Pretty. Mediocre. (Motorola MOTO U9)

Member Name: MagdaDH

Product:	Motorola MOTO U9
Date:	25/05/09 (27 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: pretty, feels nice, the screen on the cover, camera OK

Disadvantages: silly text input, poor battery life, interface not brilliant, can't use while charging

I have got this phone in early 2008 with the cheapest Vodafone contract (plus major cashback from Cashbackkings, already received). I wanted to have a contract phone, as I get fed up with simultaneously running out of money and battery power just when I need to make this once call. I totally under-use it, as on average I probably would spend more than a fiver per calls a month on Pre-Paid, and this is costing me £15 (but the phone came free with the contract, so overall works out as bit less of a loss on subscription - or a very expensive phone indeed).

I don't really remember why I chose this one from the limited selection that came free with the cheapest contract, apart from the fact that (1) it was a clamshell design, and don't like exposed keys (2) it has a 2 mega pixel camera, and I wanted a reasonable one.

Considering the fact that have had a mobile phone (sometimes more than one) pretty much continuously since around 1996, I am probably pretty unsophisticated user. This has likely something to do with the fact that I am rarely away from a computer and that I don't get phoned or phone much. Still, I wanted a phone that I could take with me when I do get out, just in case; for taking abroad; to use as a watch, an alarm clock and calculator and in order to take pictures if I don't have my proper camera with me.

===What about making and receiving calls?===

Now, I have read countless comments on mobile phone reviews saying something along the lines of: _it's all grand commenting on all of those features, but how about making calls_. And as I have never written a mobile phone review (hey, it's my first after a total of about 300 other reviews posted all over the place), I never questioned this kind of sentiment.

But now I have to, actually. Well, it makes calls. That's what those things are made for and all of them do. I have had probably at least 12 models of mobile phones of various brands, and guess what, they all made and received calls. I have never heard of one that didn't, and I also have not heard of any phones that had handset-related issues with making or receiving calls. I will say a word about the keys later, but this is as (or more) pertinent to texting and menu operation than call making.

===Design & feel===

It's a lovely object to behold: sleek, rounded but not too round, and the front of the cover is a secondary 'screen' that allows to conduct some function without actually flipping the clam open. You can read text messages, see the clock or even use the camera. My version is pink (!!!), but it's not a lurid pink of kindergarten tutu variety, but more of a dark dusky pink with a metallic sheen. To be honest, I don't mind, it was just the particular colour it came in, but it's not embarrassing enough fro me to try to hide the phone from people.

As I said, I like phones with a clamshell or slider design, as I don't like the problems with locking and unlocking the keyboard. This clam could be easier to open one-handed, I don't like having to use my nail or both hands sometimes - but perhaps it's made for younger and nimbler fingers than mine.

It's perhaps a little bit to small - I keep losing it not only at the bottom of the backpack or in my bag, but even in my pockets, and this is taking the miniaturisation too far. On the other hand, it's a definite plus if you want to carry no bag: it does fit in pretty much any (normal, not decorative) pocket, with room to spare.

I quite like they keys. They are quite large, flat and textured, which means I don't have a constant feeling that I am pressing three at the same time, although ideally I would like a bit of separation between them to further this kind of impression.

===Texting===

I only text when I have to or when I am extremely bored and I just can't bear the differential between the speed of typing on a normal keyboard and this stupid thumbing thing. The input on this Motorola (I am not sure how common it is to all Motorolas) is awful. It's hard to switch off the awful predictive text (in fact there are two predictive text modes, one completely wild and one slightly more sensible, I have no idea what the difference between them is), as the same button that is used to choose between caps and lower case, or symbols, is also used to switch the input modes, and the default seem to always be the most preposterous predictive one.

===Camera===

The 2mpx camera was one of the main reasons I chose this phone, and despite this is a disappointment - the picture quality is pretty low unless the light is very good - it doesn't like grey days even outside, and it doesn't like hard shadows and bright sun either. I like the fact that the extra screen on the cover can be used as a viewfinder.

===Battery===

I now remember than another reason I chose this this handset was its advertised standby time, I don't use my mobile more than a few days a week and thus would like the battery to last as long as possible when it's not being used - well, it doesn't come anywhere near the advertised standby time (and yes, I did format it properly when first received): in fact, it doesn't last more than three days with no use at all.

It's also immensely annoying that you can't use the phone while it's plugged into the charger: this is the first ever phone like that, and I just can't understand why they would introduce such a limitation.

===Interface===

This is probably more of a general Motorola thing than something specific to U9, but I am not that enamoured with the interface. I would like to be able to have more items than just four on the home screen, and I would like to be able to have low-level menu entries there (e.g. the calculator, not just "office tools"). It should also be possible to assign the side keys to all functions, not just a limited number of them, and the same for the two "home" keys above the red and green handset ones.

I would like to be able to customise the menus in general. They are complicated, long winded and unnecessarily fixed. I know I am probably applying my PC habits to a simpler device, but there is no reason a mobile phone interface couldn't be at least as usable and customisable as a PC one.

Some aspects of the menu are not intuitive at all. The alarm clock always takes me a few minutes to find, and I have used it quite a few times already.

===Others===

I don't use the mp3 function as I don't listen to music much, and certainly not in a personal stereo mode. I never tried to use it a with a memory card, as I have no need for extra storage on the phone, the number of photos it can store is sufficient for my needs.

===Verdict===

It all depends on what you want from your phone, but I would not buy this one again. It's not as bad as to make me feel desperate for a change, and if I used it more I would probably create workarounds or train myself around some issues. It looks and feel nice, however unimportant it is in the greater scheme of things, the camera is acceptable and the screen on the cover cool and useful as well. But the mediocre or downright bad aspects probably outweigh the good ones for me, and I can't imagine it being more than average overall.

Summary: I can't believe I have just written a MOBILE PHONE REVIEW. SORRY.

Processing/Quality:
Reliability:
Ease of use:
Sound quality:
Variety of features: