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Hands-on with Motorola's ROKR EM30
Just like the press shots had us thinking, Motorola's ROKR EM30 really is nothing more (and nothing less) than a dumbed-down E8. Oh, and don't be alarmed by the utter blackness you're presented with below the d-pad -- the EM30 carries over the E8's "ModeShift" morphing keypad, so it does some cool stuff depending on the mode you're currently in. Legions of E8 loyalists are going to pan the missing touch arc, but listen, guys -- do you really need that to navigate music? Naw, of course you don't, especially at the EM30's price point. Rock on, Moto.%Gallery-31860%
Motorola "Jay-Z" Bluetooth headphones hit the FCC, branches on the ugly tree
Hmm, Hov, you may want to check the fine print on whatever deal you've got with Moto, because these Jay-Z-branded MOTOROKR S7-HD Bluetooth headset aren't exactly big pimpin' -- and compared to Dre's big ol' cans, they look downright sad. Of course, the FCC's legendarily nasty product photography isnt helping here, but even A2DP stereo support and the integrated mic can't salvage this mess -- was this really worth unretiring for?[Via Crave]
Motorola adds EM25, EM28, and EM30 to ROKR series
Moving just a tad downmarket from the mighty morphin' E8, Moto has rolled out three new members of its music-centric ROKR series today: the EM25 slider, EM28 flip, and EM30 candybar. The EM30 probably feels the most familiar, aping the E8's design language but trashing the touch-sensitive wheel for a plain ol' d-pad. It does, however, carry over the E8's so-called ModeShift morphing keypad and features an FM radio with RDS, 3.5mm headphone jack, and Windows Media compatibility. The EM28 brings the same style to a clamshell, while the EM25 reps the slider form factor. We're seeing some shots of a T-Mobile branded EM30 in here, too, so it looks like the carrier wants something to slot in right below the E8 in its Moto lineup -- a wise move, considering the E8's considerable expense. Look for the EM30 to launch first in Taiwan (sorry, T-Mob) followed by other markets later in the quarter, while the EM25 and EM28 should launch on a more global scale in the coming weeks.%Gallery-29059%
Fido offers up Motorola's MOTOROKR U9
Merely hours after Motorola began selling its simplistic U9 through its own webstore, along comes Fido to give interested Canadians another option for procuring it. Starting right now, those enamored by that ghostly external display can grab one for just $75 on a 3-year contract, $175 with a 2-year agreement or a grossly overpriced $350 with no strings attached. Any takers... anyone?[Via MobileSyrup]
Motorola ROKR E8 comes to Rogers by way of Best Buy
Alright, Rogers customers, stop your poutin' that your friends south of the border on T-Mobile got the ROKR E8 and you didn't -- because yeah, now you guys have it too. Best Buy is now offering the E8 on Rogers for $149.99 CAD (about $147) on one of those crazy three-year deals, and since local stores are stocking it, you'll be able to freak out your friends with the morphing keypad before the day's out. Get to it![Via MobileSyrup]
T-Mobile announces Motorola ROKR E8
As expected, T-Mobile has taken the wraps off its very own version of Motorola's ROKR E8, a glossy black candybar offering a 2 megapixel camera, 2GB of internal storage (plus a microSD slot that'll swallow up to 8GB more), stereo Bluetooth, 3.5mm headphone jack, FM radio, and that so-called "morphing" keypad that selectively renders keys invisible depending on the mode you're using. It's missing 3G, but that's one feature T-Mobile customers are all too well acquainted to missing out on -- and considering that the just-announced flagship ZN5 doesn't even do any WCDMA, it shouldn't come as any surprise. Subscribers and would-be subscribers will be able to nab the E8 come July 7 for $199.99 on contract.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
T-Mobile announcing Motorola E8 tomorrow?
We know that T-Mobile has signed on to pick up the MOTOROKR E8, and last we'd heard it might be dropping some time between... oh, now and August. MobileBurn is now reporting that the music-friendly candybar is slated for announcement tomorrow, though it's not clear whether it'd be available immediately or they're just planning on getting customers hot and bothered for a release down the road. The lack of 3G still isn't much of an issue on T-Mobile's network, and we were pretty impressed with the device in our hands-on testing, so this'll be a solid addition. It's entirely possible (and far too common) for devices like this to get delayed clear into irrelevance, so let's hope this particular rumor holds up.
