Just like the press shots had us thinking, Motorola's ROKR EM30 really is nothing more (and nothing less) than a dumbed-down E8. Oh, and don't be alarmed by the utter blackness you're presented with below the d-pad -- the EM30 carries over the E8's "ModeShift" morphing keypad, so it does some cool stuff depending on the mode you're currently in. Legions of E8 loyalists are going to pan the missing touch arc, but listen, guys -- do you really need that to navigate music? Naw, of course you don't, especially at the EM30's price point. Rock on, Moto.

Hmm, Hov, you may want to check the fine print on whatever deal you've got with Moto, because these Jay-Z-branded MOTOROKR S7-HD Bluetooth headset aren't exactly big pimpin' -- and compared to Dre's big ol' cans, they look downright sad. Of course, the FCC's legendarily nasty product photography isnt helping here, but even A2DP stereo support and the integrated mic can't salvage this mess -- was this really worth unretiring for?

[Via Crave]

Moving just a tad downmarket from the mighty morphin' E8, Moto has rolled out three new members of its music-centric ROKR series today: the EM25 slider, EM28 flip, and EM30 candybar. The EM30 probably feels the most familiar, aping the E8's design language but trashing the touch-sensitive wheel for a plain ol' d-pad. It does, however, carry over the E8's so-called ModeShift morphing keypad and features an FM radio with RDS, 3.5mm headphone jack, and Windows Media compatibility. The EM28 brings the same style to a clamshell, while the EM25 reps the slider form factor. We're seeing some shots of a T-Mobile branded EM30 in here, too, so it looks like the carrier wants something to slot in right below the E8 in its Moto lineup -- a wise move, considering the E8's considerable expense. Look for the EM30 to launch first in Taiwan (sorry, T-Mob) followed by other markets later in the quarter, while the EM25 and EM28 should launch on a more global scale in the coming weeks.

Merely hours after Motorola began selling its simplistic U9 through its own webstore, along comes Fido to give interested Canadians another option for procuring it. Starting right now, those enamored by that ghostly external display can grab one for just $75 on a 3-year contract, $175 with a 2-year agreement or a grossly overpriced $350 with no strings attached. Any takers... anyone?

[Via MobileSyrup]

Alright, Rogers customers, stop your poutin' that your friends south of the border on T-Mobile got the ROKR E8 and you didn't -- because yeah, now you guys have it too. Best Buy is now offering the E8 on Rogers for $149.99 CAD (about $147) on one of those crazy three-year deals, and since local stores are stocking it, you'll be able to freak out your friends with the morphing keypad before the day's out. Get to it!

[Via MobileSyrup]

As expected, T-Mobile has taken the wraps off its very own version of Motorola's ROKR E8, a glossy black candybar offering a 2 megapixel camera, 2GB of internal storage (plus a microSD slot that'll swallow up to 8GB more), stereo Bluetooth, 3.5mm headphone jack, FM radio, and that so-called "morphing" keypad that selectively renders keys invisible depending on the mode you're using. It's missing 3G, but that's one feature T-Mobile customers are all too well acquainted to missing out on -- and considering that the just-announced flagship ZN5 doesn't even do any WCDMA, it shouldn't come as any surprise. Subscribers and would-be subscribers will be able to nab the E8 come July 7 for $199.99 on contract.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

We know that T-Mobile has signed on to pick up the MOTOROKR E8, and last we'd heard it might be dropping some time between... oh, now and August. MobileBurn is now reporting that the music-friendly candybar is slated for announcement tomorrow, though it's not clear whether it'd be available immediately or they're just planning on getting customers hot and bothered for a release down the road. The lack of 3G still isn't much of an issue on T-Mobile's network, and we were pretty impressed with the device in our hands-on testing, so this'll be a solid addition. It's entirely possible (and far too common) for devices like this to get delayed clear into irrelevance, so let's hope this particular rumor holds up.

Like it or not, the combination of high-function media players with high-function cellphones is officially an inevitability (just ask Apple). It seems like every day a new handset's being announced with that obligatory 3.5mm headphone jack on board, one of the final pieces of the puzzle that had prevented phones from becoming legitimate PMP competitors for years. Motorola took this fusion particularly seriously with the ROKR E8, a slick little candybar announced at CES earlier this year, and we sat down with a China-spec model recently to see just how well it functioned as a full-time replacement for our dedicated music boxes -- and whether it could avoid losing its identity as a phone in the process.

