Last night, a bunch of strange tips slammed our inbox, all talking about the Motorola Sholes (otherwise known as the Tao, or more recently, the Verizon Motorola Droid.) “Motorola just tried to sneak the Sholes through the FCC!” they read, highlighting the fact that in this recent report, Motorola only mentions Sholes by name once – and it’s about as subtle of a mention as can be. But that, in itself, isn’t what seemed strange. What was strange was that the Motorola Sholes already cleared the FCC last month, in Verizon-ready CDMA form.
So we looked a bit closer, and sure enough, there they were: GSM frequencies. The first time the Sholes headed through the FCC’s torture chambers, it was rockin’ CDMA bands for Verizon’s network. This time around, it’s packed to the brim with GSM radio.
The important snippet:
This equipment is a GSM portable transceiver, which operates in the 850, 900,1800 and 1900 MHz PCS band. It also operates in WCDMA 900 and 2100 MHz and contains GPRS Class 12 and a 2.4 GHz Bluetooth function (Part 15.247). The unit may also be connected to a computer via a USB connection (Part 15 Class B Computing Device Peripheral).
Alas, the lack of AT&T or T-Mobile 3G bands seems to indicate that this is a European device, tested in the FCC only for the sake of keepin’ things legal while traveling.
[Clarification Update: We originally thought this was sporting AT&T 3G bands - but it looks like we just got a bit too excited and misread. GSM, yes. AT&T 3G, no.]
Hmm. I like the look of that. Too bad it’s not AT&T… or rather, I should say thank goodness it’s not AT&T because maybe now I’ll have a reason to switch.
If it was European, then why advertise it in the States?
Sholes -> ugly phone and albeit cumbersome to hold.
Motorola is in deep trouble hanging on to dear life with android.
palm, rim, and apple are in another league.
Moto has no dealings with AT&T anymore, that should have tipped you off.
looks like it would work on Tmobile EDGE network in the USA (1700) , but not their 3G network (1900).
Perhaps this is yet another VZW World phone, capable of CDMA and GSM when traveling abroad??
The FCC listing here is truly a EU listing of the device, quad band GSM, but only EU dual band UMTS (no 850, 1700 or 1900)… sorry folks.
pick my phone up a couple days ago…..two words..love it