Engadget Mobile

T-Mobile rolls out Sidekick Slide Scarlet

Chris Ziegler — Fri, 16 May 2008 18:38:00 EST

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, T-Mobile, Danger, GSM, EDGE

As expected, Motorola and T-Mobile have materialized a new variant of the Sidekick Slide, replacing that rather polarizing shade of purple with... well, an equally polarizing shade of red. The Sidekick Slide Scarlet, as it's known, features the same QVGA display, 1.3 megapixel cam, microSD slot, and Hiptop-first sliding display as the original and is available starting today for $199.99 on contract.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Motorola's RAZR 2 blushes for South Korea

Chris Ziegler — Thu, 15 May 2008 13:51:00 EST

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola

For better or worse, the relentless barrage of RAZR 2 variants might only be getting started. Motorola's South Korean outpost has teamed up with SK Telecom to release the RAZR 2 Pink Silver, featuring an "espresso" hued keypad teamed with a light pink case for folks who want to whisper their fashion sense, not scream it -- or, in Motorola's words, for a "confident young generation." Look for it now in SKT retailers if you happen to be in the area.

[Via Unwired View]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Motorola releasing first bone conduction headset this summer

Chris Ziegler — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:27:00 EST

Filed under: Motorola, Accessories

We've learned from a source close to the project that Motorola is planning on rolling out a bone conduction headset "this summer" based on Nextlink's technology. This totally jibes with recent news that Moto and Nextlink had partnered up -- and furthermore, that the long-overdue Invisio Q7 would be straight up Moto branded by the time it actually hit store shelves -- and sure enough, the photo we've been provided certainly looks like a Q7 in Moto clothing. We don't have anything else solid at this point, but we're told that the headset performs brilliantly in windy conditions, a common complaint for Jawbone owners. Motorola, Nextlink, whomever, we don't really care what this thing is called, we're just happy to hear we'll finally have it out in the next few months.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Motorola's new V750 and W755 for Verizon in all their glory

Chris Ziegler — Tue, 13 May 2008 09:42:00 EST

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

Two of Motorola's latest Verizon wares continue their relentless march toward launch day (or "L-day" as we like to call it when we're trying to sound extra important and cryptic), the V750 and W755 flips. We don't have a date on the V750 yet -- the slightly sportier-looking of the two in silver with red and mesh black trim -- but we now hear that the W755 is currently tracking for a May 23 debut. No word on pricing there, but with the meager feature set, we imagine it'll be pretty easy on the wallet. In the meantime, though, enjoy some photography. Come on, you know you want to.

Gallery: Motorola's new V750 and W755 for Verizon in all their glory

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Motorola L800t gets FCC blessing on way to China's TD-SCDMA

Chris Ziegler — Sat, 10 May 2008 14:06:00 EST

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, GSM, EDGE

Remember that rumored L800t that got outed as part of Motorola's Asian lineup for '08 not long ago? We still can't really confirm that it's called the L800t, but we can confirm that the device itself is real thanks to an FCC approval -- and really, that's all that matters, isn't it? This unassuming candybar should mark Moto's first foray into China's budding TD-SCDMA network that hopes to eventually blanket the country's metropolitan areas with a proprietary form of 3G. The next question, naturally, is why the phone has found its way into American labs when it'll be biding its time over in Beijing, and the answer is pretty simple: we've got EDGE data on the 1900MHz band here, so theoretically, it could be used (with reduced performance) in the States -- just don't expect any high-speed action out of it.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Motorola iDEN software updates vanish into thin air

Chris Ziegler — Fri, 09 May 2008 14:46:00 EST

Filed under: Software, Motorola

Alright, let's start firing up the conspiracy theory engines, shall we? Motorola's iDEN Software Upgrades site -- one of the first around to offer handset firmware upgrades directly to customers -- has been mysteriously pulled down with nary a clue as to the reason or when they might be back up. All we know is that they're "currently unavailable" and that we should check back at a "later time." We imagine new firmware builds for these rugged warriors aren't exactly the hottest thing going to begin with (and let's be honest, what percentage of iDEN users even knew this site existed to begin with?) but let's hope Moto has a plan to bring these back out nonetheless.

