Motorola AURA - Coming Q1 2009

Compare up to 3 mobile phones below.

Motorola AURA Dimensions (w/h/d): 97 x 48 x 19 Weight: 141g Talk Time: 7 hours 20m Stand By: 400 hours Camera: Camera Resolution: 2.0MP Handset Type: Rotate Coverage (Band): Quad Video: Bluetooth: Mp3 Player: Mp3 Ringtones: MMS: Java Games: Radio: GPRS: Email: Internet Browsing: 3G: Flash Memory: WiFi:

Dimensions (w/h/d): Weight: Talk Time: Stand By: Camera: Camera Resolution: Phone Type: Coverage (Band): Video: Bluetooth: Mp3 Player: Mp3 Ringtones: MMS: Java Games: Radio: GPRS: Email: Internet Browsing: 3G: Flash Memory: WiFi:

Dimensions (w/h/d): Weight: Talk Time: Stand By: Camera: Camera Resolution: Phone Type: Coverage (Band): Video: Bluetooth: Mp3 Player: Mp3 Ringtones: MMS: Java Games: Radio: GPRS: Email: Internet Browsing: 3G: Flash Memory: WiFi:

Overview of the Motorola AURA

The Motorola AURA is a very finely crafted luxury handset; chemically etched contour lines and the unique circular display lend it something of an art deco feel. To say that Motorola's fortune of late has been somewhat chequered would be as big an understatement as saying that the iPhone has done kind of alright; however, the announcement of the new AURA luxury handset from Motorola looks set to change this. Dubbed "The Return of Artistry™", by the Big M, the AURA is a very finely crafted luxury handset, rocking a never-seen-before design, which, according to the press release "breaks convention and re-establishes artistry in mobile device design and manufacturing".

The AURA certainly has something of an art deco feel about it, with its chemically etched contour lines and unique circular display screen – the first to ever be used on a mobile – which kicks out images in 16 million colours.

Comprising of more than 700 individual components, the AURA is forged from some seriously high-grade materials, which not only contribute to the overall aesthetic of the handset, but also confer a level of durability – just as well, as the AURA is a rotate-open handset, which swings around the circular screen, revealing the numeric keypad and standard mobile phone menu and command keys, all done over in shiny, anodized aluminium.

The swing mechanism features highly robust hardened steel gears which are protected with a tungsten carbide coating, apparently the same level of protection afforded to the gears of high-performance racing cars. There are also some 130 precision ball bearings floating around inside the AURA somewhere, meaning that the opening function "glides with the same fluidity and grace that it did on its first" even after some 100,000 openings.

The exterior is forged from highly polished stainless steel, and the lens cover for the camera is created from the highly scratch resistant Grade 1 62-carat sapphire crystal, and the entire phone is done over in a mirrored finish, the same type which is normally applied to luxury timepieces.

This extremely dedicated attention to detail and very high standard of quality control could see Motorola shooting to the top of the fashion phone pack with the very stylish and swish-looking AURA, despite some of the phone's actual features (a 2 Megapixel camera? Liek srsly guys?) perhaps not being as high-end as the design.

The AURA comes with support for a very good selection of audio file formats (AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, MIDI, MP3, WAV, WMA v10, WMA v9) and H.263, H.264, MPEG4 video file formats; support for Stereo Bluetooth comes included, meaning that the aesthetic qualities of the AURA need not be diminished by having ungainly headphone cables trailing from its body.

Consisting of more than 700 individual components, and forged from stainless steel, tungsten and aluminium, the AURA is as durable and heard-wearing as it is aesthetically pleasing.

On board memory rocks in at a shapely 2GB, and although there's no mention of a card slot over on Motorola's site, you'd hope, given the number of file formats it supports that this has not been overlooked.

Push email support (POP3 and IMAP) comes as standard, and whilst it does not explicitly mention 3G capabilities, the mobile email specification on the Motorola site comes with a footnote which states: "Network and/or SIM card dependent feature, not available in all areas," which, if you read between the lines, sounds like the phone comes with 3G features, or at the very least GPRS and EDGE…

Motorola's trademarked CrystalTalk technology makes a return here on the AURA, ensuring that your conversations will be as crisp and crystal clear as the circular display.

The AURA marks a stunning return to form for a mobile manufacturer on the ropes and thought to be on its last legs; just as the RAZR series redefined and helped kick off the slim phone craze, the AURA raises the bar in terms of mobile phone construction standards and quality design.

Rumoured to retail in the States for a staggering $1,999 (just over £1000 here) the AURA doesn't come cheap, hence our low value for money rating, but this is just the cost of the handset on PAYG – if the demand is big enough, then it should be available for considerably less on contract. Either way, be prepared to dig deep.