Hands-on photos/video of the Motorola CLIQ XT / QUENCH

Motorola CLIQ XT / QUENCH

Motorola CLIQ XT / QUENCH

Motorola CLIQ XT / QUENCH

Motorola CLIQ XT / QUENCH

Yesterday I got a chance to spend a bit of time with the new Motorola QUENCH, a MOTOBLUR-equipped smartphone that will be sold by T-Mobile USA in March as the CLIQ XT.

Like the CLIQ XT name suggests, this phone has a lot of features that we've seen before, but it does have a few noteworthy additions (and subtractions) to its hardware as well as new software.

The most obvious change is the lack of the CLIQ's keyboard, which results in the phone being 2.5mm or so thinner. It also feels much more solid, and is better looking to my eyes. The d-pad controller is gone, but has been replaced by a touch sensitive navigation device below the display. The new hardware buttons underneath the display are also an improvement, as is the addition of a flash to the camera.

Above and beyond the MOTOBLUR social networking software that we've seen before, the QUENCH / CLIQ XT gets a new "connected" media player that links to online content as well as manages the videos and music you load onto the device yourself. The Swype text input method is also fully integrated into the phone and works pretty well.

Overall, it looks like a nice new addition to the Motorola family of Android handsets.

You'll find additional photos of the phone on the next page.