[Via Unwired View and PhoneNews]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Motorola's Q9c finally appears for Verizon

Joshua Topolsky — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:17:00 EST

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

Just like we suspected, after a short delay, the succulent and delightful Motorola Q9c is now available from Verizon. Bonus shot -- instead of the $249.99 price tag we expected it to sport, it's actually bumped down to $199.99 with a two-year contract and online discount. So... what are you waiting for?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Motorola V9 Ferrari, for the Moto-loving Ferrari driver in your life

Chris Ziegler — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:31:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Handsets, Motorola, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS

A Vertu it's not, but that's not stopping Motorola from borrowing Maranello's most prized symbol of speed and excess yet again. Last time around, Moto was trying its hand at reworking the Z8 into a phone befitting some of the world's most exotic cars -- an effort that we believe failed spectacularly, for the record -- and this time around it looks like the RAZR 2 V9 will be the unwitting target. Technologically, the phone's a dead ringer for its less-flashy cousin, but in terms of appearance... well, that's a whole different story, thanks to a checkered pattern on the phone's metal surface, red trim, and if we had to guess, a full range of Ferrari-themed pictures and sounds. Oh, and they've also managed to throw in a lambskin case embossed with the hallowed badge. No word on pricing, but it seems that it'll only be available in Asia and Latin America -- for a very small fraction of the price of the real thing, may we add.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Our own Ryan Block throws his hat in the Moto ring

Chris Ziegler — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:53:00 EST

Filed under: Features, Motorola

Motorola's in desperate need of a fearless leader that can lead its handset business back from the brink, and our own dear leader thinks he might be the answer. Why's that? Head on over to Engadget to find out!

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Motorola A1600 MING 2 garners FCC approval

Chris Ziegler — Tue, 06 May 2008 09:12:00 EST

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, Linux, GSM, EDGE

Yo, Americans: if you want to learn more about a sweet-looking phone that Motorola doesn't think you should have, we've got just the place for you. Take a stroll on over to the FCC's documentation site, where you'll find a wealth of information on Moto's rumored A1600 MING 2. The Linux-based smartphone carries over the important parts of the original MING's trademark industrial design but upgrades to a respectable 3.2 megapixel camera, quadband EDGE, and allegedly WiFi -- though we couldn't find any mention of it in the manual. Sadly, as we mentioned, there doesn't appear to be any plan to bring the A1600 to the States with a user's manual emblazoned with "Asia/EMEA" on page 1, but with that worldband radio, at least it'll be pretty painless to import and use it if you're so inclined.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Motorola RIZR Z10 gets exclusive on O2

Sean Cooper — Mon, 05 May 2008 20:55:00 EST

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, O2

About time that Moto's RIZR Z10 sees the light of day, and it'll be shining in O2's spotlight as an exclusive for at least the first little while. Featuring a 3.2 megapixel camera, quad-band GSM / EDGE, single-band HSDPA, support for up to 32GB of pop-in memory, a winning kick-slide form factor, and O2 has even seen fit to pitch in the Borne Ultimate collection on the included 1GB microSD card. If you're a fan of vid and pic editing, the built in editing software on the Z10 should keep you happy with the ability to add a soundtrack, overlay text, and even upload your 30fps opus right to YouTube from the handset. So there ya have it, if you're in the UK and have from $free to £149.99 (roughly $300) to spend, it may well be worth having a peek at.

[Via MobileBurn]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Where's Verizon's Motorola Q9c? May 15, we hear

Chris Ziegler — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:02:00 EST

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

Remember that three-pack of phones Verizon promised for April delivery a while back? Two of them have materialized as promised, but the third -- the Motorola Q9c -- is missing in action. The popular rumor seems to be that they've pushed the launch date out just a smidge to May 15, though with the Q9m already in the lineup, we suspect this one won't be causing as much panic than if either the enV(2) or XV6900 had slipped. Or will it?

[Via Everything Q]

Update: We've gotten some documentation suggesting that the Q9c will actually launch in Verizon's B2B, web, and telesales channels on May 9 right alongside the Curve and Glyde, making for a quite a blockbuster day. Availability in stores will apparently depend on how long it takes to deplete Q9m stock.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Motorola's ZN5 captured in pictures, no blur included

Darren Murph — Thu, 01 May 2008 11:10:00 EST

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, Linux, GSM

Sure, you've already treated your eyes to a few less-than-stellar images of the ZN5, but this candybar just got a whole lot clearer. A handful of new images have surfaced over at KeySJ, and they take you all the way around the handset itself and even give you a look at the interface. We know, we've probably already lost you to the read link below, but if you're somehow still here, then here's your unnecessary permission to head on down and indulge. Thanks for caring.

[Via JumpAMP]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Motorola's leaky faucet rumors three new handsets

Sean Cooper — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:03:00 EST

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, Linux, GSM, HSDPA

Motorola may have a few more tricks up its sleeve in the coming months, and while the W388, W396, and VA76r weren't mentioned in the recently leaked roadmap, they're still ~~barely~~ worth mentioning. Info is pretty thin on the W388 and W396 with both featuring 128X128 screens, GPRS, Java, and VGA shooters, or as we like to call 'em, bargain basement sets. The oddly named VA76r offers at least a glimmer of hope in the spec department with a QVGA screen, Montavista 2.6.10 Linux OS, Freescale ArgonLV processor, 2 megapixel shooter, and a dash of HSDPA. No pics, prices, dates, or even solid grounding in reality were provided with this lot, though really, this doesn't have us jumping with wild abandon anyway, go MOTO.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Telus launches Motorola's Mike i877 flip phone

Darren Murph — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 01:26:00 EST

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, Telus Mobility, EV-DO, CDMA

Just days after Telus picked up the attractive LG Venus, the carrier has officially started offering up the Motorola Mike i877. The half-rugged, half-sleek looking flip phone was designed by Pininfarina and features integrated Bluetooth, a multimedia player (MP3, AAC, WMA), microSD expansion slot, miniUSB port, 1.3-megapixel camera, VibraCall, a digital voice recorder and the obligatory push-to-talk support. If it floats your boat, you can snag it now sans contract for $349.99, or anywhere between $149.99 to $299.99 if you're cool with signing the dotted line for varying lengths of time.

[Via MobileInCanada]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

CEO chats up spinoff as Motorola posts nightmarish quarter

Chris Ziegler — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 10:37:00 EST

Filed under: Motorola

Motorola's recognized that its mobile division's been in a train-wreck status for a little while now, yet somehow, losses continue to widen at the world's number three (for the moment, anyway) manufacturer. The company shed $194 million on sales of $7.448 billion, compared to a loss of $181 million on sales of $9.433 billion in the same quarter a year prior; we suppose the gap is narrower, but not by a heck of a lot. There's no profit in sight, either, with guidance of 2 to 4 cents per share worth of red ink in the second quarter.

As expected, the bulk of that bleeding is coming directly out of the mobile division, and to that end, USA Today sat down with CEO Greg Brown to chat about the state of the business and the impending spinoff. Brown says that by preparing for the divorce, the division's becoming more accountable for its own success -- in other words, it has a credit card and checkbook in its own name -- and that its people are becoming "energized" by the move. He wants cooler, consumer-driven products hitting the market at a consistently quick pace (one look at Samsung or LG should teach 'em a thing or two about "quick pace") and says that too great a focus on technology has led them astray recently. That sounds a little bogus to us; we certainly wouldn't call Moto devices the highest-tech around, but hey, if he wants to convince himself that his company's phones aren't selling well because they're too high-tech, we can't blame him.

Curiously, Brown paused before answering that he "feels" like the mobile division would probably benefit from using the Motorola name going forward; we'd assumed Motorola's granting of branding rights were a foregone conclusion, but it seems like those details haven't been sorted out yet. If they end up pulling even the Moto name from the new company, honestly, what's left?

Read - Greg Brown interview
Read - Q1 2008 results

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Motorola's W755 for Verizon is like a breath of fresh (or stale) air

Chris Ziegler — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:45:00 EST

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

Remember that spellbinding page-turner of a user guide for Motorola's W755 that we brought you a while back? Of course you do -- how could anyone forget? The anticipation of a new model in Moto's W line of low- to midrange handsets is always nearly too much to bear for us, as we're sure it is for you. Anyway, enough with the ribbing and onto business: press shots of the Verizon-bound flip have surfaced, showing that the phone will be available in at least two shades, black and purple. With a 1.3 megapixel camera on board it's not about to set any records or turn any heads, but the external touch-sensitive music controls are a bonus -- and hey, we guess a choice of colors is always nice. Still no word on a release here, so we hope these shots will hold you over in the meanwhiles.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Motorola RAZR 2 V9m in the mix for Virgin Mobile Canada

Chris Ziegler — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 03:29:00 EST

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, Virgin Mobile, EV-DO, CDMA

In case you hadn't noticed, Virgin Mobile rocks an ever-so-slightly higher end lineup north of the border than it does in the US, and to that end, it's just released the RAZR 2 V9m. We all know the drill here by now: 2 inch external QVGA display with music controls, 2.2 inch internal QVGA display, stereo Bluetooth, EV-DO, microSD expansion, and a 2 megapixel camera, all of which are ready to sit just above the KRZR in Virgin's stable. Grab it now for $149 CAD (about $147) on a three-year deal.

[Via Mobile In Canada]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Motorola A810 gets Linuxy on the FCC

Chris Ziegler — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:56:00 EST

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, Linux, GSM, EDGE

That spy shot of Motorola's A810 turned out to be dead real -- either that or the FCC's pulling the wool over our eyes, and we really don't see that happening (not a lot of humor with those guys, don't you know). Don't get too excited for use of this Linux-based, full touchscreen puppy outside of Asia, though, seeing how the FCC saw fit to approve nothing more than GSM / EDGE 1900; that's an indication that it lacks GSM 850 and the key to our hearts. Other features that made the cut include a 2 megapixel camera (although the picture of the back kinda looks like it says "4.0 megapixel," doesn't it?) and an FM radio, so to whomever out there has the distinct pleasure of being able to buy this one in their home market, we say: enjoy.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Motorola's ZN5 gets clearer, Kodak co-branding and all

Chris Ziegler — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:09:00 EST

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, Linux, GSM

So this is where the Kodak teaser shot is leading, eh? A clear full-body shot of Motorola's upcoming ZN5 candybar has finally hit the web, appearing to borrow a number of fresh design elements from recently-spied models (take the keypad font, for example, which we've seen on Verizon's unannounced Moto clamshells, and morph tech from the E8). Unfortunately, it doesn't matter how great that 5 megapixel Kodak sensor really is -- the lack of 3G is pretty unforgivable in the year 2008, even if Motorola intends to restrict this model to Asia, which in itself doesn't make terribly much sense for a company that should be concentrating on a global turnaround.

[Via Unwired View]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Motorola Z8m brings 7.2Mbps HSDPA the banana way

Chris Ziegler — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:43:00 EST

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, Symbian, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS

We'd long since forgotten about Motorola's UIQ-based Z8 kick slider -- the introduction of the hotter, fancier Z10 pretty much sealed the deal for us there. Turns out Moto thinks there's still life left in the unusual smartphone, though, and it's taking an updated model to South Korea to prove it. The Z8m comes at a time when Motorola is looking to reassure its South Korean fans that the corporate break-up isn't going to affect its presence here, where SK Telecom continues to serve as its exclusive carrier partner; whether this is just the right phone to do it, we can't say, but we can say that we wish we'd get a version of it stateside. The headlining feature here is support for 7.2Mbps HSDPA (the original Z8 topped out at a mere 3.6Mbps) and appears to carry over the same type of UIQ setup from its predecessor -- just fine with us. Look for it to hit for around 500,000 won, which translates to just about $501.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Details emerge on Verizon's PTT entrants from Motorola and Casio

Chris Ziegler — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:47:00 EST

Filed under: Features, Motorola, Verizon Wireless, EV-DO, CDMA, Casio

Remember how we said Verizon was prepping a next-gen PTT launch right behind Sprint? It's still on, and we're starting to get a trickle of intel on at least two devices that'll spearhead the festivities. The first is going to be -- yep, you guess it -- a Motorola, the V750 flip to be exact. The other is going to be the next episode in Casio's G'zOne series of niche-but-popular outdoorsy handsets, which will be known as the c711. Both feature EV-DO (including tethering capability), GPS, Bluetooth, cameras, media capability, and a fat ton of onboard memory, while the G'zOne adds a compass and "rugged styling," which we think is code for "it's not as tough as it looks." We're not sure whether these are still on track for a May launch, but that V750 we saw sure looked ready for prime time, didn't it?

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Evidence builds for Motorola's 2008 lineup

Chris Ziegler — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 10:55:00 EST

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, GSM

New leaks out of China are consistent with previous rumors, suggesting that Motorola's 2008 phalanx of mobiles is starting to gel -- for the Asia region, anyway, and there's really no knowing whether we'll see any of these stateside. Both of the new MINGs are pictured here, bearing the A1600 and A1800 model designations as expected; the big difference seems to be dual SIM support in the A1800, along with revised styling. Speaking of dual SIM, the VE75 slider will do 'em too, adding a 2 megapixel camera and a generously sized 2.6 inch WQVGA display. The long-rumored 5 megapixel product of Moto's cooperation with Kodak, the so-called ZN5, gets pictured here as well; at first glance we can't say we're impressed, but let's not dive too deep into it seeing how the picture is the size of a fricking thimble. Finally, we learn that Moto's jumping on the TD-SCDMA bandwagon quite early, working to pump out the L800t candybar; the 220 x 176 resolution isn't going to blow anyone away, but hey, at least it'll blaze across the interwebs at the Olympics this summer. Maybe.

[Via Unwired View]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Verizon's Motorola V750 continues to signal new design direction

Chris Ziegler — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:13:00 EST

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

Okay, okay, we think we're spotting a trend here. After the so-called VU30 from Motorola got spied for Verizon's airwaves last month, phoneArena's back with another Moto-sourced device that's looking suspiciously similar. Reaction to the VU30 was mixed -- and when we say "mixed" we mean "generally poor" -- so we're expecting that this here V750 will garner similar sentiments from the public at large. There isn't any other info available about the phone at this point, but given the seemingly thin shell and fancy display, we're figuring that the midrange is the name of the game here.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

David Dorman appointed as Motorola non-executive Chairman

Darren Murph — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:25:00 EST

Filed under: Motorola, ATT, Misc

We won't say that Motorola's on the up and up, but just after ridding itself of that pending litigation between it and Carl Icahn comes word that a fresh face will be succeeding Ed Zander as non-executive Chairman of the Board. David Dorman, former chairman and CEO of AT&T, has been selected by Moto's Board of Directors to take over Zander's chairman seat after he retires on May 5th. According to Greg Brown, president and CEO of the company, he feels that Dorman is "ideally suited to serve as Motorola's chairman," and he made known his excitement about working with Dave as it "moves forward with its plan to create two independent publicly traded companies and improve the performance of the Mobile Devices business." Good luck in there, Mr. Dorman.

