Motorola ROKR

The Motorola ROKR (pronounced /ˈrɒkər/ "rocker") is a series of mobile phones from Motorola, and is one of the series in the 4LTR line. The first model was released on September 7th 2005. They are designed for music.

E1

Motorola ROKR E1

Compatible networks	GPRS
Dimensions	108 x 46 x 20.5 mm
Weight	107 g
Memory	microSD
Display	176x220, 262000 colors
Ringtones & notifications	MP3, AAC, WAV, MIDI, Polyphonic
Connectivity	Bluetooth

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 during a special media-only event by Apple 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 ubiquitous iPod music players. Since hardware on Motorola E398 and ROKR E1 phones is 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, it is restricted by its firmware to allow only one hundred songs to be loaded at any time, so that it would not directly compete with the iPod series.^[1]

The arbitrary song 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. Lastly, the ROKR was criticized for being too much like the preceding E398. As a result, the ROKR E1 sold below expectations despite a high-profile marketing campaign.^[2]

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.^[3]

The ROKR E1 was replaced by the E2 (see below) which lacked iTunes and superseded by the iTunes enabled SLVR L7.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

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
Ringtones & notifications	Polyphonic
Connectivity	Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR (supports A2DP) USB 2.0 by mini-USB

The E2 came in January 2006. Instead of iTunes support in the ROKR E1, the phone is installed with RealPlayer, supporting a larger variety of formats. It also features 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.^[4][5]

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:

Product modifications

Being a Linux based phone, the open source community has made numerous modifications to the software allowing quad band, EDGE, 4 GB SD card (limited to Transcends), as mentioned below music problems are no longer a problem as there are a few options of media players, also some people have overclocked the processor from 312 MHz (some models have higher rates) up to 624 MHz.

Product problems

• Music playback problems were reported. Motorola ROKR E2 was frequently reported to have music skipping as well as static during music playback of all audio formats. Motorola formally gave a reply to the problem, and they worked on fixing it. A new firmware version was released which fixed the problem
• When the ROKR E2 was released, people who first got it in China had a problem with plating.

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. ^[6] The software is an updated version of MING (Motorola A1200), but the file system is a bit different. So 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.^[7] The radio channel frequency can also be modified beyond 88MHz to 65MHz, and the preset number of channels can also be modified.

Two versions of this phone have been made, the original Licorice Black, and a special edition Jay Chou orange color.

Technical specifications

Battery Life	Up to 7 hours talk time - about 235 hours standby
WebCamera	Yes, via USB
Voice Recording	Yes (.amr)
Video Recording	Yes up to CIF 352×288 (.3gp)
Maximum number of Sockets	10
Browsers	Mini Opera with support for HTTP, HTTPS, Socket, Secure Socket, UDP
Image Support	.PNG, .GIF, .BMP, .JPEG, .EMS, .WMP
Encoding schemes	USASCII, UTF-8 (Unicode), UTF-16 with explicit Byte Order Mark (Part of IOP), UCS-2
Messaging	SMS, MMS
E-mail	POP3, IMAP4, SMTP
Java	Yes, CLDC v1.1 and MIDP v2.0 compliant
FCC ID	Yes here

Screenshots

	Telnet to MOTOROKR E6 in GNOME Terminal

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
Ringtones & notifications	Polyphonic, MP3
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 officially supports the following audio formats:

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

Video format support

The Z6 officially supports the following video formats:

• 3GP
• 3G2
• MP4
• Real Video
• 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
Ringtones & notifications	Polyphonic, MP3
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.

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

Motorola ROKR W5

Weight	107 g
Memory	20 MB internal microSD up to 2GB
Display	176x220, 256K colors
Rear camera	1.3MP

The W5 was released in September 2007.

E8

Motorola ROKR E8

Manufacturer	Motorola
Compatible networks	GPRS
Availability by country	July 2008
Predecessor	ROKR E6
Successor	ROKR EM30
Dimensions	115 mm × 53 mm × 10.6 mm
Weight	100 g
Memory	2 GB internal memory and microSD(up to 10GB with SDHC)
Battery	Li-ion 970 mAh
Display	Type: TFT; Colors: 250K; Size: 320 x 240 pixels (2 inches)
Rear camera	2 megapixel, 8x zoom
Ringtones & notifications	Polyphonic, MP3, AAC
Connectivity	mini-USB, 3.5 mm headphone jack, Bluetooth Class 2

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

E8 Specifications

The complete Motorola ROKR E8 list of specifications are:^[8]

Type	Specification
Battery Life	Talk: 7 hours; Standby: 300 hours
Phone Book Capacity	Unlimited (limited only by memory capacity)
Video Capture	.MOV 176*144 @15 frame/s
Email Client	Protocols Supported: POP3, IMAP4, SMTP
EMS / Picture Messaging	EMS 5.0
Java ME	Version: MIDP 2.0
Predictive Text Entry	Technology: iTAP
Text Messaging	2-Way
Voice Dialing	speaker-independent
Wireless Internet	WAP 2.0, xHTML, HTML
FM Radio	Yes
Alarm	Yes
Calculator	Yes
Calendar	Yes
Custom Graphics	Yes
Data-Capable	Yes
Digital TTY/TDD	Yes
Games	Yes
MMS	Yes
Multiple Languages	Yes (English, French, Chinese, Spanish)
Multiple Numbers per Name	Yes
PC Sync	Yes
Picture ID	Yes
Polyphonic Ringtones	Yes
Ringer ID	Yes
Side Keys	Yes
Speaker Phone	Yes
Text Messaging Templates	Yes
Vibrate	Yes
Voice Memo	Yes

EM30

Motorola ROKR EM30

Manufacturer	Motorola
Compatible networks	GSM 850/ 900/ 1800/ 1900
Availability by country	August 5, 2008
Predecessor	Motorola ROKR E8
Successor	AURA
Dimensions	115 mm × 53 mm × 10.6 mm
Weight	100 g
Memory	18.5 MB RAM
Battery	Li-ion 970 mAh
Display	Type: TFT; Colors: 250K; Size: 240 x 320 pixels (2 inches)
Rear camera	2 megapixel, 8x zoom
Ringtones & notifications	Polyphonic, MP3, AAC
Connectivity	mini-USB, 3.5 mm headphone jack, Bluetooth Class 2

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.^[9]

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) Coupled with in-build CrystalTalk technology (a Motorola patent), crisp and clear conversations is possible in noisy environments.

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

Motorola ROKR EM326g

Memory	microSD
Rear camera	1.3MP

The EM326g was released in January 2009.

EM35

Motorola ROKR EM35

Manufacturer	Motorola
Availability by country	Q1 2009
Predecessor	ROKR EM30
Weight	116 g
Memory	110MB RAM
Display	320x240 pixels, TFT LCD, 256K colours
Rear camera	3.15 megapixel

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

W6

Motorola ROKR W6

Weight	107 g
Memory	20 MB internal microSD up to 2GB
Display	176x220, 256K colors
Rear camera	1.3MP

The W6 was released in April 2009.

ZN50

Motorola ROKR ZN50

Weight	143 g
Memory	microSD up to 16GB
Display	240x427, 256K colors, TFT LCD touchscreen
Rear camera	3.15MP with auto-focus

The ZN50 was released in July 2009, and became a very high-end phone of the ROKR series. It featured a 3.15 MP camera with auto-focus, a better screen resolution, expandable storage up to 16GB, and had a touchscreen.

EM25/EM325

Motorola ROKR EM25

Weight	90g
Memory	microSD up to 2GB
Display	128x160, 65K colors, TFT LCD
Rear camera	1.3MP

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

EM28/EM330

Motorola EM28/EM330

Manufacturer	Motorola
Carriers	AT&T T-Mobile
Availability by country	July 2009
Form factor	Clam / Flip
Dimensions	In inches: 4.1mm x 2.1mm x 0.6mm
Weight	90g (with battery)
Memory	30MB
Removable storage	microSD (up to 2GB)
Battery	Lithium ion battery, Talk time: Up to 7 hrs, Stand-by: Up to 23 days
Display	65K colour, 128 x 160 pixels
Rear camera	1.3MP
Ringtones & notifications	Polyphonic
Connectivity	Bluetooth

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

Specifications

• 1.3 Megapixel Camera
• Bluetooth
• Video Playback & Streaming Video
• Voice Recorder (60seconds limited)
• Calculator, Calendar, and Alarm Clock
• Vibrating, Games and Sync
• Volume Control
• Cellular Video
• SMS, MMS, EMS, and Chat
• Dual band GSM 850/1800/1900 MHz
• Weight: 90g (with battery)
• 65K colour, 128fg
• 1.3 megapixel camera
• MMS
• Video Recorder
• FM Radio: RDS Radio
• MP3 Player (AT&T Mobile Music / MusicID)
• SMS text messages
• MMS messaging with pictures
• EMS
• Photo and data sharing with Bluetooth 2.0
• Mini-USB port for connection with PC
• WAP 2.0 web browser
• Battery: Lithium-ion
• Talk time: Up to 7 hours
• Stand-by: Up to 23 days

References

1. ^ "It's official: ROKR E1 iTunes phone can only store max. 100 tracks". Sep 8th 2005. http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/08/its-official-rokr-e1-itunes-phone-can-only-store-max-100/. Retrieved 17 Nov 2010. 
2. ^ staff (02 January 2006). "Moto Blasts iRadio". Red Herring. http://www.redherring.com/Home/15127. Retrieved 5 June 2010. 
3. ^ Andreescu, Alex (27 September 2005). "iPod nano: The End of the Motorola-Apple Story - Ed Zander, Motorola CEO: "Screw the nano"". Softpedia. http://news.softpedia.com/news/iPod-nano-The-End-of-the-Motorola-Apple-Story-9409.shtml. Retrieved 5 June 2010. 
4. ^ China first to get Motorola ROKR E2
5. ^ Music to Retailer's Ears: Motorola Next Generation Music Device ROKR E2 Makes Smash Debut at GOME
6. ^ First Release of ROKR E6 Source Available
7. ^ EDGE and Quad-Band
8. ^ GSMArena.com Motorola E8 specifications
9. ^ "Motorola's New ROKR EM30 Becomes 22nd LiMo Handset". http://www.limofoundation.org/en/limo-press-releases/motorola-s-new-rokr-em30-becomes-22nd-limo-handset.html.