We always want our gadgets to be cool and good-looking aside from being useful. Most of the time, good-looking gadgets are those thin ones with nicely curved bodies. At times though, manufacturers would go out of the usual path and create something unique. And, this is what the Motorola Flipout is all about–a unique smartphone that is different from the usual candy bar style.

The Flipout is not your typical smartphone. It features a small 2.8-inch display which, when flipped out, reveals a QWERTY keyboard. We’re not just talking about a screen sliding upwards when you flip it; we are talking about some unique method where the screen pivots around a point in its bottom right corner and flips around.

The uniqueness of this smartphone, however, seems to end with its form factor. The device is built with a typical 600 MHz Cortex-A8 TI OMAP 3410 processor and runs Android 2.1 Éclair. One good thing though is that, since it’s an Android device, we can root this smartphone to extend its capabilities.

Are you up for some Android hacking action? Read on and check out these easy steps to root your Motorola Flipout.

Reminders

• The rooting method described here will only work with the original Motorola Flipout ROM. If you have installed other ROMs like CyanogenMod, it will not work.
• Just as in rooting other Android devices, the warranty of the device will be voided if you go through this process.

Steps for Rooting

1. Install the Android app called Universal Androot to your phone. This app will take care of the rooting process. There are two methods that you can use for installing the app:
• Desktop method
• Download Universal Androot to your computer. Get it from here. The file is in APK format.
• Connect your phone to your computer using a USB cable.
• Copy the UniversalAndroot.apk file into one of the directories of the Flipout’s internal storage.
• Run your phone’s File Manager app.
• Locate the UniversalAndroot.apk file and tap it to start installing.
• Direct-to-phone method
• Open your phone’s Web browser and download the Universal Androot APK file from this link.
• Save the APK file to your phone.
• Open your phone’s File Manager app.
• Locate the UniversalAndroot.apk file and tap it to start installing.
2. Once the Universal Androot app has been installed on your phone, run the app.
3. The app’s screen will show you two buttons.
4. Click on the “Root” button to root your phone. (The other button is for unrooting, which will put the device back to its unrooted state.)

These instructions should be easy and simple even to ordinary users. If the process is successful, you will have rooted your Motorola Flipout–and you will now have opened your phone to endless possibilities for further customizing your phone.