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Filed under: Handsets , Motorola , Verizon Wireless , EV-DO , CDMA Hey, Verizon customers, you're feeling a little warm to the touch over there. Could it be that you have -- be still our hearts! -- Motorola fever ? As Motos go, Verizon's currently signed up to get two of the hotter upcoming models in the next few weeks, the ZN4 Blaze and the VU30 Rapture , both of which have been spied in the wild once more (looking basically ready for retail launch this time around, may we add). The VU30 is a fashion flip that takes some cues from its GSM-based U9 cousin featuring a glossy translucent shell, fat external display, and according to the latest rumors , a September 9 release date. The Blaze meanwhile looks more or less the same as the last time we saw it, leaving us to wonder what possessed Motorola to keep rolling with that eyesore of a giant, red-ringed medallion on the hinged lid. It's also rumored for a September date with destiny, though the exact day is unclear at this point -- and honestly, Motorola, if you want to push that back a month or two to make the badge less obnoxious, be our guest. [Via phoneArena ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Handsets , Motorola , Verizon Wireless , EV-DO , CDMA Far be it from Verizon to get left out of Motorola's RAZR-ish evolution recently observed in Sprint's VE20 , the VU30 Rapture (no relation to the LG Vu -- trust us) should be hitting Big Red next month according to the latest data we've got on hand . The wait's always excruciating, we know, but phoneArena's picked up a few juicy bits of the user's manual for us all to chew on in the meanwhile. Looking over the documentation, it really is striking to see just how much the VU30 shares in common with its Sprint contemporary: a touch-sensitive external display for music controls, 2-megapixel camera, EV-DO, and a curvy shape that somehow manages to evoke the RAZRs of old without prompting us to gouge our eyes out, for example. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Handsets , Features , Motorola , Sprint , EV-DO , CDMA We're going to confess a dirty little secret here: when we first started playing with the VE20 , we didn't realize it was being branded and marketed as a RAZR. As we used it, though, it quickly became evident -- no one had to tell us this was a kindred spirit of the V3 . For better or worse, the shape of the phone -- everything from the tapered upper edge of the display to the "chin" beneath the keypad -- looks and feels like an obvious evolution. You might call it a stepping stone in between the V3 and the V9 , and considering that the V3 gets closer to its last breath on store shelves with each passing day (or so we hope), Moto and Sprint need something to slot in there beneath the mighty RAZR 2. Call us insane, but for what the VE20 is, we liked it. It doesn't pretend to be a do-all, end-all superphone, nor does it try to wow you with its premium materials; it's just a decent midrange flip with what seems to be excellent build quality. The screen is exceptionally bright, clear, and rich, and the V9-aping secondary touchscreen is a nice touch (pun intended, of course). One area of concern: it froze up on us once, necessitating a restart, and the music app was completely broken in our tester. Our guess is that this'll be resolved in retail units or via a quick firmware update shortly after launch -- at least, it frigging better be. The VE20 is available today for $99.99 on contract after rebates. Gallery: Motorola MOTORAZR VE20 hands-on Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Handsets , Motorola , T-Mobile , GSM , EDGE Moving just a tad downmarket from the mighty morphin' E8 , Moto has rolled out three new members of its music-centric ROKR series today: the EM25 slider, EM28 flip, and EM30 candybar. The EM30 probably feels the most familiar, aping the E8's design language but trashing the touch-sensitive wheel for a plain ol' d-pad. It does, however, carry over the E8's so-called ModeShift morphing keypad and features an FM radio with RDS, 3.5mm headphone jack, and Windows Media compatibility. The EM28 brings the same style to a clamshell, while the EM25 reps the slider form factor. We're seeing some shots of a T-Mobile branded EM30 in here, too, so it looks like the carrier wants something to slot in right below the E8 in its Moto lineup -- a wise move, considering the E8's considerable expense. Look for the EM30 to launch first in Taiwan (sorry, T-Mob) followed by other markets later in the quarter, while the EM25 and EM28 should launch on a more global scale in the coming weeks. Gallery: Motorola adds EM25, EM28, and EM30 to ROKR series Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Handsets , Motorola , GSM , EDGE As boring (or in the case of the W6, difficult) as they may be to look at, we've got to hand it to Motorola -- they've managed to pack in a nice mix of interesting features into the latest round of wallet-friendly W-series phones. Starting at the bottom, the W231 candybar has an FM radio with RDS and recording capability, media player, microSD slot, "streamlined interface" for text messaging (your guess is as good as ours), and Moto's CrystalTalk noise reduction circuitry. The W388 and W396 -- a candybar and flip, respectively -- are dead ringers for one another on the spec sheet, with both offering VGA cams and Windows Media compatibility in addition to the W231's decent list of capabilities. Our personal favorite, though, has to be the W6 (pictured), which has a few really unique features: a host of built-in training software (and A2DP doesn't hurt either) for making the phone particularly useful on the jogging circuit, the ability to export recorded data up to your PC in Excel format, and the tendency to burn your retinas with one of the loudest, most painful shades of yellow we've ever seen on a phone. [Via Celularis , thanks Mariano ] Read - Motorola W6 Read - Motorola W231, W388, and W396 Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Handsets , HTC , Motorola , Samsung , Sanyo , Sprint , Windows Mobile , EV-DO , CDMA Though the document doesn't exactly look magazine-quality, this is a case where we'd argue that it doesn't have to be to be real; it's clearly for internal use only, for one thing, and secondly, we don't know where else the picture of that new Sanyo Katana Eclipse would come from. The Eclipse is just one of several pretty nifty releases claimed to be lined up between now and September, with the Motorola VE20 Vegas and a pair of data cards joining it on August 17. September should bring the Motorola i365 and V950 Renegade , Samsung m220 and m320 , and the HTC MP6950 -- which we assume to be either the Touch Diamond or Touch Pro -- clearly in desperate need of an actual name by the time it launches. Go-go gadget, product marketing team! [Thanks, Owen] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments