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HELLOMOTO is dead, be prepared to join the "We Generation"

Posted by Stefan on Monday, July 14th, 2008 at 8:59 am under Motorola

hellomoto2.gifMotorola's infamous "Hello Moto" commercials were epic, but how long has it been since you've heard those words leave someone's mouth? The Illinois based company is going with a new motto, crafted by the fine folks at Ogilvy London, that you'll start hearing day in and day out on the radio/tv/internet: "We generation."

We all know how critical marketing is to the success of a product, but did the company cut their oppertunity for a second chance with consumers after the insanely popular RAZR?

One more thing, the ZN5 is supposed to start shipping in the UK by the end of this summer. According to Mobile-Review it's the best 5 megapixel camera on the market but the software that thing runs … he carries a Nokia N82 if that tells you anything.

[Via: Marketing Week]

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Motorola serves up discounts and handset tips/tricks on Twitter

Posted by Will on Saturday, July 12th, 2008 at 5:18 pm under Services, Motorola, Announcements

Motorola MotoDeals for Twtitter fansAre you addicted to Twitter? Do you use a Motorola handset, or want to buy a new Moto mobile phone? Well, good news for you. Motorola is offering the Twittering masses a fun and easy way to get cool deals on Motorola hardware. By "following" MotoDeals on Twitter, you'll be updated with the newest discount offers as well as tips and tricks on how to use your current Motorola handset.

We've been quick to deride Motorola's business-decisions and handset design-philosophy over the past year because, well, they deserve it. But, if Motorola's Twitter service, MotoDeals, is any indication of the direction that Motorola is going with their handset business, we might be singing Moto's praises in a couple years. At least, we hope we'll be seeing Motorola climb back up the global mobile phone market…

Thanks, Natasha! 

Motorola launches MING A1600, A1800 and A810 in China

Posted by Dusan on Wednesday, July 9th, 2008 at 6:12 am under Devices, Motorola, Announcements

Motorola launches MING A1600, A1800 and A810 in China

After selling more than eight million pen-based PDA phones in China, Motorola is launching three new devices in the world's fastest growing economy. Let's quickly go through each of the handsets announced, shall we.

MOTO A810 is an entry-level PDA and with reportedly "chic and stylish" look, even though we're not quite sure what's so special about it. Specs wise, it boasts a 2 megapixel camera, media player, FM radio, standard 3.5mm audio jack, and of course the microSD memory card slot. Available in either white or black, the device comes with such preinstalled apps as stock trading, dictionary and classic games.

Then comes the more powerful MING A1600 model. It boasts a built-in GPS receiver, 3.2 megapixel camera with auto-focus, panorama and scanning capabilities, 2.4-inch touchscreen, microSD slot, talking dictionary that scans characters, recognizes the words and even pronounces the translation for you.

Finally, MING A1800 is a CDMA/GSM dual-mode phone which also comes with a built-in GPS receiver. Rest of the specs include 3 megapixel camera with auto-focus, 2.4-inch touchscreen, microSD expansion slot, and preinstalled apps like email, Office document reader, business card reader, and Kingsoft translation software.

All three devices are already available across China at authorized Motorola retailers.

[Via: Unwired View]

Motorola MOTOZINE ZN5 reviewed - Picture quality is top-notch

Posted by Will on Tuesday, July 8th, 2008 at 4:39 pm under Devices, Motorola

MOTOROLA motozine zn5 sample picMotorola's latest flagship cameraphone has been making the rounds of late. The folks over at Crave managed to get their hands on the 5 megapixel Kodak-branded cameraphone that is the Motorola MOTOZINE ZN5, and they've posted the sample photo you see to the left. (full-resolution version here)
One of the ZN5' highlights (aside from that high-quality camera, of course) is that it doesn't bear any resemblance to the tired RAZR styling that Motorola has been pushing on us for years. A quick flick of the camera lens cover affects a lickity-split camera start-up time, and shutter lag (an annoying problem with many high-end cameraphones) was almost non-existent.

The Xenon flash helps light up dark-shots, but the one thing that seems at odds with the Kodak-branding is that neither the optics nor the image sensor were touched by Kodak. The imaging giant apparently played a limited role in developing the camera interface.

All in all, the Motorola ZN5 proved to be a competent cameraphone, but the lack of 3G may be a deal-killer for many high-end handset enthusiasts out there - perhaps that explains Motorola's decision to debut this handset in China.

[Via: Crave]

Best Buy brings Motorola ROKR E8 to Canada's Rogers network

Posted by Will on Tuesday, July 8th, 2008 at 4:27 pm under Rogers, Devices, Motorola, Announcements

Motorola ROKR E8The Canadian GSM carrier has been getting some serious flack from consumers and business partners alike over their controversial iPhone 3G rate plan pricing. The biggest story for Rogers, it seems, is their iPhone 3G stock downsizing by Apple in response to infuriated customer backlash over the Rogers iPhone 3G's lack of an unlimited data option.

