Motorola formally announced its MotoRokr EM35, a slider version of the EM30 music phone that runs MontaVista Linux. The phone offers Bluetooth, USB, a 3-megapixel camera, and a haptic scroll interface, as well as music playback that is said to include virtual surround effects.

(Click for larger view of Rokr EM35)

As noted in our earlier coverage of the Rokr EM35, the music-related features of the handset are much like those of the EM30 (pictured farther below, left). Similar features are said to include MP3 playback, Bluetooth, USB, special music keys, FM radio with RDS technology, and an 1/8th inch (3.5mm) stereo mini-jack. The later feature, in particular, is likely to prove popular. Many other recent music-capable Motorola phones were crippled with micro-USB headphone jacks — good luck finding a pair of high-quality headphones in that format, or an adapter that isn't laughably clunky.

Rokr EM35
(Click on either to enlarge)

Music playback is also said to be enhanced with virtual surround sound. As described by Tracey Koziol, corporate VP, Mobile Devices, Motorola, in a statement, “When listening with earphones, a unique algorithm enables music to sound as if it is playing in the space around your head, rather than inside of your eardrums, enhancing the way you listen to music.”

Motorola's EM30 and earlier Rokr E8
(Click either for details)

Other improvements over the EM30 are the inclusion of a 3-megapixel camera, up from 2 megapixels on the EM30, as well as the slider function, which reveals a numeric keypad. The EM35 offers the same “FastScroll” haptic navigation scroll wheel found on the EM30's music-oriented predecessor, the Rokr E8 (pictured above). The phone is also said to include Motorola's CrystalTalk technology, which the company touts for its superior voice quality.

More views of the EM35
(Click any to enlarge)

Specs for the Rokr EM35 are said to include:

• Memory — 110MB user memory
• Expansion — optional micro-SD card slot (up to 32GB)
• Display — 2.22-inch, 320 x 240 TFT display with 256K colors
• Cellular — GSM 850/900/1800/1900, EDGE Class 12, GPRS Class 12
• USB — 1 x USB 2.0
• Bluetooth — Class 1.5 stereo Bluetooth
• Camera — 3.1 Mpixels with zoom and fixed focus
• Video — captures at up to 14fps; supports H.263, H.264, MPEG4, RV v9, WMV v10, WMV v9
• Audio — FM radio, AAC, AAC+, AAC+ Enhanced, AMR NB, AMR WB, MIDI, MP3, RA v10, RA v9, WAV, WMA v10, WMA v9, XMFMIDI
• Messaging — MMS, SMS, Email, POP3/IMAP embedded), IM (Dwnld Java, Embedded -WVIM, MSN Messenger)
• Audio I/O — 3.5mm AV jack
• Battery — 810.00 mAh; approx. 400 minutes talk time; 400 hours standby
• Dimensions — 4.2 x 1.9 x 0.6 inches (107 x 49.5 x 16mm)
• Weight — 4 oz (116 grams)
• Operating system — MontaVista Linux; Java 7.4 (MotoMAGX platform)

Moto VE66 (Click for details)

Motorola earlier this month announced plans to abandon its aging in-house MotoMAGX Linux/Java stack in favor of the Android Linux/Java stack. Thus, the EM35 and the recently announced Moto VE66 camera phone (pictured at right) may well represent the final hurrah for the MotoMAGX stack. For more on the EM35 and the transition from MotoMAGX, see our earlier coverage. For a perspective on more than five years of MotoMAGX phones, see our special report, here.

Availability

The Rokr EM35 is expected to be available later this quarter, says Motorola. More information may be found here.

 
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