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Motorola RAZR V3i
by Karonher
I have never really bothered about having the latest phone and the cost of the contract was always the main reason why I choose a handset. When I saw the Motorola RAZR it was the first time that I wanted the phone as much as I wanted a good price. It was free as part of a T Mobile contract, so I could not complain about that. It was very ... easy to use as the keys were big enough to make sure I did not keep misdialling and it was really easy to navigate around the other functions such as text messages and using the phone. I never did get round to download anything so I can't say if there was a problem here.
This RAZR is a flip phone, more commonly called a clamshell phone. I was worried that the constant opening and closing would cause the shell to break, but I had it for 18 months without a problem. It was 2006 when I got the phone and by then it had already been downgraded from a top of the range to one that was free on many contracts.
One of the main things I liked about it was the fact that it was very thin and this was ideal for putting in the sort of small handbag normally used for a night out. It measures 2.1" x .54" and only weighs 99g so I could take it everywhere with me.
It has a good size memory of 10 MB and that is far more than I am ever going to need as I don't use it for photographs or videos. It has a fairly good size screen at 2.2" so it was always easy to read the numbers and any texts that came through. It has a choice of 24 ringtones and as with most phones there is Bluetooth so it was easy to get my normal ringtone on it. There was no problem with the volume as all calls could be heard but are not so loud as to be annoying if the phone rang in the office.
There was not the same amount of colour choices as there are now but I was still offered a fair range, black, purple, blue, red, green and I think it may have bronze or gunmetal - I have the black one. I have seen pink ones but think they are a special edition or import.
The main complaint I have with it is the fact that there is not much of a battery life and even though I do not use a mobile a great deal the battery would only last a couple of days even when switched off at night. To balance that out, as it is a flip phone the screen does not get scratched nearly as much as other phones I have had.
Over the last few years I have had other phones but this is the one that I have kept as my back up phone in case I lose or damage my current one and I still don't feel as if I am using a prehistoric phone when I use it.
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Motorola V3
by Carrie23
~ MOTOROLA RAZR V3 Black ~
The Motorola RAZR V3 phone model is called like this because when the flip closure is open the phone looks like a razor. It was launched in 2005 and it's one of the most popular and best selling mobile models of Motorola. It is an old phone but the company still uses the successful RAZR name to the ... newest versions of its mobiles.
~ The design ~
It comes in 3 colours: the classic silver and the special editions in black and pink colour with the same design. It is very thin and light with external dimensions 98 x 53 x 13.7 mm and weighs only 95 grams.
The black RAZR has the same dimensions and slim profile as the original silver model. It has a satin finish so the fingerprints are not visible on the phone. The phone case is matt black and the stylized silver M logo of the brand is in the front and back side of the mobile case. The camera and a tiny screen with nice colours are on the outside and when the flip closure of the mobile opens it reveals the screen and the keyboard. This model is pretty wide and tall comparing to other phones and provides enough space for the large internal display screen and the keyboard.
The keypad is silver with a light blue backlight and an interesting design. The buttons have curved outlines and it is obvious that the designers have paid much attention to the detail. There is a large base at the bottom below the keyboard that jumps out a little bit. The clamshell design is stylish, comfortable and allows hearing and speaking more clearly because of the speaker and microphone location. Further it protects the keyboard and the screen from accidental dialling and scratches.
~ The Display ~
It has two screens, one inside and one outside. The colour TFT LCD screens have average resolution, 256K colours for the main display and 4096 for the external secondary screen. The inside screen (resolution 176x220 pixels) has 9 lines and bright colours. You have a variety of fonts to choose for the background home screen when the flip is open and themes to customise the main menu display. There is also a screen saver that can be a photo or a moving image. The screen saver appears when the phone is open and there is no activity for a certain time period.
The phone also has a tiny secondary external display screen of 96 x 80 pixels that shows the time, the phone status and the missed or incoming calls, the battery level and the reception signal.
~ The Camera ~
The mobile phone has a built-in camera by the hinge of the flip closure, right above the external display screen. The resolution is VGA (only 0.3 Mpixels and 4x zoom) and the image quality is below average. The VGA camera is outdated and it's not equipped with a flash so the images are dark and blurry if the lighting isn't good. There is an option to take photos of yourself by closing the clamshell when the camera is on. The picture appears on the external screen below the camera. However, the VGA camera doesn't give the best quality pictures and I haven't used it much.
