Motorola ROKR E1 questions answered
posted Sep 14th 2005 12:55PM
As promised, we've got some answers for your Motorola ROKR E1 questions, we tried to hit as many of these as we could:
The speakers are great (for a cellphone), but it's hard to get a decent stereo effect from them since they're less than two inches away from each other.
Bluetooth stereo headphones?
Won't work with them, sad to say, the ROKR E1 doesn't support A2DP or any other stereo Bluetooth profiles.
Sound quality?
Sound quality is superb, among the best we've heard in a musicphone.
Song transfer time?
It took about 42 minutes to transfer 100 songs. The ROKR only has USB 1.1, so it takes an unreasonably long time to copy stuff over.
What happens when you get a call? Does auto-resume work as advertised?
Yup, it does automatically pause when you get a call. Doesn't actually auto-resume when your call is over, you do have to click to have the music restart.
How much memory does the phone have?
It comes with a 512MB TransFlash memory card and a piddly 5MB of internal memory.
Does it sync with iCal?
It syncs with both Address Book and iCal. The E1's datebook can be a little (read: a lot) tough to find.
What is iTunes like synching over Bluetooth?
You can't sync iTunes over Bluetooth.
Can I load more than 100 songs on the memory card?
Yes, you could use a card reader to copy more than 100 songs to the card, but iTunes on the phone won't play them. You'd have to use the phone's other media player.
Is there an unlocked version available?
Not to our knowledge.
Can it sync photos with iPhoto?
Not that we could find.
Can you use songs as ringtones?
No, and it's a little frustrating, too. They probably did this so that Cingular could protect its ringtones business.
My question is what the hell is the rest of the OS like? Does it have a scheduler? A calculator? An alarm clock? Does it have profiles that can be set automatically at different (a feature I loved about my SK2 that I broke without insurance on it!!!) times of the day?
The rest of the OS is pure Motorola, i.e., it's incredibly pedestrian. It does have a scheduler, a calculator, and
an alarm clock. It does not have profiles.
Can it receive email?
Yup.
What kind of address book does it have?
A basic on that's similar to those found in other Motorola phones.
How do you play, pause, stop, rewind, FF songs?
There are two softkeys on the phone, you use the same key to both play and pause songs. You use the mini joystick to fast-forward and rewind, and you can also use that joystick to play songs while you're navigating your collection (just keep clicking to the right).
Can you rate the songs?
Not as far as we could tell.
We got this one wrong, turns out you can: one a reader wrote in to tell us that, "You can rate songs on the ROKR. While a song is playing, press in on the little joystick (like clicking the center button on the iPod) to switch to the rating view. Press up/down on the little joystick to increase/decrease the number of stars. Ratings are synced back to iTunes." Thanks!
Can you bypass the 100 song limit by making one very very very very long song?
Yep.
Can I plug in regular headphones with a 3.5mm jack?
It comes with an adapter so you can use it with regular headphones.
How is the transition from menu to menu? Quick and seamless or kind of slow?
It's far more sluggish than it should be and occasionally is only barely acceptable.
Does the phone have a flight mode/profile that allows the media player to be run with the phone bit switched
off (such as with the W800)?
Yes, it does.
How is the other MP3 player that is built into the ROKR?
The UI is pretty sucky, to be honest, but at least there isn't a cap on the number of songs you can listen to.
How does that other MP3 player interact (if at all) with the iTunes functionality of the phone?
It doesn't at all.
Is it easy to transfer MP3s to the phone outside of the iTunes function?
Not sure how you'd define easy, but you can pop out the TransFlash card and directly copy MP3s from a PC using an SD card reader and a TransFlash card adapter.
Would you buy one of these phones?
Nope.
And now for some pics:
Cingular Media Mall main menu.
iTunes main menu.
The ROKR E1 can display album art while you're listening to a song.
Receiving a call while listening to a song.
The ROKR E1's other media player.
From the back.
ROKR E1 with the battery case remove.
With the battery removed.
Now with the TransFlash card popped out.
ROKR vs. RULR
ROKR vs. the Treo 650.
Legal biz.
i'm gonna get that phone when it comes out! thanks for the answers to the questions!!
I wouldn't touch that phone with a ten foot pole. It just screams, "better versions of me will definitely come out in the near future!"
yo could we hack this and use a bigger flash card like you can do in most flash type mp3 players
Disapointing. Thanks.
I have a correction for one of your answers. You can use a song as a ringtone. The trick is you can't have the song on the memory card. It song has to exist on the 5mb internal memory. It took my buddy and I two days to figure that out.
You're going to buy it? Are you dense, man? It's an overpriced piece of crap.
