Product Review: The T-Mobile Motorola RAZR V3
The Basics
One of the first characteristics you will notice about the RAZR V3, regardless of whether you have a different color or a different cellular phone service than T-Mobile, is that it is very small and compact. This was an appeal to me right away because of the fact that I am a student who is always on the go. Having had my share of bigger phones in the past, it was a relief for me to have a phone that I could fit into a carpenter pocket in my jeans or even into my fifth pocket without stretching my pockets. It definitely comes in handy for me because it’s easy to stow away and keep safe so that I do not lose it walking around or on my commute. I have had problems in the past with losing cell phones, and with the RAZR i can be more comfortable that I am able to keep the phone in secure places.
The actual body of the phone is fairly durable and has not suffered much more than cosmetic damage even though I am a bit accident-prone and tend to drop my phone. The RAZR V3 has a sleek design, much more chic and stylish than other phones which can be basic and bulky and just a phone. The RAZR V3 was named because it is “razor-thin” in comparison to other cellular phones. It is very light and many times you can walk freely and feel as though you are not even carrying a phone.
The RAZR has a color display on the outside shell of the phone that is about the size of a postage stamp and displays a condensed view of your phone’s wallpaper and the time of day, which is handy for quick time checks. There are buttons on the sides as well which can control valume or ring style, so that you can alter the RAZR’s ring style without opening the phone.
Once you open the RAZR V3, you’ll see that the display screen is very colorful and clear. It’s stocked with other 260,000 colors and makes it easy to view different images. It is fairly easy to see the display, even when there is direct light on it. It can be a bit difficult to see in the sun or outdoors, but it is more visible than most phones. You’ll also notice that the buttons on the face of the phone are level with the rest of the phone’s surface. This makes it a bit more difficult to dial numbers and text by feel because you never really know when you are pressing one button over another, but it’s a feature you can get used to. The backlight is very bright and helps your navigation of the buttons. As long as you are looking at the RAZR V3 you shouldn’t be left with too much trouble with buttons.
Specialized Features
Of course, since the RAZR V3 is a Motorola phone, it is Bluetooth-capable. One of the better technologies that has been integrated into cellular phones, Bluetooth allows for wireless data-transfers with other Bluetooth capable phones as well as the use of cordless haadsets.
The RAZR V3’s phone book can store over 1,000 names and keep upto 6 numbers and an e-mail address with each individual entry. With the use of the SIM card, you can add another 250 names and numbers to that 1,000. You can take your contacts and assign them to specific defined or custom groups and can even assign them ringtones so that you can know exactly who is calling you at any given time. The external display and the regular display screen will also display any pictures or photo I.D. that you wish to attribute to a specific person as well.
Speaking of pictures, the RAZR V3’s camera is a VGA camera with three different resolution sizes. This is a great feature and although it is not as powerful as a digital camera, it gets the job done with high quality pictures. It has a self-timed that allows you to take timed pictures, as well as a zoom that works very well considering it’s small size. The lighting adjustment is easy and you can choose from 6 different lighting conditions. The RAZR V3 is able to send pictures to friends or save them on the phone and use them as wallpapers should you chose to do so. The RAZR V3 also keeps track of how much memory your phone has left for pictures.
Other functionality features include different instant messaging program compatibility, including AOL instant messanger pre-installed onto the phone, vibrate mode, a WAP 2.0 browser, USB port, speakerphone capability, voice dialing, date book, an alarm clock, and mp3 file support.
Performance
This has as much to do with the network that you use as the actual phone, but the RAZR V3 performs very well. The battery life is commendable and I have personally left my cell phone on standby for days without running out of battery. I’ve also spend long phone conversations, higher than three hours, without much wear on the battery life as well. The quad-band phone provides good reception quality in most places and clear sounds. The volume can be a bit low at times, even at the highest volume setting, but it’s still clear and with a little effort, easy to understand. The ring-tone volume is a bit low sometimes, even at the highest levels, but I have no problem feeling the vibration. Works perfectly with Bluetooth headsets as well.
Conclusions
Overall, the RAZR V3 is the best phone that I have ever had the experience of using. I’ve been happy with it’s different functions and uses and will continue to use the phone. I have consistenly been happy with Motorola’s efforts for phone quality and look forward to see if they can continue to improve. But for right now, the RAZR V3 is the cream of the crop in terms of cellular phones.
