Motorola Announces Four New Mobile Phones

Motorola has announced four new CDMA handsets all due to be available on the U.S. market by July of 2007—and some much sooner. The phones include additions to its RAZR and ROKR lines, plus two new CDMA handsets for the more budget-conscious segment of the mobile phone market.

First up, the RAZR maxx VE offers a new variation Motorola’s successful RAZR clamshell design, including a video-capable 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, 60 MB of built-in memory plus microSD storage, EV-DO high speed mobile data services, support for MP3 and WMA audio playback, support for location-based services via GPS, and a futuristic look with touch-sensitive music keys and "elegant" lighting. Motorola says the RAZR maxx VE will be available during the first quarter of 2007 (wasn’t that over a couple weeks ago?)—no pricing information is available, but wireless carrier Verizon Wireless has been hinting at the phone’s availability for several weeks.

Next, the ROKR Z6m hopes to take some of the stink off the ROKR brand following the line’s lackluster debut in association with the iTunes store. The new ROKR drops iTunes (with the iPhone coming, what’s the point, right?) and offers a 2 megapixel camera, support for a wide variety of music formats (MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA, etc.), support for A2SP and AVRCP Bluetooth, USB 2.0, a 2-inch QVGA LCD display, and support for microSD storage so users can easily carry around a solid library of tunes. Unfortunately, the ROKR Z6m isn’t expect to hit the market until the third quarter of 2007…by which time the iPhone and (maybe other music phones) could render it an also-ran. Motorola hasn’t revealed any information on pricing or carriers, but as a CDMA 800/1900 EV-DO handset, the U.S. carrier options are well-defined.

Finally, for folks who don’t want or need every bell and whistle on their mobile phones, Motorola will be offering the W385 and W355 handsets. The W385 offers a VGA camera, USB 1.1, Bluetooth, GPS location services, and a 1.8-inch display in a slim clamshell design; the W355 also goes for the clamshell look, offering an FM radio receiver and "office-quality" speakerphone along with the capability to handle BREW ringtones, images, and games. Both should be available in the second quarter of 2007; no pricing or carrier information was announced.