Motorola Rokr

The Motorola Rokr (pron.: /ˈrɒkər/, styled ROKR) is a series of mobile phones from Motorola, part of a 4LTR line developed before the spin out of Motorola Mobility. Rokr models were released starting in September 2005 and continuing into 2009. They were notable for incorporating support of media player features.

E1

A Rokr connecting to an Apple Powerbook G4.

The E1 is the first phone to be integrated with Apple Inc.'s iTunes music player. It was launched on September 7, 2005 in San Francisco, California. The phone had been widely expected, with technology sites reporting on collaborations between Motorola and Apple as far back as December 2004.

Description and acceptance

The Rokr E1 is a re-badged Motorola E398 candybar style phone (it was originally called the E790) with Apple-licensed technology to play back music purchased from the iTunes Music Store. It features a music player with an interface similar to that of Apple's iPod music players. Since hardware on Motorola E398 and Rokr E1 phones are the same, it is possible to Crossflash Motorola Rokr E1 firmware to Motorola E398 using phone flashing software like Flash & backup.

While the phone is equipped with an upgradeable 512 MB microSD memory card (Max. usable memory 1 GB), it is restricted by its firmware to allow only 100 songs to be loaded at any time.^[1] The limit hurt the Rokr's appeal. Many users also discovered that transferring music to the phone was slow compared to dedicated players, due to lack of support for Hi-Speed USB, and there was also no wireless transfer.^[2] The Rokr was also criticized for being too much like the preceding E398. As a result, the Rokr E1 sold below expectations despite a high-profile marketing campaign.^[3]

Relations between Motorola and Apple were also strained because the latter unveiled the iPod nano at the same time, and Motorola CEO Ed Zander later accused Apple of purposely undercutting the Rokr.^[4]

The Rokr E1 was replaced by the E2 (see below) which lacked iTunes and superseded by the iTunes enabled SLVR L7.

E2

Motorola Rokr E2

File:Rokr E2.jpg
Compatible networks	GSM 900/1800/1900 with GPRS Class 10 (2U/4D)
Availability by country	Digicel Claro
Dimensions	106 mm×49.5 mm×18 mm
Weight	115 g
CPU	Intel XScale PXA270
Storage	11 MB
Removable storage	SD expansion card slot for up to 2GB removable storage (Or 4GB if it is flashed with a modded firmware)
Display	240×320 pixel TFT LCD, 262K colours, 30 mm×40 mm
Rear camera	1.3 megapixel, video at 15 frame/s for 2 hours maximum
Connectivity	Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR (supports A2DP) USB 2.0 by mini-USB

The E2 was released in January 2006. Instead of iTunes, the phone came bundled with RealPlayer, supporting a larger variety of formats. It also featured a music control panel on the left side of the phone. Users can also listen to stereo FM radio with Motorola Rokr E2. By using iRadio, FM radio programs can also be downloaded into the phone through internet, letting users listen to the radio at anytime. The first public release occurred on June 22, 2006 in China.^[5][6]

Features

• Talk time: up to 9 hours
• Standby time: up to 8 days
• Multimedia playback: MP3, AMR, MID, MIDI, SMF, MMF, XMF, IMY, WAV, RA, WMA, AAC, AWB, MPGA, M4A, 3GA, RM, RMVB, 3GP, MP4 by RealPlayer
• Audio connector: 3.5 mm headset jack
• Java support: MIDP 2.0, CLDC 1.1, HEAP 2mb
• Browser: Opera 8.50 with e-mail support
• Local connectivity:

As a Linux-based phone, the open source community developed numerous modifications to the phone's software, such as quad band, EDGE, and support for a 4 GB SD card.^{[citation needed]} Some have overclocked the processor.

E6

Motorola Rokr E6

Manufacturer	Motorola
Series	Motorola Rokr
Compatible networks	GSM Tri-band (900/1800/1900, hackable to Quad-band)
Availability by country	November 14, 2006 (China) December 4, 2006 (Worldwide)
Dimensions	111 × 51.5 × 14 mm (82 cc)
Weight	122 g
Operating system	MontaVista Linux OS (not MOTOMAGX)
CPU	Intel XScale-PXA27x rev 7 (v5l)
Memory	46MB RAM (50% free after boot up)
Storage	120 MB
Removable storage	SD/MMC expandable to 4 GB(New patch)
Battery	Li-ion 1000 mAh
Data inputs	Touch-Screen with Stylus
Display	2.4-inch 240 × 320 pixels, TFT with 262k colors
Rear camera	2 megapixels + Macro Mode
Connectivity	GPRS Class 10, Enhanced Mini USB, BCM2045 Bluetooth 2.0 (+A2DP), 3.5 mm Stereo/Mic Jack

The E6 was released in China on November 14, 2006, and subsequently worldwide on December 4, 2006.

The Rokr E6 is a direct descendant of the E680 and the MING, sharing the same Montavista Linux operating system, Intel XScale PXA270 series processors, and the RealPlayer media player instead of the iTunes player installed on the first Rokr phone. The E6 features a built-in FM radio, (but no radio recording). It also inherited the 2-megapixel camera with manual macro-switching and business card recognition from MING, enhanced with QR Code recognition functions. Additionally, the phone features a 3.5 mm headphone jack, allowing use of a standard-sized headphone plug.

It comes installed with Picsel Viewer with the ability to read Microsoft Office and PDF file formats.

Details

The phone is part of Motorola's line of phones running Linux, this one using a modified 2.4.20 kernel. This has upset some, as they broke the GPL in not releasing the kernel source code.^[7] The software is an updated version of MING (Motorola A1200), with a different file system. Most of the apps that work on the MING work on the E6, but some may not due to the file system. Normally the phone only runs on tri-band GSM networks, though some have found an exploit to get it to run on Quad Band networks and over Edge.^[8] The radio channel frequency can also be modified beyond 88 MHz to 65 MHz, and the preset number of channels can also be modified.

Technical specifications

Z6

Motorola Rokr Z6

Manufacturer	Motorola
Compatible networks	GSM quad-band with EDGE
Predecessor	Motorola Rizr Z3
Successor	Motorola Rizr Z8
Dimensions	105.5mm×45.5mm×16mm
Weight	115g / 4.06 ounces
Operating system	MOTOMAGX
CPU	528 MHz ARM11 32-bit Freescale MXC275-30 processor
Memory	64MB available to user, ROM 96MB, RAM 64MB SDRAM
Removable storage	microSD (TransFlash) card up to 2GB
Battery	BC50 3.7V at 750mah
Display	2.1 inches" 320×240pixels 262,000 color TFT LCD
Rear camera	2.0 megapixels with LED flash
Connectivity	mini-USB, Bluetooth (Class 2)A2DP

The Z6, originally known as the Rizr Z6, was released on July 7, 2007. The Z6 features Motorola's new version of the embedded Linux-based operating system, MOTOMAGX. It also supports stereo Bluetooth technology (A2DP) and features a 2-megapixel digital camera. The Z6 also supports synchronisation with Windows Media Player 11, allowing playlists and audio to be transferred to the phone's internal memory, which can in turn be transferred onto a compatible microSD memory card. The phone does not support 3G or HSDPA.

Audio format support

The Z6 supports the following audio formats:^{[citation needed]}

• Windows WMAv10 plus Janus DRM
• MP3
• AAC
• AAC+
• AAC+ enhanced
• AMR NB
• WAV
• XMF

Video format support

The Z6 supports the following video formats:^{[citation needed]}

• 3GP
• 3G2
• MP4
• RealVideo
• xvid

Z6m

Motorola Rokr Z6m

Compatible networks	CDMA 800/1900 1xEV-DO r0 data speed
Dimensions	105.5 mm × 45.5 mm × 16  mm
Weight	115 g / 4.06 ounces
Operating system	BREW, Paragon 2005 (P2K05) Internal Filesystem
Memory	14 MB, upgradable to 2 GB with a microSD (TransFlash) card
Display	2" 320×240 pixels 65,536 color TFT LCD
Connectivity	mini-USB, Bluetooth (Class 2), EV-DO

The Z6m is the CDMA version of the Rokr Z6. The Rokr Z6m comes with an integrated music player, 3.5mm headset jack, stereo Bluetooth, a 512MB MicroSD card, a key lock switch, and a 2-megapixel digital camera. It supports up to 2GB of MicroSD storage. Unlike the Z6, the Z6m does not run MotoMAGX, a version of Linux, but instead runs the Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless operating system.