Motorola MOTOROKR E8 hands-on
Like it or not, the combination of high-function media players with high-function cellphones is officially an inevitability (just ask Apple). It seems like every day a new handset's being announced with that obligatory 3.5mm headphone jack on board, one of the final pieces of the puzzle that had prevented phones from becoming legitimate PMP competitors for years. Motorola took this fusion particularly seriously with the ROKR E8, a slick little candybar announced at CES earlier this year, and we sat down with a China-spec model recently to see just how well it functioned as a full-time replacement for our dedicated music boxes -- and whether it could avoid losing its identity as a phone in the process.Thanks to the good folks at Wireless Imports for the hookup!%Gallery-25876%
Motorola EM30: like the E8, but less cool
A fresh FCC filing indicates that Motorola's prepping what we can only assume to be a lower-cost alternative to the ROKR E8, the so-called EM30. This particular device wasn't mentioned in Moto's leaked '08 lineup for Asia, suggesting that we might just see the GSM / EDGE device elsewhere -- North America, specifically, since we have both 850 and 1900MHz here. The phone features Bluetooth, a 2 megapixel cam, and carries over the E8's trick keypad, but loses the touch sensitive scroll wheel in favor of a traditional four-way setup. Looks like it'll be available in red and gray, perfect for leaving your friends and colleagues squarely unimpressed with your choice in handsets.[Via Phone Scoop]
Motorola ROKR E8 coming to T-Mobile!
Quick: Motorola launches a music phone with a heap of internal memory, quadband GSM / EDGE, and no 3G. What American carrier is most likely to show some interest in picking up something like that? That's right: we've stumbled across shots of the ROKR E8, in all its mighty morphin' glory, bearing T-Mobile's mark (and obligatory myFaves logo) across the rear. The spec sheet really isn't much different from the carrier's 2GB RAZR 2 V8, but we suspect the glossy candybar is just glamorous and different enough to attract some business from the window-shopping crowd. We'll post an update if we catch any word on pricing or availability.
Motorola's ROKR E8 with magical keypad hits FCC
We still don't have an official announcement from Motorola about this phone's existence -- much less a confirmation on pricing or availability 'round here -- but the bizarre ROKR E8 candybar has gotten just a little more real now that most of its FCC documentation has come off confidentiality. There's not a lot here that we didn't already know, but we're pleased to see the test reports make mention of both GSM 850 and 1900 (and decidedly less pleased to see an utter lack of 3G). We'd be lying if we didn't say we were pretty amped to get one of these in our hands, and with quadband EDGE on board, there's at least a fleeting chance that Motorola's US direct retail channel or a North American GSM carrier will launch it. Hey, we can dream, right?[Via Phone Scoop]
Motorola announces music-centric T505 carkit
It seems only fitting that Motorola would announce its latest in-car solution when the largest automotive accessory extravaganza -- SEMA -- is starting its 2007 show. Motorola's MOTOROKR T505 Bluetooth carkit combines handsfree calling, A2DP support, and an FM transmitter which allows music and phone calls to be streamed over Bluetooth and played through the car's speaker system. Don't rush out to the stores just yet as this won't be available to sometime in early 2008 (well, actually, you can rush out right now if you're so inclined, you'll just be waiting in the cold for a few months).
More shots of Motorola's crazy morphin' MOTOROKR E8
It's not available for a few months yet, but far be it from that little snag to stop a few enterprising individuals to get their paws on a MOTOROKR E8 early (and, of course, being close to the country of manufacture probably helps). The lack of 3G is a real dream killer for us, but that wild keypad still looks like it could be a winner. Enough tactile feedback? Only time'll tell.[Via Just Another Mobile Phone Blog]
Alltel slides out Motorola MOTOROKR Z6m
It's been kicking around for most of this year, so we're glad to see that Alltel finally saw fit to get Motorola's rather attractive Z6m slider out and into customers' hands (a Z6tv it ain't, but you'll save a little coin). Anyway, the slider's a solid choice for mobile music on account of its 3.5mm headphone jack, stereo Bluetooth support, microSD slot, and USB 2.0 connectivity. Alltel's very own Celltop system is naturally supported, as is TeleNav GPS -- and if that's not enough to convince you, maybe the "tattoo" across the keypad and rear will (we have to admit, it really doesn't look that annoying). Get it starting today for $129.99 on contract after rebate.[Thanks, Dizzy]
Motorola makes PEBL-ish U9 official
It's real! Motorola has made official its latest PEBL-esque device -- though there's no actual PEBL branding to be found on this one -- the U9. Think of the U9 to the original PEBL what the V8 and V9 are to the original RAZR, rocking Motorola's "CrystalTalk" noise reduction tech, microSD expansion, and a 2 megapixel camera. Media's the focus here with support for syncing with Windows Media Player 11; WMA, MP3, AAC, AAC+, and AAC+ enhanced files are all good to go, while the stereo Bluetooth support and "floating" external display with touch sensitive controls certainly don't hurt. Look for it to hit in the fourth quarter of the year in Asia, Latin America, and Europe. No North American release plans have been outed at this point, but it's a quadband GSM / EDGE phone, so we'd expect to find its way onto importers' shelves (and probably Motorola's own online store) right quick.
Come and get your love: Alltel's upcoming lineup?
With major releases like the Motorola RAZR 2 V9m and BlackBerry 8830 in its rear-view mirror, Alltel's been doing a commendable job keeping up with its larger, national rivals -- and if our intel's accurate, we can expect the trend to continue. In the smartphone department, the Palm Treo 755p should be launching pretty shortly (alright, granted, they're a little late on this one) along with the 8130 variant of the so-called Pearl 2 from RIM, a nice stablemate for the more businesslike 8830. One wildcard that we're hearing about here is the UTStarcom 6850 -- it's not clear what this device is, but given the UTStarcom branding on HTC's PPC-6800, it's conceivable to think that this could be some sort of mild refresh. Then again, it could be some totally boring low-end device sourced from a generic ODM, so we'll just have to play the waiting game on that one. From Motorola, look for two: a U5 (likely a new CDMA PEBL, given the "U" prefix on the model number) and the MOTOROKR Z6m. Not bad if it all pans out, eh?[Thanks, dizzy]
Is this the Motorola MOTOROKR E7?
Kinda looks like a Photoshopped E6 to us, but Chinese site ZOL is touting this bad boy as the MOTOROKR E7 with a very impressive set of specs. Like, unrealistically impressive -- especially for a phone that looks virtually indistinguishable from the far less impressive E6: VGA touchscreen, 5 megapixel cam with xenon flash, integrated GPS and WiFi, 2GB of integrated storage, HSDPA, you get the idea. If legit, the device will apparently be powered by Linux -- Moto's MOTOMAGX platform, we imagine -- the very same one that we've heard can't presently handle HSDPA speeds. So needless to say, we're skeptical here; hopeful that Moto really does have something this hot up its sleeves, yes, but until we get more confirmation, skeptical.[Via Mobilewhack]
Better shots of the Motorola MOTOROKR U9?
Okay, look, we know the original PEBL had its fair share of detractors -- but seriously, this thing looks pretty neat, yeah? Following up on a previous rumor and accompanying picture, we're seeing more details now on Motorola's supposedly upcoming MOTOROKR U9. Czech site iDNES.cz reports the U9 is set to sport a QVGA primary display, stereo Bluetooth, 25MB of onboard storage with microSD expansion, and a 16.4mm thick case. If we had to venture a guess, we'd figure the internals are largely based on the V8 variant of the RAZR 2 on account of its massive external touch display and alleged EDGE radio sans 3G. Sucks, yeah, but at least that means the odds are good of it rocking four honest-to-goodness bands of service. Bring it on, Moto![Via Slashphone]
Motorola's bizarre MOTOROKR E8?
So apparently magical keypads are going to be all the rage in the next couple years. Taking a cue from Optimus Maximus, perhaps? Following the Firefly flyPhone we saw a few weeks ago comes word from China of this rather bizarre Motorola prototype, apparently dubbed the MOTOROKR E8. Besides an illuminated, dynamic keypad that can change modes to provide dedicated music controls, the candybar is supposed to feature 2GB of onboard storage, the typical microSD expansion and miniUSB jack, and a 3.5mm headphone connector. The UI is brought to you by Motorola's Linux-based JUIX (MOTOMAGX?) platform powering a QVGA display. We're skeptical about the goodness of that keypad until we get our hands on it, but we guess it could be cool. Moto, care to send one over (FedEx Saturday Delivery, please)?[Via phoneArena]
Motorola and ARIA release MOTOROKR Z6 DUO ARIA Edition
What's better than the music-centric MOTOROKR Z6 slider you ask? One that is brought to you in conjunction with the Australian Recording Industry Association -- think RIAA, but Australia's version -- of course. Released exclusively through Crazy John's on a minimum plan of AUD $35 over 24 months (that's AUD $840), this fella definitely doesn't come cheap. Included as pack-ins are the MOTOROKR S9 Bluetooth stereo headphones, a 1GB memory card, and a $25 ringtone and wallpaper pack. The impetus behind this partnership -- other than to collect info about all your stolen music and get you busted (wink, wink) -- is to give Z6 owners direct access to ARIA's music chart from their handset and hopefully give Moto's flagging sales performance a much needed boost. Nice handset, nice headset, but these two may make strange bedfellows -- at least in the public's eyes -- if the ARIA is as unpopular as the RIAA is over here.[Via mocoNews]
