Four New Phones from Motorola

Motorola has shown off four new GSM mobile phones - one of which is also HSDPA capable, along with a gold plated version of its RAZR 2 phone.

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ROKR E8

MOTO Z10

W230

W270

The ROKR E8 is a quad-band GPRS/EDGE phone. When powered off, the surface of ROKR E8 is smooth, with no visible keys. Power on the device and it presents a virtual numbered keypad on the front surface. With one “press” of the virtual music key, the phone keypad disappears and control keys for the music player – play, pause, fast forward and rewind – appear in its place. Yet, ROKR E8 is more than just a “touch”-operated device. Using vibrating haptics technology, the device provides the tactile feedback consumers expect from a traditional keypad, providing confirmation they have pressed a virtual key.

ROKR E8 also marks the debut of the new FastScroll navigaton wheel from Motorola, a variable-speed touch control that lets consumers easily scroll through all of the content stored on the device.

The 2GB internal memory can store up to 1,500 songs, and the external memory is expandable up to 4GB with an optional microSD card.

ROKR E8 is expected to be available in Q1 2008.

The MOTO Z10 is a HSDPA, GSM/GPRS/EDGE phone running on Symbian software. The company seems to be pitching the phone predominantly as a video recorder - with a 3.2 megapixel camera - with its phone functions almost seeming to be an after thought. The external storage slot will support an external memory card with up to 32GB of capacity, when available.

“With MOTO Z10, we are turning movie making and spontaneous creativity into social activities. Now, anyone can capture and share life’s moments from almost anywhere in the world and make their unique perspective a part of popular culture,” said Stu Reed, president, Motorola Mobile Devices.

MOTO Z10 is expected to be available in Q1 2008.

The MOTORAZR2 V8 Luxury Edition has also been launched as a variant of the RAZR 2 phone. Featuring the signature MOTORAZR2 form factor with gold-plated accents (on medallions, navigation key and hinge) and embossed in a snakeskin-like texture, this phone is available unlocked for GSM networks.

The ultra-slim MOTORAZR2 V8 Luxury Edition features 18K gold-plated accents that highlight the luminous black slate vacuum-metal finish. A soft-touch back is embossed with a snakeskin-like texture, while subtle details are added - such as elegant pin stripes on the front lens and an engraved diamond-cut pattern on the sideband and linear etching on the navigation wheel.

The handset comes pre-loaded with the Opera Mobile Browser 8.5, and is supplied with a 2 megapixel camera with 8x digital zoom and up to 2 hours of video capture and playback.

The RAZR2 V8 Luxury Edition is now available exclusively through MotoStore for $679.99. The device will be sold unlocked and is compatible with any existing GSM service.

The company finally showed off two new W series GSM handsets. The new W230 and W270 handsets offer easy-to-use music capabilities, expandable memory with optional microSD card, clear audio in noisy environments and a simplified interface for text messaging.

“These new devices offer design elements, music features and outstanding battery life that consumers don’t expect to find at this price point,” said Stu Reed, president, Motorola Mobile Devices. “Whether buying your first phone or trying out a music phone for the first time, these new models from Motorola are the perfect choice.”

A dedicated music key activates an integrated digital audio player which supports MP3 and other popular formats. Favorite songs can be stored using optional microSD removable memory cards up to 2GB in size. In addition, users have access to music and news through an FM radio with integrated Radio Data System (RDS) which displays artist, title and type of song playing on the radio. Users can also record FM radio clips to use for the phone’s alarm, share favorite stations with friends through text messaging and listen via headphones or speaker.

The W230 and W270 handsets are expected to become available in Q1 2008.