In the latest sign of the times that the boundary between consumer and business mobile users is fast dissolving, Motorola's latest ROKR handset brings the trend of function-packed music phones to the PDA sector - because business mobile users like to rock out as much as anyone else.
The ROKR E6, announced on Monday, is being billed as an entertainment PDA - a slim black widescreen candybar phone that wouldn't look out of place in the hands of a teenager or a senior executive, and comes with enough functionality for both, says Ian Chapman-Banks, Motorola's Asia-Pacific VP, and general manager of Marketing and Business Development for its North Asia Mobile Devices unit.
'It's a great business phone, but it's optimized for entertainment, music and video,' he told the Show Daily, pointing out features such as RealPlayer, USB connectivity, a standard headphone jack, and combined storage of up to 2 GB (up to 4 GB early next year).
'We've designed it for the music experience, but it can run all your business apps, email SMS - make telephone calls even,' he said.
Business apps specific to the Greater China market, where the E6 is first shipping, include Chinese handwriting with predictive input - 'the main mode of communications for business in China,' Chapman-Banks said - and a travel booking app from Chinese online travel planning and booking Web site eLong.
'You could click on the eLong icon and book a flight to China right now, and get sent back an SMS, and that would be your e-ticket,' Chapman-Banks said.
Even the phone tutorial is entertaining - a 20-minute movie teaching you how to use the ROKR with pop star Jay Chou, Motorola's ambassador for the E6 campaign.