Apparently illiteracy is more widespread than I thought. Look people, even if you can put more memory in it, it won't do you any good because "iTunes" has an artificial 100 song cap. Even if you put more, "iTunes" won't play them.
Mighty fine Bauhaus album. I for one won't be seeing them this time around since I already saw them in '98 and this year.
I'm really glad I bought the Treo 650 after getting impatient with the iTunes phone. It can play music AND I can control iTunes via Bluetooth with Salling Clicker. Plus this phone looks so 1990's.
Fishes,
narco.
Sony Ericsson's new mp3 phones look fairly decent in comparison, especially with a 2 gig digicam (though I have a far superior stand alone cam, and also have had nothing but bad experiences with both Sony Ericsson and Motorola cell phones)
But meh.. I'll stick to my Treo.. Granted I carry a brick in my pocket, I can play mp3's, surf the web, check email, keep chat logs, add/remove user specific app's, and plus the stylus is great for scratching my ear.
Correction.. 2 gig is supposed to mean 2MP
Here's a question: Could this product SUCK even more? Is there a Darwin award of devices that are DOA?
I was pretty excited when I first heard of the iPod phone a few months ago. I carry my p900 + my iPod with me everywhere I go. The idea of mashing the two together makes me a happy camper. When this was released last week I kept visiting the cingular site, tempted to order. Everything I've read about this phone is pretty lame. Good idea, bad execution. I think I'll wait until the next version comes along.
I still believe that the general public will buy the phone in droves because:
1. of the massive marking effort by Cingular
2. they don't really understand that there are better phones out there.
I also carry a brick (XV6600), it plays as many songs as I can fit on my 1GB SD card.
Ruben: Did the trolls at /. kick you off of their street corner send you over here? Enough with the banal comments already. You don't even troll very well.
Thanks for posting these answers, Engadget. I think this kind of drives the nails in the coffin before this thing really had much of a life. I have zero interest in this phone, now. The ability to sync with iTunes and have that Apple interface is just lipstick on the pig, in my opinion.
I was pretty excited when I first heard of the iPod phone a few months ago. I carry my p900 + my iPod with me everywhere I go. The idea of mashing the two together makes me a happy camper. When this was released last week I kept visiting the cingular site, tempted to order. Everything I've read about this phone is pretty lame. Good idea, bad execution. I think I'll wait until the next version comes along.
Meh... that iTune phone is sooo 2 years old (:P feels weird to talk like a teenager). My dad's W800i is much better.
I wouldn't touch that phone with a ten foot pole. It just screams, "better versions of me will definitely come out in the near future!"
--
Wow.. it's almost as if.. you could apply such a statement to any consumer product ever released into a competitive market.. amazing logic.
Solution: never buy anything ever again, and you won't have to worry about being 'suckered' into buying a product that will quickly become out of date!
;)
itunes phone = crap
Maybe it's just me but this phone sucks. I know that Apple has zero experience with designing a cell phone from the ground up but they should have done it anyways. I just can't stand Motorola's OS and this phone just simply isn't that good. I realize that I probably had rediculously high expectations for this phone, but who didn't? I would much rather have a W800 or K750. I know they're not perfect either, but at least they have a good camera and nice OS.
Why didn't you guys answer one of most important question:
Battery Life!
There were many predictions that this would be the real reason it sucks. Are they right?
So basicly it is slightly skined Motorola E398 with one more key (that on the right side of usual moto-menu key) and dedicated player for drm'ed music files. That's all. I own Moto E398, and it should not take more than one week to get flash/flex files from ROKR for use with Motorola PST - just to make my E398 iTunes-capable... Just do some googling next week :-)
I think its crappy by design. It has the look of a test market product. Apple doesn't really want to release a product which has the capability of really cutting into it's big money making product line.
Good idea, poor execution. I hope it opens the doors for a slew of better products in the next generation.
"I know that Apple has zero experience with designing a cell phone from the ground up but they should have done it anyways."
They have no reason to do so - their job is to sell iPods. There's no doubt in my mind that they purposely allowed/encouraged Motorola to screw up this phone (with their knowledge or not) so that:
a) iPods keep selling, and Apple makes more money
and
b) Apple "proves" to the world that there is no great demand for music on cell phones when nobody buys this phone
In six months Apple can look at the sales of this phone and say "well, we tried, and we have 80% market share, so good luck to the rest of you." It is really, really going to discourage anybody else from trying to make a phone like this using another service. And it's going to keep Apple in the business of what they do best, which is make and sell music players.
(And yes, that's a not-so-subtle dig at the other stuff they do.)
