Home › News ›

MotoSummer 2004

Intro RAZR V3 MPx Series A780 A630 Comments 43

While the V3 is undoubtedly the flashiest new Moto, I would say the A780 is actually the most important. This feature-packed model is the company's first EDGE smartphone. And while its predecessor - the A760 - was released only in Asia, this model will be released worldwide, including with multiple carriers in the U.S.

The feature list is extensive, but the highlights are: Linux + Java OS, large QVGA touchscreen, megapixel camera, Bluetooth, quad-band GSM with EDGE, and a TransFlash memory card slot.

The design is somewhat unique. Essentially, the A780 has dual personalities. When it's open, it's a full-fledged smartphone. But when you close the flip, it transforms into a simple but capable bar-style phone, with its own keypad and special phone-oriented user interface. The A630 also has this feature, as does the Sony Ericsson P900. The advantage of the A780's "window" approach is that a second display (which would add weight) is not necessary, yet the display is fully protected.

Other tidbits about the A780: It has a "jog dial" on the left side, for navigation both open and closed. It's actually more of an up/down toggle switch than a "dial", but no one seems to have come up with a good name to describe that kind of thing yet.

Also, it has mini-USB and stereo headset jacks on the bottom. The TransFlash card slot is located on the top.

There are two exciting things about this phone. First, it's a smartphone with EDGE, something that is unfortunately still rare. A powerful device like this is twice as powerful when you pair it with a high-speed wireless data technology like EDGE.

The second exciting thing about the A780 is that it will be the first serious Linux-based phone for the U.S. Having spent time with the similar A760 about a year ago, and briefly seeing some of the improvements in the newer OS on the A780, I can tell you that I'm pretty impressed. I'm anxious to see how the U.S. market reacts to this device.

Next page: A630

Related

Review: Moto RAZR

In-depth review of Motorola's iconic RAZR V3 high-end clamshell GSM phone for Cingular and T-Mobile.

Motorola Unleashes New High-End Phones

Jul 27, 2004
Motorola today announced a slew of new phones with advanced features. RAZR V3 : One of the world's thinnest clamshell phones. Using unique metal materials and extreme miniaturization, the V3 measures just 0.54" thin.

Motorola Reveals New Text-Savvy Phone

Jul 1, 2004
Motorola today announced the A630 , a new clamshell messaging phone with a QWERTY mini-keyboard. In a unique twist, the phone includes a full keypad and small display on the outside for placing phone calls.

Samsung Refreshes Galaxy S Series with S Pen, New Cameras

Feb 9, 2022
Samsung today announced its lineup of flagship phones for 2022: the Galaxy S22 series. The top-end S22 Ultra sees the biggest changes as it essentially absorbs Samsung's Note series with an integrated S Pen stylus and a more Note-like shape and design, instead of the Contour Cut design of the other models.

iPhone 14 Plus Offers a Big Screen For Less

Sep 7, 2022
Apple has revealed the iPhone 14 series, with new features, improved specs, and new size options. In place of a Mini option, the iPhone 14 will come in the same 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch screen size options as the Pro models.

Motorola A630

Display: 220 x 176 pixels
820 mAh battery
Hardware Text Keyboard

Motorola MPx220

Display: 176 x 220 pixels
1,000 mAh battery
Memory Card Slot

Motorola MPx

Display: 320 x 240 pixels
960 mAh battery
Memory Card Slot, Hardware Text Keyboard

more news about: