Motorla CLIQ with MOTOBLUR

I just read a good article talking about how lack of keys limits the iPod touch's gaming potential:

http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68092.html
"Without Buttons, iPod Touch Can't Touch DS or PSP"

but what it made me realize is that the Motorola CLIQ, Motorola's recently announced Android handset, is a lot like an iPhone designed for gaming. (But better because it's running Android :P )



The iPod Touch is still secondary to the iPhone in terms of Apple's planning. It's strength lies in being to able to run iPhone apps, use the iPhone's browser, etc. without a monthly contract and in a slimmer form factor.

I can't see Apple forking the iPhone codebase, and splitting up the App store in such a way as required to add physical keyboard support, just for a new iPod touch.

Ironically, Motorola just announced a device that is much like an IPhone with gaming style keys.

http://www.motorola.com/Consumers/US-EN/Consumer-Product-and-Services/MOTOBLUR/Meet-MOTOBLUR

The Motorola CLIQ is Motorola's first foray into Android. They made certain design decisions that distinguished it from the G1, the most similar phone on the market now. Most notably it runs a standard D-Pad on the left side, instead of a trackball on the right. That would seem to me to be following the style of the PSP and the DS. It looks like it could be a great gaming device to me.

I've played 1st person shooters on my iPod touch, and the G1. The physical keys on the G1 made all the difference in the world. Schef's Blend of Doom on the G1 is the best handheld 1st person shooter I've played, beating Metroid on the DS. (Having to use the stylus on the DS hurts).

The Motorola CLIQ should run that same application even better, (the G1 is pretty old now in terms of hardware performance).