Motorola RAZR V3 Cell Phone Review

Thin is definitely in. At just over a half-inch thick, the Motorola RAZR V3 is the perfect combination of sleek design and powerful features. With long-range Bluetooth, support for

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video playback, a VGA (640 x 480) camera and a gorgeous color screen, the RAZR V3 is everything you're looking for in a stylish mobile companion. Get the most out of your Cingular service with this impressive quad-band phone. Design

1. Bluetooth Wireless Technology - Stay connected without wires. Choose from a range of optional Bluetooth accessories.


2. MPEG4 Video Playback - Download and watch sports action and music clips. They're all beautifully displayed on the large 2.2 color display.


3. Built-in Speakerphone - Keep the conversation flowing when you're busy by going hands-free. Or exchange ideas in a conference call.


4. Anodized Aluminum Case - The ultra-thin Moto Razr V3 has the distinctive metallic lustre of anodized aluminum.


5. Digital Camera - Capture your world in style. Create memorable images with the effective 4 x digital zoom and quick exposure controls.

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The RAZR V3's design takes the standard clamshell form factor to the next level with an impressive, anodized aluminum construction. A large 176 x 220 color display with 262,000 colors dominates the inside of the top cover. The outside cover of the handset sports a supplementary 96 x 80 full-color display that can display pictures, time, call information, battery and signal strength, and more. The VGA camera lens is housed above this display. Up/down buttons are placed on the left side for volume control while a voice button on the right side of the unit allows you to enter voice memos and create voice dialing profiles. Most of the phone's features and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset's backlit control pad, which is precision cut from a single sheet of nickel-plated copper alloy. A charging port and USB data cable port is placed on the bottom of the phone.

Calling Features

The RAZR V3's internal phone book can hold up to 1000 contacts while the phone's picture ID system allows you to assign pictures to your most common callers. It also supports polyphonic ringtones as well as MP3 ringers, allowing you to use portions of your favorite songs to alert you to incoming calls. A number of ringtones come preloaded on the phone and more ringtones can be downloaded from Cingular Wireless' MEdia service. There's even an included application, MotoMixer, that lets you mix your own ringtones. For times when you want to be discreet, there's a vibrating alert. A built-in speakerphone makes it easy to talk without having the phone to your ear while voice activated dialing makes calling your friends, family and associates as easy as saying their names.

Because the RAZR V3 is Bluetooth enabled, wireless headsets can be configured with the phone for total handsfree operation.

Messaging, Internet and Tools

The RAZR V3 is a messaging and wireless Internet powerhouse. Support is built in for sending and receiving pictures, text, graphics, sound and video via messages. When used in combination with the phone's built-in still and video camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. Instant messaging is also supported via AOL Instant Messenger and the phone ships with a built-in email client with support for POP3, IMAP4 and SMTP protocols (Cingular messaging charges apply).

Thin is in. The RAZR's keypad is precision cut from a single sheet of nickel-plated copper alloy. There's also a built-in web browser for MEdia downloads and mobile web browsing. Cingular's MEdia service lets you receive and send emails, read news headlines, get weather updates, download games and ringtones, and more. iTap text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit-- a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

Getting on the Internet is easy with the RAZR V3 as it supports Cingular's GSM-based Wireless Internet Express service. When used with a Cingular data plan and the phone's Bluetooth or USB data capability, the phone can be used as a wireless modem for laptops and PDAs.

A number of handy software tools are bundled with the RAZR V3 including a voice memo recorder, a calculator with currency converter, a calendar and an alarm clock. Use the phone's Bluetooth capability to set up a wireless link with a Bluetooth accessory or connect to a computer or hand-held device to exchange and synchronize data. The phone also supports the SyncML PC synchronization standard, can be used with Motorola's Mobile Phone Tools PC application to manage and synchronize contacts, calendar and other data with your PC.

Imaging and Entertainment

With 5 MB of internal memory storage, the RAZR V3 shines in the entertainment department. The phone's VGA camera features a 4x zoom, image quality options, and an auto-timer so you can be in your pictures, too. Capture stills and then send them to your friends via MMS messaging or email, or to your PC via USB or Bluetooth. The phone is capable of MPEG4 video playback when you receive a video message, or if you upload video to the phone via USB or Bluetooth. The RAZR V3 also supports custom graphics for wallpapers so you can dress up the phone to suit your fancy.

Support for gaming is built into the phone and games are available for download via the Cingular MEdia service.

Operating the RAZR Battery Door

The RAZR V3's battery cover is designed to have a very tight fit with the phone case. You may need to use your fingernail or a very thin instrument to depress the small battery cover release button. When replacing the cover, make sure the cover securely snaps into place before operating the phone.

Vital Statistics

The Motorola RAZR V3 weighs 3.35 ounces and measures 3.86 x 2.09 x .54 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 6.67 hours of digital talk time, and up to 250 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS frequencies. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

What's in the Box
RAZR V3 handset, lithium-ion battery, travel charger, user's manual.

Product Description

The Moto Razr V3 is expertly crafted to deliver exceptional performance. Inside the ultra-thin design are advanced features like MPEG4 video playback, Bluetooth® wireless technology, a digital camera and more. And with the precision-cut keypad, minimalist styling and metal finish, the V3 looks just as beautiful as it performs. The real difference is in the details. See who's calling, in color, without opening your phone the large internal display is complemented by an impressive external display. The precision-cut metal keypad reacts to the lightest of touches. And the features you can't always see are equally impressive, like quad-band GSM; for global calls where GSM network coverage and roaming agreements are present.

Great material, good design, compromised function for size Reviewer: R. Ocampo

First things first...

I got the Motorola RAZR V3 from a Cingular Company store when the price dropped to USD299.99 - retail price, no contract required. As opposed to USD199.99 for a two year contract or FREE if you get a contract from Amazon. Don't buy from Cingular franchise/independent dealers because they don't make money from selling the phones alone so they mark up the retail price above what Cingular company stores sell them.

I use the phone for my T-Mobile service. I legally unlocked the phone via Cingular. No firmware updates, web site unlocking or hacking required. The only downside is that there is Cingular branding everywhere. But for the cheap price to pay for the phone, it's not a problem at all. All I did was have T-Mobile send me their settings over the air (OTA).

The Phone...

• Design - Kudos to Motorola for finally coming out with a great design for a clamshell phone. It's unbelievably thin, light and functional. All thanks to the aluminum material. Of course they weren't the first company to make full use of it. Nokia made the first daring route of using metal alloys by introducing their 8800 series more than 6 years ago. Apple followed and introduced 1-inch laptops starting with the titanium PowerBook and, of course, the aluminum revisions.

With the clamshell closed or open, it looks like one killer design. I like the way they incoporated side keys for a supposed one-handed operation, but in reality the keys are not easily accessible when flipped open. But still a good thoughtful addition.

The keypad is another cool design. Laser precision cut - one piece from an alloy material. I agree there isn't much tactile feedback, but that's the price to pay for a thin phone. There is still tactile feedback, mind you, and it's enough to let me know I pressed the key. However, the keys are so flat that it's hard to distinguish from one key to the next except for the slight separation from the translucent rubber material (where the blue light emits) in between keys.

• Screen - Finally they introduce a main 262K color screen and a 2nd display with 4,096 color screen. This beats the standard 65K for other phones. Despite the feat, sadly both screens easily gets washed out in bright sunlight. Motorola should equip the screen with anti-glare glass and contrast enhancing screens to aid the viewing. To save on battery, you can adjust the brightness, turn on the screensaver or completely shut the screen when not in use for a time.
  
  
• Making a call - This is where the V3 shines. So far no dropped calls, static noises or whatever. Signal strength is very decent. I could hear the callers and they could hear me very well. The speakerphone is mighty loud for a phone this size. It is very useable and convenient.
  
  
• Menu - I jump from phone to phone and found Nokia to make the best, most intuitive menu. IMHO you don't need to read the manual in a Nokia phone because you will find the settings in places you expect them to be.

My last GSM Motorola phone was a Startac series and I swore never to come back to Motorola until now. Frankly the V-series designs suck. But the RAZR made people like me notice Motorola once again.

The menu for the RAZR is finally very good. Not great. It's still not as functional as I would expect, but it's getting there. You would still have to crawl your way around especially if you want to find settings for MMS and WAP.

• Functionality - For a phone this thin and good-looking, it's surprisingly very functional. Although I am disappointed by the miniscule VGA camera specs and lack of EDGE feature. My two year old Nokia 6230 and Nokia 6600 came equipped with those features. This is less than a year old phone. What gives?
  
  
• Bluetooth - Works 99% of the time with the top of the line Motorola HS850. The calls transfer flawlessly to the headset. But there were instances when I couldn't make it transfer quickly or at all. Rare, but still happens. Btw, get the black HS850 European version. The US version with a blue color is just too preppy and tacky. To each his own.
  
  
• Fit and Finish - In my job, I've seen so many other people with RAZR phones that I've examined how it goes thru the daily wear and tear. One phone bent at the top. Unlike a plastic phone that can scratch or crack, the metal furthermore bends. If you drop it...Because of the material and design, the only user replaceable part is the battery cover. Yipee. I've seen two phones with a flickering screen. Also another phone with the back cover discolored from tossing it around the table-tops. If you're the careful type or you can simply afford to toss them after the season, it's really not for the faint of heart.

There is evidence of poor construction. The battery cover does not fit properly on some phones. On some phones they fit great. On others you will have to make it snap.

