==================== THE MOTOROLA RAZR V3 ====================
There was a time when mobiles were essential for carrying out your business whilst on the move. Leaving the office meant you never had to miss that important call and phoning from the tube station next to the pub meant blagging the wife was never easier. Back in the warmth, pint in hand and everybody's happy!
Times changed, phones changed, everything got smaller and a whole host of bleeping, blinking lumps of plastic became status symbol and fashion items for zillions of people world-wide. The better the mobile, the more desired the individual.
Enter the Razor (as I shall refer to it)! One of the most talked about mobile phones of a generation. It looks at you from inside the comfort of it's Carphone Warehouse window seat and shouts "Buy me! I'm sexier than your misses!" And you're almost tempted to do so...
I'm under no illusions whatsoever that this model is going to become one of the biggests sellers in the UK, but I'm not really sure if it deserves to.
==== THE REVIEW ==========This phone looks good. It's slim, lightweight and aesthetically perfect. The pack comes with a nice leather belt case and I liked the little cleaning pad for removing grubby prints off of the screen. In terms of appearance, mobiles really don't look any better than this little beauty. It's easy in the hand and weighs practically nothing. Don't pick one up in the shop unless you've got the money in your pocket to buy it. When you compare it to the equivalent house brick that's already in your pocket you'll see exactly what I mean! But should a mobile be sold on looks alone?
Well, It's not that difficult to use either with a pretty colour menu that gets you where you need to be reasonably easily. A simple navigation system not too unlike your computer's desktop gives a feeling of comfort and familiarity. Nice. But when it comes to dealing with new features that haven't neccessarily appeared on older mobiles the cracks begin to show.
This is about the 4th mobile I've owned and I'd struggle to maximise my use of it without previous experience. The actual instruction manual is bland and cumbersome and doesn't really give you the information you need without having to play around yourself. Using the Bluetooth feature is particularly confusing and I had to get the help of another user before I could work it myself. Even then, I continued to make mistakes before I finally mastered it. I was hoping to be sold on the concept of bluetooth technology straight away, but apart from swapping a couple of ringtones I've had little or no reason to use it again.
Memory wise, I was expecting a little bit more from this phone. Once you've popped on a few ringtones and photographs you'll be wondering just where all the memory went, and I've had to put photographs onto my PC with alarming regularity just so I can carry on taking pictures on The phone. The picture quality is very good though, so it can be worth the hassle. There is some blurring when moving objects (like kids) are involved but I reassure myself that if I want quality digital images for life then I'd be in the market for a camera instead of a phone.
Unfortunately, video footage is only available in playback format. My partner bought the Motorola V500 on the same day as I got my Razor, and I often find myself glaring enviously across the room at the video option and wonder why I didn't go that way myself.
Everyday functions like calling and texting are fairly easy to operate. Call clarity isn't bad, but the loudspeaker option provides a more than suitable option if you don't have a hands-free kit in your car or you're simply too tied up to hold onto your phone. Reception is fine (O2 network) and I'd feel quite comfortable breaking down out of town as long as my bearings weren't too remote!
I also found WAP access easy to manage, but expensive to use (based on O2 prices on a pay-as-you-go scheme). Downloadable games add to the fun value of the Razor, but be prepared to delete other games to free up more memory to add new ones. The Razor comes with a some excellent pre-loaded software and the golf game in particular kept me bunking off to the loo at work for ages!
My favourite feature has to be the phone book though. It's easy to use, holds loads of extra information about your contacts and looks nice in either of it's two layout modes. Tracing missed calls or dialled numbers becomes easier with experience, but this isn't the perfect mobile for a novice anyway.
All the addition features are there. Alarm clock for those oh-so-early-morning moments. Calculator for working out just where all the hard-earned pennies went while you were stood in the phone shop. Diary for planning overtime to cover the cost. It's all there.
Ringtones are bought alive with an MP3 option, but be prepared to learn how to use new software if you're uploading from your PC. The polyphonic quality isn't bad, but I must admit to having heard better on other models. *****************************========= THE BOTTOM LINE ===============
If you want a fashion item, the razor is ideal. If you want an easy-to-use mobile, you might be better off looking elsewhere. This is a nice phone and some people will drool for it.
Personally, I think Motorola already have mobiles in their range that can match or beat the Razor for price and features already. The selling point really does come down to the design.
Owning the Razor is like going out with the girl from the local lap-dancing club. She might not have the brains of the simpler girl who lives next door, but when you're walking down the road with her your mates are going to be as jealous as hell!
Personally, the Plain-Jane model does it for me everytime, and I can see myself swapping phones with my partner sometime in the very near future!
More details
Ease of use
Satisfactory
Battery talktime
Poor
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available on the market, the Motorola Razr V3 is unlike any other. Made from a combination of metal alloys, instantly you can appreciate the quality of this device.
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