Two years after Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) released the first iPhone, Motorola (NYSE: MOT) is finally getting around to releasing a competitive offering. Today, the company unveiled the Motorola Evoke QA4, a full touchscreen device that has integrated widgets that look much like the icons on the face of an iPhone. The feature phone does not have a smartphone operating system; however, it is as close as they come.
It includes a full HTML browser, and provides access to sites like Google’s Picasa, MySpace and YouTube. The phone also has a slide-out keypad when held vertically and when turned on its side, a virtual Qwerty keyboard appears. In addition, it has a 2 megapixel camera with video-recording capabilities. Regional wireless operator Cricket will start selling the Evoke in May for an undisclosed price, Gearlog reports. Release.
Of course, other handset makers have had iPhone-look-a-likes for some time. Perhaps the most successful non-smartphone is the Samsung Instinct sold by Sprint (NYSE: S), but companies like HTC are busy churning out touchscreen phones in different form factors and with different operating systems. Motorola has been behind the curve, having had to first clean up in-house. Going forward, Motorola has committed to building smartphones using Google’s Android OS and Windows Mobile, and although the Evoke is a step in the right direction, those are more likely the devices that will begin the turnaround. CTIA would have been a good event to have an unveiling, but there are no signs that any big news is coming this week from the company.
RE: "… the Motorola Evoke QA4, a full touchscreen device that has integrated widgets that look much like the icons on the face of an iPhone…."
How creative! What will Motorola think of next?
Seriously, wasn't this meant for April 1 as a April Fool's joke?
- "The feature phone does not have a smartphone operating system" I think Fisher Price has a similar phone
- "Regional wireless operator Cricket will start selling the Evoke in May" Cricket? Cricket???
Are the Execs at Motorola trying to out-stupid the auto executives or the AIG executives????
Double yawn
you… FAIL.
1. This phone is lame.
2. This may turn out to be a very smart move on Motorola's part. The majority of mobile phone consumers don't purchase smartphones. Smartphones are still only a small fraction of the global mobile phone market. An iPhone look-alike feature phone may do very well for motorola among consumers who don't want/need the expensive smartphones but want the association.
I hope Motorola are paying a fee to Apple for such a blatant copy of the iPhone look.
Is Apple the innovation department for every phone maker in the world?
ok all you Motorola bashers.. point made and taken..still think they will turn this thing around..execs may or may not get it, but they still have some of the best engineering talent on the planet..
Epic Fail
Ok ok – Motorola is putting out a new phone and we as suppliers are thrilled our work is getting noticed. To all the propeller heads out there – its time to support the work the US does and stop bashing our local industry. There is considerable engineering talent here in Illinois putting out great CDMA phones. Get a clue and start supporting Motorola.
Pro Tennis Goes Digitally Interactive at Sony Ericsson Open in Miami
Tennis Fanâs Now Text and Interact In Real Time (Live) With The Game
March 31, 2009: Miami, Florida: FanDriveMedia, a mobile entertainment technology company, announced today that itâs new empowering platform, FanDriveLive! The new mobile technolgy be the magic behind the 2009 Sony Ericsson Tennis Open mobile entertainment event lineup which allows fans to interact with the pro players in real time. Sony Ericsson, known for its cutting edge media phones will be offering tennis fans the ability to download wallpapers of their favorite tennis stars, send mobile photos and text messages to video screens around the stadium, receive text alerts on autograph sessions and photo ops and play predictive mobile games on their phones.
âThe Sony 905 is a tight media phone and our engineers would have paid Sony for the opportunity to get our mobile apps on itâ said JB Vick President of FanDriveMedia . âWe started out the 09 season with Sony last week at the BPParabus Open in Palm Springs and the response has been tremendous. With our newest set off mobile apps ready for the SEO, tennis fans will be getting a glimpse of what all sports fans can expect in the future.â
âWhat you are seeing at the Sony Ericsson Open is a glimpse of the future of sports marketing. Interactive content that carries advertising is good for the sponsors and advertisers but it also gives the fans what they want â¦the ability to get closer to the sport âadded Vick. Interactivity brings new revenue models for live sports events and that why you see this market explodingâ.
âDigital advertising and live events are a natural fit. We were most comfortable with how many top tier sports organizations use the FanDriveLive platform today to drive sponsorships and promotions while providing as first class entertainment experience for their fansâ, said Gabriel German, President of I-Captivate, a creative company bundling advertising and promotions of the past with Digital Media Entertainment today.