One little addition to my post - I didn't mean to suggest there won't be improvements to this phone or that there won't be another iTunes phone. But if there is a next time, it's going to be on Apple's terms. I really think they're trying to make a point with this phone more than anything else, while showing the world that it's still the iPod/standalone player form factor that matters in digital music, not the phone.
And there I was hoping for a white RAZR with integrated iTunes, and what does Motorola come up with? A recycled (still dog-ugly) piece of crap with the lamest features around.
- I want a Sony Ericsson W800 now but I'm poor so I might buy the W600 if the price is right.
Lame Lame Lame Lame Lame Lame ... and don't let me forget - LAME!
What is the big deal here? SO WHAT? - It tremendously unimpressive that there is a 100 song limit... I have used my Treo 600 & 650 to play hundreds of songs via downloadable software... why in the WORLD would I want this device? - To pay $2.00 per song... - To be limited to 100 songs? - I am simply disappointed. This is no revolutionary product! - and for that matter - neither is the Nano - but at least its an improved form factor - oh well - I guess this is all I could expect from the tech world when Microsoft puts out 7 (count em 7) versions of Windoze "Vista." I feel sick..... and thinking of this makes me feel worse!
A friend of mine from Europe brought over the SE W800 and laughed when he saw the ROKR. Not only is it not fugly, but the interface is much slicker and, most importantly, there's no limit on how many songs you can have! I don't even get why people are calling the ROKR a "significant failure", as it's not even groundbreaking, in comparison to the phones that already play mp3s, and better than the ROKR. Ugh.
Wow, looks like my thinking was true; Verizon's LG 8100 really is a better phone save for one thing: it requires proprietary headphones, or an adapter (which neither I nor people on the forums have found yet...and no, the ebay ones don't work properly)... I'm hoping the E1's adapter will work. Still, given all the crap that the E1 puts you through, the 8100 is a pretty good phone, given it's 512mb internal memory, and it's video support (I have a million episodes of Family Guy stuffed onto my mini SD card...) Anyway, I'm sticking with my 8100... You guys should do an in-depth comparison with the E1! :)
-Taylor
Have you reviewed the Sony Ericsson K750i?
It does a much better job as a music phone, has auto resume as well, so after the call you can carry on listening to your music or the radio.
Oh, and it takes Memory Sticks, so you can put up to 2GB in there for your music. Over a USB2 link, which makes it complete in a reasonable time.
And it has a nice 2MP camera.
You can also flash it to the W800i firmware as well.
So what is the hype about?
It doesn't play songs as ringtones to protect Cingular's ringtone biz. It doesn't get songs over the air to protect someone else's core model, it doesnt' work as a a real iPod (100 effing songs?) to protect Apple's biz.
Everyone agrees that these are the features everyone wants and cares about, and everyone agrees that we aren't being sold them to protect the core business of the companies involved.
In the real world, someone would come out - in fact, already would have - to serve this obvious and substantial consumer demand. Wouldn't it seem that the fact that this isn't happening was pretty determinative that the cell market is operating as a coercive monopoly in restraint of trade and thereby harming the consumer? It's just maddening.
i dunno
im pretty shure i wont get it
BUT i an gurentee some dude with too much time on there hands will hack the firmware
and then it can hold X amount of songs ( as much as fits on a SD card)
just my opnion
if theres a will
there a way
As disheartening to read as this was, I'm glad you managed to get through all the questions. I was sort of interested in the phone before the launch, less so after the launch, and now I'm positive I don't want one of these things.
Why do we keep moving backwards in usability and features as time moves on? No Bluetooth headphone support? USB 1.1? 100 song cap? VGA quality camera?
My 2 year old Nokia 6230 is more advanced than this ROKR is.
42 minutes to transfer 100 songs.. I wonder if it's extra slow because it's a phone, or is that really as fast as USB 1.1 will go?
I'm thinking about getting an iPod nano, even though my powerbook doesn't have USB 2.0. But if it's going to take me 420 minutes to put the 1000 songs on then forget it!
Not to pick nits but this phone SHOULD have profiles under the Styles menu.. just not many..
Silent, Loud, Soft, Vibrate, Vibe then Ring, Vibe and Ring
Silent and Vibrate don't play music but you can arrange all the notification sounds to however you like on the rest.
http://www.geektec.net/archives/2005/09/04/sony-ericsson-w800i-review/
My Sony Ericsson W800i whips this Motorla llama's ass.
Bluetooth, USB 2.0, 2 megapixel camera, FM radio, and I can play as many songs as I want.
I purchased the E1 phone, not or the iTunes capability, but for it's bright, easy to read display and it's superb speakerphone quality. I used the bluetooth to transfer the address book from my powerbook g4 without difficulty. Previously I had a Sony-Ericsson phone which was a great disapointment and the Sony cost more than the Motorola E1. From previous articles that I have read, Apple will not receive any substantial money from the sale of this phone, irregardless of if the phone sells well or not.
