Filed under: Cellphones

Sprint still hasn’t quite learned the fine art of not getting shown up by CDMA rival Verizon for prompt releases of the hottest phones, partially on account of Verizon’s tendency to lock up lucrative exclusivity agreements that last anywhere from a few months to life of the model (as is the case with the CDMA Chocolate). Fortunately, as foretold by our friends at Phone Scoop, Sprint’s K1m comes relatively hot on the heels of Verizon’s. Thanks to a different UI and color scheme, the Sprint variant barely resembles its stablemates and it’ll be interesting to see whether customers ultimately do a better job warming up to it. The Sprint K1m can belong to anyone willing to part with $200 and sign on the dotted line — or, as Sprint likes to say, $399.99 minus $200 in “instant savings.”

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Cellphones

We can almost hear the voices of skeptical readers whispering in unison, “fanboy Photoshop,” and we’d normally have half a mind to agree. After all, the bizarre gray exterior (just a reflection, perhaps?) seems incongruent with the rest of the phone, the contents of the external display are obviously faked, and the coloration of the Verizon logo doesn’t make a lot of sense — not to mention that the concept of a CDMA-based MOTORAZR MAXX is a bit… shall we say, new to us. Alas, it turns out the picture’s authenticity is rock solid (not to say it’s not a Photoshop job, but if it is, it’s an official one) seeing how we just downloaded it off Motorola’s official site for press multimedia. We know nothing about it besides what we’re seeing here, but truth be told, the picture alone is a lot to process: Verizon gets a strangely colored variant of a high-end RAZR we didn’t even know existed. It looks like a 2-megapixel cam is in the cards, and if the specs mirror its GSM cousin, we can expect a QVGA display, microSD expansion, and 50 odd megabytes of internal storage — not a bad piece to slot in right above the K1m, if we do say so ourselves. As soon as we catch wind of availability (or catch wind that Motorola is playing an extraordinarily unsportsmanlike practical joke on us), we’ll pass on the good word.

[Thanks, Pioneer]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Filed under: Cellphones

We figure peeps who’ve placed their orders through Verizon’s site for Motorola’s new gotta-have-it clamshell need a little reading material to pass the time while they wait for the good folks in the shipping industry to make their phones materialize — so without further ado, we present PC Magazine’s take on the Motorola K1m MOTOKRZR (pictured right). While the K1m is undoubtedly a fabulous-looking flip, PC Mag seems to share the same brooding, mildly pessimistic view we do: it’s essentially a V3m in a narrower, shinier package. On the plus side, the new dimensions apparently make the phone both easier and more comfortable to hold against the ear, battery life is top-notch with just over five hours of tested talk time, and the microSD slot means many owners will be able to carry over their investments in memory expansion from prior phones. Sadly, signal strength doesn’t quite match that of its older sibling, and the UI is typical Verizon fare — no Flash here, a la the VX8500 Chocolate — though it does share the Chocolate’s tricky-to-use touch sensitive controls. In the end, it seems the K1m ends up setting the standard once again for mobile industrial design, while simultaneously managing to fall further behind in the spec sheet race.

 

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SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time.

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, Verizon Wireless, GSM, EV-DO, UMTS

Field report tidbits from Engadget's resident mobile insider, the Boy Genius.

What do we have here? Four different SLVR models? Yep! That's right, from CDMA to GSM to WCDMA, the good folks at Motorola have you covered. Starting on the right the first is called the L7i which is simply an update to the L7, the way the V3i was to the V3. It adds a 1.3 megapixel camera, EDGE, more internal memory, the updated UI [though not Juix] and some other miscellany. Next we have a regular L7, you know the phone your grandparents use? The real star of the picture has to be the third L7 which is the 3G model. It has a front facing video conferencing camera (obviously), 2.0 mega pixel camera, world 3G bands, quad-band EDGE, and microSD as well. Finally we have the much rumored L7c that was just finally announced. It is indeed a SILVR SLVR, microSD card support, 1.3 megapixel camera, VCAST, and is coming to... Alltel! Just kidding. Verizon Wireless, holla at me baby!