U.S. Cellular was the first carrier to release the Rokr Z6m on October 14, 2007 alongside their Napster-to-Go service's launch.^{[citation needed]}

Technical information

When connected to a computer via USB and the connection type is set to "Modem/COM", the phone acts like a USB serial peripheral, allowing Motorola Phone AT Commands to be sent. In this mode, sending "AT+MODE=8" will put the phone into a different state, in which it no longer accepts AT commands but its P2K05 functionality is accessible.

W5

The W5 was released in September 2007.^{[citation needed]} The phone features up to 2GB through a microSD slot, a 1.3 megapixel camera, Motorola's P2K OS, and a music player.

E8

The E8 was released in July 2008. It features a new keypad interface called ModeShift, which automatically changes the context of the keypad depending on the current function of the device. It also features a localized touch feedback system with haptic technology that gives the feeling of real buttons, though the keyboard surface is smooth. It will sync with Microsoft Outlook, but not with Web or Mac based calendars.

Both E8 and EM30 uses the ModeShift technology and this enables the phone to switch from talk to music with one touch (special music keys light up when playing music) Coupled with in-build CrystalTalk technology (a Motorola patent), crisp and clear conversations is possible in noisy environments.

Carriers

• T-Mobile
• Rogers Wireless
• Cellular One

Specifications

The complete Motorola Rokr E8 list of specifications are:^[10]

EM30

The EM30, releasing in August 2008, was the lower-end version of the E8 (see above), without the FastScroll navigation wheel and the haptics feel.

EM30 is running on LiMo Platform, a Linux-based operating system for mobile devices. It is the 22nd LiMo Handset.^[11]

Both E8 and EM30 uses the ModeShift technology and this enables the phone to switch from talk to music with one touch (special music keys get lighted up when playing music) The phone incorporated Motorola's patented CrystalTalk technology, providing clear conversations in noisy environments.^{[citation needed]}

Specifications

• Messaging: MMS, EMS 5.0, email (POP3, SMTP, IMAP4), Motosync for corporate email support
• Connectivity method: Stereo Bluetooth Class 2, 3.5mm, USB 2.0 HS, Mobile Phone Tools, Over the Air Sync (OTA), PC Sync
• Dual Transfer Mode (DTM): Enables GPRS during call; operator dependent
• Camera: 2 MP, Digital Zoom, Fixed Focus, take up to 8 multi shot pictures
• Capture/Playback/Streaming: H.263, MPEG4, WMV v9
• Audio: MIDI, MP3, AAC, AAC+, Enhanced AAC+, WMA, WAV, AMR-NB, Real Audio (RA) v10
• FM Radio: with Radio Data System (RDS) 3
• Keypad: Backlight morphing keypad that changes color from phone mode to music mode
• Airplane Mode: Uninterrupted music up in the plane/play music
• 3.5mm headset
• 3D Stereo Sound
• Memory: 30MB internal memory, optional 8GB microSDHC support
• Microsoft Music Ecosystem Support (sync music with Windows Media Player)
• Audio Playback: Target 16 hours (Airplane Mode)
• Crystal Talk technology for noise cancellation
• Text to speech recognition

Technical specifications

• Bands/Modes: Quad Band
• Dimensions: 115x53x10.6mm
• Display: 2.0˝ QVGA 240x320 262K TFT
• Form Factor: Bar with internal antenna
• GPRS Class 12: EDGE class 12
• Audio Playback Time: up to approximately 16 hours
• Size: 60cc
• Standby Time: up to approximately 300 hours
• Talk Time: up to approximately 360 minutes
• Weight: 100g
• Airplane Mode: listen to music, take pictures, play games on the plane, with the RF off

EM326g

The EM326g was released in January 2009. It is the first ROKR phone to be available pre-configured for use with a prepaid network (Net10).

EM35

The EM35 was released in Q1 2009. It had a 3.15MP camera, 110 MB internal memory, and a microSD card slot supporting up to 16GB.

W6

The W6 was released in April 2009.

ZN50

The ZN50 was released in July 2009 as a high-end phone in the Rokr series. It featured a 3.15 MP camera with auto-focus, improved screen resolution, a touchscreen and storage expandable up to 16GB.

EM25/EM325

The EM25/EM325 was released in July 2009, at the same time as the ZN50 (see above).

EM28/EM330

The Motorola EM28/EM330 was released in July 2009, at the same time as the ZN50 and EM25/EM325 (see above).

Specifications

References