Motorola gets official with GPS-packing MING A1600, A1800

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]

[Habitual Cheetah @ Jun 24th 2008 12:38PM]

R.I.P. Moto
Too little too late.

[Steffen Jobbs @ Jun 24th 2008 2:48PM]

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

[Chris Macdonald @ Jun 24th 2008 9:23PM]

this is kind of a funeral buddy

[kellybrf @ Jun 24th 2008 12:39PM]

i was not aware that cdma phones used sim cards now

[john @ Jun 24th 2008 3:19PM]

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.

[Abhinav @ Jun 24th 2008 12:39PM]

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?

[WITHOUT A NAME @ Jun 24th 2008 12:42PM]

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!!

[GiF @ Jun 24th 2008 12:44PM]

I would like a name...

[WITHOUT A NAME @ Jun 24th 2008 12:45PM]

there we are.

[Lowest Ranked @ Jun 24th 2008 1:02PM]

That would have been great, had you hit the reply button.....

[WITHOUT A NAME @ Jun 24th 2008 12:45PM]

huh? where did my name go?

[Lowest Ranked @ Jun 24th 2008 1:02PM]

.... and had you not posted this one.

[GiF @ Jun 24th 2008 12:52PM]

Yay
My name rules!!!
Well
maybe not...

[Lowest Ranked @ Jun 24th 2008 1:05PM]

Lets just say that one of your two statements are correct.

[Joe Henson @ Jun 24th 2008 12:53PM]

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.

[Dan Davis @ Jun 24th 2008 5:01PM]

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...

[GiF @ Jun 24th 2008 12:53PM]

there...

[GiF @ Jun 24th 2008 12:54PM]

is my name showing up?

[qrius @ Jun 24th 2008 1:05PM]

uh, isn't that the original handspring treo design?

[SuperQ @ Jun 24th 2008 1:09PM]

Yup, I was just thinking... new treo?

[Thi mam(kris120890) @ Jun 24th 2008 1:06PM]

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.

[natels @ Jun 24th 2008 1:08PM]

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.

[chrisaroz @ Jun 24th 2008 1:13PM]

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.

[qrius @ Jun 24th 2008 1:15PM]

the similarity w/ the old treo is too much!

http://images.businessweek.com/di/idea_winners/2002/G7026.jpg

[Matt @ Jun 24th 2008 1:21PM]

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

[thedesolate1 @ Jun 24th 2008 1:22PM]

What!? you mean they stopped releasing reiterations of the Razr phone!? WAIT!!!! you mean they can make OTHER kinds of phones....? Thats incredible...

[wud_e @ Jun 24th 2008 1:24PM]

I cracked 2 Sprint Touch LCD's . I'd love to have some kind of plastic cover over my screen like that.

[wud_e @ Jun 24th 2008 1:24PM]

I cracked 2 Sprint Touch LCD's . I'd love to have some kind of plastic cover over my screen like that.

[wud_e @ Jun 24th 2008 1:25PM]

DBL Post. Sorry. Something went weird with my browser.

[mrpoo @ Jun 25th 2008 9:01AM]

Awaiting apologies for what is now a triple post...

[Rufus White @ Jun 24th 2008 1:27PM]

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

[Thomas @ Jun 24th 2008 1:32PM]

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.

[Tony @ Jun 24th 2008 6:43PM]

That's the A1200, this is a different model.

[digitallysick @ Jun 24th 2008 2:22PM]

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.

[stephenju @ Jun 24th 2008 2:30PM]

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!

[matt @ Jun 24th 2008 2:59PM]

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?"

[Monc1 @ Jun 24th 2008 3:00PM]

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.

[john @ Jun 24th 2008 3:21PM]

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.

[Zadillo @ Jun 24th 2008 4:26PM]

The A1600 is GSM/GPRS/EDGE only. The A1800 is GSM/GPRS as well as CDMA 1x.

[john @ Jun 24th 2008 4:38PM]

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?

[mrpoo @ Jun 24th 2008 3:33PM]

As long as it's merciless, and has an option for hot hail, I'm interested.

[Green @ Jun 25th 2008 12:04AM]

+1 for flash gordon reference.

[Alex @ Jun 24th 2008 5:22PM]

Wow.. That's a truly horrible design; something I could imagine being released 5+ years go. Bye bye moto

[kashif @ Jun 24th 2008 7:32PM]

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.

[Annkur @ Jun 25th 2008 12:30AM]

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

[Delude @ Jun 25th 2008 3:08AM]

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.

[oly va ha @ Jun 26th 2008 9:32PM]

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