Motorola Solutions launches the MOTOTRBO R7 DMR radio

Motorola Solutions recently launched the MOTOTRBO R7, a DMR portable radio that is designed to be more rugged and deliver better audio quality than the MOTOTRBO XPR 7000e series that it eventually will replace in the company’s product portfolio.

Nick Candotti, Motorola Solutions’ director of product management, said that he believes the MOTOTRBO R7 will be a “game-changer in the higher end of the business segment,” particular in sectors that have users who work in loud settings.

“First and foremost, it’s a communications device, so we’ve got louder and clearer audio,” Candotti said during an interview with IWCE’s Urgent Communications. “We significantly made the radio louder, with better distortion at max volume. You’re going to hear clearer and better audio … You’ll be able to better recognize who you’re talking to, with much better and clearer audio.

“It’s got much better noise cancellation in loud environments. So, where we had a DSP-version noise cancellation in the 7000 [series], we’ve got dual-mic noise suppression in this radio that makes a significant difference and will be best in class, in terms of noise cancellation.”

Having sufficient audio quality to support communications with users in loud environments is critical to business operations, according to Richard Dhondt, a maintenance supervisor at NTN Driveshaft.

“Clarity and coverage of radio communications is a top concern and priority in our manufacturing facility because it directly affects safety and operational efficiency,” Dhondt said in a prepared statement. “Employees working with heavy machinery can hear the MOTOTRBO R7 voice communications loud and clear without leaving their stations or stopping the production line. The rugged design of the radio is ideal for use on the manufacturing floor, because it stands up to dust, spills, drops and the wear-and-tear of everyday use.”

Candotti noted that the MOTOTRBO R7 is strictly an LMR-only device, in terms of the technology leveraged for user voice communications. However, the new DMR radio can be programmed and updated over the air via Wi-Fi connectivity and has a batter that lasts up to 28 hours, according to a Motorola Solutions press release about the device.

Immediately available in models with a 2.4-inch display screen and full keypad or without a display, the MOTOTRBO R7 also is more rugged and supports a greater variety of cleaning techniques than previous DMR radios from Motorola Solutions, according to Candotti.

“It has new housing material that allows for more types of disinfectants to be used to clean it as we move into this challenging time with COVID, with more and more disinfectants being used,” Candotti said. “With the plastics that we used in the past, there were only certain types of disinfectants you could use without degrading the plastics. We’ve significantly improved on that, while at the same time making it more rugged.

“[The MOTOTRBO R7 has both an] IP66 and IP68 rating, where the 7000 was just IP68. IP 66 brings in the ability to withstand water jet sprays, like from a burst pipe or a hose.”

Candotti said he believes that the MOTOTRBO R7 is an appealing device to users in multiple enterprise sectors, including manufacturing, transportation, warehousing, large campuses and stadiums, education, hospitality and healthcare.

“[The target customers for the R7 are] a wide range of business users that need a built-for-purpose, rugged device that gives them all of these features that are necessary to make them more productive and safe,” he said.

In designing and developing the MOTOTRBO R7 during the past year and half, Motorola Solutions “took the best of what we had in the 7000 series, improved on it, and brought in some features that future-proof it,” Candotti said Eventually, company officials expect the new DMR devices to replace the XPR 7000e series within the Motorola Solutions portfolio of products, he said.

“The R7 fits into the higher end of our LMR-only MOTOTRBO portfolio,” Candotti said. “It really fits into the category where XPR 7000e series is today. We will be selling both for a little bit of a period of time, but it will replace the XPR 7000 series.”

Given this, the MOTOTRBO R7 radios are less expensive than the broadband-capable Ion ‘smart radio’ and are priced somewhat higher than the XPR 7000e handsets, Candotti said.

“It does have premium features, so there is a minimal price differential there, but it’s in that same category as the XPR 7000 [portfolio],” Candotti said.