Motorola PEBL - definitely a phone to consider (Motorola PEBL U6)

Member Name: Onyx

Product:	Motorola PEBL U6
Date:	07/07/08 (79 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: easy to use, clean style, good quality

Disadvantages: Motorola software, only about a year's battery life

I've owned the Motorola PEBL for nearly a year now. I bought it to replace my old Nokia 3510. The PEBL fits comfortably into the hand, and its finish allows a firm grip even when the phone is wet. The screen is sharp and clear, and though hard to see in full sun, this is usual for most or all mobile phones. The phone layout is easy to learn and the keypad buttons have just the right amount of resistance. The phone is just the right size, and though quite bulky compared to more modern phones, still fits comfortably into a pocket or bag. On the side of the phone there are a couple of small buttons which either light the front casing, or which change the front casing between displaying the time and displaying the current phone style, which are: Loud, Soft, Vibrate, Vibrate & Ring, Vibrate then ring, and Silent.

The volume can be turned up to be very loud (which is what I need or I just don't hear what people say), which I couldn't do on my last phone and which has proved to be a most useful feature.

What has been a pleasant surprise is the quality of the inbuilt camera. I didn't buy it for the camera and never really envisaged using it, but it can take some very good-quality photos even though it is just a VGA camera with x4 zoom. I have taken landscape photos and they work out very well (at least on the phone), as well as close-ups.

There are a couple of negative points which I can think of. One is the software included for the Motorola. It installed fine on the computer, but when my computer stopped working and I tried to install it on another computer, it just didn't work. Perhaps the software can only be installed on another computer. I don't know. It is rather annoying though.

The second negative point is the battery life. In my opinion, my phone has not had a hard life. I don't use it for hours at a time ringing people. I use it mainly for text messages and I use it nearly daily as an alarm clock. After a year, though, it appears the battery is dying. My phone used to last a week without a charge and now I've having to charge it twice, even three times a week. This is my first colour phone however so perhaps this is usual.

This is definitely a phone I would recommend, still sleek and stylish though certainly not one of the slimmest around!

Summary: A very good phone for those who don't need the modern slim phones

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