Back at the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show Motorola announced the ROKR E8 with ModeShift technology and the increasingly popular haptic feedback. Today T-mobile USA has been announced the exclusive carrier with a July 7th launch date just in time to squeeze out one more EDGE-only device before the iPhone 3G launch date. With a focus on being the best in voice thanks to the patented CrystalTalk technology and Modeshift technology allowing the phone to transform from phone to music player with the touch of a button, Motorola’s ROKR E8 was destined for T-mobile. Besides the ModeShift and CrystalTalk technologies, the ROKR E8 incorporates haptic feedback and has a FastScroll navigation wheel which allows you to scan through thousands of songs with the slide of a thumb.
While you will not be running Windows Mobile and instead be using a Linux/Java OS, the E8 comes pre-loaded with Windows Media Player 11 which allows easy transfer of music from your PC. Along with the media player comes some free pre-loaded music tracks and album art from Interpol, The Starting Line and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. With 2GB of internal memory, support for external memory up to 4GB capacity and a built-in FM transmitter, the ROKR E8 should be able to handle your music needs in most situations. Another nice feature is the use of a standard 3.5 mm headphone jack and stereo Bluetooth support if you are looking to skip the wires completely. T-mobile USA customers will be able to pickup the Motorola ROKR E8 starting July 7th on their secretly live 3G network, but still releasing EDGE-only devices.
Motorola ROKR E8 FEATURES
- ModeShift technology transforms the device from phone to music player to imaging device with the touch of a button
- FastScroll navigation wheel allows for scrolling through songs, contact and image library with the slide of a thumb
- Innovative haptics technology provides tactile response when a virtual key is pressed
- 2GB internal memory4; optional external memory support up to 4GB capacity
- Microsoft™ music ecosystem support
- Stereo headset jack, stereo Bluetooth wireless technology (A2DP) 3.5 mm
- 2.0 megapixel camera with 8x zoom, multi-shot feature, video capture and playback
- Airplane mode to play uninterrupted music in the air, even without a SIM card
- Talking phone offers a voice readout of text messages while dialing number or when receiving a call
- MIDI, MP3, AAC, AAC+, Enhanced AAC+, WMA, WAV, AMR-NB, Real Audio (RA) v10
- Crystal Talk™ technology
- Full HTML browser
Motorola ROKR E8 SPECIFICATIONS
- Dimensions: 115×53x10.6mm
- Band: Quad Band; GPRS/EDGE class 12
- Weight: 100 grams
- Battery: 970mAh
- Display: 2.0″ QVGA 240×320
Motorola ROKR E8 CONNECTIVITY
- Stereo Bluetooth Class 2, USB 2.0 Hi-speed, GPRS Class 12, EDGE Class 12
Full Press Release
Award-Winning Motorola Handset Takes Customers from Talk to Music in One Touch
New York, NY (PRWEB) June 26, 2008 — Get ready to transform your mobile experience. The highly anticipated ROKR E8 from Motorola Inc. is set to rock the U.S. with exclusive availability from T-Mobile USA, Inc. beginning July 7, 2008.
Giving consumers the best of both worlds, ROKR E8 is both a talented MP3 player that makes great phone calls and a mobile phone with amazing music capabilities. The first device to feature Motorola’s breakthrough ModeShift technology stole the spotlight at the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), taking home top awards from leading consumer technology media.
Summary of key ROKR E8 features:
* ModeShift technology transforms the device from phone to music player with the touch of a button
* Innovative haptics technology provides tactile response when a virtual key is pressed
* FastScroll navigation wheel allows for scrolling through thousands of songs with the slide of a thumb
* Patented CrystalTalk™ technology delivers outstanding call clarity even in noisy environments
* Windows™ Media Player™ 11 compatibility enables easy transfer of tunes from the PC to the device(1)
* Includes pre-loaded music tracks and album art from Interpol, The Starting Line and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
“With ROKR E8, U.S. music lovers no longer have to settle when it comes to using their mobile phone as a music player and vice versa,” said Jean Pierre Le Cannellier, senior director of North America marketing, Motorola Mobile Devices. “ROKR E8 is an exciting blend of innovative design and technology that harmonizes music and phone features into a single mobile device.”
Motorola designed ROKR E8 to deliver an uncompromised consumer experience for music or talk. Using breakthrough ModeShift technology from Motorola, the quad-band GPRS/EDGE device presents users with only the controls they need, at the time they need them, instantly transforming from music player to phone with the touch of a button.
When powered off, the surface of ROKR E8 is smooth, with no visible keys. Power on the device and it presents a virtual numbered keypad on the front surface. With one “press” of the virtual music key, the phone keypad disappears and control keys for the music player — play, pause, fast forward and rewind — appear in its place.
Yet, ROKR E8 is more than just a “touch”-operated device. Using innovative vibrating haptics technology, the device provides the tactile feedback consumers expect from a traditional keypad, providing confirmation they have pressed a virtual key.
ROKR E8 also marks the debut of the new FastScroll navigation wheel from Motorola, a variable-speed touch control that lets consumers easily scroll through all of the content stored on the device. With a gentle slide of the thumb, the wheel quickly scrolls through your music (music mode), contacts (phone mode), calendar (phone mode), or multimedia (imaging mode) content. Information is easily viewed on the landscape 2.0″ QVGA display.
In music mode, ROKR E8 delivers great sound through a three-dimensional stereo feature that enhances two-channel audio and an on-board equalizer. Music can be enjoyed on the built-in speaker, with a compatible Bluetooth® enabled stereo headset(2), or through a wired headset plugged into the 3.5mm jack.
ROKR E8 also helps consumers discover new music with a built-in FM radio and support for Song ID(3). The 2GB internal memory can store up to 1,500 songs(4), and the external memory is expandable up to 4GB with an optional microSD card. Music transfers quickly with USB 2.0. The device is compatible with Windows Media Player 11 on the PC, which also provides access to more than 200 online music stores.
In phone mode, ROKR E8 provides outstanding voice quality using Motorola CrystalTalk technology. The powerful device can receive calls while downloading or playing music(1), text messaging(3), surfing the Web(3) or taking pictures so you can constantly stay connected to those that matter most. Quality construction and materials help make ROKR E8 durable and reliable, and a high gloss front, aluminum soft touch back, spun metal side keys and engraved banding offer the modern style expected from Motorola.
Availability
ROKR E8 will be available beginning July 7, 2008 at select T-Mobile retail stores and online at www.t-mobile.com. For more information on ROKR E8, visit http://direct.motorola.com/hellomoto/rokre8/ or www.t-mobile.com.
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