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Motorola ROKR iTunes Phone Review

Some of you saying some of us are missing the point are missing the point yourselves :confused:

This isn't a case of being a crappy 1.0 because it will take time to flesh out all of the problems and redesign based on feedback from the real world. This is a case of being able to do the right thing and making an effort to make the product suck. Some things may have been out of Apple's hands (camera suckiness) but some things are due to Apple not wanting the product to compete with the iPod or not insisting on a higher level of product.

Here is my review:

The folks at the Cingular store let me use one for 30 days for free (after
that I buy or return).

Wow, they really jumped through some hoops to make me *not* like this
phone!!! Keep in mind, I'm a pretty die-hard, kool-aid swilling Apple
fanboi...

I've read a lot of bad reviews about this phone...most are reviews that are
similar to movie reviewers that bash any specific genre. The point here is
that I get it, the phone targets a very limited set of users that can live
within the confines of a phone made not to compete with an iPod.

So what is it good for?

Well, before getting my hands on the phone, the specs seemed decent enough.
It's limited to 100 songs, which really isn't that bad. My car CD changer
only holds 6 CDs, and that's about 100 songs...or put another way, it wasn't
too long ago that we had Walkmans that held a fraction of that. 100 songs
easily gets me through the day.

I figured I would use this mostly for my new 2 hour daily commute, with a
habit of grabbing some daily podcasts and some music every morning. This is
a similar habit I got into with my shuffle.

This would mean that I could synch-n-charge it daily, never coming close to
hitting the limit on 100 songs, or draining the battery.

COMPLAINT #1
The unit doesn't charge via USB.

COMPLAINT #2
The unit can't connect to the charger when it's connected to USB. This
means that it will drain significantly when synching.

COMPLAINT #3
The unit is USB 1.1. And synching is slooooow.

COMPLAINT #4
192kbps AAC files must be re-compressed to 128kbps to synch. Fortunately
iTunes can do this for you, but nowhere in the documentation does it tell
you this. It took a few auto-fills before I discovered that it wasn't
synching 192kbps AAC files.

Now all of the above is connected. Since files must be converted, it takes
longer to synch...since it's synching over USB 1.1 it takes even longer.
Long synch times wouldn't be a big deal if I could connect the phone at
night and let it synch-n-charge overnight...but I can't do this because not
only doesn't it charge over USB, but you can't connect the charger at the
same time.

Of course you can't synch via BlueTooth either, but I wouldn't really count
that as a complaint.

This is bad.

COMPLAINT #5
The audio quality sucks for music playing. I'm surprised people haven't
mentioned this. I tested this with several MP3 files and AAC files ripped
and encoded from source CDs and compared to my iPod. Now, this isn't really
a fair comparison since the iPod can handle higher bit rates, but even at
the same bit rate, the quality was noticeably lower (even when using the
same earpieces.

Using the built-in stereo speakers works really well for a phone call, but
for music, they don't really cut it. Again, this wasn't something I was
expecting it to excel at. It's a nice enough feature though, to play a song
as an example for someone.

Now I could handle only having my ROCKR with me and wishing I had brought my
iPod to listen to *more* music, but I'm not happy with the thought of only
having my ROCKR and wishing I had decent quality music.

Complaint #5 almost makes me cry for what might have been.

COMPLAINT #6
The rest of the phone kinda sucks ass. The camera is VGA with no optical
zoom and no flash. There are numerous things I would change physically
about the phone and with the interface (like the number of steps it takes to
set your phone to vibrate). It's also not very well engineered. I have
very small hands and pointed enough nails that I normally do very well with
tiny buttoned gadgets, but in this case there are things...little attention
to detail things that could've been done much better. More memory would've
been nice too.

COMPLAINT #7
Confusing instructions. I wondered about this going in. I had read several
reviews where people said that an iTunes file could be set to be the
ringtone, but they couldn't figure out how to do it. No where in the manual
does it describe how to do this. It took me a while to figure it out...it
ain't easy!

Apple/Motorola/Cingular really missed the mark on this one. If it was an
*iPhone* - as in complete with clickwheel and cool-ass design, I would've
paid big bucks for one. Even if it was a regular phone but just not
functionally retarded, I still would've paid upwards of $500.

As it stands now, I'm wondering if I will even be able to figure out a
specific use for this thing (outside of talk-based podcasts). It's still
really early. I might find myself using it more if my hearing goes bad or I
discover some hidden coolness in it beyond just being a damn good
speakerphone.
 
noel4r said:
The thing that troubles me is this is the best they can come up with after a year of working on this device.