But, with all that Apple-related mess going down in Canada, we let another interesting handset slip through the cracks. The Motorola ROKR E8 music-centric mobile phone with that "mighty morphin'" keypad has hit the Great White North courtesy of Best Buy. The big-box retailer is offering the ROKR E8 for $149.99 with a 3-year contract on Rogers' network.

The Motorola ROKR E8 is packed with a fairly impressive feature-set. And, with decent-sized internal memory, the ROKR E8's music-centric prowess is evident. Here's what you get:

  • Quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900Mhz) radio
  • 2GB of onboard storage
  • microSD slot
  • 2 megapixel camera
  • haptic feedback
  • full HTML browser
  • stereo Bluetooth
  • 3.5mm audio jack
  • "ModeShift" technology - for that "mighty morphin'" keypad
  • FastScroll navigation wheel
  • FM radio
  • Windows Media Player 11

Head on over to your nearest Best Buy retail location if a three-year stint on Rogers' sounds like a good trade for Moto's musicphone.

[Via: MobileSyrup]

Motorola Vegas VE20 for Sprint spotted on FCC

Posted by Dusan on Monday, July 7th, 2008 at 5:10 am under FCC, Sprint, Devices, Motorola

Motorola Vegas VE20 for Sprint

If Sprint has nothing to say about their upcoming phones, FCC has. The CDMA carrier will apparently launch the Motorola Vegas VE20 at some point in the future. We don't have the exact date, but considering it's on the FCC's website, we wouldn't be surprised to see the Moto clamshell hitting Sprint's portfolio during the summer.

In terms of the look, the VE20 looks like a child of a RAZR and KRZR and is built using plastic and aluminum (back). Specs wise, expect EV-DO support, 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, microSD memory card slot, and music-dedicated keys.

In a nutshell, it's low to mid range device, which will Sprint probably sell for $100 (or less) with a contract…

[Via: PhoneArena]

Moto DirectorMe competition - winner announced!

Posted by Ben on Monday, July 7th, 2008 at 3:24 am under Motorola

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Y'all remember the Moto DirectorMe competition that I reported on a little while back right? First prize was £10K, and believe it or not, a winner has been announced!

The winning entry was from a chap called Beau Fowler, and was created and edited entirely on the Z10 - it's a short homage to martial arts entitled "brotherly love", and is very neatly done - the screenshot below doesn't really do it justice, so I'd encourage you to have a watch, and then let us know what you think!

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Motorola Q9 Napoleon does GSM for Verizon world-travelers - picks up BlackBerry Bold design cues

Posted by Will on Saturday, July 5th, 2008 at 7:34 pm under Verizon, Devices, Motorola, Announcements

Motorola Q9 NapoleonCould it be? A mobile phone from Motorola bearing a design philosophy that we can actually commend?

No, you aren't dreaming. Motorola is preparing to give the popular Motorola Q9 series a bit of a design and hardware revamp. And, Boy Genius has gotten a chance to play with the device - the Motorola Q9 Napoleon. Verizon, and their globe-trotting business users, are the target of the new Verizon-branded Motorola Q9 "Napoleon."

Verizon is set to offer Motorola Q9c fans a taste of the GSM lifestyle with the Napoleon. Not only does the Motorola Napoleon Q9 feature a CDMA radio capable of EVDO Rev. A data speeds, but it also boasts full support for all the world's GSM bands - which means the quad-band (850/900/1800/1900Mhz) GSM radio supports the 850Mhz and 1900Mhz GSM frequencies used in the US. For those of you that don't exactly trot around the globe, the Napoleon represents the first carrier-branded handset to be fully CDMA and GSM savvy - Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint (theoretically), take your pick.

With the expected complement of 2 megapixel camera (with flash) and WiFi, the Motorola Q9 Napoleon is a true network-hopping handset. And, with a newly added fingerprint scanner (security is a chief concern amongst jet-setting executives) and Windows Mobile 6.1 powering the handset (just like its GSM brethren), the Napoleon is a seriously impressive device.

And, with a bit of chrome-trimmed flair added to the Moto Napoleon's bezel, Motorola has really steppe up their design-game - taking a page out of the BlackBerry Bold's chrome-lined playbook. This here CDMA and GSM compatible handset is shaping up to be the first truly innovative handset to come out of Moto's ailing handset business in quite some time.

Well done, Moto!

Head on over to Boy Genius Reports for the full gallery of pics.

Side note: Could the Napoleon be headed to Sprint? That would make sense of all those Sprint Motorola Q9c end-of-life rumors

[Via: BGR]

AT&T Windows Mobile roadmap leaked!

Posted by Will on Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008 at 5:30 pm under HTC, Cingular/AT&T, Samsung, Windows Mobile, Motorola, Announcements

AT&T logoNot looking to jump on the iPhone 3G bandwagon next week? AT&T is already a couple steps ahead of you. After all, not everyone is going to find Apple's handset a good fit for their needs.

AT&T has some Windows Mobile smartphones planned for release throughout the rest of 2008, and WMExperts managed to get a hold of the AT&T WinMo roadmap.