[Image courtesy of USA Today]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Sidekick Slide turning red for round 2?

Chris Ziegler — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 09:28:00 EST

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, T-Mobile, Danger, GSM, EDGE

Boy Genius Report is reporting (it is the Boy Genius Report, after all) that the Motorola-sourced Sidekick Slide will be getting a second variation on T-Mobile come late May or early June, this time around in a lovely shade of red to compliment the same glossy black shell as the original. We can see how the purple might be a bit intense for some folks, so red should be a decent alternative; we don't think the picture's real here, but it gets the point across. With the iD out of the picture, it seems like T-Mobile has some ramping up to do in the palette department -- and really, how much longer can we go without a Dwayne Wade LX?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hands-on with the Motorola Smart Rider

Chris Ziegler — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 22:10:00 EST

Filed under: Features, Motorola, GSM

We're really not so sure we can envision mounting one of these in our own slab, but we'll admit, Motorola's Smart Rider is just about the most fully-featured car kit we've ever seen. The thing's pretty freaking massive and the screen's plenty clear, which we figure is perfect for drivers who want to minimize the amount of time they spend fiddling with controls and maximize the time they spend... oh, you know, driving. In general, the device could stand to be just a little less angular -- we figure a few folks are going to balk at mounting this giant hunk of plastic in their beloved rides -- but then again, the device seems targeted squarely at fleets where aesthetic beauty is far from priority one. Click on to the gallery to get a sense of what we mean.

Gallery: Hands-on with the Motorola Smart Rider

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Carl Icahn and Motorola bury the hatchet

Darren Murph — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 10:51:00 EST

Filed under: Motorola, Misc

Good news coming from the Motorola camp? Say it ain't so! The long-standing feud between the flagging company and investor Carl Icahn has finally come to an end, and lo and behold, the pending litigation between the two has even been dismissed. Apparently the two parties managed to agree that (effective immediately) Keith Meister, a managing director of the Icahn investment funds and principal executive officer of Icahn Enterprises would be "appointed to serve on the [firm's board of directors]," and William R. Hambrecht, founder, chairman and CEO of WR Hambrecht + Co. and co-founder of Hambrecht & Quist, would be "nominated for election" during the 2008 annual shareholders meeting. Heck, Moto's even soliciting Mr. Icahn's input in dealing with the hopeful separation of businesses -- but then again, it would probably take advice from just about anyone given the current state of affairs.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Telus adds BlackBerry Curve, Motorola Q9c

Chris Ziegler — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:29:00 EST

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, RIM, Telus Mobility, Windows Mobile, EV-DO, CDMA

There are certain phones that seem to have the uncanny ability to unite a fabulous cross section of carriers across North America, and these two are clearly headed in that direction. Telus way up there in Canada has launched the Motorola Q9c and announced the eventual availability of the BlackBerry Curve 8330, giving it a power pack of smartphones embraced by a good number of CDMA cousins to the south. Both devices offer EV-DO data and Bluetooth; the Curve offers up GPS and a 2 megapixel camera, while the Windows Mobile 6-based Q9c makes do with a 1.3 megapixel sensor -- but offers the key bonus of being available immediately for $149.99 CAD on a three-year deal. No release date or pricing for the Curve has been announced.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Read - Motorola Q9c
Read - BlackBerry Curve

Permalink | Email this | Comments

We get our mitts on Motorola's new QChat-enabled V950

Sean Cooper — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 08:55:00 EST

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, Sprint, EV-DO, CDMA

We saw the Motorola V950 peek its head up today and seeing as we were in the neighborhood, we thought we'd drop in and pay it a visit. The V950, while still looking like a typical clamshell, makes up for it in feel, comfort and heft in hand, and pure QChat-ness. This military-grade set makes us almost -- with emphasis on almost -- want to pick up one of these next gen push-to-talk devices. More pics follow, so enjoy!