[Once again, props to Boy Genius! Click on for more images.]

Verizon L7c next to a GSM KR1

You love to you hate it, the infamous Verizon UI

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Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, Sprint-Nextel, Verizon Wireless, EV-DO, CDMA

Alright, Sprint users: who's pumped to land a SLVR of your own? Show of hands, please. How about you Verizon folks? The handful of you with your arms raised high right now, bursting at the seams with anticipation for Moto's rumored CDMA port of the L7, don't have much longer to wait. Buried in with the goodness that Motorola dropped on us Monday was the official news that the L7c is indeed a real device -- though beyond the fact that it rocks EV-DO, we aren't given much to go by. Exact dates, carriers, thickness -- you know, the important details -- all remain mysteries, though Sprint and/or Verizon will clearly be getting the device, and some duration of exclusivity seems to be a logical assumption. The SLVR's GSM variants haven't managed to rock many boats, but decently-equipped candybars are a slightly rarer breed on US CDMA networks, so we can imagine some level of excitement here. Motorola Q-style pandemonium, probably not, but excitement nonetheless.

[Via Mobile Guerilla]

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Filed under: Cellphones

Eat your heart out, Samsung. Well, not really, since Motorola's new MOTOFONE is not only 2.1mm thicker than Samsung's current record holding X820, but also comes up quite short in the features department. Instead the new MOTOFONE, coming in GSM and CDMA flavors at a svelte 0.35-inches, is targeting first time wireless users, prepaid buyers, and developing countries. Luckily, while Moto was weeding out those "nonessentials" like a camera, MP3 playback and a color screen (The MOTOFONE has instead an electrophoretic display with similarities to e-paper) they managed to lose that unsightly hump Samsung slapped onto the X820. Motorola's thinnest phone does include some niceties beyond size, like local language voice prompts for ease of use, dust and sun resistance, and "extended" battery life. There's no word on price or a release date, but we're sure we can find enough change in our couch for whenever it does come around. Phone Scoop is calling this unit part of Motorola's "Scalpel" platform, of which the rumored SCPL should be a bit more of an exciting member.

[Via Phone Scoop; thanks everyone]

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Filed under: Cellphones

What was once known as the Capri -- the US Motorola team's first 4LTR slider effort , not to be confused with the Korean team's Z -- can now be called the MOTORIZR, and the skinny is, of course, not entirely surprising. The 0.6-inch thick quad-band device features EDGE, a 2 megapixel camera, QQVGA display, Bluetooth with A2DP, microSD, and a 2H launch time frame. Again, nothing to turn the head of anyone who's heard about the device over and over online, but still a welcome addition to Moto's staid lineup of RAZRs in an ever-increasing array of colors.

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Filed under: Cellphones

Well, it’s not an absolute surprise, we saw this model as an unnamed prototype floating around last month, but Motorola just officially took the wraps off of their new MotoRAZR MAXX, a purtiful followup to the V3x. At a mere 0.6-inches thick, the MAXX shaves a whole 0.2-inches off of the V3x. The new phone also adds EDGE and HSDPA in addition to the already speedy UMTS, making this handset much more likely to show up in the EDGE-friendly USA. Moto has included Bluetooth 2.0+ Enhanced Data Rate, 50MB of internal storage, a microSD slot for expansion and the snazzy glass front and touch sensitive music controls of launch buddy KRZR K1m. The 2.2-inch QVGA display is, of course, always welcome, as are the 2.0 megapixel and VGA cameras the phone has. Also, as a nice embellishment on the lot, the phone’s details glow blue when receiving a call. Motorola is planning to release the phone to unknown markets and carriers in this half of 2006, our fingers are duly crossed.

