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 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
 | Bluetooth Wireless Technology
Stay connected without wires. Choose from a range of optional Bluetooth accessories. |
 | MPEG4 Video Playback
Download and watch sports action and music clips. They're all beautifully displayed on the large 2.2 color display. |
 | Built-in Speakerphone
Keep the conversation flowing when you're busy by going hands-free. Or exchange ideas in a conference call. |
 | Anodized Aluminum Case
The ultra-thin Moto Razr V3 has the distinctive metallic lustre of anodized aluminum. |
 | Digital Camera
Capture your world in style. Create memorable images with the effective 4 x digital zoom and quick exposure controls. |
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.
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 800/900/1800/1900 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.
1 awesome phone with no complaints
I have had the Motorola Razr V3 for 3 weeks now and I absolutely love it. It has all the features I want and could ask for. I also purchased a Jabar (bluetooth compaitable) wireless headset. WIth the headset and the use of voice initiated dialing, I can answer and make calls without ever taking the V3 out of my pocket.
It took about one day and one day only to get use of holding and using such a thin phone.
I have had no issues with battery life even when using it for long periods of time.
I would not pass up this phone.
2 Exceeded my expectations
It seems clear to me that many of my fellow reviewers of this product were short-changed. I, contrastingly, love this cell phone. It would appear that the fault does not lie with the phone itself, rather with Cingular.
I'll cut right to the chase. This phone is sleek, attractive, sexy, the ultimate cell phone. At 33, I have been waiting for this phone since back in the day when Motorola's phones were the size of one's head. The screen is hot. The sound is crystal clear. Ring tones are easily downloaded. Pictures are what you would expect from a gadget whose prime directive is not as a digital cam, rather as a cell phone. Secondary functions remain just that, secondary. Despite this fact, the picture quality is clear, and pictures are easily downloaded to your pc.
Think of the V3 as the Delorean of cell phones. My opinion has always been, regarding cell phones, that if it doesn't fit in my pocket (without bulk), I don't want it. At 5'6", and 30" waist, I can easily slide this phone into any one of my Levi's pockets.
Unfortunately, many preceding reviewers got jipped. I bought the V3 overseas, and even the packaging was impressive. It came in a gorgeous metallic box, matching the V3's exterior shell, and it included the following accessories (no joke): LEATHER CASE (soft, superior quality), CHARGER, USB CABLE, USB CD-ROM, EARPHONE HEADSET, and MANUALS. I must add, of course, that I purchased the V3 unlocked, i.e., from no particular carrier.
CONCLUSION: I could discuss the beauty of the V3 ad nauseum; rather, ladies and gents, I'll leave you to your decision. I hope that my opinion has helped you place the preceding reviews in perspective. Enjoy!
3 Great Phone with some added features (V600)
Despite on what you might read in these reviews this phone is a great upgrade. I recently upgraded from my V600, the V3 is a bit wider as some may have noted several times but this gives you a larger screen to view. It has a better color resolution than the V600 with some added features: Better AIM interface, quick launch buttons for email and Internet, wider body makes for easy handling of phone (if used without Bluetooth headset (HS850). The one thing I like also (for you V600 users) is the flush keypad! My screen of my V600 would get scratched from the flip contacting the keys.) Not so the V3. The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is I had to purchase my own clip (holster) the phone also does not come with a headset, (Not a big issue if you plan to use the Bluetooth).
4 flimsy, flimsy!
I had written a good review originally. Now I am sorry. I started noticing play on the hinge and now the phone is broken.
this is why you can't get insurance on this phone! it turns out many people know it is very badly constructed. they will give you the run aroud even on the manufacturer's warranty.
I have had moble phones for almost 15 years. I was very careful with this one since it was so expensive. it just broke on its own.
Be very careful about the "discount price" here. when this phone breaks you have to keep cingular and you have to buy a new phone at FULL (inflated) price.
do yourself a favor before buying. call a cingular store. say you are a customer but want to knoe about return policy for a RAZR.lol
5 An overvalued underperformer.
Upon researching this phone endlessly I knew that I was taking a risk upon purchasing it. First (which is really a non sequitur)the packaging and accessories are inferior to what Motorola had issued overseas,and perhaps that is an issue with Cingular and not Motorola. The phone's design is smooth and post modern,truly ahead of its' time. The sound quality was excellent,as was the speakerphone. That is about all of the redeeming qualities that I surveyed on this phone.
Motorola and Cingular should really be ashamed that they issued such a beautiful phone at such a very hefty price tag with inferior options to its' predecessors. Because of its' design the memory is low, thus the sacrifices are made in the form of a low quality camera w/o video recording options. It also includes far less ringtones than most phones,and background photos.Such important desktop items
like the calendar is buried and one must negotiate their way into it (which can probably be changed in my defaults now that I think of it). While the keypad is indeed striking, it is not very functional being that it is completely flat hence, if you are not paying attention you may hit the wrong numbers,but that is a small complaint.
If one is inclined to purchase this phone simply because of the design,then go for it. However, if you're trying to get value for your dollar,wait until/if Motorola improves this phone.
6 RAZR V3: More Hype Than Phone.....
The V3 has been the mobile phone to own. Its reputation even here seems to precede its true cabilities. Nice screen. Great color. Key pad is stylish but difficult to use when writing text messages and even dialing the right phone number. Better to have phone numbers in directory (many easy ways to access without dialing the wrong number). The photo capabilities are so poor that if you want this feature on your phone, go look elsewhere (Nokia much better). Do not drop this phone. It becomes history faster than any other phone I have owned. This is also obvious since Cingular does not offer insurance on this phone - and only this phone!! If you want to own the phone to have according to the hype out there then buy it. If you want a phone to last more than 6 months, look elsewhere. A true disappointment. Not worth more $99 based on features, camera, keypad and longevity.
7 Form and Function - Motorola's Best
I have been a long time user of Motorola phones because I find that they often have the best signal strength. The RAZR is no exception: I have done side-by-side tests with phones from other manufacturers and was able to make calls on the V3 where other phones did not work.
