Multimedia Phone Reviews

The attractive Motorola Razr V3i cell phone has been reviewed over at CNET. 'Though it's descended directly from the original Razr, Cingular's Razr V3, the Razr V3i is more similar in appearance to the Razr V3m for Verizon. Like the V3m, the V3i is slightly bigger than the V3 at 2.1 by 3.9 by 0.54 inches, and it weighs a tad more at 3.5 ounces. It also shares the V3m's dark gray coloring, which is more appealing than the V3's standard silver hue (the V3i also comes in dark blue, maroon, and violet). Features on the front flap are standard for much of the Razr line.

CNET has reviewed the sleek Motorola Krzr K1m (Verizon Wireless) multimedia phone. 'Just when you thought Motorola couldn't ride the wave from its popular Razr any longer, the once-staid, now-cool company rolls out its line of Krzr handsets. Styled similar to the Razr but with a few important improvements, the Motorola Krzr K1m casts a slim and striking profile that's sure to send cell phone fashionistas into a tizzy. As with its predecessor, the style-focused form factor entails some usability sacrifices in the controls, but the Krzr K1m ranks as the one of the prettiest cell phones we've seen thus far.

A review of the Motorola Razr Amp'd Edition multimedia phone has been posted over at CNET. 'The design of the Motorola Razr Amp'd Edition would be familiar to anyone who has ever seen a Razr. It has the same look and feel as the Razr V3m. As a quick reminder, the handset measures 1.09 by 3.89 by 1.01 inches and weighs only 3.48 ounces. The Amp'd Edition of the Razr is wrapped in a dark-gray metallic finish, and unlike the V3m, its keypad sports a similar grayish hue. Everything else is the same; the location of the camera lens on the front, the external display, the thin side buttons, and so forth. As with the V3m, the Razr has a Micro SD card slot inconveniently located underneath the battery cover, and you'll need to remove the battery to access it. You can read more about the design of the phone in our review of the Razr V3m.'

Stuff has reviewed the "cool" and somewhat pricey Motorola Motokrzr K1 phone. 'Touching the scales at a scanty 95g, the Motokrzr K1, which uses the Vodafone network, is packed with features that would make other phones blush: video capture and playback, a music player that supports midi, MP3, AAC and AAC+ formats, speech-activated commands, a 2 megapixel camera with an 8x zoom, Bluetooth wireless technology, hands-free speakerphone, expandable memory using a microSD card. The phone isn't 3G capable, but for me, that isn't a problem.'

The Motorola RAZR V3i DOLCE & GABBANA handset combines the sleek design of Motorola with the style of DG. 'The V3i D&G strikes a pose from the moment you get out the box. The shiny gold skin is truly unique and is sure to catch glances on the street. The color scheme extends to the inside of the phone as the navigation array, the keypad buttons and the border surrounding the internal display are covered in the same bright hue. You also get a gold D&G dangle that attaches to your handset, and the box is covered in gold as well. It may be a bit much for those with a more understated style, but slaves to fashion should be impressed.

Digital Trends have reviewed the Motorola Q Smartphone 'There's a reason why the Motorola Q has enjoyed widespread popularity. With its slim form factor (it's actually a hair thinner than the RAZR) it is undeniably sexy. But choosing the Q for your Smartphone requires a bit more than aesthetic attraction.

The Motorola Krzr K1 cellphone packs a 2MP digital camera with 8x digital zoom, Bluetooth and a speakerphone in its neat, ultra-slim form factor, casing. 'Motorola doesn't like anybody to feel left out when it introduces a new slim phone. That's why it was careful to introduce both CDMA and GSM versions of its sexy new Krzr. Verizon Wireless customers can get their hands on the Motorola Krzr K1m, while GSM fans have access to the Motorola Krzr K1. Outside of an exterior color change and the absence of external music controls, the K1 is almost indistinguishable from its CDMA sibling but its feature set holds some important differences. At the time of this writing, the Krzr K1 isn't offered by a U.S. carrier so it will set you back between $350 and $400. On the other hand we expect Cingular to pick up the phone soon and offer it at a cheaper price with service.'

