Motorola shows off new Motorola U9 PEBL-ish handset

Motorola U9 PEBL colors Motorola’s reinvigorated support of the fashion-forward PEBL lineup of handsets is pretty refreshing. The ailing mobile phone giant really needs to do something to boost their bottom-line, and the new Motorola U9 PEBL handset might help them do just that. Motorola has taken the wraps off their new Motorola U9 handset – not that we didn’t already know everything about it.

That chromed-out, mirrored exterior is really something else. Especially when you combine it with borderless external display (that lights up from underneath the mirrored finish) and touch-sensitive music controls. And, when you add a quad-band (850/900/1800/1900Mhz) GSM radio with EDGE data, Stereo Bluetooth, microSD card slot, 2 megapixel camera, you’ve got an incredible beauty with some surprising brains.

Check out Motorola’s U9 promotion site. They’ve got “The Dutchess” Fergie reppin’ the Motorola U9. Is it just us or does she look kind of strange/weird in that picture? Regardless, the Moto U9 looks like it’ll be launching in your choice of Black (it’s hard to tell from our previous live pics, but the mirrored exterior is actually Black), or Fuschia – both with that cool, chromed/mirrored finish.

Keep reading for the press release.

Rock Out and Look Good with the Stylish New MOTO™ U9

Sensuous and Smart Design Combines Motorola’s Iconic Style with the Best Mobile Music Experience

LIBERTYVILLE, Ill., – 11 Oct. 2007 – Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) is showing off the stylish side of music with the introduction of MOTO U9. Through unique advancements in mobile entertainment technology, U9 makes music a multi-sensory experience and lets consumers rock out and look good – with an elegant form factor, Stereo Bluetooth^®, CrystalTalk™ Technology, external touch sensitive music controls and floating, animated screensavers that appear on the external display.

U9 delivers cutting edge mobile music capabilities:

Easy transition from phone to music and back again, MOTO U9 allows one-touch access to your library and pauses music as calls come through.
Microsoft Windows Media^® Player 11 makes the U9 ready to rock as soon as it’s out of the box, with simple synching and automatic recognition of the device.
Integrated music player supports multiple audio files: Windows® WMAv10 plus Janus DRM, MP3, AAC, AAC+, AAC+ enhanced.
Ability to download the latest music hits from more than 200 music stores onto the device from a PC using USB 2.0 for speedy transfers and data access.¹, ²

Additional in-demand features round out a complete mobile experience:

Up to 25MB of on-board user memory³ and an optional microSD memory card enables storage of 4GB of music, pictures and other media.
Innovative CrystalTalk technology for better call clarity
Stereo Bluetooth wireless technology enables users to enjoy a wireless mobile stereo experience⁴.
Advanced “speaker independent” voice recognition dialing and talking phone features take “hands free” to the next level.
A 2.0 megapixel with 8x zoom camera, multi-shot feature, video capture and playback, and light and landscape viewfinder delivers quality, printable⁵ and sharable images.
Impressive messaging capabilities via MMS, SMS, WVIM, Push Email.

“MOTO U9 combines the surprising with the familiar, the latest in premium design and inventive controls with the next popular spin on Motorola’s classic clamshell design to deliver the most stylish and dynamic mobile music experience,” said Rob Shaddock, senior vice president of Feature and Mass Market Phones, Mobile Devices, Motorola. “MOTO U9 embodies the stylish side of Motorola’s music-enabled devices, further building on our strong portfolio of products for a diverse global audience.”

Seamless, small and light weight, the curvaceous U9 has been designed to fit perfectly in the pocket or hand. Its metallic gloss finish comes to life with animated screen savers that appear to “float” across the borderless external display. The external display is not just for show, however, as touch sensitive, digital keys let users control their music player from the outside.

Additional Capabilities
Delivering on its commitment to provide the world’s most compelling mobile music experience, Motorola has also created an ecosystem of additional products, accessories and services that make it easy to access, download and enjoy a wide array of digital music.

Through an exclusive arrangement with recording artist Fergie, in select markets Motorola will provide exclusive content on the phone, promotional activities, and TV and print campaigns.

“Fergie is a GRAMMY Award-winning, multi-platinum superstar artist as well as a woman on the cutting edge of modern style. She is the perfect icon to help us communicate to consumers that style and music are integral to people as a way to express themselves – and that MOTO U9 embodies those qualities,” said Joni Christensen, director of Global Music Marketing, Mobile Devices, Motorola. More information about these promotions will be available soon.

For more information, please visit http://direct.motorola.com/hellomoto/motoU9.

Availability
MOTO U9 is expected to be available for purchase in the fourth quarter of 2007 in Asia, Latin America and Europe. For specific regional availability and pricing, contact your local Motorola representative.

About Motorola
Motorola is known around the world for innovation and leadership in wireless and broadband communications. Inspired by our vision of seamless mobility, the people of Motorola are committed to helping you connect simply and seamlessly to the people, information and entertainment that you want and need. We do this by designing and delivering “must have” products, “must do” experiences and powerful networks — along with a full complement of support services. A Fortune 100 company with global presence and impact, Motorola had sales of US $42.8 billion in 2006. For more information about our company, our people and our innovations, please visit http://www.motorola.com.

# # #

Media Contact:
Molly Sheehan
Motorola, Inc.
Phone: +1-312-953-6006
Email: W0485C@motorola.com

Jennifer Keyt
Fleishman-Hillard for Motorola, Inc.
Phone: +1 312-932-2816
Email: Jennifer.Keyt@fleishman.com

Certain mobile phone features may not be activated by your service provider, and/or their network settings may limit the feature’s functionality. Contact your service provider for details. All features, functionality and other product specifications are subject to change without notice or obligation.
¹ Network and/or SIM card dependent feature, not available in all areas. Airtime, data charges, and/or additional charges may apply.² The unauthorized copying of copyrighted materials is contrary to the provisions of the Copyright Laws of the United States and other countries. This device is intended solely for copying non-copyrighted materials, materials in which you own the copyright, or materials which you are authorized or legally permitted to copy. If you are uncertain about your right to copy any material, please contact your legal advisor.
³ Available user memory varies due to the configuration of the phone, which varies by service provider.
⁴ This device supports Bluetooth A2DP and AVRCP profiles. In order for Bluetooth devices to communicate with one another, they must utilize the same Bluetooth profile. To determine the profiles supported by other Motorola devices, visit www.hellomoto.com/bluetooth. For other devices, contact their respective manufacturer.
Certain Bluetooth features including those listed may not be supported by all compatible Bluetooth-enabled devices, and/or the functionality of such features may be limited in certain devices, or by certain wireless carriers. Contact your wireless carrier about feature availability and functionality.
⁵ Optional printer required

MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office. The Bluetooth trademarks are owned by their proprietor and used by Motorola, Inc. under license. Microsoft and Windows Media are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners. © Motorola, Inc. 2007. All rights reserved.