Motorola ROKR E6 Comprehensive Specs Pricing & Review

Design and Build

The Motorola ROKR E6 showcases a sleek and modern design for its time, featuring dimensions of 111 x 51.5 x 14.5 mm and weighing 121 g, making it a lightweight and portable device. The device's black color gives it a professional and sleek appearance that appeals to a wide range of users. The inclusion of a Mini-SIM slot is standard for phones from this era, allowing users to switch carriers with relative ease.

Display

The ROKR E6 is equipped with a 2.4-inch TFT resistive touchscreen that supports 256K colors. Although not particularly large by today's standards, the screen size was adequate for the device’s primary functions during its time. With a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels and a pixel density of approximately 167 ppi, the display offers a basic visual experience suitable for general use and minimal multimedia consumption. The touchscreen interface was innovative at the time, allowing users to navigate through the phone's features with ease.

Platform and Performance

Running on a Linux operating system, the ROKR E6 is powered by a 32-bit Intel XScale PXA270 312 MHz processor. While this might seem modest compared to modern standards, the processor provided adequate performance for daily tasks such as calls, texts, and basic applications in 2006. The device includes 8MB of internal storage, which is quite limited. However, it supports SD cards up to 2 GB, giving users an option to increase their storage capacity for photos, music, and other files.

Camera

The Motorola ROKR E6 features a single 2 MP main camera, which offers basic photography capabilities. The camera is capable of capturing CIF-quality videos, providing users the ability to record simple moments. Although the camera performance cannot compete with modern smartphone cameras, it was a decent inclusion for occasional photography and video recording at the time. The absence of a selfie camera reflects the era's focus primarily on call and text functionalities.

Audio and Multimedia

One of the standout features of the ROKR E6 is its focus on audio and multimedia capabilities. It includes a loudspeaker and supports a variety of alert types, such as vibration, downloadable polyphonic, MP3, and AAC ringtones. Notably, the device includes a 3.5mm headphone jack, allowing users to connect their headphones directly for an improved audio experience. Although it lacks WLAN capabilities, it supports Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, enabling wireless audio streaming to compatible devices.

Network and Connectivity

The device operates on GSM technology, compatible with 900/1800/1900 MHz 2G bands, ensuring a wide range of connectivity internationally. While it does not support WLAN, it includes GPRS Class 10 and EDGE Class 10 technologies, which offer decent data transfer speeds typical of the mid-2000s era.

Battery Life

The ROKR E6 is powered by a removable lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 1000 mAh. In terms of battery life, it offers up to 235 hours of standby time and up to 7 hours of talk time, which was considered quite satisfactory during its release. The removable battery also gives users the flexibility to carry a spare for extended usage times, especially when traveling without access to charging facilities.

Launch and Market Impact

Announced in December 2006, the Motorola ROKR E6 was positioned in a market that was gradually becoming more focused on multimedia capabilities. Although now discontinued, the ROKR E6 played a pivotal role in Motorola's lineup, bridging the gap between traditional mobile phones and the burgeoning trend of media-centric smartphones. With a price point of approximately 140 EUR at release, it was reasonably accessible to the average consumer looking for an amalgamation of phone and media player functionalities.

Miscellaneous Features

The device includes a WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML browser for basic internet browsing. It also comes equipped with an FM radio, providing an additional entertainment option for users who enjoy listening to live radio broadcast. The inclusion of a USB 2.0 provides connectivity with computers for data transfer, which is essential for syncing music and media files.

Conclusion

Overall, the Motorola ROKR E6 stood out as an innovative device combining essential cell phone functionality with a focus on media consumption. Although it does not compare with today's smartphones in terms of technical specifications and capabilities, its launch signified Motorola's efforts in catering to the shifting consumer demand towards devices that could serve as both communication tools and sources of entertainment.