Motorola ROKR E2 is official

We've been hearing details about this phone for ages, but it looks like Motorola finally ROLD out their latest ROKR musicphone, the ROKR E2. We already mentioned earlier today that it'll be one of the first Moto handsets to support iRadio and that it (frustratingly) won't have iTunes like its elder brother, the ROKR E1, but what we also now know is that the E2 will have USB 2.0 (the E1 was cursed with USB 1.1), up to 2GB of storage courtesy of an SD memory card slot (SD cards being cheaper and easier to find than TransFlash cards), a 1.3 megapixel digital camera, a proper 3.5mm headphone jack, support for Bluetooth stereo headphones, a 2-inch, 320 x 240 pixel LCD display, built-in FM tuner, and no ridiculous cap on the number of songs you can fit on its memory card. Should be out sometime in the first half of 2006. Translation: the E2 will hit the States in June, if we're lucky.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this one in]

[Elliot Hosch @ Jan 3rd 2006 2:57PM]

This Looks even more crappy than the ROKR e1, go to iphone.org, I would wait if you want a media cell phone, I will.

[homer J @ Jan 3rd 2006 3:00PM]

Yawn....

[shortexperiment @ Jan 3rd 2006 3:02PM]

Wow. That iTunes phone experiment didn't last very long.

[khamel @ Jan 3rd 2006 3:04PM]

i have an ipod and use itunes for my music and i still don't understand why i would want a phone to have itunes as well? my smt5600 has windows media player and its more than suitable. i could go for some usb 2.0 and maybe a better camera but besides that i don't really see the fuss.

[dave9000 @ Jan 3rd 2006 3:04PM]

No iTunes but still the iTunes button/key?

[Chiablo @ Jan 3rd 2006 3:05PM]

Introducing the ROKR E2



"Yea, it still sucks!"

[Gordy @ Jan 3rd 2006 3:05PM]

Nice.



It's good to see they learned from all of those design complaints.

[chris @ Jan 3rd 2006 3:06PM]

and it's still ugly...

[Tom @ Jan 3rd 2006 3:07PM]

Man, moto, you really know how to delay, delay, delay.

[cyclingplatypus @ Jan 3rd 2006 3:08PM]

Without support for iTunes it really is just another cell phone joining the ranks with all of the other cell phones that play music, a 2GB ROKR with iTunes integration is really what the ROKR1 should've been.

[A.W. @ Jan 3rd 2006 3:10PM]

Who freakin cares.. another bland moto...



>>1. Yawn....



my thoughts exactly..

[unreal mccoy @ Jan 3rd 2006 3:11PM]

so is that it for the itunes/motorola marriage?

[sam @ Jan 3rd 2006 3:16PM]

I know that this is a computer mock up, but i do see an itunes key to the bottom left of the joystick

[Conrad Quilty-Harper @ Jan 3rd 2006 3:18PM]

WTF? ROKR without iTunes?

[ChillyWilly @ Jan 3rd 2006 3:20PM]

What this really sounds like is that Moto put together the first ROKR E1 as a giant F-U to Apple, putting so many limits on it.... then saving all of the good stuff for it's next model.



At least that's my take on it.

[ragnar @ Jan 3rd 2006 3:21PM]

Yawn, that's like so 2 years ago.



And can somebody explain me why on earth there is no iTunes software here? What's the deal?

[Jacob @ Jan 3rd 2006 3:22PM]

Note to Motorola's CEO:



Maybe publicly trashing your software partner's flagship product *isn't* the greatest idea. (Especially when Steve Jobs is involved.)



Just a thought.

[Pedro @ Jan 3rd 2006 3:26PM]

without itunes support... i am not so sure i want one

[TZK @ Jan 3rd 2006 3:26PM]

I think iTunes was depreciating the value, anyway. Just release the E3 and you may redeam yourselves. Moto, that is.

[Robert Aitchison @ Jan 3rd 2006 3:28PM]

I wonder if it's no coincidence that the 100 song cap is gone and that it doesn't support iTunes.



I've heard rumors that Apple mandated the 100 song cap so the original ROKR could not be a viable competitor for it's super-profitable iPod, this development supports that idea.

[JL @ Jan 3rd 2006 3:34PM]

Personally, it would be nice if someone made a device that wasn't dependent on proprietary software (using the same criticism that's leveled against M$ associated products).



Not impressed with iTunes as it is, so I personally think it's a good thing Moto ditched it..

[XGM @ Jan 3rd 2006 4:03PM]

I relly dont know whats the big hype with iTunes, i find it pretty gay if u ask me. If id want a phone with a camera, mp3 player etc... id go with a pda phone. Bigger screen a whole lot more that i can do with it.

[JVijil @ Jan 3rd 2006 4:10PM]

wow i would have gone for the black one posted earlier last week....

[Phil @ Jan 3rd 2006 4:12PM]

where is that nokia n91 already? i have been saving up for it and i want it now!

[Joe @ Jan 3rd 2006 5:02PM]

I hate peoples' fascination with the mediocre. Want a digital camera? Buy a nice digital camera. Want a phone? Buy a nice phone. Want am MP3 player? Buy a nice MP3 player. Why settle for less-than-stellar options just because it comes in one ugly device?

[Steve @ Jan 3rd 2006 5:06PM]

This phone really sucks the big one. I was praying that this was just a mean spirited practical joke. I warned Motorola not to bring this phone out, now they will suffer another colossal failure.

[Vimal @ Jan 3rd 2006 6:00PM]

Erm i just dont know what the idea behind this design is and why anyone would like it, id be happy to talk to the person who actually desgined this or EVEN let such handset to be realeased, to see what is actually going on in thier heads. Is it really that hard to produce a decent looking device?

[Christopher Kalanderopoulos @ Jan 3rd 2006 6:08PM]

Looks like they paid a little homage to the iPod with this model...



Look at the send and end buttons and the little light portion to each side of it. Looks like the trademark iPod headphones, does it not?

[Digger Phelps @ Jan 3rd 2006 6:48PM]

"Hello moto?"



"yes."



"Your sh!t is teh fugly! Click."

[speedbacon @ Jan 3rd 2006 6:57PM]

People that want to carry around 3+ devices around them (audio player, phone, camera, box of tissues to wipe tears, etc) need to shut the hell up. Just like each seperate unit evolved over time, so will these multi-functional devices. I know you'll be crying about not being able to wear your uber utility belt that holds all your devices, but I'm willing to live with that.

[Virtuous @ Jan 3rd 2006 7:12PM]

This phone will go nowhere fast without iTunes support. Steve Jobs must have really ticked off Ed Zander with the original ROKR.

[MACALEX @ Jan 3rd 2006 7:30PM]

#30. Motorola doesn't say that E2 has an iTunes on this phone, so it's just another phone. ROKR or SUCKER doesn't matter, the time when it's will come out then it's will be too old. 1.3Mpix camera, give me break. W800 has better specification at the moment.

[Galley @ Jan 3rd 2006 7:56PM]

I bet it doesn't even play AAC files.

[robert @ Jan 3rd 2006 8:19PM]

yeah the RAZR V3i is still to have iTunes support.... so im waiting on that

[Greg @ Jan 3rd 2006 9:54PM]

IF ITS GOT NO iTUNES WTF IS THE POINT OF THE iTUNES BUTTON! lol

[SubGenius @ Jan 3rd 2006 9:56PM]

I willing to bet Motorola broke off the relationship with Apple when they found out Apple's intention to do their own phone's.



Apple wasn't the first to make a MP3 player but they were the first ones to make one right.



Apple won't be the first to make a cellphone but I bet they will be the first to make a cell phone that is a joy to use (especially if you have a Mac! ; )



I really hope Apple becomes a MVNO with great phones and straight forward pricing. I will sign up in a heartbeat.

[Chris @ Jan 3rd 2006 10:24PM]

Ummm, Greg (33) its just a generic musical note symbol. Apple doesn't own musical notation...

[Ben @ Jan 4th 2006 4:54AM]

I don't know what you guys are talkin about. Yeah the ROKR was a complete POS. I just needed to know 3 things on it and I don't think it'll be as bad as the previous ROKR. and I don't need iTunes at all (I absolutely hate that fact that people associate iTunes with ANY digital music, come on people you don't need iTunes THAT badly)

1. REGULAR SD mem card(OMFG did anybody else thank the cell phone/mp3 player gods when they read this?)

2. 3.5 headphone jack (yeah, even w800i don't got that without it's crappy adapter)

3. USB2



as long as it isn't limited and has a decent battery life, who else wouldn't mind buying a 2 GB SD music cell phone (Come on... if your buying this for the 1.3 mp camera u got probs.)

[Nilch @ Jan 4th 2006 1:18PM]

I think this is a definite improvement on the ROKR E1 with its limits and its iTunes compatibility which didnt do any justice to the phone either.



iTunes wont make or break a music phone - good compatibity, USB support to the PC, bluetooth stereo on your headphones, a good UI - all these will makew the big difference. Plus with the 2GB SD card support now, who wants a Itunes compatible 100 song limited music phone anyways ?



Also its got Linux under the hood and it is much faster than previous MOTO phones, good voice acll options and a good phone profile overall.

Primarily its a phone and a good one.

[Drew @ Jan 4th 2006 1:29PM]

OK, great, but if it doesn't have iTunes, why does it have an iTunes button? I wish you guys would check your pictures before you post. This isn't the first time your pictures have been in competition with your posts...

[Matoya @ Jan 15th 2006 11:31PM]

as was said, its a musical note, a freakin musical note. Its just for symbology, heck my grandmother can use that note as a tatoo and no one would say "OMFG! You have an iTunes symbol on your forehead!" A Bunch loads of musicians use that symbol and no body says "Dude! That old guys score has an iTune button symbol on it" What is this iTune business? a cult group?

[Jay @ Jan 16th 2006 10:07PM]

It's a good thing they dumped iTunes. It bought them nothing except a 100 song limit on the E1.

[greg @ Jan 20th 2006 11:38AM]

this is the best phone ca kid can have. I have the first one and when i take it too school all the other student wants to play with it. I give it 5 stars