For the second year in a row instead of waking up early on Black Friday to get a jump-start on my holiday shopping, I decided to splurge and buy myself a new tech toy. Last year I bought my MacBook, which is probably the closest thing I have to a child.

This year, I entered into the Smartphone world with T-Mobile’s Motorola CLIQ. Since this is my first Smartphone, I am FAR from an expert on this topic. But, that won’t stop me from writing a review after playing around with it for a little over a week.

What I love:

• The complete and utter capability to customize – Just like my computer desktop I am able to customize every aspect of the phone. From what news outlets I want included in my news feed, to how I want my apps displayed, everything is in my control. Man, do I love having control.
• The slide out keyboard – This one surprised me a bit as having an actual keyboard (as opposed to just the touch keyboard) was not really a priority to me, but I find myself using the real keyboard most of the time when sending text messages, e-mails or simply searching the Web.
• The battery power – A frequent complaint of touch-screen phones is how much the battery life sucks. I, however, have not yet had an issue with the CLIQ’s battery life. I have spent the day using my phone to listen to music, catch up on my news, send e-mails and text messages and check in on my social networks. Oh, and talk on the phone too. The CLIQ battery has lasted with me well into the evening and night. Additionally, an upgrade was just rolled out to further improve battery life by allowing you to customize the battery settings.
• The App Market – Having access to the Android App Market is wonderful. Apps I use regularly include:
  • Twidroid: After first trying Seesmic, I settled on Twitroid for my Twitter app. It makes updating both messages and pictures a breeze. And I am considering upgrading to the pro version so that I can make my links bit.ly links and can shake-refresh. I don’t know why, I just think that feature is freaking sweet.
  • Gmail, Facebook, Foursquare, Yellowbook and Pandora for all the obvious reasons.
  • NetaShare: Linked with my Google Reader this is how I keep up on all my favorite blogs. Updating the feed is a bit slow, so I’m keeping my eyes out for an upgrade.
  • Shazam: Want to know a song’s title and artist? Simply hold your phone up to the speaker and get complete details of the song.
  • The next Apps on my list to explore include augmented reality app Layar and video sharing app Qik.

• What I don’t:
  • The camera – Yes, it is a 5 mega-pixel camera, but it doesn’t have a flash. And seeing as I take most of my pictures indoors, this proves to be a bit of a problem. I would love to see a phone company partner with Nikon or Canon to make a phone with a really stellar camera.
  • The size – The phone is a bit heavier and more bulky than I would have preferred.
  • Synched social networks – The CLIQ has been advertised as being the phone that syncs all your social networks. However, by syncing you automatically upload everyone in your network into your contact list. This seems absolutely ridiculous to me. There is NO WAY I want my 271 Facebook friends or my 283 Twitter followers in my phone book. Luckily, this feature is easily turned off.

All in all, I have very few complaints about the Motorola CLIQ and would recommend it to others.

Photo credit: Geeky Gadgets