Motorola has been selling Linux smartphones for a while now, but so far they have only been popular in Asian countries, particularly in countries with a large population that uses the Chinese language. The MOTOROKR E6 was announced exactly one year after the MOTOMING A1200, but as the name implies, the target market is completely different. The E6 is meant for the young who need stronger multimedia functions. Today we will see if the E6 delivers what it promises.
Take note that the MOTOROKR E6 we are reviewing is the China Mobile version, the bundled games and portal/network fine tuning are different from the unbranded version. Strangely enough, this is the only version Motorola Hong Kong had for press reviews. The E6 selling in downtown Hong Kong are free of network branding.
Physical Aspects
The E6's design hints at that of a black RAZR, from the sharp edges to the button design. The case is bigger than an average candy bar, it's quite wide and long at 111mm x 51.5mm (4.4" x 2"); good thing is that the thickness is only 14.5mm (.6"). It is because of the thinness that the E6 is a lot more pocketable than you might otherwise think. The build quality is excellent and the device weight is 121g (4.3oz).
The E6 is completely black. On the front you will find a touch screen that is mounted on the surface, making it completely flat, as opposed to most touch-screen devices on the market today where the rim between the screen and the body tends to collect dust. The only buttons found on the front are the d-pad, a music shortcut key, one customizable shortcut key, and the usual dial/hang up buttons. The layer over the screen is glossy, so it will be a fingerprint magnet. The lower part with the d-pad is made of material similar to that found on the RAZR's keypad, the backlight color is the same cyan blue and the tactile feedback is good. I noticed that the paint on the edges of the engravings are already starting to peel off after a few days of usage, the screen is fine though - free of any scratches. Flipping to the back of the phone you will see the camera module with its mirror for self-portraits and the manual macro focus switch. Ringtone audio comes out of the grille holes circularly arranged close to the camera. The stylus and the USB port for data and power can be found on the bottom, whereas the standard 3.5mm stereo headphone jack can be found at the top.
On the left you can find the volume keys, an SD slot, and 3 dedicated music keys. The camera shutter button and the key lock slider are found on the right side. The arrangement of buttons is logical in general, but the positioning is not the most ergonomic. The key lock slide-key, for example, is positioned too high, as are the volume keys. The dedicated music keys are a bit difficult to find by touch when the phone is in your pocket. It would have been better if they were further apart, or if the engraved icons on them would have been bigger and deeper.
Overall I'm happy with the design of MOTOROKR E6, there is definitely room for improvement, for example the positioning of the keys. It would have been great if Motorola could have reduced the length a bit more, as well
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