So what's wrong with the Nokia 6230i? I have a 1 GB MMC card that I use to dump playlists from itunes (and apparently with badapple software I can even autosync to the MMC card or the phone connected by USB). It's a pain to find songs, but I usually use it when I run so it's in a pocket somewhere or in its case and on shuffle mode. I never got the point of the ROKR.
This product is an anti-climax. Apple should design a phone from the ground up. It should allow you to design your own themes, use your own songs as ringtones ( you've already paid for them!), have integrated address books and iCal, Mail and all should work via bluetooth. We don't need no stinkin' wires!
#34:
"you've already paid for them!"
Riiiiiiiiiiiiight... Of course we have... Every single song....
Had my SMT-5600 for a year now.
Perfect and seamless sync with MediaPlayer.
Super fast UI, all the different software you can imagine. Only flash card size limits number of files.
/J
42 minutes? Even over USB 1.1, 512MB should take more like 4.2 minutes. Something's very wrong there.
I offer a challenge to the hackers/modders out there. Everyone is saying that the iPod nano plus RAZR would be thinner than this phone. I dare them to take out the components of both devices, vacuumform a case, and create a usable device. Let the phone and the iPod each retain their original interface. Extra points if you can transfer data and charge through one standard USB cable. (Squeese in a hub.)
#36 - the point of the itunes phone is that you have paid for your songs. you can put your non-drm songs on almost any phones, but this one supports itunes drm. so anyone who's enough of a sucker to buy this phone probably also paid for all their music
Thanks for the answers and the pics... esp. the pic of the other media player... it looks pretty bad, but at least (as you said) can play more than 100 songs.
This phone is riddled with issues and concerns... and those pics from the back with the TransFlash card removed, it looks like the Moto engineers were using the first N-Gage to design a phone... sheesh! Did they not visit sidetalkin.com during the development of this phone? Maybe we'll soon see the ROKR QD... he he
Seriously, still waiting for a Treo 670 (Windows Mobile). I've got a couple of iPods already that I don't mind carrying around in addition to my cell phone.
"I'm really glad I bought the Treo 650 after getting impatient with the iTunes phone. It can play music AND I can control iTunes via Bluetooth with Salling Clicker. Plus this phone looks so 1990's. "
.
.
Like the Treo 650 is some kind of fashion statement? Please.
.
.
.
"Maybe it's just me but this phone sucks."
Now there's a pearl of brilliance. Have you not read the others posts on this phone? Almost no one likes the thing. Saying it sucks is nothing new--only about 5000 other geeks have said as much.
.
.
I have been waiting forever for this phone. And no, it is not perfect, but I love it. I am a hardcore Mac user, therefore hardcore iTunes user ... not every phone out there plays AACs, and no other phone but this plays protected AACs (.m4p). Although the Sony Walkman phone is superior, the ability to sync to my music collection was more important to me. The ROKR is a solid phone, I gave up a Treo 650 for my ROKR. Again, it is not for everyone, not hardcore cellphone users. But any hardcore Mac user will be happy to have a fully-compatiable iTunes phone. Yes, they will improve if not totally redesign this phone someday. But I waited long enough, was sick of my Treo, and this phone is the best sounding phone I have ever heard (for both music and voice calls). Just know the phone is not as bas as people think, it is just not what people wanted. (I did buy a black nano as well!)
But is the bluetooth crippled?!?! Can you send files to other phones without having to pay some ridiculous fee to use there network?
Does anybody ever think to mention that my Samsung SCH-i730 already does all of that without any of the restrictions and so much more as well, as have all of the PocketPC Phones before it?! What's the big deal with that phone anyway?!
Just as I thought--too much Moto, not enough Apple in this phone. I really hope that this model is just a learning experience, and that someday we will get a real Apple phone which captures the completeness of design that Apple is famous for.
This thing is like some kid dropping $5000 in stereo gear in his Honda Civic--It may sound great, but all the hot chicks would still rather ride in an Aston Martin any day.
Everyone thinks that these cell phones are the future. I'm not so sure. If you think about it, affordable coast-to-coast wifi might be here before the 2nd or 3rd Gen phones that can really function the way we really want them to are available. When that happens, the tiny client takes over, and the cell phone as we know it is dead, isn't it?
Maybe Steve Jobs secretly realizes he doesn't want to be caught riding on a dying horse. Perhaps there will never be an Apple iPhone the way we are all predicting.
