Motorola launches trio of new ROKR handsets

by Stevie Smith - Aug 7 2008, 06:50

American mobile phone manufacturer Motorola, Inc. is adding yet more music-optimised product options to its already bulging portfolio with the introduction of a trio of new ROKR handsets designed to coax prospective consumers with their blend of varied styles and attractive retail prices.

“Following the path of our award-winning ROKR E8, the newest additions to our ROKR family make listening to and discovering new music accessible and affordable for everyone,” commented Steve Lalla, corporate vice president of Mass Market Products for Motorola Mobile Devices.

“From uncovering new music with friends through our FMShare feature to enjoying surround-sound quality audio, these new ROKR phones deliver the music you want whenever, wherever and however you want to hear it,” he added.

Okay, by-the-numbers corporate chest beating to one side for a moment, here’s what the new ROKRs have to offer for the discerning on-the-go music lover:

First up is the ROKR EM30, a candybar phone that utilises Motorola’s ModeShift technology to illuminate the entire keyboard in red when in music mode, and in blue when in phone mode -- presumably to aid fans of pot holing or those unwittingly caught in a blackout.

The quad band EM30 also comes with high-fidelity audio and “seconds-fast” MP3 downloads, while its onboard FM Radio also provides artist and song information retrieval thanks to the inclusion of Radio Data System (RDS) technology -- although waiting to the end of the song will usually garner the required info from Mr. or Mrs. DJ without the added gimmickry.

Other, slightly more interesting features, include a humble 2.0 mega pixel camera (with 8x digital zoom), music support for MIDI, MP3, AAC, AAC+, Enhanced AAC+, WMA, WAV, AMR NB and Real Audio v10, CrystalTalk technology, 8GBs of microSD storage (optional extra), compatibility with Windows Media Player 11, Bluetooth and USB 2.0.

Next up is the EM28, a clamshell handset armed with “sonic features” such as a 3D audio effect for surround-sound quality, and an audio equaliser that provides spatial sound and bass boost along with 11 preset music genres (including rock, reggae and pop). The Triband GSM/GPRS/EDGE music phone also offers up touch-sensitive keys. Fancy.

Complete with two displays, an external 1.2-inch black and white CLI screen (96x80) and an internal 1.8-inch colour TFT screen (128x160), the EM28 also has a lowly 1.3 mega pixel camera (4x digital zoom), video capture/playback/stream capabilities and 2GBs of microSD storage (optional). Other features include AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR NB, MP3, WAV and RA6 audio support, along with dedicated touch-sensitive music control keys, a WAP 2.0 browser, Bluetooth 2.0 (with A2DP), media preloads, and messaging support for EMS, MMS, SMS, WAP 2.0 and MIDP 2.0.

Last, and kind of least, is the ROKR EM25, a simple slider phone equipped with FM radio sharing capabilities… and not much else. Specifically, the lower-tier GSM/GPRS handset has a 1.8-inch TFT screen (128x60), mobile track recognition via SONGID and RDS, a one-touch MP3 player, a 1.3 mega pixel camera (4x digital zoom), and CrystalTalk technology.

It also provides audio support for AAC, AMR NB, MIDI, MP3 and WAV, along with Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity and optional storage expansion up to 2GBs via microSD.

Joining the ROKR spectrum alongside the likes of the award-winning ROKR E8, the new trio of entrants are expected to launch in Taiwan and then other international markets before the end of Q3. Don’t expect much in the way of fanfare.

While boasting of easy consumer appeal thanks to accessible price points in its official release, Motorola has yet to slap recommended retail numbers on the EM30, EM28 or EM25.

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