Local company looking for next billion sales

Motorola is betting its MOTOFONE F3 will appeal to "the next billion consumers," from young professionals in the developing world who cannot afford high-end phones to budget-restrained elderly American seniors who are put off by technology.

Here are the basic features:

•  A simple interface with voice prompts. Users don't have to navigate through multiple text-based menus for the soft buttons to program their phones. MOTOFONE can talk to them in their local language, and guide them through their settings, such as turning on alarms and setting the time and calendar. Even illiterate users can set up the phones.

•  Easy-to-read high-contrast, monochrome display. The display is large, an aid to seniors and people with visual impairments. The display uses a new kind of "electronic ink," which is visible in bright sunlight as well as in the dark.

•  Long battery life. The phone has up to 500 minutes of talk time and 300 hours of standby time. Motorola has developed a bike charger, which enables users to charge up their phones as they ride their bikes.

•  MOTOFONE offers simple text messaging, a speakerphone and loud volume -- helpful in noisy marketplaces.

•  Rugged. The phones have flush keypads that are resistant to dust and humidity, enemies to electronics in developing countries.

•  Cost control. Like pay-as-you-go phones available in this country, MOTOFONE automatically displays the prepaid balance, helping users manage their expenses.

Howard Wolinsky