CNET have reviewed the Motorola i880 handset which features Bluetooth, a music player and a 2-megapixel camera. 'Similar to most Nextel handsets, the Motorola i880 isn't svelte or compact. To be frank, at 3.5x1.9x1.1 inches and 4.8 ounces, it's a bit clunky but that's hardly a mark against it. Nextel customers expect such girth from their handsets, and though there's no signature Nextel rubber sidings, the phone feels solidly constructed and comfortable in the hand. And, in any case, after the endless gallery of thin phones, we welcome a handset that wears its heft with pride. The stubby antenna is extendable but a bit fragile, so we recommend keeping it down when not in use. The color scheme is unusual--sort of an eggplant shade--but it's quite attractive.

A review of the Motorola Slvr L7e handset has been posted over at CNET. 'When the Motorola Slvr L7 first debuted, we had high hopes for the candy bar version of the Motorola Razr. Even though it had a thin and sleek design, ultimately we were disappointed with the lackluster iTunes integration, the VGA camera, and the lack of EDGE support. But fast-forward several months later, and we're glad to see that Motorola's new Slvr L7e addresses some of our previous gripes. Notable improvements include a 1.3-megapixel camera, EDGE support, and the company did away with the restrictive iTunes integration altogether. The Slvr L7e even sports a blue hue and a new keypad design.

CNET have reviewed the Sprint Motorola Razr V3m handset which features Bluetooth, a speakerphone, support for EV-DO networks and a 1.3 megapixel digital camera. 'From the exterior, the Sprint Razr V3m is nearly identical to Verizon's Razr V3m and to previous incarnations of the phone. It has the thin profile that sparked a cell phone design revolution but also the same boxy appearance when viewed from the front. Of course, Razr devotees will know that at 3.9x2.1x0.6 inches and 3.5 ounces it shares the same dimensions as the Razr V3c, which makes it marginally larger and heavier than the original Razr V3. The other exterior features are unchanged form the Verizon model as well. You get the same 65,000-color external display with the camera lens just above. The camera shortcut sits on the right spine, while the voice recording button and the volume rocker sit on the right spine. We're still not in love with the placement of these controls on the front flap instead of the rear, but we're used to it by now.'

The Motorola MOTOKRZR K1m handset has been reviewed over at Laptop Magazine. ‘The KRZR's design certainly makes a good first impression. At 1.7 inches wide, this handset is about 0.25 inches slimmer than the RAZR. Otherwise, the KRZR, at 4.1 x 0.7 inches, is actually larger than the RAZR, but its slimmer profile makes the phone more comfortable to carry in a jeans pocket. The face of the KRZR is covered with a shiny, mirror-like gray glass exterior that, while pretty, really shows off smudges. Inside is a linear keypad that's a bit less confusing than the RAZR's wavy-lined array.’

The Motorola V365 clamshell comes with a with a large high-resolution 176 x 220 pixel, 262,000-color screen, a VGA camera with 4x zoom, Bluetooth, speakerphone, MP3 player, and push-to-talk support. ‘The Motorola V365's design is a bit deceiving. It may not look like much when viewed straight on, but when you turn the phone on its side, you'll notice immediately that it's a whopper. At 3.54 x 1.65 x 0.95 inches, it's thicker then some smart phones and almost twice as thick as Moto's celebrated Razr. We're not sure why Motorola gave it such girth, as it makes the V365 a bit clunky and heavy (3.9 ounces), but we have to admit it's a change from the current thin-phone mania. The V365 fits only in bigger pockets, but it did benefit from a solid construction and a comfortable feel in the hand. Also, it does without the external antenna of similar Moto phones.

A Review of the sleek Motorola Rizr Z3 slider handset has been posted at ZDNet. 'Ever since it introduced its popular Razr phone, Motorola has done everything it can to capitalize on two trends: thin phones, and a vowel-dropping naming convention. After the Razr and the bizarrely named Krzr, Motorola now gives us the Rizr Z3 (it's a slider phone, so it rises up, get it?). While we thought the pretty Krzr put the Razr's design to shame, we now realize that we spoke too soon. In fact, it's the Rizr that should compete in a cell phone beauty contest. Yes, we're focusing on design here, but even Motorola admits that all of its thin handsets are design-first models. Fortunately the Rizr also offers decent call quality, and while its feature set offers nothing new, it's still pretty respectable. The GSM Rizr isn't offered by a U.S. carrier at the time of this writing, but you can get it unlocked for around $300 or so. Hopefully, we'll see a price break soon as that's a bit much for what the phone offers.'

The Motorola Krzr K1m handset for Sprint has been reviewed over at CNET. ‘The Sprint Krzr K1m shares the same dimensions (4.05x1.73x0.67 inches; 3.6 ounces) and the same basic design as its Verizon counterpart. As previously stated, it's much more appealing than the Razr--we especially like that it's narrower when measured across the front face--but the plate of hardened glass continues to attract its share of fingerprints. In a major change, Sprint chose to color its Krzr in black on both the front and rear faces and the chrome strip at the handset's bottom end. We like the black color scheme better but it's all a matter a taste, of course.

A review of the Motorola ROKR E2 Music phone has been posted over at Mobile Burn. 'The Motorola ROKR E2 is the latest music phone from Motorola. The ROKR E2 runs Motorola's new JUIX user interface, based around Java and Linux, giving us a glimpse of what Motorola has planned in the way of the user interface for the future. Armed with a 1.3 megapixel camera and dedicated music buttons on its sides, the ROKR E2 seems to be ideal for music on the go. It is a tri-band (GSM 900/1800/1900MHz) phone with support for EDGE networks. As well as dropping iTunes compatibility in favor of support for MP3, WMA, AAC, and RealAudio formats through an integrated player application, the ROKR E2 also boasts a few more improvements to things that hindered its predecessor in the past.'

Digital Trends have posted their review of the Motorola i880 multimedia phone. 'Outside, the i880 looks simple enough. On the front flap there are three blue backlit music transport buttons and camera buttons sit between twin speakers and a generously apportioned 1.25-inch color LCD screen. The camera lens with the video light and self-portrait mirror are above the screen. Volume toggle and the walkie-talkie Push-to-Talk (PTT) key are on the left spine (fine for thumb control when holding the phone in your left hand, inconvenient if you hold it in your right). The microSD slot and 2.5mm headphone jack are on the right spine, along with a "quick-flip" button that pops open the top flap. On the top spine next to the stub antenna are the speakerphone button and the music stop button.

PC Magazine have posted their review of the Motorola KRZR K1m handset for Sprint. 'Because it's so long (4.1 by 1.7 by 0.7 inches, 3.6 ounces), the KRZR feels very comfortable when placed against the head, and because it's so narrow, it's even easier to hold than the RAZR. The KRZR flips open to show, essentially, a slightly miniaturized RAZR screen and keypad. The RAZR's 2.2-inch screen is shrunk down here to 1.9 inches, but the KRZR screen maintains the same brightness and 176-by-220 resolution.

CNET have reviewed the Motorola Razr V3x (Pink) handset which has a sleek streamlined housing with large, vivid color external and internal displays and features a two megapixel digital camera with a flash, stereo Bluetooth, and speakerphone. 'Razr enthusiasts will notice immediately that the Motorola Razr V3x looks a bit different than the original Razr V3. Though it's also available in a selection of colors (black, silver, pumpkin, pink, and blue) the V3x has a camera flash, a larger hinge, and a slightly more appealing look. We're not sure why we like the design better, but it did catch our eye just the same. At 3.9 x 2.1 x 0.8 inches, it's also a tad taller and wider than its predecessor (3.8 by 2.0 by 0.5 inches), and it weighs a full ounce more (4.4 ounces). Though thin-phone purists may shun the fatter profile, we didn't mind it at all, as the extra girth makes for a much more solid feel in the hand. We also like the rubberized covering on the front and rear face.'

A review of the Motorola Slvr L7c handset for Sprint has been posted on CNET. 'Though Sprint was a little late to the Moto party, the carrier now offers almost all the models in the company's skinny-phone lineup. As a reminder, the Slvr is the candy bar alternative to both the Razr V3m and the Krzr K1m. We prefer the latter in terms of overall looks, but if you're into thin and you hate flip phones, the Slvr L7c is for you. It offers almost the same dimensions as the Slvr L7 (4.48 by 1.96 by 0.51 inches) except that its profile is just a hair wider. At 3.7 ounces, it's also a tad heavier than the Slvr L7, but it still manages to be both lightweight and trim. It also has a more solid feel in the hand when compared with the Razr V3c, and the L7c's all-black color is attractive.

Infosync World have published their review of the Motorola SLVR L7c handset. 'The Motorola SLVR L7c could best be described as a candy-bar version of the RAZR. It bears the RAZR's etched metal keypad, as well as the matte black aluminum shell of the black RAZR model. Perhaps when the original SLVR L7 was released a year ago it was a comparably thin candy bar, but after Samsung's recent onslaught of emaciated phones, the SLVR feels thick and outdated. The 1.9-inch screen is plenty roomy, though resolution is a bit low and the color depth -- 65,000 colors, down from 262,000 on the original SLVR L7 -- hurts the overall pop of the screen. The screen also happens to be an oil magnet, especially when held it against our cheek during calls. The phone's biggest design flaw is the placement of the microSD card under the battery; in fact, even once you find the slot, the card door lacks guides to slide the card properly into place.'

