Skip to main content

Motorola and AT&T completely botched Atrix 4G Laptop pricing

motorola-atrix-with-laptop-dock-promo-shot
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Motorola Atrix 4G was one of our favorite devices at CES this year (pics and hands-on impressions here). The Android phone itself is sleek and powerful, but what separates it from the pack is the ability to dock with a laptop shell and become a full netbook, complete with Firefox and some productivity software. Better, the Laptop shell holds an 8 to 10 hour charge, and will actually charge the phone while it powers the dock. But the looming question has always been its price. In order for the Atrix 4G + Laptop Dock concept to make sense, it had to cost less to own than simply buying a phone and netbook separately. Unfortunately, as we feared, Motorola and AT&T have completely blown it. The Atrix 4G will hit shelves on March 6, but the Laptop Dock is too expensive to justify buying.

Assuming you’re looking to own a netbook and a smartphone, which is the market Motorola is targeting, here is what it costs to own a Motorola Atrix 4G and its accompanying Laptop Dock. For the purposes of picking plans that are actually usable, I have avoided AT&Ts 200MB data plans.

Recommended Videos

Cost to own an Atrix 4G + Wi-Fi Netbook

+ $200 for Motorola Atrix 4G (w/2-yr contract)
+ $600 for “DataPro 2GB smartphone data plan” ($25/mo for 24 months)
+ $315 for ASUS Eee PC Seashell 1005PE-MU27-WT 10.1-Inch Windows 7 Netbook
_________________________________________________________
$1,115 for two great devices with 2GB monthly data (find a way to tether the netbook yourself)

Cost to own an Atrix 4G + 3G connected Netbook

+ $200 for Motorola Atrix 4G (w/2-yr contract)
+ $600 for “DataPro 2GB smartphone data plan” ($25/mo for 24 months)
+ $10 for Samsung Go Windows 7 Netbook from AT&T (w/2-yr contract)
+ $1,440 for “DataConnect 5 GB” ($60/mo for 24 months)
_________________________________________________________
$2,250 for two connected devices with 7GB of monthly data

Cost to own the Atrix 4G + Laptop Dock

+ $600 for Motorola Atrix 4G + Laptop Dock bundle  (w/2-yr DataConnect contract) 
– $100 mail-in-rebate (obtainable after 60 days of mailing)
+ $1080 for required “DataPro 4GB for Smartphone with Tethering plan” ($45/mo for 24 months)
_________________________________________________________
$1,580 for one device that becomes a netbook and is limited to 4GB of data

The economics don’t make sense

Motorola is charging $500 to buy the Laptop Dock by itself without a plan. How on earth is it worth that much money? Most netbooks AT&T sells max out at $450, and netbooks outside of the carrier cost a lot less than that. Essentially, the Laptop Dock is a screen, a keyboard, and a battery. The device has no CPU, RAM, harddrive, or anything inside of it. This device should not cost more than $200 without a plan. That puts its price about $100 under the price of a standard netbook ($300-$350). Bundled with the Atrix 4G (and contract), it should cost about $300-$350. Bottom line, it should match the price of a netbook.

motorola-atrix-laptop-screen-firefox-ces-2011
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Why can’t it cost more? Well, because it offers a lot less. As novel an idea as the Atrix 4G Laptop mode is, it makes a weak substitute for a full-fledged netbook. It has a Firefox browser, 15-inch screen, and some basic document editing software (very basic), but doesn’t have great stats for a laptop. The gigabyte of RAM and dual-core processor are great, but the 16GB of internal memory, lack of a Webcam, low desktop resolution, and lack of available applications and games leave a lot to be desired. Since it runs a variant of Android/Linux in its Laptop mode, there are few to no applications built for it yet. Motorola will likely release a few, but unless the concept takes off in a major way, browsing the Web on a big screen with a keyboard is the only major advantage of the Atrix 4G Laptop. But at its current pricing, you could buy a decked out netbook and do a helluva lot more with it for much less money.

Conclusion

While the Atrix 4G + Laptop Dock is definitely a better deal than buying an Atrix 4G (or other Android phone) and a 3G connected Netbook, I can’t see how anyone who wasn’t rich, lazy, desperate, or a combination of the three would choose either option at AT&T’s current data and device prices. The most economical way to go is to buy a $200 Android smartphone like the Atrix 4G and also buy a Wi-Fi netbook like the ASUS Eee PC Seashell Windows 7 Netbook for $315. With some ingenuity, you can find a way to tether your phone and netbook without AT&T’s crazy tethering plan. Even if you do decide to go legit and opt for the $45-a-month tethering plan, it works out to $1,595, a mere $15 for a fully functioning Windows 7 computer that doesn’t need a phone jammed into it to operate.

motorola-atrix-4g-plus-asus-eee-pc
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Atrix 4G + Laptop is one of the coolest ideas we’ve seen, but the only way such a concept will take off is if it’s either A.) much better than a standard netbook and phone separately, or B.) cheaper than the alternatives. Sadly, The Atrix 4G + Laptop Dock is neither.

Jeffrey Van Camp
Former Digital Trends Contributor
As DT's Deputy Editor, Jeff helps oversee editorial operations at Digital Trends. Previously, he ran the site's…
What do IP ratings mean? Waterproof ratings explained

Most flagship phones these days boast some level of water resistance, and you'll find "IP ratings" on everything from the Apple iPhone 16 to the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. But that got us wondering: Just what do manufacturers mean when they use terms like "waterproof" and "water-resistant?" What constitutes a "rugged" device? Just how many times can you drop your phone in the toilet before you can expect it to bite the dust?

As it turns out, some terms that describe a phone's ruggedness are actually standardized, and there's a whole lot more to them than meets the eye. IP ratings measure a device's resistance to water, dust, and other particles, while military specs describe structural integrity. Some certifications are a little less precise than others, but taken together, they give a rough idea of how the best waterproof smartphones will hold up against the elements.

Read more
Amazon Kindle (2024) vs. Kindle (2022): Should you upgrade?
Matcha Kindle (2024) (left) and a black Kindle (2022).

If you enjoy reading, then you probably have an e-reader, such as an Amazon Kindle. Those who just need a basic e-reader are likely to be checking out the base model Kindle, and Amazon just updated the lineup with fresh models.

So how is the new Kindle (2024), especially if you already have the Kindle (2022)? Let’s break it down.

Read more
I already damaged my Apple Watch Series 10
i already damaged my apple watch series 10 dt 1

I don’t think I’m clumsy, but I swing my arms a lot and still grimace every time a smartwatch on my wrist hits an immovable object. Yet, for all this movement, I’ve never managed to deeply scratch or lightly crack an Apple Watch display … until now.

The Apple Watch Series 10 doesn’t have many compromises over the Apple Watch Ultra 2, and I even made the switch permanently before this happened. It’s big, thin, and beautiful, but the Apple Watch Series 10 also uses a less durable protective shield for its display.

Read more