Renew -- Engadget Mobile

renew posts

Leaked Fido roadmap shows Q1 sets, typos, errors?

by Sean Cooper posted Feb 9th 2009 @ 5:41PM

We're not so sure what to make of this -- and would put very little weight in it until we hear otherwise -- as the title's typo and obvious lack of 3yr plans that carriers love up here make it seem a bit sketch. Though, as the pic is hollering, we can purportedly expect the Samsung F266 tomorrow, SE T303 in early March, LG TE365 late March, and the recycled Motorola W233 on April 22. This thing is all a mess, though stranger things have happened, and it could all pan out. Hopefully we'll hear something either way in the near future.

Update: As reader clay rightly points out, feature phones no longer have 3-year deals -- though they do still exist for sets like the recently launched BlackBerry. So with that out of the way, we just have the shifty typo left.

Motorola Renew now available from T-Mobile

by Chris Ziegler posted Feb 4th 2009 @ 12:01AM

If you're interested in doing your little part to save the environment from the scourge of non-recyclable cellphones, take note: your knight in shining armor has arrived. Motorola's W233 Renew candybar for T-Mobile isn't going to blow anyone away with its spec sheet, but it might just blow away a few Cal Berkeley tree sitters with its plastics recovered from recycled water bottles, carbon neutral rating, 100 percent recyclable materials, and manufacturing process that requires 20 percent less energy than your average mobile. It features Moto's CrystalTalk noise reduction tech, support for microSD expansion up to 2GB, 128 x 128 display, and an impressive 9 hours of talk time, but maybe the most impressive part is the price: $9.99 on contract. The Renew is available direct from T-Mobile starting today.

Motorola W233 Renew hands-on

by Chris Ziegler posted Jan 9th 2009 @ 8:42AM

We hear this thing is made out of water bottles... and lameness. We totally applaud Moto's efforts in recycling stuff, reducing excess packaging, and offsetting carbon footprints, but couldn't the first phone to enjoy that initiative be just a little cooler? The W233 Renew really has nothing of consequence in its spec sheet, leaving the green shell (get it? green for environmental friendliness?) to do the talking. We'll personally pass, but let us know when you're making a treehugger SURF, k, Moto?

Gallery: Motorola W233 Renew hands-on

Motorola's SURF A3100 headlines three-pack of new phones

by Chris Ziegler posted Jan 6th 2009 @ 1:13AM

If these fine specimens look familiar, well, they should -- one's already been announced (albeit on a different carrier) and the other two have been thoroughly scooped. Motorola's CES haul includes the eco-tastic Renew W233, a simple candybar destined for T-Mobile that features a neutral carbon footprint and components made of recycled water bottles; the Tundra VA76r, a rugged 3G flip with push-to-talk that previously launched on Rogers and has its sights set on AT&T this time around for a January 13 release; and the headliner of the bunch, the SURF A3100. The WinMo 6.1-based SURF -- alias A3000, alias Atila -- features a full 2.8-inches of touchscreen adorned with a custom skin designed by Moto, 7.2Mbps triband HSDPA, a 3-megapixel autofocus cam, AGPS, and support for microSD cards up to a purely theoretical 32GB in size. Though the radio is fully equipped for North American action, no stateside launch is in the cards just yet; for now, you'll find the SURF in Asian markets before the quarter's out.

[Via Phone Scoop]

Gallery: Motorola's SURF A3100 headlines three-pack of new phones

Motorola's Renew for T-Mobile is as boring as it is green

by Chris Ziegler posted Jan 1st 2009 @ 8:48AM

A quick glance at this positively anonymous Moto candybar isn't going to stir any emotion, but a closer look reveals something pretty important -- as its name implies, the W233 "Renew" is made from a lot of renewable stuff. Both the packaging and the phone itself are made of materials designed to reduce impact on our lovely planet, a trend picking up a nice head of steam in the mobile biz these past couple years. Rumor has it this low-spec (and hopefully low-cost) handset will be launching on February 4 -- much to Mother Nature's relief, we're sure. Good to see that whole environmental crisis is solved now, eh?