14 DAY TRIAL // Everyone knows that Motorola is no longer the handset manufacturer it used to be a couple of years ago, and the company itself acknowledges this fact. But those who imagine the giant Moto shrinking into a helpless dwarf will probably have to wait forever to see that. Especially since Motorola will roll-out this year at least three new phones capable of attracting many mobile users: ROKR E10, ZN5 and VE75.
Motorola ROKR E10's existence was first rumored in the fall of 2007, and now the handset shows its true face. A face that looks really good, in a way that I don't think I've seen before at another phone. Moto E10 is a music-orientated handset that apparently features a 2.8 inch touchscreen display, a flat and touch-sensitive keypad, special dedicated music keys, Wi-Fi and a 3.2 Megapixel camera with auto focus. If other advanced features are also packed in it (which is highly possible), the slim E10 can become one of the main "propellers" of Motorola, and it could bring back the company's lost glory.
Together with ROKR E10, a whole line-up of (relatively) new Motorola handsets was also unveiled these days, thanks to a leaked image that presents Moto's 2008 road map for China. Although the image is poor in quality, we can clearly see nine phones awaiting for a Chinese release: ZN5, VE75, A810, E8, U9, A1800, A1600, L800t and W270.
Like in the case of E10, details about Motorola ZN5 surfaced some time ago, but there was no image with the phone. The one available now is not at all great (and it's also small), but it's enough to make us think ZN5 is quite a good looker. The handset is only 11.9 millimeters thin and packs a 5 Megapixel camera with Kodak lens, a morphing keypad similar to the one found on E8, a 2.4 inch display, a 500MHz CPU, TV-out and other cool features that are yet to be announced. All in all, ZN5 seems to be a sure winner.
Pictured in the lower-right side of the Chinese road map, Motorola VE75 is a sleek slider that comes with a 2.6 inch display with 240 x 400 pixels and a 16:9 contrast ratio, dual SIM technology, Bluetooth, a 2 Megapixel camera and other (unrevealed yet) multimedia goodies. The ability to function with two SIM cards in the same time and a wisely chosen price could make the VE75 a real hit, and not only in China.
While the phones appearing on the road map for China will be released in the second half of 2008 the latest, both in China and around the world, ROKR E10's launching date is a total mystery. Anyway, we should wait for official details from Motorola, details that must come, sooner or later.
All we can do now is wait until all the new Moto phones from its 2008 line-up get to be released and "judged" by users. We'll see then if Motorola is alive and well, or just alive.
