MOTOROLA ROKR DUO Z6:

Slide your way into music and stay on the cutting edge of style with the MOTOROKR Z6. Featuring a slim slider design, the MOTOROKR Z6 exudes eye-catching sophistication. Beneath the surface the MOTOROKR Z6 is a music masterpiece, complete with high performance music experience and extraordinary picture and video capture capabilities.

Discover the ultimate in music portability. Transfer all of your favorite music quickly with USB 2.0 hi-speed technology and easily with Windows Media Player 11. With an easy to use PC syncing experience, Windows Media Player 11 allows you to drag and drop without worry.

The possibilities are endless~you can transfer your personal CD collection or download individual or subscription tracks from countless Window Media Player compatible music stores directly to your PC and then simply transfer! With up to 2GB of optional removable microSD memory and 64MB on board memory, users can store all of their favorite songs and playlists without compromise.

At first glance, the new ROKR may seem like a relatively large phone, but when placed side-by-side against the RIZR (which is supposedly quite slim and sexy) you might be surprised to find the new RAZR is a lot larger.

The ROKR design is the spitting image of the RIZR, with the same sliding mechanism and build. However, it feels a little heavier -- due, no doubt, to the use of different materials -- though the specs claim they're the same weight. The keypad is also different, perhaps for the worse, and resembles the original RAZR with its quirky off-centre buttons. These make it a little harder to text than with the RIZR's symmetrical keys.

The screen has also been updated and looks gorgeous -- it features a greater 320 x 240 resolution and a better interface. Finding some of the functions may be initially perplexing for some users: for example, there's no alarm clock button in the main menu, and the function is now located in "Office Tools", along with a Calculator and E-mail.

One annoying thing about the design is that the SIM is under the microSD card -- you have the take the card out first to swap the SIM. Also, there is a small metal flap that you have to slip the battery under -- this proves quite difficult and it is easy to place the battery in incorrectly -- the tab can get stuck in between the contacts and the battery itself -- and hence it won't work.

Features:

The phone comes with two headsets -- a pair of earbuds with a microphone remote, and a Bluetooth headband-style unit. The S9 headset (AU$129.99) is A2DP compliant and comes with onboard play controls and a microphone.

Users of the original RIZR will notice the Internet button has been replaced with a music button which takes you to your music library. To hold your music, Motorola have included a 1GB micro SD card -- music fans would probably prefer 4GB or more space. Lastly, there is also a dedicated ARIA icon in the menu itself which takes you to a minisite, and though it tempts you with the prospect of ringtones there are sadly none to be had. Instead there is a selection of featured artists -- this month it's Sneaky Sound System -- with bios on the bands, and a competition to win phones and attend the ARIA awards.

We found the ROKR to be a pleasurable phone to use. The screen is big enough for most tasks, the menu is straightforward and the casing is attractive both to hold and behold. Call quality was generally quite good as well.

As this is a music phone it was interesting to see how the headset actually worked in conjunction with it. Unfortunately, these are one of the more uncomfortable headsets we've used -- they sit awkwardly on the ears and the earcups are way too large. In operation, the headset was quite susceptible to interference in the office environment -- where there were six or seven immediate Bluetooth devices. The headset cut out quite a bit on music here, but away from everything this was less of a problem. Sound quality on music was very good, though, but at times it sounded like the tape was slowing down -- very unusual. Call quality was OK through the headset, but very echoey at the other party's end.