Motorola MOTORIZR Z8 leans ahead of the curve

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	Motorola MOTORIZR Z8 leans ahead of the curve	By Philip Berne, 12 February 2007

GALLERY

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With its signature "fit-to-face" slide, the new RIZR Z8 promises HSDPA networking and high definition video streaming. Can it deliver?

Editor's Note: While we originally reported that no microSD cards were available in the 4GB capacity supported by the RIZR Z8, shortly after post time, SanDisk announced the imminent availability of high-capacity microSD cards.

Motorola today announced a unique new "kick slider," the MOTORIZR Z8. Opening with a gentle curve that leans toward the user's mouth, the new RIZR also features 3.6Mbps HSDPA networking. Over the 3G network, Motorola claims that users will be able to watch video at 30 frames per second on the 2.2-inch, 16-million color QVGA screen. The phone is an attractive successor to the Motorola RIZR Z6, a phone we previewed at CES 2007, but which has yet to be released.

The MOTORIZR Z8 also features a 2-megapixel camera, as well as A2DP for stereo Bluetooth headphone support. Photos and music files can be stored on microSD cards, and Motorola will be supporting the new miniSDHC cards, recently announced by SanDisk, in capacities up to 4GB.

The RIZR Z8, Motorola's third foray into the slider market, will be about a tenth of an inch thicker than a RAZR, at 0.6-inches. In the U.K., Motorola has partnered with the Sky cable service, and will allow Sky users with select cable boxes to program their cable wirelessly using the handset.

The Motorola MOTORIZR Z8 will be available in April, 2007, presumably to the U.K. and Europe. No word on availability in the U.S. or other markets, or pricing for the device.