Pantech Duo II
Remember the Pantech Duo 2 that we saw pass through the FCC's testing labs? Right, well it seems we were on the ball in predicting that the keyboard/keypad hybid would be headed to AT&T.

The successor to the Pantech Duo, the Pantech Duo 2, will be sporting:

  • Windows Mobile 6.1
  • Tri-band (850/1900/2100Mhz) HSDPA (3.6)/Quad-band (850/900/1800/1900Mhz) GSM/EDGE
  • 528 MHz Processor
  • 128MB RAM / 256MB ROM
  • USB
  • Bluetooth 2.0
  • Micro SD
  • 2 MP Camera
  • GPS

Pantech Duo customers can also expect a Windows Mobile 6.1 upgrade in October.

Samsung Blackjack 2
While some of us have been lucky enough to already have Windows Mobile 6.1 up and running on our Samsung BlackJack 2 smartphones, the general public will have to wait just a bit longer. The Samsung BJII will be getting the WM6.1 upgrade later this month (July).

Motorola Q9h
If Motorola's answer to the slim smartphone monoblock is more your style, you'll be happy to hear that your Motorola Q9h will be getting jiggy with WinMo 6.1 later this month (July).

Samsung SGH-i788 Blackjack 3
The long-awaited, touchscreen-toting successor to the Samsung BlackJack 2 will be hitting AT&T's network later this year. The US-friendly HSDPA frequency support differentiate the Samsung SGH-i788 from the Samsung SGH-i780. The integrated GPS receiver, 3 megapixel camera, WiFi, 528Mhz CPU, and touchscreen should make the Samsung SGH-i788 BlackJack 3 one of the most anticipated Windows Mobile candybar smartphones to drop this year.

  • Windows Mobile 6.1
  • Tri-band (900/1900/2100Mhz) UMTS/HSDPA (3.6); Quad-band (850/900/1800/1900Mhz) GSM/EDGE
  • 528 MHz processor
  • 128MB RAM/ 256MB ROM
  • Camera 3 MP
  • AGPS
  • VSC
  • WiFi

AT&T Tilt:
The reigning Windows Mobile AT&T flagship will be seeing some Windows Mobile 6.1 upgrade-love later this month. The HTC Kaiser (TyTn II) has already been blessed with Windows Mobile 6.1 upgrades courtesy of HTC, but AT&T Tilt users will have to wait for AT&T to roll out the upgraded ROM.

AT&T Tilt 2
What's this? Another successor to the popular HTC TyTn? That's right! AT&T will be launching the AT&T Tilt 2 (HTC TyTn III?) later this year. We're assuming that the HTC-sourced Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional smartphone will replace the AT&T Tilt as the flagship WinMo offering from AT&T. And, with HSDPA (3.6Mbps), WiFi, aGPS, 3 megapixel camera, and a speedy 528Mhz processor, the AT&T Tilt 2 will no doubt take its seat at the head of the WinMo table in AT&T's house.

  • Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional Edition
  • Tri-band (900/1900/2100Mhz) UMTS/HSDPA (3.6); Quad-band (850/900/1800/1900Mhz) GSM/EDGE
  • Qualcomm 528 MHz processor
  • 256MB ROM/ 128MB RAM
  • 3.0 MP camera
  • WiFi
  • Bluetooth 2.0
  • PTT
  • aGPS
  • VSC

Samsung Omnia
This one is pure speculation at this point, but we're also hearing that another Samsung handset is scheduled to hit AT&T in Q4 2008. With previous rumors pointing to the Samsung Omnia coming to AT&T, we're going to take a barely educated guess and peg the Samsung Omnia as the Samsung device slated for AT&T's network later this year.

So, are you still planning to get that iPhone 3G? With all these attractive options in the pipeline for AT&T, we can definitely see a good chunk of AT&T's subscriber-base waiting it out for a Windows Mobile handset.

[Via: WMExperts]

Motorola unveils Motorola MOTOZINE ZN200

Posted by Will on Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008 at 2:37 pm under Devices, Motorola, Announcements

Motorola MOTOZINE ZINE ZN200Motorola has unveiled their latest addition to the MOTOZINE flagship lineup. The Motorola MOTOZINE ZN200 previously popped up in device profiles and even at the FCC's website, so we're not surprised to see Motorola unveiling this ZINE ZN200 slider.

The Motorola ZN200 is the down-market ZINE offering that Motorola hopes will help complement the ZN5's higher-end features. With a 2 megapixel camera (not Kodak), expandable memory slot, and 30BM of internal storage, the Motorola ZN200 isn't going to be attracting any power users. But, for 499 reais (about $311), you really can't expect all that much.

The Motorola MOTOZINE ZN200 will launch simultaneously with the Motorola Z10 kick-slider in Brazil. While we're not going to lose any sleep over not getting a wack at the ZN200 in the US, the Motorola Z10's US absence is starting to get a little tired.

[Via: Zumo]




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