You can also take short video clips but the phone memory isn't enough for videos larger than a few seconds.
~ Memory ~
The available internal memory is only 5.5 MB which I found enough only for a few photos and two MP3 ringtones that I selected to set as my calling ringtones for my contact groups. Considering the fact that one full song is around 2 MB it is obvious that the low memory capacity of the phone limits the use of applications and music storage. There is no card slot to add memory cards and increase the phone capabilities.
~ Music and Sound ~
The Moto RAZR V3 has 22kHz polyphonic speakers with MP3 ringer support so you can use MP3 songs as ringtones. However, it has very limited internal memory and it isn't a phone that can be used to store and play music. It has downloadable polyphonic ringtones and a vibration mode for ringing. The sound is clear and the volume can be adjusted from the settings menu or the side buttons of the case.
~ Texting and Calling ~
The phone has a feature called iTAP that can recognise the most used words and predict the word as you text. When the word appears with light grey letters, you can insert the word with one click. Alternatively, if you want a different word you can simply continue typing. This predictive text input feature actually predicts the words very well and it helps me text faster. There is also the multi-media messaging feature that allows me to send pictures, music and text.
~ Battery ~
The Lithium-Ion battery (680 mAh - BR50) needs around 3 hours to fully charge when the mobile is switched off and according to the technical information, the maximum talk time in the optimum state of the battery is almost 7 hours and it offers more than 10 days of standby time. The battery life has been satisfying for me as I always turn my phone off before charging and I don't unplug it if it's not 100% charged. The battery performance has reduced after so many years and it needs charging every other day.
The battery is placed at the back side of the phone. To open the battery cover, you have to push the silver button near the top side of the cover (below the hinge) and pull it towards your side. The button needs to be pressed quite a bit to open. On the underside of the cover, there are instructions in steps on how to place it back and close it.
The mobile can be charged via a PC USB port, however the charging time is higher comparing to the conventional charging with the plugged charger and it depends on the PC. To use this feature, the Motorola Phone Tools Software needs to be installed in the computer so that the device is recognised. The CD with the software is included in the box and it also provides the option to synchronise the PC contacts and calendar with the phone. The mini-USB cable that connects the mobile with the computer is also included.
~ Keyboard and Navigation ~
The keyboard is made from a single sheet of nickel-plated copper alloy. The navigation keys of the keypad have an interesting design. The keyboard is flat and spacey and the buttons are not elevated above the surface which makes typing a bit more difficult. The keys have a light blue backlight that lights when the clamshell is open and it makes the texting easier when it's dark.
The central circular button gives access to the menu. There is only one menu page with the basic options for the calls, contacts, web, messages, camera, Bluetooth and settings. The navigation in the menu is straightforward and the options might seem limited now, but don't forget that the cell phone was launched in 2004. The messages, the web and the calling buttons can be accessed through the buttons around the main navigation key.
~ Games Installed ~
The cell phone has two pre-installed games, the Block Breakers Deluxe and the NY Nights Demo. They are only trial games and you need to buy the full versions if you want to play them. The trial version of the first game has only 60 seconds of gameplay and the second one is a simulation game that is available for one day in the game's virtual time (less than 30 minutes in real time).
~ Other Features ~
The Motorola RAZR V3 features e-mail, and internet connection (but not WiFi), wireless Bluetooth connectivity and voice dial. It comes with the standard alarm, calculator and organiser features and it also has a currency converter which is very useful when travelling abroad. You can insert multiple numbers per entry for the contacts and there is a picture and ringer ID option to use different ringtones on contacts or groups of your phonebook.
Finally, the phone can be locked with a password for extra security of your personal data.
~ My opinion ~
When I purchased the black RAZR, the deciding factor for me was the flip closure and the slim and cute design. The phone itself is light and, it has the perfect size for a mobile (easy to fit inside a pocket) and it's very easy to open the flip closure. The screen is clear and wide enough but the keyboard is a bit difficult to get used to it at first. This is mainly because it's flat and all the keys are on the same level so it's different from previous models that I had owned. Besides that, the text messaging is easy and fast with the word prediction feature.
