Motorola PEBL

The Motorola PEBL (pronounced pebble) is a series of clamshell/flip mobile phones from Motorola, and is one of the series in the 4LTR line. It looks like a small, crystal stone, hence the name 'PEBL'.

U6

Motorola PEBL

Compatible networks	GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (quad band)
Availability by country	Q1 2005
Dimensions	49 mm×87 mm×20 mm
Weight	110 g / 3.8 ounces
Memory	5 MB internal
Display	176×220 pixels 262,000 color TFT LCD
Rear camera	VGA, 640x480 pixels, video
Ringtones & notifications	Polyphonic (24 channels), MP3; Vibration
Connectivity	mini-USB, Bluetooth (Class 1.2), GPRS class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots) 32 - 48 kbit/s, WAP 2.0/xHTML.

The PEBL U6 was announced in early 2005. PEBL is named for its small and sleek appearance, as well as to evoke comparisons to a "pebble," which has been worn smooth over time.

The U6 sold 15 million units.

Design and appearance

Motorola U6 (Open)

The body of the PEBL U6 is primarily made out of metal, although everything other than the hinge has a colour coating which makes it matte rather than shiny. The external texture is polished but not quite smooth, resisting finger prints and smudges. Buttons and connectors are kept flush in order to maintain the phone's smooth appearance. In contrast to many other products with a one line external display, the external screen is mounted vertically, rather than horizontally.

The unit is held closed by magnets, and can be opened with a single hand by pushing the lid of the phone away from the hinge mechanism. The hinge itself is spring-loaded, so that when cracked it actively swings fully open.

Initially, the product was available only in black, but in the second quarter of 2006, Motorola launched four additional colours. It is now produced in black, blue, green, red, orange and pink, although the exact colour selection varies per country. Shortly before the new colors became available, Motorola commissioned photographer David LaChapelle to capture the new PEBL phones in a colourful photo shoot. ^{[1] [2]}

Additional features

• Java ME MIDP 2.0 compatible
• MMS, Wireless Village instant messaging and e-mail
• Motorola SCREEN3 push technology for dynamic news and content
• MPEG-4 video and JPEG still image capture
• Speaker-independent voice dialing
• WAP 2.0 web browser
• Integrated speakerphone (handsfree)

U9

Motorola PEBL U9

Compatible networks	GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (quad band)
Availability by country	February 2008
Weight	105 g
Memory	25 MB internal
Display	240×320 pixels 256K colours TFT LCD
Rear camera	2.0 MP, video

Three years later, the U9 was released. It features a better display, an improved camera, a microSD card slot and touch-sensitive music keys.

U3

Motorola PEBL U3

Compatible networks	GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (quad band)
Availability by country	December 2008
Weight	105 g
Memory	10 MB internal
Display	128×160 pixels 256K colours TFT LCD
Rear camera	VGA, 640x480 pixels, video

December 2008 saw the release of the U3. This was a more basic version - it did not have a memory card slot, no Bluetooth and worse screen pixels.

See also

• Motorola RAZR
• Motorola ROKR
• Motorola SLVR

Notes and references

1. ^ "King of Color Shoots New Motorola Color PEBL Handsets" (Press release). Motorola. 2006-04-27. http://www.prnewstoday.com/release.htm?cat=computer-electronics&dat=20060427&rl=NYTH10327042006-1. 
2. ^ "Motorola PEBL COLORS - David LaChapelle". Motorola. http://direct.motorola.com/hellomoto/peblcolors/lachapelle/. Retrieved 2006-09-17. ^{[dead link]}

External links

• Motorola PEBL - Page on Motorola's website detailing the PEBL
• Super Bowl commercial - Ad for the PEBL on Google Video that aired during the 2006 Super Bowl
• Motorola's PEBL Pond
• Motorola PEBL U6 - Mobiledia
• Motorola PEBL U6 Review - PhoneRev