MOTO2006
The KRZR (yes, pronounced "crazer") will initially come in three varieties: a quad-band GSM model, an American CDMA model and an Asian CDMA model for Korea and China. The difference between the three is not merely radios. The GSM model has a 176 x 220 screen and a 2 Megapixel camera. The American CDMA model has a 176 x 220 screen and a 1.3 Megapixel camera. The Asian CDMA model has a QVGA screen and 2 Megapixel camera. Both CDMA models also feature external media playback controls that are resistive sensors hidden beneath the face (like on the Chocolate).
Although the KRZR certainly has its roots in Motorola's iconic RAZR, the two phones look and feel very different, even though they share the same underlying technology that was breakthrough in the RAZR. Motorola has made an effort to make the KRZR feel more like it was designed for humans than robots and it shows. It was also designed to look less like a piece of technology and more like a piece of jewelry or art.
Although the KRZR has a nice unified look, each face of the phone is a different material which serves a different purpose. The back is the soft touch finish of the PEBL or V300, which makes it comfortable to hold and easy to grip. The front is a single piece of glass with a vacuum metalized finish which gives it the jewel-like appearance and allows the external display (and media controls on the CDMA models). The keypad is also new. It is still flat like on the RAZR, but a new technology called electroforatic deposition makes it feel soft to the touch, almost rubberized. This keypad is so touchable, it's difficult to stop playing with it.
The KRZR is narrower than the RAZR or even the RIZR and this narrow profile makes the phone much easier to hold - you can really wrap your hand around it. In fact, with the new narrow shape, and the soft touch back and all the other improvements that make the KRZR more of a human friendly phone, it's difficult not to keep touching or playing with it. Even if you're just inspecting the details of the construction and finishes, you find the phone is always is your hand.
The KRZR is definitely the looker of the two phones and will be sold as the higher end model of the two. The CDMA model is expected in the US around the end of Q3, while the GSM model is not expected here until the end of the year or early next year. It should be available outside the US in early fall, around the same time as the CDMA model.
The Asian model is the most lust-worthy of them all. It's not that is has more shiny surfaces than the other KRZRs with its glossy sides. The Asian KRZR features the best of all models. It share the 2 Megapixel camera with the GSM model, the external media controls with the US CDMA model and adds a crisp QVGA screen. It's hard not to be jealous of the feature packed phone our Asian friends are getting.
Motorola is making efforts to protect the KRZR from being copied as prevalently as the RAZR. They have patented a larger number of technologies used to create the unique finishes of the phone. They have also been much more protective of these phones during development.
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