Motorola Milestone 2: Android 2.2, 1GHz processor, keyboard

Motorola has launched a new version of its popular Milestone Android smart phone.

We reported about the launch of the US version, the Droid 2, early last month. The Milestone 2 looks very similar, with a slide-out keyboard and 3.7-inch WVGA screen.

But it's underneath the body that we see the difference. The phone runs Android 2.2 Froyo and sports a 1GHz processor, a significant boost from the 550MHz of the original Milestone. There's double the RAM and a considerable jump to 8GB of on-board storage, as opposed to the first Milestone's 256MB.

The look and feel of the smart phone is similar, with a 5-megapixel camera carrying autofocus and flash, but there is a redesign of the keyboard, which won't have directional keys.

There is also a significant boost in talk and standby time. With Android 2.2 comes the ability to run Adobe Flash Player, plus the ability to be used as a 3G mobile hotspot.

It comes with Motoblur, which shows that it will still exist on Motorola phones for the near future at least, even though the company's CEO admitted it wouldn't be a primary focus anymore.

Motorola has been caught up in controversy recently. Owners of the Dext, one of Motorola's first Android smart phone attempts, were angry when told that the OS on their devices wasn't going to be upgraded, while in the US it was.

Nevertheless, the Milestone 2 looks like a good device that could put Motorola back on top. What do you think?