Gallery: We get our mitts on Motorola's new QChat-enabled V950

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Motorola to cut another 2,600 jobs

Nilay Patel — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 20:02:00 EST

Filed under: Motorola

The tough times just don't seem to end at Motorola -- the company announced today that it's laying off another 2,600 workers, for a total of 10,000 positions eliminated since the start of 2007. That's on top of the various high-level executive departures that have been taken place lately, not to mention the company's plan to split off its mobile phone business, which will undoubtedly lead to more cuts down the line. The goal is to reduce costs by some $500M by the end of the year, and some of the jobs being lost come as Moto closes a factory in Singapore and a WiMAX development lab in Florida. There's no word on when the cuts are going to come, but here's hoping all these aggressive steps lead to a little vacation for Sad Moto here.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

LG LX400, Motorola V950, and pair of Samsungs round out Sprint's QChat fare

Chris Ziegler — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 04:04:00 EST

Filed under: Handsets, LG, Motorola, Samsung, Sprint, EV-DO, CDMA

As we've long known, Sanyo isn't the only company contributing goodies to the opening volley of CDMA Direct Connect devices for Sprint -- LG, Motorola, and Samsung all want in on the action, too. LG brings the LX400, featuring a 1.3 megapixel camera in a burgundy shell; it's not our cup of tea, but folks looking for something on the non-rugged side of the PTT spectrum might find their soulmate here. Next up, the Motorola V950 is pretty notable since it marks Moto's inevitable foray away from its own iDEN tech and toward something just a little more modern to support the push-to-talk functionality its users so deeply love. It's a media powerhouse, too, thanks to external music controls, a microSD slot, stereo Bluetooth, and a 2 megapixel cam. Finally, Samsung comes to the table with two models: the rubberized Z400 (surprisingly appearing to be the most hardcore of the foursome) that trades consumer-friendly features for a tough shell -- though they've still felt the need to slap a 1.3 megapixel cam on there -- and the Z700, a fancy, refined set that looks fit for duty in the most fancy of pockets and shares much of its spec sheet with the Moto V950. Pricing and availability haven't been announced for any of the four, but we imagine they'll be pretty reasonable given the overall modesty across the line.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hands-on with the Motorola Z9 for AT&T

Chris Ziegler — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:20:00 EST

Filed under: Handsets, Features, Motorola, ATT, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS

So who exactly green-lighted the "mahogany" shade used on the AT&T V9 and Z9, anyway? We don't like it any more now than we did when we saw it on the RAZR 2, but the phone itself looks like a solid choice for anyone seeking a decent midrange slider -- especially if Samsung and LG aren't to your liking. We were pleasantly surprised by how thin the phone looks and feels (the press shots seem to betray it there for some reason), and the screen is one of the better we've seen in a device in this class, both for size and clarity. Throw in a little AT&T Navigator action, Video Share support, and HSDPA, and you have yourself a complete little package -- if you're into those sorts of things, anyway!

Gallery: Hands-on with the Motorola Z9 for AT&T

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Motorola's shockingly lime Q9c in the flesh

Chris Ziegler — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:08:00 EST

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, Alltel, Windows Mobile, EV-DO, CDMA, US Cellular

The great unasked question, "what would a buttoned-up, business smartphone look like in the same color as this pie I'm eating?" has finally been answered, thanks to the good folks at Motorola. This here Q9c is destined for Alltel and US Cellular, and we have to admit, it's actually pretty attractive. Could we actually see ourselves sliding one in our pocket? Eh, that might be going a bit far, but we think they'll manage to push a few of these suckers off shelves.

Gallery: Motorola's shockingly lime Q9c in the flesh

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Motorola's Smart Rider in-vehicle phone takes handsfree to the next level

Darren Murph — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:03:00 EST

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, GSM

Oh sure, we've seen handsets designed to spend more time riding shotgun than hyperventilating in your front pocket, but Motorola's Smart Rider may actually break out in hives if removed from the comfort of your car's cabin. All joshing aside, this unique "in-vehicle phone" plays on GSM bands and features built-in GPS navigation services, voice activation, Bluetooth and a microphone / speakerphone. You'll also get a 2.8-inch display, turn-by-turn guidance, real-time traffic information and automatic re-routing. Regrettably, Moto's all hush-hush on pricing, but it'll be available for those that want this June.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Motorola's Z9 with GPS goes for a ride on AT&T

Thomas Ricker — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 04:41:00 EST

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, ATT, GSM, HSDPA, UMTS

Just like we heard, AT&T is now offering Motorola's MOTO Z9. $150 (after $50 on-line discount and 2-yr contract) nabs the new slider with GPS for AT&T's rebranded TeleNav service -- now called AT&T Navigator. It's also stuffed with microSD expansion, stereo Bluetooth, and quad-band GSM with WCDMA 850/1900 supporting 3.6Mbps HSDPA data. Surprisingly, the 2 megapixel camera we saw in the early prototype last year has been whittled back to 1.3 megapixels. Come on Moto, what's 0.7 megapixels between friends?

[Thanks, Mark and Orhan C.]

Update: AT&T's bad! The camera's still a full 2 megapixels after all -- we just confirmed it.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Goodbye, iDEN: Motorola tries its hand at QChat with V950 for Sprint

Chris Ziegler — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, Sprint, EV-DO, CDMA

Motorola, the patron saint of iDEN, is departing its own safety net in preparation for the imminent launch of Sprint's next-gen push-to-talk network based on EV-DO Rev. A and Qualcomm's QChat technology. The V950 flip -- unannounced, save for an FCC mention -- appears to maintain some elements of the ruggedness its iDEN line is famous for, but by the same token, there's a certain... shall we say, CDMA-ness that undeniably exudes from the new piece. There's a camera, external music controls, and microSD expansion, too, so it's clear that Sprint won't just be targeting this one at the construction worker types. No word on a release date, but the first volley of QChat-enabled devices should be launching any minute now, so we could theoretically see this in the next few weeks.

[Via Phone Scoop]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Verizon surprises no one with XV6900, Motorola Q9c, and LG enV(2)

Chris Ziegler — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 11:31:00 EST

Filed under: Handsets, HTC, LG, Motorola, Verizon Wireless, Windows Mobile, EV-DO, CDMA

Well, here are three that we didn't see coming or anything -- Verizon has officially announced the Motorola Q9c, LG enV(2), and HTC-sourced XV6900 today, all for April availability. The Moto Q9c is a more business-savvy version of the consumer-focused Q9m that was launched on Verizon late last year, with the carrier playing up the new model's VZ Navigator support, Windows Mobile 6 Standard load (yippee?), and -- unfortunately for those whose companies distrust photography -- a 1.3 megapixel camera. This one will launch for $249.99 after rebate on a two-year plan.

Next up we have the enV(2) -- a phone we mistakenly identified previously as the enV2 because we just never could've seen those bonus parenthesis coming -- which succeeds the wildly popular enV and injects a fresh dose of industrial design. Features include a 2 megapixel cam, 2.4 inch internal display accompanied by a smaller screen up front that's just big enough for doing calling duty, microSD slot, and the flip-up QWERTY keyboard the enV series is famous for. It'll run $129.99 after rebate on contract when it launches next month.

Finally, the XV6900 brings Verizon in line with Sprint's Touch, though in a far paler shade. It features the full host of Windows Mobile 6 Professional goodies alongside a 2 megapixel camera, microSD slot, 256MB of ROM, 128MB of RAM, Bluetooth, and HTC's TouchFLO interface. Like the others, it's slated for April availability and will run $349.99 on contract after $50 rebate.

Read - Motorola Q9c
Read - LG enV(2)
Read - Verizon XV6900

Permalink | Email this | Comments