Motorola Gleam+ launched for smartphone naysayers

Motorola Gleam+ launched for smartphone naysayers
The new Motorola Gleam+ - like the original, but a teeny bit better

The new Motorola Gleam+ has been announced as the soon-to-be Google-owned brand seeks to keep clamshell lovers happy.

The new phone is a flip design, following on from last year's Gleam, and brings with it a 0.4mm thinner chassis.

The web browser has also been overhauled to include full HTML compatibility, which has been combined with an LED matrix display on the front of the Gleam+ for notifications and time updates.

However, given the phone only costs £10 per month on contract, there have been some sacrifices made; and they're pretty high in number.

Style > Substance

For instance, the web browser might have HTML compatibility, but it's only running on WAP 2.0 and doesn't have 3G connectivity, nor Wi-Fi. The display is only a 2.8-inch WQVGA effort, and there's only a 2MP camera on the back.

We know it's not meant to be a smartphone competitor, but there are plenty of other featurephones out there with better specs or a cheaper price, so it's clear Motorola is going with style over substance here:

"The Motorola GLEAM+ is as stylish and easy to use as ever for the consumer who enjoys the simple things in life, without compromising on design and functionality," said Victoria McManus, UK and Nordics marketing director, Motorola Mobility.

"We designed this handset with a clear focus on delivering a great experience in a simple, sleek and stylish design."

The Motorola Gleam+ is available in the UK now, although we're still looking for a pay as you go price.

Gareth Beavis
Formerly Global Editor in Chief

Gareth has been part of the consumer technology world in a career spanning three decades. He started life as a staff writer on the fledgling TechRadar, and has grown with the site (primarily as phones, tablets and wearables editor) until becoming Global Editor in Chief in 2018. Gareth has written over 4,000 articles for TechRadar, has contributed expert insight to a number of other publications, chaired panels on zeitgeist technologies, presented at the Gadget Show Live as well as representing the brand on TV and radio for multiple channels including Sky, BBC, ITV and Al-Jazeera. Passionate about fitness, he can bore anyone rigid about stress management, sleep tracking, heart rate variance as well as bemoaning something about the latest iPhone, Galaxy or OLED TV.