Motorola

Motorola just announced that the quad-band ROKR E8 will be available to T-Mobile customers on July 7th for $199. We’ve had previews and hands-on time with the beautifully crafted ROKR E8 a few times now, but there’s nothing like finally getting a review unit in and running it through its paces unsupervised.

The ROKR E8 will likely be most attractive to teens and young twenty-somethings on T-Mobile looking for a music phone that can also bring basic e-mail and Web functionality to their fingertips while remaining simple.  Its smooth glass top and midnight blue body, which features a soft rubbery back cover, will certainly turn heads. At various spots inside the UI and on the phone itself, there are subtle red accents that make for a beautiful package all around.

While the phone certainly feels sturdy, it’s still going to be hobbled by T-Mobile’s slow EDGE network. Its big competitor is going to be the $49.99 priced Nokia 5310 XpressMusic, which is also offered by T-Mobile. Where the 4.5 x 2.0 x 0.4-inch sized ROKR E8 is more similar in size to a 4.2 x 2.4 x 0.4-inch sized iPod Classic, the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic is more on par with the first generation iPod Nano’s measurements.

Read the rest of this entry »

Today Motorola and Kodak announced the result of a two-year partnership, and it’s one of the best camera phones I’ve ever seen. It really gives the Sony Ericsson Cybershots and Nokia N Series phones a run for their money. I was invited us to get up close with this new 5-megapixel shooter, called the MOTOZINE ZN5.

Key specs include a sharp 2.4-inch display, fast autofocus, a 3.5 mm audio jack (which doubles as A/V out), and a robust 350MB of built-in memory (optional 4GB microSD expansion). Plus, there’s Wi-Fi for uploading photos to Kodak Gallery and other services. Motorola didn’t forget this is a phone either, as there’s CrystalTalk technology on board for excellent noise reduction. Here’s why I’m excited about this camera phone, despite the lack of 3G. Yes, EDGE in 2008! Read the rest of this entry »

So I was walking through the CTIA Emerging Technology Awards pavilion in the LVCC’s Central Hall today and what do I see? The 3G-enabled Moto Z9, complete with AT&T branding. Sure, this phone has been leaked already, but it was nice to see it in the flesh.

Although we couldn’t pick up the Z9 because it was tethered to the display, we did play around with it for a few minutes and snapped some pics. We don’t know pricing or exact availability yet but I can tell you what the little info card said next to the device and what we saw running. Here our impressions so far.

Read the rest of this entry »