CNET have published their review of the Motorola Q (Sprint) smartphone. 'The Samsung BlackJack and T-Mobile Dash have pretty much stolen the spotlight from the Motorola Q, but to be fair, the Q was the original slim, QWERTY keyboard device that influenced the likes of the two aforementioned smart phones. Though Verizon Wireless long had an exclusive on the Q, Sprint now has a version on its own (no official word yet on a GSM model, although there are rumblings of its imminent release). Though the core applications remain the same between the Verizon and Sprint versions, there are changes in the design as well as software enhancements and different carrier content.

Infosync World have published a review of the Motorola RAZR V3xx multimedia phone. 'It's a RAZR, so you know what it looks like. The RAZR V3xx has a little Cingular orange guy (poor little orange guy, we hardly knew ye) icon on one button near the 5-way key, which gives you Web access, and a Cingular Video button on the opposing side. There is a mysterious, glossy black rectangle on the hinge facing the user where customers in other countries get a front-facing camera for video conferencing, but not here in the U.S., unfortunately. The screen is the best we have seen on a RAZR by far: a 2.2-inch, 262,000-color, QVGA display that looks crisp browsing pictures and especially when viewing text. The interface is similar to older RAZRs, even dating back to the original RAZR V3 interface, but looks more polished, with better looking fonts, nice color gradients and smooth animations on icons and progress bars.'

The Motorola RAZR MAXX V6 handset has been reviewed over at CNET Asia. 'Motorola really hasn't strayed far from the original RAZR design with the MAXX. At 15mm thick, it's still super slim, especially by the standards of 3G phones, and it retains the stylish keypad, which is made from etched metal--although this time the keys are slightly wider. The only major design update is the hardened glass finish on the front. This covers the small external color screen and also hides three dedicated music buttons for fast forward, rewind and play/pause. Like the touch buttons on LG's Chocolate phone, these only light up when you run your finger over them. We found they can be a bit slow to respond, though.'

PC Magazine have published their review of the Motorola SLVR L7c (Sprint) handset. 'Sprint's SLVR L7c is a lot like the Cingular SLVR I reviewed back in February, with one big addition, high-speed EV-DO data, and one big subtraction, iTunes. Otherwise, this slim, sleek black SLVR has Sprint's usual array of media software, including an MP3/AAC player, Handmark Express information software, and Sprint TV video streaming.

PC Magazine have published their review of the Motorola RAZR V3xx multimedia handset. 'The Motorola RAZR changed the cell-phone world with its slim style, but that was almost three years ago. Since then, Motorola has pumped out a steady stream of RAZR clones—red RAZRs, Verizon RAZRs, RAZRs with iTunes—without giving the phone's heart a real refresh. The result was that by late last year, the 2004-era RAZR had become famous for its slow response times, annoying phone book, and lack of features.

Brighthand.com have published their "First Thoughts Review" of the Motorola Q q9 smartphone. 'Motorola formally announced the Q q9 back in mid-February. At the latest CTIA show, I finally got hands on this successor to the popular Q smartphone.The original Q was one of the few things Motorola did right over the last year. Sure, there were plenty of complaints, but the company wisely released an update that took care of a great deal of those issues, like the weak battery life. So it’s with great anticipation that the market waits for Motorola’s second try at an ultra-slim smartphone.'

Infosync World have published a review of the Motorola MOTORIZR Z3 slider handset. 'It would be impossible to talk about the RIZR's design without comparing it to the RAZR and, more importantly, the KRZR. Frankly, we like the RIZR better than both those phones, though we may just have RAZR-fatigue. The RIZR is definitely more appealing than the KRZR, with better keys that have more distinct ridges between them that are easier to hit by feel. The slide is among the best we've felt; it opens smoothly with a sharp click. Motorola has wisely provided a grip beneath the screen to make sliding the phone open a breeze, but the screen itself still retained fingerprints and cheek impressions. Happily, the phone is clad in a rich, soft-touch blue paint job, so the rest of the phone won't be marred by oily hands, a problem we had with the KRZR.'