you can’t blame a powerhouse device for doing what it’s designed to do.

As with any smartphone, it inevitably all boils down to what and how you use the device. If you want 20 widgets running at the same time while you play Words with Friends 24/7, then expect to keep that Atrix 4G plugged in for a good portion of your day.

SOFTWARE

The two aspects that I was absolutely dreading about the Motorola Atrix 4G was the fact that it came with MOTOBLUR and lack of Android 2.3. Sadly, I hadn’t even had much experience with the MOTOBLUR, but only spent enough time with the Motorola Flipout to realize that I didn’t like it. With that said, I wasn’t expecting a mind blowing experience apart from the performance due to its spectacular hardware.

After removing much of the MOTOBLUR crap that comes on the Atrix 4G when you first use it, I almost don’t even notice it’s there. There’s really no hinder to the device’s performance that I can tell after you rid it of all the unnecessary mumbo-jumbo. I don’t consider myself to be a huge social networking junkie, so doing without MOTOBLUR’s integration wasn’t a hard decision for me. I’ve got the Facebook app, so I’ll pull it up when I feel the need to.

Even though the World’s Most Powerful Smartphone didn’t come with the latest and greatest version of Android, Android 2.2 (Froyo) is more than suitable for this device. Besides, it’s not like we won’t see an update to Android 2.3 in the very-near future, right? What I do find amusing is that in the entire time that I used the Samsung Captivate, I patiently awaited for Sammy or AT&T to roll out the Froyo update. Months and months went by and nothing. Right after the Atrix 4G launches, BAM. Android 2.2 rolls out for the Captivate. But hey, that’s just my luck.

The overall responsiveness of the UI on the Atrix 4G is second to none. I have yet to encounter any application that drags with load times. It’s extremely easy to use, and the fact that you don’t have to root the Atrix 4G to get majority of the bloatware off is also a big plus in my book.

SYNCING

The Atrix 4G comes with a standard MicroUSB cable, as well as an HDMI cable to hook up to your HDTV. Syncing is as easy as ever, as it is with most other Android devices. Dragging and dropping… that process still hasn’t changed. What’s really cool is the Motorola Media Center.

After you hook up the included HDMI cable to your HDTV and to your Atrix 4G, you get a cool new multimedia panel that pops up on your TV. Using just your device, you can scroll through all your media, including music, movies and photos. I previewed a couple of movies I had on my MicroSD Card, and they displayed beautifully in full screen mode with superb audio quality.

The Atrix 4G’s epic hardware specs, along with this new multimedia implementation is what’s going to set this device apart from the rest of the crowd. There’s even more capabilities with Motorola’s Media Center when you purchase separate accessories, like a remote, docking station and a laptop dock. Those I’ll mention more about later.

GAMING

A word to wise for all you gamers out there looking into this device, the Atrix 4G comes with a demo of Need for Speed Shift and it’s sweet. It uses the devices accelerometer to drive, and the graphics are definitely something to brag about. I can’t express how impressed I was with how the Atrix handled this game. So if games are your thing, and you’re not holding out for the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play then I’d strongly suggest you at least give the Atrix 4G a go.

VIDEO CHAT

Lastly I wanted to talk about the video chat on the Motorola Atrix 4G. I had really hoped that the Atrix wasn’t going to have the same issues with video chat like the Samsung Nexus S did after its launch, and for the most part- it didn’t.

The first applications I tried were Skype, Yahoo Messenger, and Tango. Much to my surprise, all three apps were unsuccessful in offering me to utilize my front-facing camera and start up a video call with my device. I didn’t look too much further into why, until I was absolutely sure that all my options were tapped. The last application I downloaded was Qik for Atrix 4G.

Upon loading Qik, I was able to pull up my account and initiate a video call right away. My current location at the time didn’t offer full 4G speeds, but more highend 3G, so watching my buddy on the other end was a bit choppy. Which of course, their connection could have contributed to that as well. Other than that the audio reception on both ends was definitely acceptable, and you could swap cameras (front to back) with no problems at all! If anyone has used any of the other video chat applications for the Atrix 4G that I’ve mentioned and got them to work fine, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Unfortunately however, Qik was the only working solution for me.

SUMMARY

The Motorola Atrix 4G has thoroughly impressed me on every level I can think of. It’s sheer performance alone is enough to make me happy for months to come until they push out the Gingerbread update.

The Atrix 4G is currently available through AT&T for $199 with a two-year contract, or $149.99 from Radio Shack. There are a number of awesome accessories that are available with the Atrix, such as a Multimedia dock that enables you dock your device, and hook up to an HDTV via the included HDMI cable. Depending on how you purchase the Multimedia Dock (bundle or by itself) a remote is also available for the dock that allows you to scroll through the pictures, movies and music on your Atrix 4G from anywhere in the room.

There’s also a Laptop Dock, which enables you to dock the Atrix behind the laptop unit, while it displays your entire device on the laptop’s screen. You’re still able to do all the functions that your Atrix offers, as you increase your productivity by multitasking with the laptop dock.

The downfall of these accessories is that they’re very-much on the expensive side, even if you purchase them with the phone, you’re only looking at about a $100 reduction for a $500 laptop dock.

Bottom line is the Motorola Atrix 4G is hands down, the most bad-ass Android on the AT&T network. It towers over majority of its competitors and will continue to do so for quite some time to come. My advice: Dump your iPhone, get the Atrix 4G, be happy.

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