Moto rolls out new Rokr phones

Motorola expanded its music phone lineup Tuesday with three new Rokr cell phones. The handsets offer a wide range of designs and features, though all put music squarely at the center.

Rokr EM30

(Credit: Motorola)

The EM30 is the most high-end model of the trio. It offers a traditional candy bar design in an appealing black and red color scheme. The keypad offers the same ModeShift keypad that we saw on the Motorola Rokr E8. As you move between different functions, the backlighting on the keypad changes to illuminate only the relevant buttons.

In addition to the Rokr music player, the EM30 offers an FM radio, text-to-speech technology, an airplane mode, Moto's CrystalTalk feature, a micorSD card slot, a 2-megapixel camera, an FM radio, a 3.5mm headset jack, full Bluetooth, a speakerphone, mass USB storage, and compatibility with Windows Media Player 11. The EM30 is a quadband GSM handset that supports GPRS and EDGE networks.

Rokr EM28

(Credit: Motorola)

The mid-range EM28 is a flip phone that comes in two triband versions (GSM 850/1800/1900 and GSM 900/1800/1900). Both models support GPRS and EDGE networks. The music player on the EM28 offers 3D sound effects, spatial audio with bass boost, and an equalizer. Other features include an FM radio, a 1.3-megapixel camera, text and multimedia messaging, Moto's CrystalTalk feature, an airplane mode, external music controls, full Bluetooth, USB mass storage, a memory card slot, and a speakerphone.

Rokr EM25

(Credit: Motorola)

For slider phone fans or callers who need only the basics, there's the EM25. The handset has a slider design that's vaguely Sony Ericsson in appearance. The phone includes support for just two bands (GSM 850/1900 and GSM 900/1800) with data speeds maxing out at GPRS.

Inside the EM25 you'll find the Rokr music player, an FM radio, a speakerphone, a 3.5mm headset jack, a microSD card slot, a 1.3-megapixel camera, full Bluetooth, USB mass storage, and Moto's CrystalTalk feature. Of course, like its new siblings, the EM25 also makes calls.

Availability details were slim at the time of this writing. The EM30 will go on sale first in Taiwan for an undisclosed price. It will expand to other markets later in the year along with the EM28 and EM25.

[DMBoricua]

I've always liked Motorola phones for their solid sturdy construction. Feature-wise, not a whole lot. I'm using a Sony Ericsson flip phone and while these phones are generally built with kinda flimsy crappy cheap-feeling plastic, I love how it just outperforms any phone in terms of features and customization than any other phone I have used/seen. I just buy a permanent body case for the phone and I'm good. Motorola phones look too good to be on a case.

If there is another phone brand (preferrably a phone by AT&T) that have more features or similar to that of Sony Ericssons, please do tell.

[tech_junky48]

In my opinion, samsung is best. They seem to stack up well vs. Sony feature-wise, at least on AT&T:

W580i - a737

Z750a - SLM

Z310a - a437

I'm not sure about customization, as I have never used an Ericsson (LG and Samsung only) but they do let you customize you're shortcuts, and their menus are very simple and intuitive. The only problem, if you consider it a problem, is they've gone in big for the thin phone "revolution", so if you want something thick, they aren't for you.
The call/end buttons may take some getting used to, as Ericssons don't have them, but I find they make things easier.

[jef5623]

Boricua, Motorola and Other vendors will definitely roll in New models as the 7th age of computing is coming by. We will soon be holding awesome gadgets.

[tech_junky48]

They always say that, and yet we always seem to be years behind Japan and Europe. I want an N96 or Viewty with AT&T, not the lousy phones that make up most of their inventory. I'd be willing to exchange the Palm Centro and BB Pearl for a Viewty, N96, or a Soul.

[tech_junky48]

Dualband? What's the point of using GSM if it only works in the US?

Really, are there any phones with microSD that can't be used for mass storage?

Ok, enough ranting. They look cool. I like the 3.5mm headphone jack and FM radio.

That said, I'm sticking with my trusty Blackjack 2. I got fed up with Motorola after I bought a RAZR v3xx and it didn't work right. Moto's customer support is in India, and I got hung up on repeatedly. Now I only buy Samsung.

Still, I might go for these if I didn't already have a good phone and wasn't so aggravated with Motorola.

[moe3754]

More Motorola cheap junk,no wonder they are going broke,I will stick with my N95-4,since there is nothing out there that even comes close to it!!!