Hands-on with the Motorola ROKR E2

Well, well, well, the big star of last night's CES press preview was Motorola's ROKR E2, which finally made its long-awaited debut today. The E2 was a bit chunky, especially compared with the SLVR and even the ROKR E1, but the phone's display is nice and sharp and overall the phone felt good in the hand. Moto had an iRadio demo running at the event and was big pimping the ROKR E2's compatibility with stereo Bluetooth headphones. Click on a for ton more pics.

[Bidera @ Jan 4th 2006 7:20AM]

I am sorry but while Motorola ROKR E2 looks decent enough, I do not see how it will be able to compete with Nokia's N series phones.

Seems Motorola hasn't learned from the E1 debacle.

For example on my site there is hardly any interest in ROKR E1: http://www.bidera.com/cgi-bin/us/emaximarket.cgi?action=item&item=24099



On the other side demand for N90 and others Nokia models remains strong.

[Some guy @ Jan 4th 2006 7:24AM]

That thing SCKS

[IK47 @ Jan 4th 2006 7:26AM]

This thing looks stupid.



Stop making iPod phones



Put iTunes on all the Motorolla phones, and include white ipod earphones for them. That is a much better idea. Also, get rid of the 100 song limit.

[Ponts @ Jan 4th 2006 7:38AM]

Where is the 3,5mm audio out port?

[Bultie @ Jan 4th 2006 8:16AM]

To be honest......



Without iTunes it Suckxs

The Design is creepy and looks cheap (stupid plastic)

And al at al i was thinking about buying one f the rokr when a new version came out but THIS one, i think prefer a normal iPod.

[TZK @ Jan 4th 2006 8:17AM]

GOLLY, if that was the highlight, I would hate to see the lower expected items. Will there EVER be a true b randed iPhone?



Probably not.

[IK47 @ Jan 4th 2006 8:32AM]

"users a complaining that the rokr is too small to hold when jogging, or even normal music listening" - report





"alright, then let's get the engineer to find a solution" - Motorolla product marketer



"lets make it bigger. We can add packing foam inside. " - motorolla engineer.







Stupid Motorolla.

[make money king @ Jan 4th 2006 8:38AM]

hey if u want an ipod get an ipod. if u want a cell phone get a cell phone but please don't try to mix the two. just doesn't make sense.

[v3razrblk @ Jan 4th 2006 8:42AM]

If you look at the back of the phone it has the SD (SANDISK) label. Meaning this version may have more then the 100 song limit. I am not a fan of the ROKR phone, but if you can use mini SD cards in the phone. I see it doing a little better then its younger brother.

[Looozer @ Jan 4th 2006 8:43AM]

If you're gonna' take pictures of a phone in someone's hand, find someone with prettier hands. At least get a manicure or something. It looks like this dood followed up a good street fight by repacking some wheel bearings. Yikes!



As for the phone, see post #3.

[MACALEX @ Jan 4th 2006 8:49AM]

Looks like the next worse mobile phone of the 2006. ;-) Motorola's tradition! :-)

Let's hope that in 2007 they will reach SE Walkman W800 specification! ;-)

[Jjeff @ Jan 4th 2006 8:53AM]

The top, presumably. You can see a flat spot above the eyelet for the strap on the shot of the back.



Would be the first music phone I've seen with the audio jack on the top... at least THAT was a smart idea.

[Igor Jablokov @ Jan 4th 2006 10:23AM]

This phone is based on Linux. As such, does it have the new UI?



Does it support DRM-ed WMA's?

[Igor Jablokov @ Jan 4th 2006 10:32AM]

Answering my own q...according to http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS2457456654.html it does have the new UI and also has SCREEN3 with the Opera Browser. Still not sure about WMA.

[Punkduck @ Jan 4th 2006 10:52AM]

I'm sure it's all very cool and everything... but at the end of the day why not keep a phone, mp3 player and a camera seperate? I always feel like when they are added together that something is compromised. Just seems that sticking them all together is a gimick. I don't understand why people feel the need to have the latest model?

[John @ Jan 4th 2006 11:00AM]

with the big marketing push for iRadio coming soon, this phone ROKR E2 will continue to get a great deal of attention.



The upside is, consumers have a choice. Dedicated phones and dedicated music players, or converged devices with compromises. There is a big enough market for both converged and dedicated devices.

[Akshat @ Jan 4th 2006 11:13AM]

Since these are actual pictures of the E2, and not just mock-ups, why exactly does it feature an Itunes button if the freaking thing doesn't have it??

[SK @ Jan 4th 2006 11:22AM]

Anybody got a pic of the bluetooth stereo headphones they're pimping with this ROKR E2?

[daniel @ Jan 4th 2006 12:26PM]

why do you assume thats an itunes button im sure apple doesnt have a trademark on a picture of a note

[JP @ Jan 4th 2006 2:10PM]

So, the SLVR, with iTunes doesn't have a dedicated iTunes button, but the E2, without iTunes, does? Uhmmmmmm...what? And if the E2 infact does not have iTunes, why did they use the exact Apple green note icon? They couldn't use a clef note? And maybe a different color?

[Akshat @ Jan 4th 2006 4:41PM]

Daniel - Even if Apple doesnt have it trademarked ... it would be completely misleading on Motorola's part, and probably lead to a few lawsuits as well. As Jp said, why couldn't use a different colour, style ANYTHING??

[andrew @ Jan 4th 2006 7:04PM]

Yes, it does look a bit fatty and plasticky, but it really is better than a dedicated phone and iPod. Think about it, Apple, (or, to be fair, any DAP manufacturer) has yet to integrate Bluetooth audio into a player. add in the price savings over a dedicated phone + iPod nano, and you have a solution that looks better and better. Hopefully the quality of the implementation is a step (or 2) up from the E1...

[MACALEX @ Jan 4th 2006 9:12PM]

to all crazy folks: this note button not related to iTunes. Apple doesn't own the rights on the all notes, it's like Microsoft doesn't own the right on the 1 and 0, let's hope they don't. :-)

[will @ Jan 7th 2006 5:45AM]

so this plastic block dont itunes... 2 things



most phones nowerdays play mp3s... so go complane that every other phone dosent need a mp3 player

and

the baby bro of the phone that mangege to only sell(at an estermate) 3 handsets that were not sold on ebay, because buyers like the fact it had i tunes,doesnt have i tunes.





if any one can get that out in one breath please tell me

[johan @ Feb 1st 2006 10:16PM]

I think the phone is slick. I am very sure it will be a big hit in Asia, Europe, and Aussie. For Americans, sorry guys, it seems that you guys enjoyed flip phone too much. Stick with your Samsung. An old technology with "classic" style. :-)