Motorola ROKR E1 Review

Hot on the heels of the W800i we reviewed a couple of weeks ago comes the ROKR E1 from Motorola - We couldn't wait to get our hands on another 'music phone' so soon...Our lucky day !!

The first and most important thing to note about the ROKR E1 is that it is the first ever iTunes mobile phone.

What's that all about then you may well ask ?

Well, let me explain. Music in a mobile isn't a new idea, in fact it's been around since the Siemens SL45 from 4 years or so ago. The Motorola ROKR E1 is a natural progression to the next phase.

We've all heard of Apple, right ? We've all heard of an iPod, right ?? Well if you answered no to any of these questions you're in the wrong place OK !

iTunes as the rest of the world is aware, is Apple's twist on the digital music world. Your one-stop mecca in fact for digital music. Well, with the ROKR E1 you too can enter this realm of music and entertainment. Download and enjoy to your hearts content !

The big difference with the ROKR E1 against previous mobiles is that it's dedicated to the music lover - Not for the casual every now and again listener.

You can chop and change playlists whenever you like, shuffle tracks, download album artwork and much more and have the finest quality stereo sounds around - Well a true music lover wouldn't settle for second best would they ?

Anyway, getting back to our demo ROKR E1. Our first impressions on taking it from the box were good. Better than we'd anticipated was the general consensus within the office. It was met by everyone with a nod of approval. Motorola have 'boxed-clever' here. They've made the ROKR E1 as similar to an iPod as possible. Clever thinking, as everyone instantly recognises an iPod and understands what it does. By latching onto this Motorola have explained to the consumer without uttering a word what the ROKR E1 is all about. Clever eh ?

The general design of the E1 we think is as near to perfect as it can get. It's clean lines fit neatly in the hand and it has a few 'ridges' around the speakers, just level with the display that allow adequate grip.

The display is very good, bright and crystal clear (176 x 220 pixels) which makes using the music functions an absolute blast. The dedicated music keys are easily recognised and well placed too. So, even before you become truly familiar with the ROKR E1, it's easy to just pick-up and get going 'straight from the box' as it were.

Memory as you would expect from a device like this is expandable - Upto 512Mb. That's about enough for 100 songs or thereabouts anyway. Download times will vary from region to region although from iTunes they specify about 4Mb every 30 seconds which is certainly quick enough for us.

The instructions were simple and straight forwards to use. We found it easier than the W800i tested a couple of weeks prior. It was just a case of plugging the USB cable to the PC and E1 and going to the iTunes website.

You can change the tracks on the ROKR E1 easily. Connect the handset to your desktop and swap for new ones in the library. Your entire collection can stay safe on your PC & when you want more, just go back to iTunes...Pretty darn funky is what we say !

Incoming calls were dealt with as we anticipated. The music just cut-out whilst we were prompted to answer or reject. Once done the music continued from where it left off.

Other features of the Motorola ROKR E1 include a fairly standard VGA camera with video capture and record which we won't go on about here as it's standard stuff these days.

Bluetooth is also here, but then again that too is expected now as Motorola have been including it on their handsets for a long time now...Unlike some manufacturers such as Nokia who still seem to reserve it for the higher spec. handsets - Why ?

In technological terms the ROKR E1 falls short of the Sony Ericsson W800i, it's main rival. The cameras are worlds apart - one a simple VGA, the other a 2 Megapixel.

However, as a music device, we found the ROKR E1 to be far more fun and easier to use. Now when you consider why you would buy either of these mobiles i.e for the music capabilities, then the ROKR E1 comes out on top - For us anyway.