Disappointed and underwhelmed.
Click to expand...



I too am dissappointed because I was actually thinking of buying this phone. I've been cell phoneless for almost two years now. The first year I was anti cell phone, the second year I was waiting for the "apple phone" and this is what I got. So I am fairly pissed about this, I want a good phone, the Razor looks cool, but I think it's really pricey.

this sucks :mad:
 
Thanks, MacSlut. It's very helpful to read a review by somebody who understands the context, knows Apple's own products and software, knows what was reasonable to expect from this phone, knows what might have been done better, and understands what issues make a practical difference.

Your review should be published and Apple and Motorola should read it.
 
Bah!

There is no sugar coating this, people: the product, and experience, suck. Shame on Apple for signing off on such a sub-par offering.

That said, I suspect we'll see an Apple-branded offering in the future.
I know several posters out there are anti-convergence, but I do feel Apple has a convergence device up their sleeve (like it or not, people want to carry less crap). Call it a Newton, call it an iPod phone, call it the Stevematic 2000. All semantics. It is coming... eventually. And it will shatter any iPod sales records up to that point. Just watch.
 
It's not Apple's Product!

I appreicate MacSlut's review - it's good to hear some feedback from someone whose used one extensively.

I still think this boils down to the fact that it IS NOT AN APPLE PRODUCT. It's a Motorola product that LICENSES ONE PART OF ITS SOFTWARE FROM APPLE.

I don't know *exactly* how much influence Apple had on the final design of any of this product, but my guess is that it wasn't much. Apple tends to hold their stuff to pretty high quality, and judging from all the bad reviews of this product, most of it's shortcomings aren't the iTunes software, but how Motorola managed to butcher the usability Apple's good software.

MacSlut - let's go through your complaints...

1) No USB charging: related to iTunes? No.
2) Can't connect charger and USB at the same time: related to iTunes? No.
3) USB 1.1: related to iTunes? Maybe, but Apple's fault? No.
4) 192 AAC -> 128 AAC: since iTunes can get around this, so I won't blame Apple necessarily. The rest of 4 is really and extension of 3.
5) Sound quality: MIGHT be a problem of the software, MIGHT be a problem of the earbuds, which, if I recall correctly aren't Apple's.
6) Phone, in general, sucks: IT'S NOT AN APPLE PHONE!
7) Manual sucks: Motorola's fault.

Let's recap...of your 7 complaints, the only one that can possibly be blamed on Apple is 4, and I'm not holding that against Apple, and 5 (but I don't know enough about where this problem stems from to answer). The other problems with the phone fall squarely on Motorola. The phone may (and probably does) suck, but that doesn't mean that Apple has to accept any of the blame.

Apple took a calculated risk...in fact, it would seem to me that the company bearing almost the ENTIRE weight of this failure is Motorola. Apple's getting all kinds of press about this, and what's the conclusion that most people are coming to? Buy an iPod. Hell, Apple's bound to bank more on each iPod than the stupid ROKR, so where is Apple actually losing in all this?

Not to mention, if there is in fact a version 2 of this phone (which there better be if want to salvage this wreckage), no one has anywhere to go but up. I can't imagine making another version of this and hearing, "Wow, wish we had the first one back." ;)

So, no, I don't think I missed the point. Everyone keeps talking about this phone as if Apple designed it and released it all by themselves. That simply isn't the case. If someone wants to discuss Apple's shortcoming for this fiasco, will someone please speak to how well the iTunes software itself works? Until I hear someone tell me that the iTunes software is crap, I have to assume that Motorola screwed the pooch on this one; NOT Apple.

We also need to remember that without Apple's iTunes software, no one would even be talking about this phone in the first place (and I don't think that fact is enough to blame Apple even partly for the shortcomings of this phone).
 
forget about this phone!

this phone is a joke!
i was really excited about it by the time of the first announcement but tis is really a crappy phone. just compare it to the comptetitors from nokia, samsung or sonyericsson. i bought a se k750i (and planned to sell it, when the rokr was released). it has more features, better design and it works with my powerbook. i bought a 1gig memorystick for 65 euro and now i have a cam (2mpixel) and a good mp3/aac-player that works with itunes ( with this skript ) - not as integrated as the rokr, but without restrictions and the players functionality is even better.
the rokr-phone has no innovations and a ridiculous design. forget about this phone! shame on apple!
 
RAZR

RAZR me! I have a black one and it's a really nice phone. I would love to have a hundred song playlist on it.
 
Like I've Always Said...

Apple shouldn't be focusing on putting iTunes on a phone, but rather a phone on the iPod. Now that I'd buy. Same phonebook and calendar as in the iPod, same great interface, your songs are your ring tones. TriBand, Unlocked to be used with any service. Just insert your sim and go.

'Introducing the iPod nanoPhone'

'10,000 ringtones in your pocket'
 
Can someone please explain to me what this is doing on Mac"Rumors".com ...I mean...reviewing something yourself would even be better than just posting a link to a review. Is this site now just an RSS reader?
 
blilly said:
Ford/Chevy????!

Is one of those supposed to be good?
Click to expand...
~Shard~ said:
I think there must be some mistake... :p ;)
Click to expand...
The point I was making is that there are certain choices that people make, and (arbitrarily or not) dislike the alternative(s). And yes, the Ford GT and Chevrolet Corvette Z06 are both great cars. :) I happen to prefer Moto phones, although currently I'm stuck with a Nokia.

MacSlut: thank you for the excellent review. That stinks that the USB port blocks the charger port (it's a mini-USB port, right?)
 
This is just a minor toe-in-the-water move for Apple, no big deal for users and no big deal (yet) for Apple.

But in a way, Apple's still getting great press from it: all the reviews saying they wish Apple had designed the phone! Not a bad message.
 
epochblue said:
I appreicate MacSlut's review - it's good to hear some feedback from someone whose used one extensively.
Click to expand...

Actually, I've only had it for a day. I should've mentioned this before, because I'm really trying to like this phone and it may take a while.

I still think this boils down to the fact that it IS NOT AN APPLE PRODUCT. It's a Motorola product that LICENSES ONE PART OF ITS SOFTWARE FROM APPLE.
Click to expand...

Agreed, to some extent. Apple did not have to license the software or enter into such a prominent partnership. Apple brought some heavy weight to the table and I can't imagine *anything* about this phone that Apple requested be made *better* (that actually was).

snip

MacSlut - let's go through your complaints...
Click to expand...

You missed the biggest issue, which wasn't listed as a complaint because it was well known going in. The issue of 100 songs. This is *all* Apple and the first red flag that Apple really wanted this phone to be crippled. Given everything else, it's hard to believe that Apple didn't desire or at least fought against the other crippling.

Not all of my complaints were Apple's fault directly, but some were.

4) 192 AAC -> 128 AAC: since iTunes can get around this, so I won't blame Apple necessarily.
Click to expand...

NO, iTunes can't get around this. Converting to 128 AAC is what sucks. This is a software limitation, not a hardware issue. It is solely a limitation to prevent the phone with competing with the iPod. And even how iTunes does this sucks...if you're like me, you have a mix of MP3s and AACs at various bit rates. It's bad enough having to lower the AACs to 128kbps, but I don't want to convert MP3s to 128kbps AAC files...yet that's what iTunes does. If you uncheck the "auto convert to 128 AAC" it then *removes* files that were originally higher bit rate AAC files. And it also sucks because iTunes warns you of none of this or when doing an auto-fill that some songs won't be transferred.

Sound quality ends up coming in part from this. Part of it is the fault of the phone, but part of it is based on the bit rate game

Apple took a calculated risk...in fact, it would seem to me that the company bearing almost the ENTIRE weight of this failure is Motorola. Apple's getting all kinds of press about this, and what's the conclusion that most people are coming to? Buy an iPod. Hell, Apple's bound to bank more on each iPod than the stupid ROKR, so where is Apple actually losing in all this?
Click to expand...

Opportunity cost and reverse halo effect. I, for one, was willing to pay $500 or maybe even more for a decent phone, and instead I'm less likely to trust that Apple's brand carries weight across licensed products in the future.

Not to mention, if there is in fact a version 2 of this phone (which there better be if want to salvage this wreckage), no one has anywhere to go but up. I can't imagine making another version of this and hearing, "Wow, wish we had the first one back." ;)
Click to expand...

Perhaps, but only from the ashes of this. Unlike other version 1 -> version 2 of most other products, this won't be a case of needed technology improvements or understanding a better way to build it. It was painfully obvious to any idiot how this phone could've been built better and the technology to do so has been around for a couple of years now. The disappointment and blame is based on the crippledness of the product.

So, no, I don't think I missed the point. Everyone keeps talking about this phone as if Apple designed it and released it all by themselves. That simply isn't the case. If someone wants to discuss Apple's shortcoming for this fiasco, will someone please speak to how well the iTunes software itself works? Until I hear someone tell me that the iTunes software is crap, I have to assume that Motorola screwed the pooch on this one; NOT Apple.
Click to expand...

Ok, the iTunes software doesn't play 192kbps AAC files nor does it allow you to mix file formats and auto-convert at the same time. The iTunes software limits you to 100 songs. The iTunes software needs to be by-passed to make a iTunes song a ringtone. Really, there's not much to say positively about the iTunes software that lives on the phone...I mean, how hard was it to create a simple player interface and menu system? And while iTunes on the computer (Mac or PC) is brilliant and works brilliantly with iPods, it doesn't work as well as it obviously could when interfacing with the ROCKR.

We also need to remember that without Apple's iTunes software, no one would even be talking about this phone in the first place (and I don't think that fact is enough to blame Apple even partly for the shortcomings of this phone).
Click to expand...

True, and that makes me even more upset. There are other phones that play music, and do so better than the ROCKR as well as being better phones overall. However, I'm pretty well invested in all things i...I have a 400GB iTunes collection, two iPods, AirPort Express, and a bunch of other 3rd party products that work with iTunes and kick ass. So even a phone that sucked ass in other regards would totally rock if it fit in halfway decently to my iWorld.

But, like I said originally, they (Apple/Motorola/Cingular) made it *really* hard to like this phone.
 
Some aspects of the iTunes bit of the phone sucks, but the phone itself isn't THAT bad.

I think many of you are expecting too much. MacSlut is complaining about no optical zoom on a camera phone that doesn't cost much. Good luck in the real world.
 
I've owned Nokia, Sony Erricson, and currently have a Motorola, and the Sony was the best phone I have owned. It would have been great if Apple teamed up with Sony to make the phone, but considering how Apple and Sony are in direct competition with the computer and portable player market, that will never happen.
 
Abstract said:
Some aspects of the iTunes bit of the phone sucks, but the phone itself isn't THAT bad.

I think many of you are expecting too much. MacSlut is complaining about no optical zoom on a camera phone that doesn't cost much. Good luck in the real world.
Click to expand...

No, I'm complaining about the camera having no flash, no optical zoom and only VGA quality. Last year there were camera phones being introduced that offered quality good enough for 4x6 prints. The camera on this phone is a good 3-4 years behind. As for it not costing much, that would be great if this was the low-end model, but it's the only model, and I wouldn't count on there being a high end model any time soon. I was willing to live with a camera feature that sucked along with other features, but not if the iTunes experience was going to suck.
 
Opinion-Opinion

blilly said:
Ford/Chevy????!

Is one of those supposed to be good?
Click to expand...


Which car is best for you or for me is really largely what our opinion is of the car. If we would actually buy the car that is best for us, we'd find out that in most cases we would have a different make car than we planned on.

Making my living doing accounting & income tax preparation work, most would say that I should have a Windows machine. This is because there is no income tax prep program designed for the professional. There is only TurboTax & TaxCut for the Mac. They both do not allow me to fill in any preparer information. Even before that I saw the handwriting on the wall & wrote my own income tax prep program. For most people I am using the wrong computer for my job.

With Apple rankiing at only 2-3% of the computer market, shouldn't we say Dell vs. HP rather than Mac vs. PC?

Bill the TaxMan
 
So this is why they delayed the launch, until they had a cool product, the nano, to launch on the same day, thereby distracting everyone from the crappiness of the phone ;)
 
Come on now. If they called in such a sleazy, slick-talking, (used car) salesman as Ralph de la Vega to pitch it to us, you had to expect it would be bad.
 
Well.

If the phone sucks, then Apple wasted time and money on the project.

People will use it, then return it.

What's the point in that?

Motorola is notorious for skimping on their phones.

Anyone remember the MPx?

The smartphone with wi-fi.

It would have been the best phone on the market had they not skimped on the hardware. (CPU and RAM)

Double-hinged wi-fi goodness, down the drain.

They built it, and it also sucked, which is why they dropped the planned release for the US.

Nokia, has a small phone, the size of a lipstick, that would have made the perfect mobile jukebox.

It's probably about the size of a mini.

Why, oh why?
 
Jonathan Ive will have to ship in a few boxes of pencils in order to turn out all the drawings for 3rd party iTunes related devices that need his design touch.
 
I will say about this what I say about the hybrid car, great step,good idea,not a good first but will most likely be good in the future. Although I wouldn't buy the current version as it is still in almost "beta mode". Good Concept and glad an iTunes phone was finally released.
 
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