Motorola gets official with GPS-packing MING A1600, A1800
By Donald Melanson 
posted Jun 24th 2008 12:31PM
posted Jun 24th 2008 12:31PM
Motorola hasn't exactly been doing the best job keeping these two handsets under wraps, but it now looks like it can now rest a bit easier and let the details fly, as it's finally gotten official with both the MING A1600 and MING A1800. As we've seen, the two handsets are nearly identical, with each packing a 2.4-inch QVGA touchscreen, a 3-megapixel camera, integrated Bluetooth, a microSD card slot, an FM radio and, of particular note, built-in GPS (but no WiFi, as previously rumored). The MING A1800, however, adds two SIM card slots, which will let you hop between GSM and CDMA networks with relative ease. Still no official word on pricing or availability, unfortunately, but we'd expect those details to be making themselves known soon enough.
[Via Navigadget]
[Via Navigadget]
R.I.P. Moto
Too little too late.
Yeh, since it doesn't even resemble the legendary handset from the bitten fruit company, it doesn't stand a snowball's chance in hell along with every other smartphone on the market.
non-bitten fruit handset = EPIC FAIL
this is kind of a funeral buddy
i was not aware that cdma phones used sim cards now
RUIM cards, I think they're called? They are basically SIM cards for CDMA networks, but only used by Asian CDMA carriers. So, not really useful for US CDMA markets.
Hmm.. Another moto.. Thought they had their hope pinned on just one phone...
I'm waiting for the Xperia X1 from SE due in September.... Any guesses about how much it's gonna cost?
I love that weird plastic sheet in front of the display that's the epitome of pointless!
I also love that weird pop-out stylus!
It's so fabulous!!
I would like a name...
there we are.
That would have been great, had you hit the reply button.....
huh? where did my name go?
.... and had you not posted this one.
Yay
My name rules!!!
Well
maybe not...
Lets just say that one of your two statements are correct.
I quite like the clear plastic flip, it isn't pointless it holds the earpiece.
Other than that? rubbish, this isn't the 90s Moto!
I never understand why companies of this size can get design so wrong. There are so many points of reference now, for (an obvious) example have a look at the old Braun stuff, take anything by Dieter Rams as a starting point and you won't be able to go that far wrong.
Yeah, I'm digging the smoke cover as well... Clear (or mostly clear) technology FTW!
Side note -- what the heck happened to all of Moto's $$$ made from the RAZR? At one point EVERYBODY seemed to own of those P'sOS...
there...
is my name showing up?
uh, isn't that the original handspring treo design?
Yup, I was just thinking... new treo?
Looks like an early naughtys american mobile phone. The end of motorola is nigh. Like people have said in the past they relied on too little variations. Bye bye moto.
Ok stop with the name garbage.. It's useless spam.. On a relative note, a designer from the Motorola Mobile department talked at my campus last semester and claimed that they were making breakthrough GUIs and 'mp3' phones to attract and claim the younger, 'hipper', generation. Apparently it all backfired and he's probably out of a job.
Are these the "All or nothing" phones? If this is what they're banking on, they need to go ahead and put the "For Sale" sign in the window.
the similarity w/ the old treo is too much!
http://images.businessweek.com/di/idea_winners/2002/G7026.jpg
if it'll do push e-mail and push-to-talk on Sprint to take the place of the blackberry 7100i this thing will sell like hot cakes
What!? you mean they stopped releasing reiterations of the Razr phone!? WAIT!!!! you mean they can make OTHER kinds of phones....? Thats incredible...
I cracked 2 Sprint Touch LCD's . I'd love to have some kind of plastic cover over my screen like that.
I cracked 2 Sprint Touch LCD's . I'd love to have some kind of plastic cover over my screen like that.
DBL Post. Sorry. Something went weird with my browser.
Awaiting apologies for what is now a triple post...
To ming is to look aesthetically unpleasing with wild abandon in Britain (used with particular reference to the lasses), so I think they got the naming bang on with this one.
How long before we see the new candybar style Moto TRD?
Rufus
Hasn't this phone been out for a while over Asia. My friend at school has had this for atleast a year. It looks identical.
The touch screen is pretty nice though.
That's the A1200, this is a different model.
I had a motorola ming for a while, it has its pros and cons. Having to do text messages on a stylus is a pain. Also the menu options were a bit odd, other than those things, it was a great phone.
So Moto names it after a dead Chinese dynasty. And it's one of the weakest, most corrupt, and useless against foreign invasion ones.
Great choice of name!
I don't think that this phone will sell in the UK.
Ming = Verb. To smell or look unpleasant. E.g."Yearghh, that's disgusting! It mings in here! Which one of you has farted?"
ummm this phone has been out for a while now, my friend at work has had it for a few months, maybe because its an import though
This is an update to the Moto MING A1200 which has been out for years in asia. Came out in 2005 or 2006 I think. I don't know if the new picture is actually of the new MING or an old one with a GPS map on it.
Major manufacturer (for now) phone with dual SIM cards? Coooool.
EVDO?
WCDMA/UMTS/HSPA (and on which frequencies)?
Which GSM networks?
Which Bluetooth profiles?
Why no Wifi!?
Could be a nice companion for a Nokia Tablet, or a MID, if it's done right.
The A1600 is GSM/GPRS/EDGE only. The A1800 is GSM/GPRS as well as CDMA 1x.
Zadillo: thanks. But.. bleh. Should have 3G in this day and age. Though, if these are intended for asian markets, I can see why they don't have UMTS/HSPA. But why not EVDO?
As long as it's merciless, and has an option for hot hail, I'm interested.
+1 for flash gordon reference.
Wow.. That's a truly horrible design; something I could imagine being released 5+ years go. Bye bye moto
Hey All,
Having worked for Moto for a few years, I can tell you i was soo frustrated with the way in which they released handsets. Having trained on them, rolled out training and then watch as they pulled it from the countries where it might actually sell. The Ming is a great handset with alot of great features, much better that the A780, which managed a brief stint with Carphone Warehouse in the UK and Phone House in Mainland europe, the original ming A1200 never came out in the UK.
Notice how the original Ming never got a big stateside release? They're aiming this towards the one place they're still pretty popular, and can still make sales.
So you all say its ugly, and that Motorola has puked stuff better then this, but I'd say its a decent business decision.
The pricing i guess is available
A1600 @ $550 amd A1800 @ $820
These are china rates. Should be lower when released in US
http://www.onlygizmos.com/article.php/motorola-a1800-1600-official-59998