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Filed under: Cellphones

We’ve only been hearing about (and seeing, and getting the launch of) the Canary for a couple months now, so it’s about time Motorola officially launched the damned things. The KRZR, as we very well know, is the latest in Moto’s 4 LTTR DVCE NAME LINE, both models featuring a microSD, Screen3, and a thinned-wideness but slightly girthier body. The specs between sub-models do vary, however: GSM K1 has Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, QQVGA display, and 2 megapixel camera; both CDMA K1ms will forgo the A2DP, but the CDMA / 1xRTT but has a QVGA display (and an accordingly larger battery), and a 2 megapixel camera, while the EV-DO K1m has that damned QQVGA display a 1.3 megapixel camera, as well as a millimeter added to its waistline. Despite the differences, though, all should be available in the second half of the year (you know, the half we’re currently in) from, well, you know damned well who’s gonna offer this phone.

P.S. -From the looks of it, that device is running Moto’s new Juix interface. We can’t yet confirm this, but that’d certainly be a welcome addition to the otherwise predictable handset.

Read – MOTOKRZR K1
Read – MOTOKRZR K1m

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Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, GSM, EDGE

What was once known as the Capri -- the US Motorola team's first 4LTR slider effort , not to be confused with the Korean team's Z -- can now be called the MOTORIZR, and the skinny is, of course, not entirely surprising. The 0.6-inch thick quad-band device features EDGE, a 2 megapixel camera, QQVGA display, Bluetooth with A2DP, microSD, and a 2H launch time frame. Again, nothing to turn the head of anyone who's heard about the device over and over online, but still a welcome addition to Moto's staid lineup of RAZRs in an ever-increasing array of colors.

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Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, 1xRTT, GSM, EV-DO

We’ve only been hearing about (and seeing, and getting the launch of) the Canary for a couple months now, so it’s about time Motorola officially launched the damned things. The KRZR, as we very well know, is the latest in Moto’s 4 LTTR DVCE NAME LINE, both models featuring a microSD, Screen3, and a thinned-wideness but slightly girthier body. The specs between sub-models do vary, however: GSM K1 has Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, 176 x 220 display, and 2 megapixel camera; both K1ms will forgo the A2DP, but the CDMA / 1xRTT version has a QVGA display (and an accordingly larger battery), and a 2 megapixel camera, while the EV-DO K1m has that damned 176 x 220 display a 1.3 megapixel camera, as well as a millimeter added to its waistline. Despite the differences, though, all should be available in the second half of the year (you know, the half we’re currently in) from, well, you know damned well who’s gonna offer this phone.

P.S. -From the looks of it, that device is running Moto’s new Juix interface. We can’t yet confirm this, but that’d certainly be a welcome addition to the otherwise predictable handset.

Read – MOTOKRZR K1
Read – MOTOKRZR K1m

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Filed under: Cellphones

Just in case the last set of pics of Motorola's sleek new Canary KRZR flip phone weren't enough for you, Engadget Mobile's got a few more hands-on shots of Verizon's version of this highly-anticipated handset. So if you're one of the millions of people who will end up buying this followup to the RAZR -- or if you just want to see what all the fuss is about -- head on over to our sister site and check out the full gallery...

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Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, Verizon Wireless, CDMA

Somebody out there really loves us. An anonymous tipster just sent in a handful of pics of Motorola's impending followup to the RAZR -- formerly dubbed the Canary, and now known by the nearly-unpronounceable series of letters KRZR -- running on Verizon's CDMA network. Nothing here that we haven't seen before, but if you wanted a sneak preview of what this phone will look like in your hand as you watch all that wonderful V Cast swag, now you have a pretty good idea. Click on for a few more shots of the handset that Moto is hoping another 50 million people will decide they just gotta have...

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Filed under: Home Entertainment

It's not really clear why the old CableCARD hasn't taken off as expected -- consumers blame their cable providers, who blame the card manufacturers, who blame device makers -- but nonetheless, the technology is far from dead, and now it looks like those long-awaited multi-stream CARDS could be available before the end of the year. CableLabs recently announced that Motorola's "M-Card" has joined Scientific Atlanta's offering in finally earning the organization's coveted "qualified" status, paving the way for such great functionality as picture-in-picture on compatible TVs and multi-channel recording for properly-equipped DVRs. Although the M-Card does improve upon current-gen CableCARDs by delivering access to more than one channel at a time, it is still classified as a version 1.0 device, and therefore won't allow the bi-directional communication necessary for on-demand or pay-per-view goodness. Still, this development is good news for consumers, as it should lead to increased demand for the cards, which will hopefully serve as a kick in the pants for the weak link in the CableCARD chain, whoever it is.