Apple thinks: Well, we don't want to cannibalize the shuffle, and we don't really care how many ROKR's we sell, Moto just wants our name, so it's only for the REAL addicts, and I-have-too-much-money's will buy this right away, so lets wait to use our own design...yeah.
Methinks: I'd rather buy someone else's machine, I'm not attached to iTunes like a drunk to a bottle.
Music phones are the new cam-phone and probably will cannibalize iPod's in the interest of pocket-space. Personally, I'm waiting for a mp3 phone with 60GB for $450...and it doesn't look like the original cell-phone.
This Ruben Kalath character is a real genius! The Rokr is ideal for him.
iPod nano + Razr + Double sided tape = Higher quality phone, higher quality MP3 Player, and it's cheaper than the ROKR.
I said it before, I'll say it again...
How to make the ROKR not suck:
1. Use the Samsung i300 as the platform, instead.
2. Use the Samsung i300 with the nano/Samsung 4gb flash module as the platform, instead.
3. Forget the ROKR ever happened.
Someone buying a $250 Motorola ROKR plus a 2 year Cingular subscription is not the same consumer buying an iPod Shuffle. Apple should be smart enough to realize that and drop any ridiculous claims that iPod-like phones cut into Shuffle sales. The Shuffle is for: a.) consumers who are cheap; b.) consumers who cannot afford a better iPod; c.) people who want portable music and the iPod experience but do not want to damage an expensive item like a more capable-yet-more-fragile iPod while exercising or other activities; d.) children who requested an iPod but their parents don't want the kids breaking an expensive iPod; or e.) people using public transportation and do not want to be mugged.
What about the video capabilities of the ROKR? Cingular pays lip service to it but I haven't seen any info on it. That's what I'd like answered.
For me, Motorola blew it. Like the rest of the market, I want a RAZR with iTunes capabilities. And when you do release it, Motorola, offer some way to cripple the prohibition against using AAC+Fairplay songs as ringtones. People buying this phone aren't the ones gullible enough to buy ringtones of 50 Cent from Cingular for $2 a pop when they can get the full track for $0.99 from the iTunes Store. (And yes, I see the irony of a music artist named 50 Cent and arguing over download prices).
Oh, and get T-Mobile to offer the phone too. Cingular may be the largest (GSM) cell phone provider in the States, but most of us existing Cingular (*cough* AT&T Wireless *cough*) customers hate the company and would like to switch.
It still cheeses me off that SBC with its monopoly money was able to provide Cingular with the monies necessary to swipe AT&T Wireless away from Vodafone's offer. Getting Vodafone here in the States as a GSM provider and dumping its interest in Verizon Wireless would have been a boon to us consumers. Vodafone with its worldwide size could've delivered phones cheaper than Cingular can.
Dear #47:
Please keep your humor under control. The other people at work look at me funny when I laugh aloud at statements like "hardcore Mac user, therefore hardcore iTunes user".
How "hardcore" could an itunes user possibly be? I guess if your idea of an extreme sport is wrestling with the controls of a program that uses way too much memory without providing the functionality of Winamp, then you'd be pretty hardcore.
I'm always amazed people whine about the Moto OS... but nobody ever gives details, acknowledges changes made, or generally has a clue.
bottom line: phone for SUKRs
I just got the ROKR and am quite stoked on it. I find myself playing music through the built-in speakers and tossing it on the table while jammin' out - I've gotten more use out of it than my iPod and now I only carry one device. It may not be perfect, but it sure is useful for my needs.
You're an idiot if you buy this fugly handicap phone. It is all hypes. And who the heck pays for tunes anyway. Google is your friend when searching for free music.
I have a Gig of music on my Audiovox SMT 5600, plus a whole lot more functionality that I can get on this. And when they perfect the 2 GIG CD Mini, I'll have 2 Gig of storgage. And the Audiovox is FREE if you do your internet homework.
I was hoping the ROKR E1 would be more than it is. Maybe the next version will be better. Maybe.
42 minutes to transfer 100 songs
coolllll, if we were in 1998
Really sad how this is the best Apple could do! Also Motorola OS sucks.. it's so slow.. I own a RAZR right now and the only reason I still have it is because it looks cool. Can't wait for Nokia N90.
I'm a Mac guy too (duh) and I gotta say:
#47 is a nutjob :)
The Walkman Phone (W800i specifically) is a music phone. Plays AACs too. Sounds *Really Really good*
This..."ROKR"...thing...
Is a big ol' piece of poop.
Sounds like big hype for a crappy phone. Oh well.l.
Great tunes though. Bauhaus rocks.
How long before someone hacks itunes to allow it to play more than 100 songs? I'm guessing someone's already done it.
