Motorola E680 Specs Pricing Pros & Cons Revealed

Network and Connectivity

The Motorola E680 was launched with GSM technology, supporting 2G bands including GSM 900, 1800, and 1900. It offered GPRS Class 10 connectivity but lacked support for EDGE, which was still gaining popularity at the time. Despite being limited to 2G, the device was fairly capable of handling basic mobile communication and internet browsing through WAP 2.0/xHTML.

Launch and Status

The Motorola E680 was announced in the first quarter of 2004 and has since been discontinued. It was a part of Motorola's efforts during the early 2000s to offer innovative mobile devices equipped with versatile media capabilities and running on alternative operating systems like Linux.

Body and Design

The dimensions of the E680 were 109 x 53.8 x 20.5 mm, and it weighed 133 grams. Its design included a Mini-SIM slot, at a time when this format was standard for most mobile phones. The device's build was considered robust, with a Satin Silver finish that added a touch of elegance.

Display

The Motorola E680 featured a 2.5-inch TFT resistive touchscreen with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels, which corresponds to a pixel density of approximately 160 ppi. The screen could display 65K colors, which was standard for that period but provided vibrant colors for its time.

Platform and Performance

One of the unique aspects of the Motorola E680 was its operating system — Linux. The device was powered by an Intel XScale processor running at 300 MHz, which provided it with satisfactory performance for basic tasks and multimedia functionalities.

Memory and Storage

The E680 came with 50MB of internal storage, which at the time was adequate for storing contacts, messages, and some media files. It also featured an SD card slot, allowing users to expand the storage capacity, which was a progressive feature for mobile devices in 2004.

Camera

On the photography front, the Motorola E680 had a VGA main camera capable of capturing 0.3MP images. It also supported video recording, offering users the ability to capture both still images and video clips, albeit at low resolutions by modern standards.

Audio and Multimedia

The device was equipped with stereo speakers, and supported a variety of alert types including vibration, polyphonic, and MP3 ringtones. However, it lacked a 3.5mm headphone jack, which may have been considered a drawback for users wanting to use standard earphones.

Connectivity Features

For connectivity, the E680 included Bluetooth 1.1, facilitating basic wireless communication between devices. It also had an FM radio, adding to its multimedia capabilities. However, it lacked WLAN and positioning features, which were not yet common in most phones at the time. The presence of a proprietary USB connection allowed for data transfer and charging.

Additional Features and Sensors

The Motorola E680 included essential features for its era such as a WAP 2.0/xHTML browser for internet browsing. Although detailed sensor information is scarce, the device was equipped to handle basic smartphone functionalities without the advanced sensors found in modern devices.

Battery Life

The device was powered by a removable Li-Ion 780 mAh battery. This small capacity battery provided a standby time of up to 180 hours and a talk time of up to 6 hours, which was typical for phones released during that period.

Conclusion

The Motorola E680 was a noteworthy device upon its release, marked by its use of the Linux operating system and its focus on media playback capabilities. Although its hardware specifications, like the screen and camera, seem modest by today’s standards, it was competitive at the time. It combined basic mobile functions with early smartphone features, paving the way for more advanced devices in Motorola's lineup. Despite its limitations, the E680 remains a fond memory for early adopters of smart mobile technology, representing an influential step in the evolution of mobile devices.