Motorola has updated the Atrix handset, bumping the specs and cunningly calling it the Motorola Atrix 2. The new handset has been announced on AT&T in the US at CTIA in San Diego.

The Motorola Atrix 2 will give you a 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM and 8GB memory with the option to expand further via microSD.

The screen sees an increase over the original Atrix, adding 0.3 inches to gives you a 4.3-inch display, with a sharp 960 x 540 pixels equating to 256ppi, challenging the likes of the HTC Sensation XE.

You'll be able to capture video at full HD resolution and easily output it via HDMI, something that was pushed on the previous Atrix. In addition to HDMI mirroring, the Atrix will also benefit from various docks: the Lapdock 100 and the HD Station.

These docks are designed to expand the remit of your phone; as we saw with the original Atrix, the Lapdock will let you use the computing power of your phone to handle various applications based around a full browser experience.

As previously, Motorola fancies the Atrix as a business device as well as a consumer power house. As such it offers microSD encryption, "enterprise-grade VPN" and features like remote wipe.

Around the back you'll find an 8-megapixel camera which joins a front facing camera. It will be launching on Android 2.3 and offers the usual range of connectivity, topping out with HSPA+ 21.1Mbps.

As we saw with the Motorola Defy+ recently, the interface has been tinkered with, giving you customisable shortcuts across the bottom of the display, rather than the past arrangement that wasn't very efficient with space. We've been told this is also coming to the old Atrix, so the appeal here really is the increased screen size - we're yet to discover exactly which chipset it contains and whether this will offer more power than its predecessor. 

No word on UK pricing or availability, but as we've seen in the past, phones launched in the US don't take long to drift over to our blessed shores.