Motorola’s New Facebook Phone Revealed

Chris Velazco

Chris Velazco is a mobile enthusiast and writer who studied English and Marketing at Rutgers University. Once upon a time, he was the news intern for MobileCrunch, and in between posts, he worked in wireless sales at Best Buy. After graduating, he returned to the new TechCrunch to as a full-time mobile writer. He counts advertising, running, musical theater,... → Learn More

Thursday, September 8th, 2011
EX225

Motorola’s no stranger to shoehorning social media into their devices (I’m looking at you, MotoBlur), but a new device passing through the Bluetooth SIG website reveals just how serious Motorola is about Facebook integration.

Before we go any further, I’ll have to ask you to lower any expectations you may have about a Motorola Facebook phone. A little bit more. And… there we go.

The EX225 is Motorola’s first phone with a Facebook button, joining the illustrious ranks of the HTC ChaCha/Status, HTC Salsa, and the, erm, Vodafone Blue 555. Unfortunately, the EX225 seems to skew toward the Vodafone as far as execution goes, as it seems to lack any smartphone DNA and only has a 2.4-inch display. It’s tough to tell given size of Motorola’s image, but UnwiredView thinks it’s running a BREW-based OS, which makes sense given Motorola’s recent feature phone offerings.

It’s a GSM device, and the fact that a dual-SIM variant (the EX226, naturally) exists likely means the device is going to get some global play. No word yet on domestic availability, but I’ve got a hunch the EX225 will end up positioned as a quick messaging device with an ostentatious name on AT&T.

Big Blue still wants to be able offer token devices for customers who don’t necessarily want smartphone data rates, and the EX225 has just enough appeal to act as a transition phone. Users will be able to get a taste of data, and once they’re hooked, a full-blown smartphone will likely be in their futures.


Launch Date: January 4, 2011

Motorola is known around the world for innovation in communications and is focused on advancing the way the world connects. From broadband communications infrastructure, enterprise mobility and public safety solutions to mobile and wireline digital communication devices that provide compelling experiences, Motorola is leading the next wave of innovations that enable people, enterprises and governments to be more connected and more mobile. Motorola (NYSE: MOT) had sales of US $22 billion in 2009

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