Thanks to the good folks at Wireless Imports for the hookup!

A fresh FCC filing indicates that Motorola's prepping what we can only assume to be a lower-cost alternative to the ROKR E8, the so-called EM30. This particular device wasn't mentioned in Moto's leaked '08 lineup for Asia, suggesting that we might just see the GSM / EDGE device elsewhere -- North America, specifically, since we have both 850 and 1900MHz here. The phone features Bluetooth, a 2 megapixel cam, and carries over the E8's trick keypad, but loses the touch sensitive scroll wheel in favor of a traditional four-way setup. Looks like it'll be available in red and gray, perfect for leaving your friends and colleagues squarely unimpressed with your choice in handsets.

[Via Phone Scoop]

Quick: Motorola launches a music phone with a heap of internal memory, quadband GSM / EDGE, and no 3G. What American carrier is most likely to show some interest in picking up something like that? That's right: we've stumbled across shots of the ROKR E8, in all its mighty morphin' glory, bearing T-Mobile's mark (and obligatory myFaves logo) across the rear. The spec sheet really isn't much different from the carrier's 2GB RAZR 2 V8, but we suspect the glossy candybar is just glamorous and different enough to attract some business from the window-shopping crowd. We'll post an update if we catch any word on pricing or availability.

We still don't have an official announcement from Motorola about this phone's existence -- much less a confirmation on pricing or availability 'round here -- but the bizarre ROKR E8 candybar has gotten just a little more real now that most of its FCC documentation has come off confidentiality. There's not a lot here that we didn't already know, but we're pleased to see the test reports make mention of both GSM 850 and 1900 (and decidedly less pleased to see an utter lack of 3G). We'd be lying if we didn't say we were pretty amped to get one of these in our hands, and with quadband EDGE on board, there's at least a fleeting chance that Motorola's US direct retail channel or a North American GSM carrier will launch it. Hey, we can dream, right?

[Via Phone Scoop]

It seems only fitting that Motorola would announce its latest in-car solution when the largest automotive accessory extravaganza -- SEMA -- is starting its 2007 show. Motorola's MOTOROKR T505 Bluetooth carkit combines handsfree calling, A2DP support, and an FM transmitter which allows music and phone calls to be streamed over Bluetooth and played through the car's speaker system. Don't rush out to the stores just yet as this won't be available to sometime in early 2008 (well, actually, you can rush out right now if you're so inclined, you'll just be waiting in the cold for a few months).

It's not available for a few months yet, but far be it from that little snag to stop a few enterprising individuals to get their paws on a MOTOROKR E8 early (and, of course, being close to the country of manufacture probably helps). The lack of 3G is a real dream killer for us, but that wild keypad still looks like it could be a winner. Enough tactile feedback? Only time'll tell.

[Via Just Another Mobile Phone Blog]

It's been kicking around for most of this year, so we're glad to see that Alltel finally saw fit to get Motorola's rather attractive Z6m slider out and into customers' hands (a Z6tv it ain't, but you'll save a little coin). Anyway, the slider's a solid choice for mobile music on account of its 3.5mm headphone jack, stereo Bluetooth support, microSD slot, and USB 2.0 connectivity. Alltel's very own Celltop system is naturally supported, as is TeleNav GPS -- and if that's not enough to convince you, maybe the "tattoo" across the keypad and rear will (we have to admit, it really doesn't look that annoying). Get it starting today for $129.99 on contract after rebate.

[Thanks, Dizzy]

It's real! Motorola has made official its latest PEBL-esque device -- though there's no actual PEBL branding to be found on this one -- the U9. Think of the U9 to the original PEBL what the V8 and V9 are to the original RAZR, rocking Motorola's "CrystalTalk" noise reduction tech, microSD expansion, and a 2 megapixel camera. Media's the focus here with support for syncing with Windows Media Player 11; WMA, MP3, AAC, AAC+, and AAC+ enhanced files are all good to go, while the stereo Bluetooth support and "floating" external display with touch sensitive controls certainly don't hurt. Look for it to hit in the fourth quarter of the year in Asia, Latin America, and Europe. No North American release plans have been outed at this point, but it's a quadband GSM / EDGE phone, so we'd expect to find its way onto importers' shelves (and probably Motorola's own online store) right quick.