Hot on the heels of the introduction of a flip-style BlackBerry phone Verizon Wireless is going live with the Motorola Krave, a new interactive touchscreen flip-phone that features haptic feedback and a transparent lid so users can access key information and functions without actually having to open the phone. The phone features two layers of touch: a full touchscreen inside the phone, and and interactive features build into the clear flip lid.
"Motorola Krave is uncompromising. It delivers high-quality multimedia experiences while remaining true to the way consumers expect a phone to work and feel," said Motorola’s VP for mobile devices Ken Hallman, in a statement. "The clear, touch-enabled flip over the large, high-resolution touch-screen is nothing like you’ve seen and yet it’s totally intuitive."
The Motorola Krave sports a 2.8-inch LCD display, 2 megapixel camera, an accelerometer to detect movement and rotation, an HTML browser, and a virtual QWERTY keyboard (in landscape mode) with haptic feedback. The phone also offers Bluetooth wireless connectivity, microSD storage, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and USB connectivity. And, of course, the phone taps into all of Verizon’s mobile content and information services, including Visual Voice Mail, V Cast Mobile TV and Video, V Cast Music with Rhapsody, and VX Navigator for visual and audible directions.
The clear lid offers one-touch access to many phone functions without requiring users first flip open the phone to activate it. Users can watch mobile TV, listen to music, and view incoming messages without opening the phone. A slide lock prevents accidental opening, and Motorola says the flip lid makes it easy to place phone calls with adding day-to-day damage to the touchscreen.
The Motorola Krave is available for $149.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate (which arrives in the form of a debit card) so long as customers buy it with a new two-year contract.
Click here to read the Digital Trends Motorola Krave review.