IMO, you can't get better than a windows smartphone like the SMT-5600 and its successors (the rocker joystick-thing had to go). Like it or not, everyone's familiar with the Windows UI, and beats the heck out of these blackberry-esque UIs all the mobile manufacturers insist on ruining their phones with.
The phone isn't really that good at all. If you want an mp3 playing phone with ipod interface, you should just go for K750i i.e. and have someone cook up a java ipod. Then again, maybe our compadres in the great U.S. can't get the SE (or?).
How's about supergluing an iPod Nano to the back of a RAZR for a much neater solution ? :-)
Ugh - I have a e398 and while it's pretty nice for game compatability and sound quality, the processor is too weak for what it needs to do, and the interface is pretty awful for managing music, not to mention a huge lack of options(like equalizers, easy access to repeat/shuffle etc). It's a solid phone that suits my needs well enough(e398 base), but unless you can get it on the cheap, you'd be choosing this phone solely because you don't want to "convert" your iTunes purchases to something more humane like MP3.
Way to add an "original" comment MrMonkey. Or did you simply read this? http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/portable/the-big-nano-update-125065.php
ROKR? I think you mean HOOKR...
http://mashable.com/2005/09/12/is-the-ipod-nano-too-thin/
My W800i rocks the ROKR! Seriously, this is one ugly piece of crap!
what a bunch of children. is the phone insanely great? no. Is it a good, midrange phone with itunes? yes. sure, it's $250, but it's got a 512mb transflash card. 80 bucks a pop. headphones. cable. charger. if you want to pick up an ipod, you have to drop dough for the pod, cable, and any other accessories. this is an all in one package. i've used the phone; its not bad, as one who's spent too damn much time selling phones. i'm gonna get an e398, whether flashing to E1 works or not, cuz it IS a decent phone. and for the person knocking the shuffle? it's a keychain drive and a music player in one. for someone constantly bouncing around, it's nice to have. i'm a college student and it's exactly what i need. storage space AND tunes. no cables.
OK, I bought the phone. I also have purchased PB 5300's, PB140, and Power Mac VX computers in the past (all poor choices). I'm not knocked out by the phone ... But, I'll keep it. The iTunes/Phone comb is good for me, as I travel a bunch, and it's small.
The ROKR is:
Slow
Has an odd phone GUI
Oh, yeah ... It's also, slow ...
But at least the documentation sucks ...
I have read around regarding this phone so I wasn't expecting much when I got it home this afternoon. It feels slight bigger in the hand than my old Sony E T630, looks dated but not nasty. Took about 2 hours to charge up full. I thought the sound is adequate in a cute way. Stop grumbling, you can get this phone for free off the O2 network here. Enjoy it for a year or so, when the real iPhone comes out chuck it in the bin.
I have a W800. It is, without being over the top, the best phone I have ever had. From what I have read, it is clearly a much better choice than the ROKR.
It's also a very pretty piece of kit. The photos you find online and the plastic dummies in store do not do it justice. Very solid build, very small, very sexy.
What's more, I am very impressed with the 2 megapixel camera WITH auto focus. It is exactly the same phone as the K750, just with a new skin, the Walkman music player software and a bigger memory stick as standard. So the pics are just as good.
Oh, and one final thing. Your music kicks straight back in when your call ends on the W800. I CANNOT BELIEVE the ROKR doesn't do this. I'd expect this to be standard for any phone that seriously considers itself to be a true music phone.
W800 = very good.
ROKR = sounds dodgy.
Why aren't you able to play the ROKR through a stereo system just like any other iPod. This would really make the phone more appealing to people. Is it the software that limits this or something in the connector.....how does it know the difference? Does anyone know of a fix for this? Thanks.
Most of the built-in memory are used up by the built-in picture, video and sounds. It only leaves around 1.5M space for ringtone (coz music stored on the SD card cannot used as ringtone.)
Is there any way to remove some built-in picture, video so that more spaces can be available for ringtone?
Or is there any trick such that the phone can access ringtone through the SD memory?
Whats with all the bashing? I realize everyone has their opinions, but come on.
Ok so I have seen qite a few say the W800 is better, well maybe it is, but not everyone can use this for as there is no 850mhz.
I personally could care less about a camera in my phone. I own a 3mp camera already.
Now I will agree motorola could have added better features, but this would have raised the cost of the phone.
We can't blame motorola alone, this is a three way venture, Apple put the limit on the phone for 2 reasons, (1) Shuffle sales, (2) They want the phone to fail, Apple does not believe in combining products.
Cingular is the carrier and lets face it wireless providers drop a lot of phone features.
