New: MOTOTRBO R7

The MOTOTRBO R7 series was officially launched in North America on 31 January and an EMEA launch will follow soon. In the meantime, there is quite a bit of information on the Motorola Solutions EMEA product page.

I dont have my demonstration unit yet so cannot speak from experience but here is what I can tell you.

A 61mm 320 x 240 px. QVGA display. On-screen clock (no need for that watch anymore, eh?).

The radio will be known as a R7 in all regions - no more XPR; DP; DGP; XiR etc. Radios will arrive in an unprovisioned state which means that as part of the initial setup, the radio will also get regionalised software-wise.

Once provisioned, it can be programmed using CPS2 and Radio Management using a cable or OTAP. You will need to add another programming cable to your baggie: PMKN4265A. This cable will be used on other radios too.

A VHF and UHF model will be available from day one. All the important RF specifications are the same as the DP4000e series.

Added support for the Galileo GNSS system.

Resistant to low pressure; high temperature; low temperature; temperature shock; solar radiation; rain; humidity; salt fog; dust; vigration; shock and other fluids per MIL-STD180H. The casing is also made out of a disinfectant resistant material.

Support for both 2,4 and 5GHz Wi-Fi. Having 5GHz will help customers avoid the congestion on 2,4GHz. Also, having 802.11ac support means that it is possible to OTAP radios more quickly via Wi-Fi.

Support for WPA3 means that Wi-Fi connectivity is more secure. WPA; WPA-2 and WEP are also supported. Like the DP4000e series, the R7 can be programmed - and the software upgraded - via Wi-Fi, in addition to the RF channel.

Louder and clearer audio. 102 phon audio with less than 1,5% distortion, at 1W and 30cm. This is 3 phon louder than the DP4000e series under the same conditions. Using the loud setting, this can be boosted to 107 phon. Videre est credere.

Active dual noise-cancelling microphone. An additional microphone on the back of the radio picks up surrounding noise and feeds this to the audio processor together with the microphone on the front. This means the R7 is far better at cancelling background noise when compared to the DP4000e.

Supports the M-Radio Control App allowing the radio to be remotely controlled via Bluetooth. The radio also has Bluetooth 5.2 which not only provides better security, but also allows more devices to be paired with the radio at the same time. Also, if an Edesix body-work camera is used, and the emergency button is pressed, the camera will start recording.