Motorola RAZR > Reviews (10)

After making the switch from an old V60 TDMA, I got the V3 Razr GSM for my birthday, November last year.

This phone has only 5MB internal memory and no way of adding more memory.

The flip-open design is a handy design for any phone, but it still leaves the external display and the battery open to damage. FYI: Motorola claims an all-metal casing (Aluminum, if I remember correctly) but the battery casing is plastic, so be careful.

Menu is not exactly the easiest thing to figure out, but if you have grown accustomed to Motorola, then you won't have much of a problem.

The screen is HUGE and crisp, but has problems with visibility in direct sunlight, so you keep finding yourself turning either east or west, according to the time of day, to shade the display.

Using just the bare phone (ie: no headset) can be a bit strenuous. The volume on the internal speaker is low, until you decide to use the speakerphone option, and then it can be damned loud...however, be warned - sometimes, the speakerphone option can result in lower call quality, since the phone then has to reduce feedback and adjust the acoustics accordingly.

One thing that attracted me to this phone was its lack of an antenna. My old V60's antenna was just begging to be broken off, but this phone has none, at the sacrifice of a slightly lower signal strength.

However, if your hands sweat or you are a klutz like me, then this is not the phone for you, since this thign attracts fingerprints like a flypaper and the keyboard gets greasy after some time. And, because the phone is that thin, there is no other case than the one supplied with it - none of them will let the phone close properly, and then you have the classic flip-phone/case problem.

Bluetooth was rather easy to operate and handle. Transfer rates were rather fast and linking to other phones - even non-motorola ones were very easy to set up. Just be warned - several carriers actually sell this phone with the bluetooth disabled, so check first with people who have this phone - I purchased the full unlocked version at the mall.

Memory problems plagued this phone. True, the internal phone book capacity is 200, but the picture ID capability is useless, since the pictures - whether taken by the phone's camera or modified on your pc just for the phone - will take up too much space to allow anything afterward. Picture ID would only allow about 10 callers, MAX. If you are like me, and want different ringtones than the default ones, mp3 was sent to rescue you form boredom. But, again, the 5MB internal memory limits you from doing anything that you would really want to - after learning how to download songs from the internet JUST for my phone, and how to convert my mp3s into small clips just for me phone, it was alright, but I don't want to sacrifice my afternoons, to just create mp3s for my phone!

One thing that actually surprised me was this phone's ability to take blows. This phone fell several times from my pocket and my laptop case onto bare concrete - a little more than a three foot drop - with absolutely no protection and no warning.

Luckily, it fell with the LCD side up, so it was not scratched, but even the plastic battery cover did not suffer, either. The phone is still in pristine condition, with no problems at all.

In short, this phone is for looks. It's limited memory affects it functionality on the whole, so just be prepared to dazzle everyone with this ultra-thin phone and then put it back in your pocket - quick.

UPDATE: 26 July 2006

This phone has actually earned my respect as a phone of remarkable quality and design.

My cousin's Mitsubishi Lancer (more on that in another review) actually drove over my phone in my asphalt-paved driveway. Thinking that the phone was a goner, I picked it up, only to realise that my battery was almost dead - it was still functioning properly! After such a crucial blow, the phone itself was not visibly damaged, with everything (electrically speaking, that is) in perfect working order. The only damage were minor specs on the external LCD (it did fall with the LCD side down) and the dust from the tyre on the battery case (which easily came off).

To anyone who would consider buying a phone for looks and good build quality, this is the phone to consider. If you are looking for a high-quality camera and mp3 player, look elsewhere.