As for the design of the phone well its small and compact the screen looks greeat and I get good signal. It does a better job than my V551 and My friens black V3. Again I'll agree there are other phones that are better but most of the mp3 players are either 2 costly or they are triband with no 850mhz. And if Motorola had made this in the form of the razor most of you bashing it would have jumped on it.
Now as for the 100 song limit well, iTunes sucks even on my computer, so a simple java mp3 player and now I am only limited by memory.
And i'll bet that when the razr with iTunes comes out it will also be capped at 100 songs.
I have a correction for one of your answers. You can use a song as a ringtone. The trick is you can't have the song on the memory card. It song has to exist on the 5mb internal memory. It took my buddy and I two days to figure that out.
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Please tell us how you did this.
many thx~
I bought the phone, and it works really well. I know it isn't groundbreaking or whatever, but it works like it said and since I use iTunes for everything the ease of connection (minus being slow) is great. It also syncs with iSync over bluetooth fairly quickly, which is essential for me.
Total Geeks may rule this phone out, but it's great for the average mac-loving guy.
I bought the phone, and it works really well. I know it isn't groundbreaking or whatever, but it works like it said and since I use iTunes for everything the ease of connection (minus being slow) is great. It also syncs with iSync over bluetooth fairly quickly, which is essential for me.
Total Geeks may rule this phone out, but it's great for the average mac-loving guy.
Making a ring tone is easy from a mac, just send the file to the phone using bluetooth file exchange. I take the bit rate way down and cut the song up so it doesn't take too much memory, but it's pretty easy to do.
For all your doubters out there here are some notes about the ROKR. The iTunes player is actually a Java app which means it could run on any phone (with the right security certificates). Motorola did not want to commit to a new phone first time round as the carriers had to be persuaded to take it at all. The 100 song interface was imposed by Apple to protect the shuffle - it was going to be 25 songs! Set it to autofil whilst you charge at work and you don't notice (mains charger connector plugged into side of USB lead). Battery life allows you to play all 100 songs. The speed limit for loading songs is not the USB, but the current transflash card read/write hardware. The guess is that Apple wanted a spoiler to prevent others from taking the market as they know they can't get regulatory approval for a phone just like that. As for the RAZR with iTunes - start writing your letters to Father Christmas and be good now!
I already have a very nice digicam, a couple cool iPods, and a couple nice mobile phones. But I really like this phone, It feels great, sounds great, and looks great too. I don't understand why you guys are ripping it. 100 song limit? Yeah, but it's not meant to be your only music source. Will there be better versionsin thenear future? Hell yeah. But tell me your car, computer, TV or any other device you own hasn't been improved two months after you bought it. The ROKR simply Rocks!
For those who are wondering how to get a mp3 to a ringtone for the ROKR, put the USB Cable in the phone, goto my computer after iTunes loads up, goto moblie then to ringtones, then put the song you want as a ringtone in that area, take the USB connection off and goto the media area then sounds then use the menu then switch storrage, to the card then move it to the phone via the menu botton, then you should be good. If you need any help with this E-Mail me at
-Wengel21@yahoo.com
P.S.- Quit your complaining about the phone, big frickin deal phones a phone. Best suited for a Average Joe. and you can exceed the amount of songs you can have on it.
do u need mac to set files as ringtones i really want my songs as ringtones i dnt understand people been so negative about this phone i think it luks gd its light n a 100 songs is enough for me afta all its a phone
I owned this phone. Yes, I know this is a slow phone.
On the comparison...
If you compared this E398 based phone with W800i, you wrong. E398 come out at Mid 2004 along with K700, so you know how to compared them.
A phone with under US$170 (Without that 512MB TFlash expensive Memory) is not really expensive as this phone is cheaper than K500. W800i is about US$450. Nah, how you can compared them?
I thought the better comparison is W800i vs e680i, and e680i is US$100+ cheaper.
Best regards,
_Indra_
Can the ringtones that come on the phone be ereased to free up some space? Also can the video be changed to a longer capture than the 25 secs that it does now?
I just got my Rokr, for free with 2 year contract. I have no need for 2 or 20 gb of music, but having 80-100 songs on me at all times will come in handy when I have time to kill in lines/waiting rooms/walking the dog. No disappointments with performance so far, only the incompetence of T-Mobile in porting my number. I know better versions will come out later, but I actually like the design and I absolutely abhor flip phones, which I fear the next version will be. Its not an IPod, nor was it intended to be, but since all my music is on Itunes, the corresponding interfaces make it a lot easier to put what I want on it, compared to other mp3 phones where I would have to hunt around my mac finding music files the hard way.
I am trying to determine how to get the pics I've taken with this phone transferred onto my PC, any ideas? Do I have to email them to myself or can I just transfer them? Any ideas would be great. Thanks.