[Via HDBeat]

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Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, Verizon Wireless, Windows Mobile, EV-DO, Studies, CDMA, Misc

iSuppli's back doing what they do best -- ripping apart your favorite piece of hardware, adding up the component costs, and letting you know how much you're getting taken when you whip out the plastic. Today's victim is Motorola's text-tastic Q, and though the margins are pretty slim, it looks like Moto and Verizon are in the black on every unit they push. All told, iSupply totals the cost of the Q's guts to be $150; tack on another $8 for manufacturing and you're looking at $158 out the door. The most expensive component, not surprisingly, is the device's 320 x 240 display at $25, with memory and the XScale rounding out the top three. If you've invested in one of these bad boys lately you know that Verizon's charging $199 on a two-year contract, meaning that in the worst case, the two companies are splitting $41 -- and if you opt for a one-year at $349, well, they're just rolling in fat city.

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Filed under: Handsets, Motorola

It’s hard for any phone to out-do the legendary StarTac, but Motorola’s posterchild — you know which one we’re talking about — has officially sold 50 million units. Since the Hong Kong debut way back in 2004, the RAZR has dominated the mobile scene, and with a figure like that, you have to give props to the ingenious engineering, er, marketing team behind it. The handset really hasn’t changed much over the years, and its lamentable success is due in large part to buyers’ infatuation with colors; the ability jump-start sales by varying the paint job gave Motorola a bonafide cash cow, enabling everyone and their mother (literally) to jump on the ultimate mobile bandwagon. And with the possibility of more colors on the horizon, the question beckons: when will the madness end? While the 50 million unit milestone is commendable, we’re not shy about spending our time looking towards the future.

[Via Mobiledia]

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Filed under: Software, Motorola

If you’re anxiously awaiting Motorola’s upcoming lineup, get ready for a little more Yahoo than you may have expected. The two have announced a love-fest that will ultimately result in Yahoo’s “Go” bundle of garden-variety tools and apps being “prominently featured” on some of Moto’s handsets starting in the first half of ’07. You might recall Go making a cameo on Cingular’s Nokia 6682; from the press release, we’ve no reason to expect anything wildly different when it shows up on the Capris of the world. As long as we don’t find a dedicated “Y!” button etched into the keypad of our RAZR K1, we dig.

[Via Phone Scoop]

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Listen up you thin form-factor Motorola lovers, the next phone to complement your Q, RAZR, and SLVR has just gotten one step closer to hitting the shelves by getting FCC approval. The phone, named the RAZR K1, has been approved as a quad-band GSM and EDGE phone. Check out all of our hip-hoppin’, be-boppin’ Canary coverage here.

Now it is time for a little off-topic discussion. So it seems every damn day another new device gets some kind of FCC approval. Does it honestly take a lot of work to get something approved from the FCC, or does some intern just sit at the FCC desk with a giant “approved” stamp? Any insiders know what kind of rigorous steps are involved in getting approved? Leave a comment or shoot me an email, you can find my e-mail address over on the left. Teach me a thing or two and you may earn yourself a comments invite. – Travis Hudson

FCC Approves Motorola Canary, Officially Called K1 [Phone Scoop]

Eat your heart out Zach Morris. The retro brick phone is making a triumphant return thanks to Hong Kong manufacturer, Micro-T. It’s big, it’s ugly, it’s gaudy and it will likely make the ladies weak at the knees. This retro brick phone has gotten a few non-retro upgrades that include a LCD display, polyphonic ringtones, text messaging and a SIM card. There is no price point, and the only order information in an e-mail address from this odd company, but the effort to get one of these may be worth it if you really want Kelly to go with you to prom. She loves cellphones. – Travis Hudson

Product Page [11-fingers]

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, Cingular, GSM, GPRS, EDGE

If you’ve had any lingering questions about Motorola’s RAZR successor, the KRZR — aka Canary, aka RAZR 2 — you might shuffle on over to the FCC’s site and have a look-see. All the good stuff on the GSM variant has gone live, with unfettered access to external and internal pics plus a draft user’s manual. The KRZR does get honest-to-goodness EDGE which’ll be a fun experience for original V3 owners making the switch — but as Pete pointed out, it’s basically a glossy, slimmed down RAZR, so don’t expect any juicy specs buried in the documents. If by chance you still find yourself mesmerized by all that blue, glossy goodness, look for the KRZR at your friendly local Cingular outlet come this fall.

[Thanks, Handset Freak]

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Filed under: Motorola, Misc

In what might be called a Destination Q with less Q and more David Beckham, Motorola has cut the ribbon on its first "Global Flagship Store" in downtown Shanghai this week. On second thought, it appears any comparison to Destination Q would be doing the new joint a disservice -- the first of four planned for mainland China, Moto's Shanghai outpost offers laser etching, custom phone tattoos, and onsite factory techs for when your MING starts misbehavin'. The store's design is being called "modular," offering the opportunity for smaller stores and kiosks worldwide based on the same concept. Hey guys, we'd be happy to offer you a mulligan on Destination Q if you want to take that flagship of yours and bring the battle with Nokia (fo' reals this time) to your hometown.

[Via Mobiledia]

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Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, Cingular, GSM

Our friends over at Engaget Chinese showed us the Motorola C139 not too long ago, and now the palm-sized GoPhone is available on US shores from Cingular. Although embroiled in a few legal matters, Cingular isn’t missing the opportunity to boast about their affordable new offering. This dual-band GSM handset includes a minuscule 96 x 64 TFT screen, SMS-capability, games, monophonic ringtones, iTAP, and some simple tools such as a calculator and currency converter. How do you sell a phone in 2006 that lacks a built-in camera and can only store 100 contacts? Why, by offering a rock bottom price, of course. The C139 can be had for $39.99, and that includes a $10 pre-paid card (better talk quick!). While limited to being a pay-as-you-go device, the boon here is the tiny pricetag. The handset is available now through all major Cingular outlets to handle the basics.

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Filed under: Handsets, Motorola

The Motorola RAZR just doesn't quit making news; obviously Moto's pride and joy isn't finished making the rounds across the color spectrum just yet. It looks like lime (or pistachio) green is up next, though it's still unclear if this one will even make it stateside. It should be noted that the color really is the only new "feature" we yet know of, but we're sure the hype will follow; new ways to spin the RAZR just keep coming, even with its predecessor inevitably on the horizon. We'll be interested to see which provider(s) add to their portfolio Moto's darling in yet another color.

[Thanks, Ralf]

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Filed under: Cellphones, Handsets, Motorola, Sprint-Nextel

Continuing on a trend of newly unveiled everything-proof devices, we present Motorola's i580 phone. This beast is made to withstand the everyday abuses a cell phone takes and pretty much everything else you could possibly subject it to. Dust, steep falls, extreme temperatures, rain, and solar radiation won't harm the iDEN-capable device released on the Sprint-Nextel network. Aside from being one of the most resilient phones available, this clunker actually has a surprising array of features for its class. You'll get a 176 x 220 pixel screen, 1.3 megapixel camera (with video capability), Bluetooth, GPS, microSD, and the modern convenience of PTT that utilizes Direct Talk for off-network usage while exploring. The actual talk time, however, is lacking; you'll only get 2.75 hours of talking in on a full charge. The built-in insurance that comes with such a rugged phone doesn't come cheap: it's available now for $229.99 when purchased with a 2-year contract.

[Via Mobile Whack]

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To follow up on our previous post about Nokia suing Telsda Mobile and Song Xun Da Zhong Ke Electric for copying their Nokia 7260 phone design, here's a gallery of some Telsda's other phones—strangely reminiscent of other phone manufacturers.

Not only is Nokia being ripped, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, and Samsung have all been subject to the sincerest form of flattery. At least Telsda labels their phones with their own brand, instead of passing it off as a "Morotola" or a "Stony Erecsson". – Jason Chen

Nokia takes action against Chinese Cloners [Mobile Gazette]