It's a very durable and sturdy phone and I have used it on and off for 4 years. I still have it at the moment but I have replaced it with a more modern model. Generally, as the new technology phones come out, I tend to think that the older models might have fewer features but they are more durable and they can last for many years.
When I first bought it, I thought it was faulty because when the display was lit, I could hear a strange noise coming from the keypad area if it was placed near my ear. When the screen turned off the sound disappeared and I was worried that it had some kind of power leak so I decided to send it back for repair. The first time it came back with the same noise and the second time I was informed that it's normal and all the Motorola RAZR V3 models have this low tone sound coming from the backlights of the keypad. I was convinced when the lady from the service department that owned the same model showed me her phone which had the same buzzing sound when the backlights of the keypad were active. The sound remained the same and it didn't cause any other problems so it probably wasn't a problem as I thought.
The keyboard sometimes leaves marks on the LCD screen when closing the clamshell because the buttons are pressed on the screen. Therefore, the key's outline appears on the screen but it can easily be cleaned with a soft cloth. I haven't used another flip phone so I don't know if this is common in this particular design.
The reception quality is very good but the calling quality is not great. The calls are clear but it's hard to listen to the person at the other end when it's noisy, even with the headphones. The ear speaker volume is very low to use in public or in a crowded place and it needs a lot of effort to understand the other person speaking.
Overall, it's a stylish phone that didn't work very well for me. The calling quality is the main problem since it's the basic a phone should have so I was mostly using it for my second number and I still have it as my backup device.
~ What's in the Box ~
Once you open the box, the following devices and accessories are included:
* The Motorola RAZR V3 device
* One battery (3.7V Lithium Ion Battery)
* The Motorola charger
* Hands free
* Mini-USB cable to connect the mobile with PC-laptop
* Motorola Phone Tools version 4 Software with CR-ROM
* User Manual and guarantee
~ Conclusion ~
This is an old model and a pretty basic phone with a very stylish and modern design, even 7 years after its first release. It used to be very popular with good features for the time it was launched but today it can only serve as a backup phone. It still has problems with some basic features such as the camera, the external memory and the low ear speaker volume.
This review is also published on ciao under my name "sweetybi"
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Motorola MOTORAZR2 V8
by JJ2010JAYJAY
I bought this phone used at CeX for £40. It was in pretty poor condition with lots of scratches and even a couple of small cracks. To get a new one (which is difficult) it will cost you around £120! You can buy a new Blackberry 8520 or standard HTC for that money.
Exterior
It is extremely thin and comfortable to ... hold. It also fits in your pocket really well. It has an exterior screen with a touch sensitive part at the bottom. You can play music with the phone flipped down, and use the touch screen to play/pause/scroll through music. The touch screen isn't particularly responsive and takes a couple of seconds to register what you have pressed. This is not much of a problem, but I have had a few touch screen phones in the past, so I find it easier to notice. You can also change the volume and profile when the phone is flipped down.
Interior
When the phone is flipped up, it is pretty much just a normal Motorola. You get a couple of added short cuts on the keypad to play music and get to the menu but that is it. The screen quality is average, but not great, the camera quality is also average, but the sound quality is quite good, but then again, that is what is has been designed for. The keypad is reasonably responsive and you feel that you have pressed a button when you have. This makes it quite easy to text and dial with. The call quality is good and I haven't had trouble hearing anyone.
The menu is very simple, making it very user friendly. The battery life is okay, but mine seems to change all of the time. I use it an average amount, sometimes it will last a day, sometimes up to 4. Then again, my phone was used, and I don't know how old it is.
I was a bit disappointed with this phone because I expected it to have lots of features and be great quality, considering its price. But, it is just like a normal Motorola V3, which you can get for about £30. Another problem I have found is that it only has 512MB of storage space, and you cannot put a memory card in it. For a phone that is made to play music, this is a very small amount of memory. The least Motorola could have done was added a memory card slot.
Overall, I wouldn't recommend this phone, but I would recommend a V3. This is purely because the price of the V8 is ridiculously high for what it does.
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