I got a question, my motorola e1 phone saids 50 song limit, but i see everywhere else saying 100 limit. Wat the ....? Someone wanan explain?
I've got a ROKR this weekend. Somehow while playing MP3 the thing stops because the "format is not recognized". This happens to about 80% of my MP3s (which play on any MP3-player). Someone recognizes this or is it just me?
*** article correction ***
im not sure if anyone else has pointed this out, as i did not read through all the 93 comments. it is possible to use your own songs for the ringtone on this phone. allow me to explain the process.
first, while in the "my computer" view in windows select the drive that your phone is on to open its contents. copy your own mp3 file to either the ringtone or audio directory. after doing this, disconnect and select the sound menu for the phone (the built in moto mp3 player..but in the list view before you play a file...not the ringtones section or the itunes) and bring up your menu button. select "switch storage device" and change it to your transflash card. after doing so, go back and it will list out all the audio files stored on the card. select the file you want to be your new ringtone and bring up the menu button again. select "move" and select "phone" as the destination. now exit out of everything and go into your audio settings where you would normally change the ring tone. BAM! your new file is now added to the list and you can select it as a ringtone.
again, sorry if this has already been explained, i just saw in the article it said you couldnt use your own mp3s, and although its tricky it is possible and working (for me). i hope this helps anyone out there as this would have helped me greatly when trying to figure it out myself!
- acduke
im not sure if anyone else has pointed this out, as i did not read through all the 93 comments. it is possible to use your own songs for the ringtone on this phone. allow me to explain the process.
first, while in the "my computer" view in windows select the drive that your phone is on to open its contents. copy your own mp3 file to either the ringtone or audio directory. after doing this, disconnect and select the sound menu for the phone (the built in moto mp3 player..but in the list view before you play a file...not the ringtones section or the itunes) and bring up your menu button. select "switch storage device" and change it to your transflash card. after doing so, go back and it will list out all the audio files stored on the card. select the file you want to be your new ringtone and bring up the menu button again. select "move" and select "phone" as the destination. now exit out of everything and go into your audio settings where you would normally change the ring tone. BAM! your new file is now added to the list and you can select it as a ringtone.
again, sorry if this has already been explained, i just saw in the article it said you couldnt use your own mp3s, and although its tricky it is possible and working (for me). i hope this helps anyone out there as this would have helped me greatly when trying to figure it out myself!
- acduke
****
yeah well i did that and it worked but when i preview the ringtone in the audio settings section all it does is vibrate it doesnt play the song
its really pissing me off please help
1)Does the USB data cable come with the box? or you gotta perchase it serpatly?
2) Can you use a memory card bigger than 512MB?
About adding your own ringtones...I did everything said- but every song I try it says it's either 'unrecognizable' or not a 'supported format'. I have made sure that they have all been .wav's or mp3s. Any ideas at all?
******
And to the guy who wanted to know if the USB cable comes with- yes it does.
It seems that the reason ROKR stops playing some mp3s when you use the motorola music program is that it only supports bitrates up to 160 kbps.
It might say that in the manual somewhere but only sissies read those. It's a nice, handy little gizmo but hardly impressive. If I could find an update to the firmware to add shuffle to the native (not iTunes) mp3 player and make it support higher bitrates I could say I'm a happy customer. As it is, I'm not really angry, but am a hair's breadth away from returning it.
Ahh.. the smell of business success. A dissatisfied customer who wasn't quite irate enough to injure the salesman by violently returning the product. Then again, everyone else seems to be taking these foibles with less patience then I.
I buy Rokr E1 from Pakistan. It is unlocked and having 256MB of Trans-Menory Card. Previously I was using Motorola E398. Rokr E1 is the same Like E398. But its the movie making option is new. It cannot make movie more than a minute. t cannot record sound like E398. 262K colours does not make any distinguish from 64K colour of E398.
Sound System is Same as E398.
Unlimited Movie making option is not found.
The Sim slot covered by strip like E398. It easily unfixed and damage if you try to change your SIM frequently. I got damaged this on E398. SIM Should be insert into a rake or tray like Nokia sets.
Is there any software which play video Landscape
like Smart Movie Player for Nokia sets?
I recently tried to dowonload songs to save as ringtones (thanks to all that explained this extremely frustrating process), but when I finally reached the "Move" command, the screen read "insufficent storage" There is a flash card installed. Any ideas?
to previous, i think it is because the song you have selected to become the ringtone is larger than 5mb, therefore you cant transfer it to the phone itself
i got 2 questions if anyone could answer for me
1) club lights? i can't seem to figure out what they're for and it's not in the manual or whatnot
2) how do delete the ringtones from your phone directory