• Phonebook - I have to tackle this separately because most people think that you CANNOT have multiple numbers under one name. That simply isn't true. They are the type who don't care to read the manual it came with. On their defense like I said the menu system is bad that a simple feature as adding numerous numbers under one name is not evident. There are two steps you MUST do in order to refrain from the phone from displaying the same names multiple times in the address book.

Step 1: Under the Phonebook menu go to Phonebook Setup (find it!) and change the VIEW from All Contacts to Primary Contacts. This will refrain the phonebook from displaying the names multiple times.

Step 2: Under each names, make sure to assign a primary contact number so that this number is the one displayed when you view that name. If you want to scroll thru the list of numbers of, all you have to do is simply press the left and right keys (from the 4-way Navigation key...for those that don't read the manual it's that circle key with a center button).

Oh yeah, you can only assign multiple numbers to one name IF you save your contacts to the phone, not the SIM. And by doing this you expand the features by being able to assign photos, voice dialing and custom ringtones to EACH number (not just to each name).

• Battery - I'm perplexed why they can't offer Li-Polymer batteries instead of the aging Li-Ion type. Nokia has made the switch years ago.

Battery life is decent. I get at least two full days with the Bluetooth on, occasional calling, SMS, MMS and internet. Of course heavy users who talk all day will find themselves charging the phone nightly. It's disappointing, of course, but it's what I expect for the size and specs.

Cingular versions come with the no frills, carton box packaging with home charger (plus L=shaped adapter) and something to wipe the screen. No software, no case, nada! It's customized for Cingular use with Cingular branding on the battery cover and screens.

The retail versions come in a cool box complete with case and mini USB cable. Of course that still depends on the country you get it from.

Why do I rate it only 3 stars? The price doesn't necessarily justify the available functions for the phone. You can justify paying the price for the design. Because for the same [retail] price version, you can get a more technologically advanced and sturdy GSM phone from the European/Asian market.

It is thin. Yes, it is. But did you did notice it's wide, too. Right? What it made up for the thickness, it got back for the width.

If you search the internet forums, you can maximize the features of the phone further. You will need the mini-USB to USB cable and a Windows PC and a lot of tinkering. Beware the phone is susceptible to malfuntion if you do the wrong settings.

• MP3 - This doesn't have an MP3 player. It DOES play MP3 ringtones. You don't need to buy them online or purchase software to compress files. I use a Mac and change the settings in iTunes to compress the files to MP3. Then pass on the file via Bluetooth.

All in all a cool phone that gives exactly what you expect in terms of form and the corresponding function. I'm itching to see how Nokia will respond.

Did It's Job, but may be time to move on. Reviewer: Jessica E. Tran

Well it's nearly time to get a new plan, my 2-year contract ends in July, and I'm already looking at phones. This that I've learned along the way:

-Note Taking, I had an sony ericon prior to my RAZR and I love how i could write a note and save it. However I can't do that with the Razr I can't write a not without sending it. Or if you can I never figured it out.

-Not Ideal if you cry a lot on the phone. It's been a very stressful two years. My fiance joined the Army + I transfered to a College in what feels like the middle of nowhere = Lot of Tears. Anyways tears kind rusts the keys, and there for have to push the keys harder. Anyways last month the tears really created a problem, it's gotten into the wiring and well the screens workage is hit or miss. I know the phone is still working by the fact the keys light up and when I play with the volume it chimes. Most time it only takes restarting the phone to force the screens to work. I'm not going to replace the phone this close to end of contract though.

-Don't drop it. okay a couple drops on carpets is fine... The fiance got his razr last december, and during the summer it sliped out of his hands in the parking lot and landed closed but on the top right coner. The phone chiped and left the wires exposed. The phone still worked which was neat, however the two parts didn't stay together properly and eventually the wires snaped.

-Love the photo ability. I do a lot of crafting, and I find the picture quality ideal of snapping a shot of what i've made and then posting on-line. Since my phone is always on me I don't have to try to hunt for an actual camera. Also that you can take pictures of youself, when you close the phone in picture more the top screen will show you the camera image, very handy.

-Bluetooth is your friend. I wasn't a fan of the wireless headset, my ears don't like them. But the ease of set up for it was a breeze. As long as you laptop likes you (read has bluetooth abilities) transering pictures is a breeze, my previous laptop didn't have bluetooth and the little adapters you can buy were to small for me to keep up. Instead I merely used my roommates comp to get the pictures off my phone. when roomate wasn't around then oh wells.

-I don't want to talk to you funtion. Not sure what it's really called, but the ability to make the phone be quiet with just the touch of one of the side buttons makes me very happy.

-Love how I can slide it into my pocket. Not really and issue with most phones unless you count the pda ones then that's pushing it. But I walk around with my wallet the size of my razr, keys, and phone. So it's nice that it's not really bulky.

Overall I'm rather happy with the phone. I haven't done much research, I might just get a new Razr as my new phone