Since previous reviewers have gone into the details of the phone's many features, I will stick to remarking on areas with which I am not in complete agreement.
1. Concerning the looks vs. feature debate, I would like to take issue with those who state this phone is not feature-rich. We all agree it is the sleekest phone available but it also has most of the features frequent travellers and business execs could want: an excellent calendar feature (that can be synchronized with Microsoft Outlook), an address book that works very well (after some serious tweaking of the default settings, granted), a great speaker phone function, support for Java apps and games, the ability to easily manage the phone from a computer (via Bluetooth or using a mini-USB) and a camera that was much more decent than I expected. All this in a beautiful, lightweight, nearly plastic-free package.
2. With the latest firmware (which can be found online if you feel comfortable with flashing), video recording with sound IS enabled and the quality of pictures taken with the phone's camera has been improved. Though this release is directly from Motorola, Cingular will most likely come out with its own version (building on Motorola's) and, when this happens, I highly recommend having a store flash the upgrade.
3. I have found battery life to be exceptional. On previous phones, I was lucky if the phone lasted more than 24-48 hours with light use. For me, the RAZR systematically lasts 4 DAYS with light use. To me, this is impressive. I should note I live in an area with excellent signal strength, so the battery does not get drained searching for a signal but the RAZR is still far superior to other phones I have used, especially considering its small, lightweight battery.
DRAWBACKS: No phone is perfect. What I see as this one's main drawbacks are that it does not support EDGE, the phone is a little wide (does not bother me at all but it might be an issue for those used to tiny phones), and the lack of accessories provided by Motorola. For me, the only really issue is that the phone is GPRS, not EDGE, but I decided to do without. As for the accessories, Cingular is really stingy (you get nothing but the phone, the battery, charging cord, manual and a 99¢ screen wiper), while the non-Cingular version of the phone comes with a leather case, PC synch software and a data cable. No big deal but a little surprising since the phone was quite expensive up until recently.
CONCLUSION: Of course, if you are looking for the best camera-phone out there, this isn't it. However, if want the slimmest phone on the market with an excellent set of core features and applications, this is your phone. The RAZR is skinny and eye-catching but it does not skimp on functionality. At Amazon's latest price for new customers (...), the phone is a real bargain on which I wouldn't pass.
8 About Cingular & keeping your current cell phone number
If you want to keep your current cell phone number and want this phone with Cingular Wireless, please read this!!! I recently bought this phone through Amazon.com (no offense to Amazon, because I am a regular customer & I love Amazon's service) but I was forced to return it because I ended up with 2 cell phone numbers (my AT&T and new cell phone with this Razr V3). I thought it wouldn't be a problem to buy it online with the new number they provided me because I thought that it would be easy to later port my current AT&T number to the Razr V3 just by calling the AT&T and Cingular later. I was wrong.
In the beginning, it was a hassle trying to reach customer care with either carriers (voice automated) but when I finally got through, cust. care themselves didn't know what they were doing/talking about nor fully understood my situation. I had to explain again & again because they were confused with which number is which but I finally got transferred to a customer serv. that fully understood my situation & guided me through my ordeal step by step. She even called a nearby Cingular store for me while I was on hold and explained the situation to me & had a SIM card ready for me to pick up.
It was obvious that Cingular wanted me to buy it from them directly because when I went to pick up my free SIM card, I was told that they do not know how to port the my current number without having to cancel the new number Cingular gave me. I decided to cancel the new Cingular number in order to keep my current number and obviously, go through another phone calling experience with an upsent agent asking me why I bought the cell phone through amazon. He told me that he will not charge me cancellation fees & other taxes if I returned the cell phone and bought it in the Cingular Store. To confuse me even more, he told me return my cell phone to a Cingular Branch in Texas! He gave me the Return Dept. address and said that he'd be expecting the phone in 3 days!!!...another confused customer service... Of course I didn't return it to Cingular because I bought it through Amazon. Duh!
The bottom line is: if you want to keep your current number, please go to a Cingular store nearby and have your cell phone upgrated (if you're like me, a former AT&T customer). You should ask for an Instant Rebate (Current Subscriber Discount) and in all, the maximum you'll spend is about $270.00. Whew!
About this phone, I love it! One thing I don't like, is that I can't record any video clips. If they put an easy feture of taking snap shots, why not put easy features for us to record 15 to 30 seconds video-clips? And is there a way I could record my own music from my Ipod for example instead of recording it through cingular?
9 Good looks, low on features.
** UPDATE: As of last week (04/24), there seems to be new firmware that will enable the video recorder on the Razr, althought there is only 6-8MB of storage so you can't take long clips but that's not a con anymore! I love my RAZR! **
So, if a slick phone is what you're looking for then this is the phone to get. It looks hot, and is really, really thin!
Pros:
* Slim, sexy looking
* LARGE Internal screen
* Excellent speaker phone
* Works awesome as a phone, if that's all you need.
Cons:
* The battery doesn't last VERY long (it's decent but not insane -- I'm recharging every 2-3 days)
* only 6-8MB of storage
* Only 0.3 megapixel camera (with 4x digital zoom)
In essence -- this phone is about style and not features, so if you want to pull it out and have people look at you enviously then this is the phone to get!
If you can wait, I would suggest waiting for the SLVR or PEBL to hit the street... but if you're just looking for a hot phone, and you use it like I do to talk to people and not for all the thousands of features that you'll never end up using then go for it.
Also, I would check with your local cingular store since I've heard people getting this for $50 after rebates!
10 Best looking phone in the world
I've been using the V3 for a couple of weeks now. I use to have a V600. In terms of features, they are about the same. In terms of signal reception/transmission, the V3 is a bit superior. In terms of looks, this is about the best looking phone I've ever had in 12 years. It is a perfect match with my Apple Powerbook. Looks like it was designed by Steve Jobs! Way to go Motorola!
11 Cutting edge phone!!!!!!!
I have been a Nextel user for years and their Motorola products including i90, i95, i730 and i830. The v3 is the best Motorola product ever!!! Blows the i830 out the water and makes it look like yesterdays news. Superior and striking good looks and is solidly built - no, it does not look cheap as some previous reviewer stated. I live in GA and Cingular reception is very good. Paired my v3 with Bluetrek G2 bluetooth headset(received rave reviews and is cheap - pick one up on ebay) and I wonder what took me so long to get on board. I did fear Cingular's merger with AT&T since I had AT&T years ago and their reception was terrible.
I'll never go back to Nextel as they do not appreciate their customers and their Motorola products do not have Bluetooth except Blackberry. Plus who wants to carry around a brick in their pocket? I'm a woman and typically carry v3 in my purse but sometimes for convenience I just want to put it in my jean pocket. And I forget it's there...
This v3 has superior browser technology, email and text messaging, good camera and great voice record. Yes, the address book is different but you get used to it. Anyways, I only put important people that I call frequently in address book so it's not a problem for me. I primarily make lots of calls and like to check news and send a few text messages. A+++++++
12 COOOL phone !
This is a great phone with everything I wanted esp. bluetooth,camera and most important STYLE ;)
However I noticed one problem on the phone..Bluetooth does not work at times, the phone gives an error message saying "Bluetooth not enabled". It occured twice in last 2 weeks but I could not reproduce it, seems to be random error. I had to reboot the phone and then it started working just fine. Not sure if its only my phone as I think nobody else had this problem.
Overall I love this phone, its loud and clear with easy to use user interface and again it looks COOOOOL!
About Cingular, it does not offer anything free! There was not a single game on the phone and no cool ringtones or backgrounds. Most of the services like text messaging are priced at nearly double the rate of tmobile. Thats something to consider before moving to Cingular!
13 WARNING - ROTTEN BATTERY LIFE! Great form factor!
The #1 reason to buy (and keep) this phone is the slim form factor. Let's face it - for guys who don't like to keep the phone on their belt like a pager, a pants or suit pocket is the only option. This phone is far and away the best one in that regard. I forget it's there a lot of the time. It is also built EXTREMELY solidly, and does NOT scratch easily, although the SCREEN scratches easily.
However, the battery life is terrible. I literally have to charge it every night after less than two hours of talking with bluetooth. You MUST get the car charger immediately. Even though I had bought one on the internet, I couldn't wait for it because the phone kept dying so I raced to a local cingular store for an intermediate car cord.
The Motorola HS-850 BT headset is great but occassionally loses connection w/the phone, which is frustrating.
The only reason I kept this phone is the size.
14 great but expensive phone
Pros:
-Great sound quality
-Good antenna and reception
-Nice color screen
-Great form factor
-Great speaker phone
Cons:
-So-so camera
-When the phone is in standby, the time is barely visible on the outer LCD
-Buttons on the side of the open flip are hard to use
I love this phone and I knew what I was getting when I bought it. The only thing that disappointed me was the outside LCD. I like to use my cellphone as a watch too, but the clock is BARELY visible on the outer LCD when the phone is in standby mode. Don't expect much from the camera too. I got an unlocked phone as I travel frequently to India. Quad-band is definitely a plus, and bluetooth works well too.
15 Don't purchase this for voice or digit dialing
I origanally purchased this phone thinking it had voice dialing similar to the motorola v710. Unfortunately is uses the old style of voice dial where you have to train your voice for each phonebook entry. The v710 does not require this and utilizes true speech recognition software. Since this was the most important feature to me I am returning the razr and exchanging it for the v710. To bad, the razr is superior in most other categories except the one most importand to me. If it had true nex technology voice recogition I would keep it.
16 Thin, lightweight, and cute
I bought this phone earlier last year when it first came out. I have had it for almost an year now and I like it so far. I havn't had any problems with it at all. The phone itself is somewhat small (not the smallest phone out there) and thin. The programs included in the phone are adequate but not great. The phone also has a limited memory chip. You can only store so many files on the phone at a time. The sound is just okay. Although it does play mp3 files (so you can record you own ringtone), the ringtone always comes on 1/2 a second later when the phone starts to flash. The sound quality is acceptable but not fantastic--Motorola E398 is far more superior. I personally LOVE the programs that Motorola offers on their cell phones. They are far better than Nokia. The V3 uses mini USB to charge and to transfer files. Mini USB cords are used by many digital cameras and I happened to have one. So, I didn't have to buy additional accessory for the V3 phone and I could create my own background pictures and ringtone. Just download the Mobilephone tools. I had it with my other E398 phone so it worked perfectly. All in all, the phone is good but definitely not worth paying the full suggested retail prices. I only paid half the price though, so it is acceptable to me. I also have a comment about the 17 y.o. who also reviewed this phone. Your dropped call problem does NOT originate from the motorola phone itself. It's because of Cingular. I had them before and would NEVER get them again. My suggestion is to get an unlocked V3 and go with T-mobile =)
17 Poor Quality
I recently puchased a Motorola V3 RAZR (on march 30 to be exact) today is April 7th and I am going tomorow to change the RAZR for another phone!. Before you consider buying this phone be REALLY SURE!!! I am going to explain why. Ok, Im only 17 so I had to BEG my mother for like two months to buy this phone since its very expensive but since the phone was "the coolest, and if I didnt have it I would DIE!!" i accept im a bit dramatic but thats is another thing. Well i finally got it, The FIRST thing they told me is: This cellphone does not have an inssuarance so if you drop it, get it wet or anything happens to it you would have to buy another. But since I wanted it so badly i accepted. Well the phone came defective. When it rings you hear static like when you play something to loud and the speakers get messed up and they kind of vibrate, well since it has no inssuarance I cant do anything. The system Freezes ALL the time, it also powers off by itself! My call ALWAYS drop!, My internet (GPRS) connection Hardly ever works! and now im stuck with a $450 phone that sucks! I REALLY DONT RECOMEND IT TO AMYONE....Yes IT IS A COOL PHONE BUT IT IS NOT WORTH ITS PRICE....I ussualy HATE writing this reviews But i thought if I had seen this before i bought it it would have been great since it would have saved me from going thru all of this with such an expensive phone. It also is a REALLY simple phone...its no big thing apart from its desing! Hope this is helpful for anyone thinking of buying this phone!
18 Great style, not exactly a mobile swiss army knife...
I've had the phone for just over 5 months now and I have to say I'm pleased with it. However, I'm a light mobile user. I spend on average about 30 minutes on the phone on any given day. This phone is definately an attention getter. It's sleek, stylish and very uncommon in it's appearance. However there is a price to pay for the "bling factor." This phone is by no means a swiss army knife of the phone world.
The phone let's you take half way decent pictures, use blue tooth with great clarity, make people jealous, play real mp3s for ring tones and play a few java based games. It's ultrathin design meant whittling the memory down to about 5mb. The camera function is pretty easy to use and can be operated whether the phone is flipped open or not. There is not much storage space, as mentioned above, so you will have to move pictures off or delete frequently to leave space for other features. The phone does have a photo caller id feature which is a nice to have.
The bluetooth on the phone is a great feature to have. It seems to shock everyone when they see such a slim phone beam wireless voice streams 15 ft away. The voice on the headset is crystal clear and the party on the other end can hear me fairly clearly. There a few quarks with the blue tooth. For some reason I'm constantly mating my motorola bluetooth headset with the phone. Also, the battery takes a beating when using the bluetooth. Overall, I'm satisfied with it's BT performance.
The phone will play real mp3 songs as a ringer. It's a pretty cool feature and definately sounds better than midi sounds. Even other colleagues here that have phone which also play mp3s always comment on how clear my ringers sound compared to theirs.
The design and styling of the phone is very unique. I particullary like the almost all metal casing. It's usually cool to the touch. The bottom portion which house the antenna has to be made of plastic for obvious reasons. The keypad is metal and does not give as most would expect from other phone keypads. It takes some getting used to at first. The backlghting on the keypad is great, and uses the technology found in Timex Indiglo watches, very clear, even, and bright illumination on the keypad. If you're a perfectionist the fact the phone doesn't close flush may get to you. The flip portion of the phone has mini rubber feet in the inside and it keeps it sticking a milimeter or two. I can live with it. The outside mini display screen is not high res but still it's color. It is also protect with a glass cover instead of plastic. This phone does not scratch easily!
The volume on the phone when I first got it was particularlly weaker than I enjoy. A quick google search and I found a few utilities that let you 'realatively safely' correct the factory settings. Please do any mods with extreme caution. The navigation menu on the phone is pretty intuitive except for the phone book function. At first it would appear you cannot have multiple phone numbers for a single contact but that is not so. You have to use the grouping function to have multiple numbers for a single name. Please search the manual for more info.
The games on the phone are ok at best. I rarely ever play them so I won't leave any more comments on the quality.
The reception on the phone is good to very good. I've had phones with better reception but I've had many many more with worse signal quality.
It doesn't have a calendar function or much room for many pictures, multiple mp3 ringers or many voice dial entries. The battery life is decent for light to medium users. It's not feature rich, but it does have some new technology showcased in the phone that allows for it's thin profile which definately adds to it's cool factor.
In conclusion, this is a great phone for "guy who always have the coolest gadgets." If you're a heavy cell phone user and enjoy scheduling features, etc, this phone is not for you. Stick with PDA phones if that is what you're looking for. However, I really enjoy this phone and it's a great conversation starter at bars and clubs. ; ) Enjoy.
19 Motorola V3 RAZR
This phone is somewhat similar to the V300 I had as far as menu, navigation and such. Just to clear up some confusion.
Volume, it's loud although not as loud as some of those speakers you hear in clubs and such...duhhhh...who the hell said it wasn't loud should either A) Get a hearing aid or B) change out the your hearing aid battery if you already have one (or get a new one cuz obviously your deafness has increased in severity).
This phone is locked. Someone said Cingular doesn't lock their phones...well either they have started locking or they were talking out of the a$$.
Reception of this V3 is wayyy better than V300 (or was it because Cingular has better reception than Tmobile in my area).
Anyhow, I like this phone..I only give it 4 stars because there are minor things can be improved (i'm picky). Also, I got this thing for around $100 after rebates so it's not bad..just have to wait months and months for the rebates to come...
20 Motorola V3 RULEZZZZ
I have owned Motorola V500, V525, V600 and MPx220, and I could say that the Razr V3 is the best of these phones.
It has a very slim and innovative design, it comes with a full flat keyboard completely iluminated, very soft and precise buttons.
A big and high resolution internal screen, full color display in images and pictures.
Very good reception and an incredible speaker. The audio quality is very good even with the speaker that is enough loud for conferences.
Good external display, 4K colors, images are displaying very good quality.
Not too bad camera, but could be improved, very delicated, have to be careful when carring.
I love this phone, Motorola is improving its phones pretty faster. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
21 Well worth it
I have received nothing but stares of jealousy that are well warranted.
22 RAZR Fan
Wow. Since the price dropped I ran out and bought this phone. Most important to me were the following in this order. Speakerphone, battery life, bluetooth and design. The RAZR doesn't dissapoint in those areas. The speakerphone is one of the better ones that I've ever used. I've been in separate rooms and didn't have a problem communicating in either direction. The battery life will last me approximately three days without charging. I only talk about 30 minutes a day on my phone. The benefits of BT goes without saying. The design of the phone to say the least is phenomenal. If you're the type that want's to turn heads, then get this phone just for that fact. I've read some reviews saying the phone is too wide. For me, since I have small-to-medium sized hands it fits very comfortable. The display is phenomenal.
Now to my dislikes. I feel these are minor and shouldn't be a deterant. 1) The buttons will take a bit of getting used too. 2)The outer display would have been better if it used the same amount of colors as the internal display. 3) The address book is a bit too cumbersome. 4)Web navigation is absolutely slow. I don't know if it's the service or the OS.
Since I use my cell as my home phone it was important to me to have a high quality phone with as many features as possible. If all the cell phone manufactures would take a cue from Motorola on the design and feature set of this phone we would all be in cell phone nirvana.
23 Captain Kirk Never Had It So Good
This is the best phone that Motorola has made since the Startac. The styling and form factor are superb, reception is great, the display is huge, you can get email, bluetooth, speakerphone, make mp3 ringtones from your own music collection, etc, etc. It's got it all!
Before I received the phone I read a review that said the phone wasn't loud enough. After using it, if anything, it's TOO LOUD. I've had to scale the volume way down for almost every setting. Hope this helps you in your decision making process.
24 Show Off Phone
Ok i bought this phone when it first came out yes it was 500 dollars with a plan. i had to have it but then the negatives cam such as it was to thin couldnt feel it in you pocket so you would constintly have to feel for it, then again sometime when you would wear tighter jeans the phone was to wide and it got annoying. The phone is also not that durable yes i am a human i drop things and when i droped this phone it would break. the camera was a good one and i loved the video feature. however after breaking this one i got a motorola v220 and was much happier it had most of the same functions but yet its more durable like i can drop it and not worry about it and stuff like that so over all if you have the money and you want a phone to show off then get this phone its for you.
25 Best phone after a few tweeks
I bought this phone to replace my failing LG phone. Anyway, a few things right off: this phone is locked to Cingular and you will have to find a UK based site to get an unlock code if you want to stray to other GSM services. The worst thing about this phone is that Cingular blocks outbound dial-up calls over USB and Bluetooth. I had hoped to use my handheld and laptop to dial-up into my computer and get internet access with out paying for a cingular plan, but they have disabled this feature. I still rate the phone a 5 because this is cingulars doing (SIM block).
Otherwise, the phone is amazing. Out of the box it is quite hard to get to your address book, but you can customize the main screen and change any of the shortcuts. The only thing lacking (which I may just not know how to do) is browsing the address book: you can't spell out contact names ... each letter you hit takes you to that part of the phone book.
This is also a very durable phone =)
26 For business users and techno fanatics exclusively!
The Motorola V3 looks and feels amazing. It is definitely in a league of its own, especially with the declining quality in Motorola's mainstream telephones.
I purchased this phone for $500 CAN (approximately $410 US) and it came with the leather carrying case, Bluetooth handsfree, and all the usual accessories.
On the negative side, the keypad is really tough to clean. Some reviewers have mentioned the unit's low volume, even at the maximum level. I agree with that remark, the "sweet spot" is tiny and you must press your ear against the unit in order to hear clearly.
However, if you really like this phone, I don't think any of the above will keep you away from it. I'd buy it again.
Today's Motorola phones all feel so cheap and the RAZR V3 is the exception. It is a bit expensive but part of the pleasure is to know that you won't see every 15 year old kid with it. It is a unique and distinctive piece of technology.
27 GREATEST PHONE OF THE YEAR!!!
This phone is sleek, stylish, and has many features!! It has a nicely placed camera and comes from an ok service, Cingular. No antennas or things to get in the way, just razor looking design and sleek number pad.
28 Best Phone Ever!!
Pros:
Super small & light
Stylish
Good battery life
Calls rarely drop
Camera quality is good
Cons:
Only serviced by Cingular
Price *but the rebates help*
[...]
29 No problem with keeping my same old cell number
I purchased a cellphone on Amazon.com that had a rebate. When I got the phone I called T-Mobile and had my number moved over to the new cellphone. I then sent the rebate information out and received the rebate about 6 weeks later. I encountered no problems with getting the rebate of with transferring the number from Verizon to T-Mobile!
30 Keeping Your Numer.
I have had no problems switching from Sprint to Cingular, I did when I purchased a phone from here, I actually moved from Sprint to T-Mobile then to Cingular and Back to T-Mobile and still had my numeber, amazing huh? I don't think there will be a problem with the rebate.
31 Anyone have success in porting # after buying from Amazon
I want to buy the RAZR and keep my current number on Sprint. It seems Amazon says the rebates would be invalid. Anyone have experience with this?
32 phone book solved
seems everyone is trying to get mutiple phone numbers for single person... all u need to do is trun on the view primary contacts in the phone book menu. store the different numbers in to same name under one person. then mutiple phone numbers for same name will only show up once. if you want another phone number of that person, you can scroll to that name using up and down key then use the left and right key to show different icon for that person/name.
also in the phone book you can click on view then using up and down to view other numbers for that person, in that mode, it will list all the numbers.
about the phone, i think the craftsmanship could be better or more consistent for this price... the phone wouldn't close flush.... and the bettery back wouldn't close flush on one of my phone... the buttons inprint onto the screen... it dont use the normal headphone jack anymore, it's using the mini USB (the only connection port) for both headphones and charge.
also if you want to sync with your outlook, you need to buy the mobile phone tools software and the USB to mini USB cable, both 2.11 and 3.11 versions of MPT will sync outlook addresses but only 3.11 will let you have a v3 look for the program and can add/edit media files to the phone. you can find more info on those on net by searching "mobile phone tools 3.11". I transfered my phone book over from my sony t616 to outlook then to v3 with no problem. if you use my method on the top you will have similar phone book funtions on the v3 as of t616.
dont border put v3 onto bluetooth sync, cause the phone dont have the bluetooth sync profile, so you cant sync with your own bluetooth device, may be only the ones from motorola.
amond all, the voice, the speaker-phone, the receptions, the screen and non-motorola bluetooth headphones works great on this phone.
33 Razr Lady
I just purchased the Razr and have to admit when I first saw the commercial I wanted the phone, even before I knew what features it had. Plus I wanted something no one else had. Now that I have it I LOVE IT. I love that it is small and compact. It has great camera, the reception is awesome (although it can sound like there is an echo-doesn't bother me though), overall it's great.
Minor gliches, multiple entries for one person (does anybody have suggestions for this?) and smudge marks (constanly wiping phone:)-. The price is high, but if you get it on Amazon you get the amazing rebate, which then puts the phone in the price range of all the others out there. Other than these I have not run into any major problems. I recommend the phone to anyone who likes gadgets, like myself!
34 Imperfect but not bad
Nice feel and good sound. I can make calls when my friend's new Nokia GMS is incommunicado. The USB is nice but I cannot charge from ANY old USB port - the software must be loaded on the PC first. BIG PROBLEM if you want to charge that way at work or on the road.
The Moto wired earpeice is huge and has a clunky cord. So bluetooth is the only read optoin. Buy I hate having a transmitter against my skull. A Nokia-like slim wired earbud would be great.
35 The Razr V3 is the Best!!!
I first bought the V551 by Motorola which is an excellent phone!! But I noticed everbody had the same phone, at least in my area.. I usually like to have something different.. So at first, I did buy the phone because most people didn't have it because of the Price.. The sales person at Cingular which had the V551 told me their was no difference but an Internal antenna and less weight.. I've noticed the Camera is a Hell of alot better, plus the Battery life is by far longer than the other phone...Reguardless of area, the Reception in almost crystal clear even in Roaming or long-distance....I'll admit, I did buy it at first to have something different but I'm Impressed with the features in comparison to the other phones I've owned.. If you have the $$$ buy it!!!Hope this helps!!Mike
36 For your Information (FYI)
I don't have this phone but I wanted to buy it for my bf and here's what I've found:
This phone is sold by Minsk Telecom International (H.K) Co., Ltd. for $380 and I am checking if it is "unlocked".. which means as long as you have a sims card, you can use it on almost any service (at&t, cingular..etc) without needing a contract or telling your provider. You can only buy this in bulk of 20 phones. I'm not sure if this one comes in the metal box (like on e-bay) or if its in a service provider box (cingular). I do know that the majority of the ones bought from a metal box include: Motorola V3 Razr Headset, CD ROM, HS810 Bluetooth headset, Leather case, belt clip, travel charger, and user manuel. To buy the phone alone (without a service provider) it is around $800 and this doesn't include accessories. (this is the max price though.) The cheapest sites I found were around $529 and the phone came in the metal box from a legiment source.
I have looked very where and have found that the cheapest site to buy this phone w/ all the accessories in the metal box is on ebay ....usually around 400-474 US dallors (USD) or 222-250 (GBP) - united kindom pounds) ..which would be around $420-474 USD. [Be careful! There are many ppl selling sites that you can buy this phone for $40-$60 or for free. Not true. The website they will give you is mobiles4all.com. They will tell you they "already" received their phone but they want to "help" you out all you have to do is use their reference #. This means, they haven't "won" their phone and buy using their reference # you put them ahead of you on the "list." Just know, sounds to good...it probably is. Also, make sure u read the info before u buy or you might be purchasing a link/webaddress and not the phone!]
If your serious about buying this phone, look around.. phone prices usually drop w/ half a year to a year of there release.
Also, maybe people are selling their V3's, so - that kind of makes me concerned about buying one... you really can't make money off this phone..
Hope this helps!
37 great hardware; horrible user interface
The hardware is great. Small phone, excellent reception, large display...
The user interface is really quite poor. All my previous phones have been Nokias (8290,6590i,6100), and it's shocking how much worse the Motorola UI is. Nokia gets all the little details right, Motorola gets them all wrong. (e.g., address book entries can't have addresses in them!.)
38 Happy
I bought this becasue I was very happy to see a phone with a metal case again. I used to just use nokia phones back in the day and they would break at least once a month on me. Bought the Moto v60 and was really blown away. The best phone I ever had. Then I upgraded to color phones and tried the other Motos. Really big disapointment. Moto phones are made so cheap and fall apart just like nokia. When this came out I jumped on it. Finally Moto was going back to the quality phones.
PROS:
-Some what sturdy case. The metal parts seem solid. No marks as of yet (1 month).
-The battery life is a little tiny bit higher then your average phone. I have to charge it at night but it has at least half the life left on it. I talk for about 3 hours a day.
-Camera is ok not the best and by far not the worst.
-Slim form factor. And yes its wider then your normal flip but this is a good size. Other phones always seemed to skinny for me.
CONS:
-Not all of it is metal. The bottom is plastic and it seems to be cheap plastic. It creaks when you push on it. I think that is where the antenna is, and if it has a SAR rating of .80 (I think) at the ear then I wonder how much your jaw is getting. Rather my jaw get cancer then my brain right?
-The vol is almost a joke it is so low. At the highest its about what a normal phone is at its middle setting. I used to have to turn people down on my cell, now I am struggling to hear them sometimes.
-The keypad looks nice but its a pain in the butt. The donut thing in the middle is already scracthed by my finger nail. The rest of the keypad is protected it seems and has no marks.
-A pain to clean. The keypad is shiny and gets crap all over it. When you clean it the rubber lining between the keys grabs part of what ever cloth you are using and gets it looking even worse.
-Phone book. Good god man. The fact that they used this phone book really shows that either they don't put a lot of effort into the phone or was a total mess up. Either way it is a true shame.
-Good luck with support and warranty from Moto. Past experiences with them was very poor. You send your phone to get fixed and a month later you get it back and they didn't even read what the problem was before they "fix" it and send it back still broken.
The reason they make phones out of cheap plastic in my opinion is because what do you do 6 months after your phone looks like you dropped it down the stairs a few dozen times. You buy another. Strong durable plastic is used all the time. For crying out loud Glad uses it all the time. I am more then happy to pay 600 dollars on quality and if you have the money do the same. This phone is not even close to meeting my expectations of what I thought I would get for a 600 dollar "basic" cell phone. I have high standards and for top dollar I want the best. Moto might be seeing this and is offering good rebates now. 250 or something on Amazon as of now. Well worth it for that price.
To the other reviewer about Verizon. They use CDMA and this phone is only for GSM. I doubt they will ever make a CDMA version. But of course I have no real clue. Call Motorola.
Also sorry for my spelling mistakes and all. It would take to much time to go back and review what I wrote. I am not getting paid for this and won't waste my time. Good luck and I think you will be very happy with this phone over all.
39 When is it going to come from verizon?
I was wondering when or if the Razr v3 cell is ever going to come through verizon? I really want it but the only service provider here in Bryson City,NC is Verizon and the Razr is only covered by Cingular :( so if any one can help me thanks
40 I Glad I Have It
i got this on amazon pretty cheap, and im glad i got it. im a nokia kinda guy but this is well worth it
41 I Am Glad I Bought This Phone
i bought this kinda like an experiment, not knowing what to expect. im glad i bought it. it's the best phone i've ever used, and i actually think the high price was worth it in the end. i mean common the peoples pictures are in the phonebook, not their name , but their picture. well worth it.
42 I Bought This Phone....
AND I LOVED IT! this is the best phone ive ever had. it is so light and sleek. its worth every pennie.
43 Decent
There's quite a few things I like about this phone, and a few things I dislike. We'll start with the likes:
It's an attractive, light weight, and quite durable little phone. I've seen other's complain about the phones durability and I don't understand that means I have thrown this phone on three seperate occasions and it still works like brand new, without one single scratch. Hopefully that will straighten out any doubts you have on the matter of it being sturdy. All of it's features are easy to use, and the phone fits in places most cell phones can't, do to it's size. The speakerphone is loud and it doesn't cut out on you like other's i've owned. Now for my complaints on the Razr: If purchasing this through Motorola it comes with a very nice metal box, games, and a 3D phone book. You have to use Cingular as your provider and they take out the metal box, the games and the 3D phonebook and that should be included for the price of this phone. My major complaint is the volume on it is all the way up and I sometimes have a difficult time hearing. The phone is very difficult to keep clean and prints don't wipe of easily. You can not use a memory card and you really need one with the limited space it has. My last complaint is the phonebook will only let you store one number per name, so you have several of the same names with different numbers which makes it a bit unorganized. I would also like to add that I was disappointed that it didn't come with software. Altogether, it's a good phone without a lot of features and is quite easy to use which was exactly what I needed. It is a bit pricey for what it comes with.
44 V3 Razer - the missing link
If this machine comes with a SD memory slot, i think this a best buy in town.
45 Yeah, it IS small
So, I haven't bought one of these yet, but I've seen some folks with them and messed around with it. The phone's got a great design and it's really small. Believe me, that part is totally cool.
But, other than that, it is a VERY basic phone. That's a big price tag on such a basic phone. Dig?
46 high cost & no headset wow
nice phone very thin but so wide, non sense... high cost then no headset included dont buy at current price.In few months it will be free with 1 year contract. I,m still amazed cingular didn,t offer a headset with phone.
47 good phone but no accessories
i have had this phone for 2 weeks now and i liked the look and feel of the phone. i use the phone only as a phone and not as a digital camera; so i will not comment on that.
good:
1. really slim. no more bulges in your formal trouser pockets.
2. sound levels - speakerphone sound level is very good. i would have liked to have higher handset volume.
3. charging - takes very less time to charge and also is very convenient to talk while charging if you use the little connector that they provide. that was a good idea...whoever thought of it, did a good job there.
not so good:
only one thing...no accessories with this phone. at this price they should have provided us with atleast a headset. so for all the money that you spend, you get just the little phone. NOTHING comes with it. :(
this is a good phone...go for it if you can afford it.
48 Great Phone, Awful Price
The Razr V3 is definately one of the better phones I've had. For starters the manual isnt great at giving you some of the details. The phone in general has great looks, obviously very slim and fits into any pocket perfectly. I wouldnt recommend it if you have big fingers though because you might find a hard time trying to punch the numbers in. Im not a huge camera phone fanatic so I never really cared much about the quality. The reception is excellent, battery life is amazing, and if you like buttons and gadgets, this phone has plenty of them. Quad band does allow you to take this phone pretty much anywhere in the world. All you need to do is rent a sim card or something overseas. All in all its user friendly except like I mentioned earlier the manual could of been more percicive about a few things I ran into. Unless your job doesnt need any flashy objects that attract clients to you by making you look rich, I wouldnt recommend buying this phone at its original price. Its a great phone, but thats just asking too much for it. (...)
Pros: Very Slim, Long battery life, user friendly, flashy and impressive, lots of cool features.
Cons: Not good for people with big fingers, too expensive.
49 Overpriced, Basic Feature Set, Imperfect Design - RAZR V3
The Motorola RAZR V3 is a "pretty" phone; this is especially the case when viewed in photographs (like what you'll see here on Amazon.com).
DO NOT PURCHASE THIS PHONE BEFORE SEEING IT FIRST HAND. Though even that did not stop me from making the impulsive purchase online, seeing it "live" did present me with my first, second-thoughts. Those being: that the front of the phone looks a bit awkward mostly because of the tiny black on less-black display on a big brushed aluminum face; and secondly, and most terribly, that it's just too wide! What, after all, really is the purpose in making an uber-slim phone if you're going to have to pancake it? Alas, I bought the phone anyway.
Upon receipt I noted the following: the side buttons are located on the screen half of the flip rather than the keypad half which is a departure from every other Motorola phone I've had and, essentially, makes them utterly useless when in a call (changing volume for example would require you to pause the conversation to press the buttons); also, the battery cover for this phone is a cheap piece of plastic that may or may not fit all that well (mine took a bit of finagling to get it on); it comes questionably spare of accessories (at least from Cingular)(for this price shouldn't it come with more than a home charger and useless keyfob).
In the end, I returned the phone. The keypad is pretty and the phone itself holds some aesthetic value although a closer look dimishes this somewhat. In terms of useability, I would rate it sub-par as the pictures it takes are as good/bad as any other current motorola and its side buttons are poorly located in addition to its awkward width. Last but not least, for what it offers, and perhaps by any standard, the phone costs way too much. Even with the rebate, it's not worth it frankly. Though I'm inclined to get the newest toys, I swear that the v60 (yes v60) with the slim case is still the best thing motorola has produced in terms of cell phones to date.
I just ordered the nokia 7610 and I'm pretty sure I'll like it much more than the razr - will review when I get it!
50 way overhyped
This phone is way overhyped. Its features do not justify its price, this phone's primary purpose is to make a fashion statement not innovate. I'm glad I changed this phone for the truly supererior moto Mpx220. Which has expandable memory, mp3 player, megapixel camera, windows 2003, bluetooth, video playback, Quad band and its unlocked, and I like the design much better and its much cheaper. The Razr has no expandable memory only 5 megs. It is Quad Band. It has a Thin but flimsy and still bulky design. Reception is ok but I like the Mpx220 better in that deparment. The only thing worth mentioning is the screen which is gorgeous truly impressive but still does not justify its price. It has bluetooth but so does the cheaper moto V550, and v600. The camera is not even megapixel. It can only playback videos not record them. This phone's price needs to come down, its way overpriced for the mediocre features it posses. Again do not buy this phone, unless all u want to do is show off the amount of mone that was thrown away on this phone. But my Mpx220 out does this phone any day of the week, as do other less pricey models.
51 Great Phone But Missing Software
This is one great phone, sleek, light, small, thin. Motorola got the form exactly right, just slightly larger than a credit card, and only a half an inch thick. The screen is excellent.
Motorola missed big time on this one, not including Motorola Phone Tools and a USB cable in the purchase - now how cheap is that. I just spent all that money on a super exclusive cool phone, and they make me buy software for $30? That's actually kind of crazy.
They also messed up on the phone book. 450 Outlook contacts, that were spawned from 200 core contacts - each cell phone, business, email, and home entry for an individual is a separate entry. Way way too unwieldy. They need to update this error big time. They've also missed on priority numbers - you know, you identify people you call a lot, and they go to the head of the list. I'm used to the problems now, but wow what a miss on their part.
The camera, oh it takes pictures. They look decent on the cell phone, but forget much more. The shutter speed must be very slow, you have to hold the phone solid to not get blurry pictures (when viewed on a computer screen full size) - on the phone they look great.
Overall - my nits are truely nits, this is one heck of a great phone. If you're price sensitive, buy the V500 series. If you want cool, get this one.
By the way, I'm a long time ATT customer and had no trouble (read it took less than 10 minutes to buy and activate this phone) with Cingular. In fact the service seems better. I just wish they would port over your voice mail.
52 Great phone but incredibly poor customer (no)service
If you want bling then this is your phone, it looks great; if you're looking for functionality consider the Audiovox SMT5600. Regardless of the phone you chose, however, I hope you have more luck with Cingular than I did.
There's simply not enough time or room to recount all of my problems with Cingular but I'll provide a brief recap. I have service with Cingular and with AT&T. The problems began when I tried to merge my two services into one account (Cingular did acquire AT&T, right?), upgrade my service plan, and upgrade the AT&T phone. Simple enough, right? Wrong.
After (literally) four visits to the store (and 3+ hours of waiting for a sales person), 10+ phone calls (and speaking with over 30+ people), and completing several forms on the web I thought I had finally solved the problem and everything was fine. THEN my phone showed up ... it was the wrong one!!! Attempts to get the problem resolved on the phone failed (we can't do that here), attempts to return it to the store failed (that was sent to you by our phone sales group, you can't return it here), and a final desperate attempt to resolve it through Cingular's Office of the CEO was meet by "you shouldn't have tried to transfer your service from AT&T to Cingular" (i.e. it's your fault) and "you're trying to order the most expensive phone we have, what do you expect us to do, give you a free one?" (i.e. you're trying to cheat us).
My experiences can basically be catagorized in the following fashion:
* You're an AT&T customer, this is Cingular; you'll need to call AT&T if you need help.
* You're a Cingular customer, this is AT&T; you'll need to call Cingular if you need help.
* You're a corporate customer, this is the retail group. You'll need to call business services for that.
* You did that over the phone, this is a store, you'll need to take up that problem with telesales.
* You did that in the store, this is telesales, you'll need to take up that problem with the store.
* That can't be done over the web.
* Sorry, I don't know how to do that.
I think the crowning touch however, was the retail store that refused to sell me the phone because my account is tagged as a "sponsored" account that gets an equipment discount. The manager wanted to sell it to someone who would pay full price!
Good luck!
...msg
53 Best "phone" I've ever used!
I was looking for a phone to use as a phone and I wanted something that would last. This thing, albeit expensive, fit the bill perfectly.
Pros
- Excellent reception where others failed to even get a signal
- Comfortable Flip Design
- No annoying antenna
- Great speakerphone
- Flawless bluetooth
- Awesome construction, zero scratches in 4 weeks
- Gets looks like you are driving a Ferrari. Everyone asks, "Is that that new Razor phone?" :)
Cons
- Weak Phonebook
- External Caller ID is not high-res
Honestly, that's it. I love this thing . . .
54 Way too much for a not very exciting phone!
Purchased this phone recently because I was interested in Bluetooth wireless headsets and this was one of three that support Bluetooth at Cingular. The phone works better than my previous Motorola phone, and it fits nicely in a pocket. The Cingular knucklehead insisted that a two year agreement is required to get this wonderful price of $499.00. Why do I listen to those guys!
Now, at $499.00, it's not such a great phone, item for item. I like that there is no antenna to be near ones brain so it's less likely to cause brain cancer (jawbone cancer????) This phone is a good phone, but for $500.00 it's a rip off.
I'm planning a trip to China in February, we'll see if the GSM really works very well from the third world! Even if it does, there is no really good reason for me to call from China anyway so who cares! The screen is terrible in bright light. In fact, you can't see anything in bright light except a black screen. Switching the Bluetooth on is a pain, but it is better to do that than leave it on all the time as it will drain the battery VERY quickly if you are not using it and leave it on.
While it's a good phone, the after purchase feeling is one of getting ripped off. I realize people don't like to tell other people when they paid WAY TOO MUCH for anything or that the item purchased isn't very great, but this is the only way I can get it off my chest and possibly help someone from making a mistake. There is nothing sexy or particularly high tech about this phone to make it worth $500.00.
And by the way, the camera is really awful at a max of 640x480. And the Voice Dialing does NOT WORK with numbers stored on the card, only the ones IN THE PHONE taking up more memory for that feature if you want to use it with your Bluetooth headset! What's that all about! Engineering has not done all that much here!
The Bottom Line: I should have bought the much cheaper phone and signed a 1 year agreement! This was just stupid!
55 Big improvements; minor problems
Problems:
* Volume buttons make a sound when you're trying to put the phone into "silent" mode. Somewhat embarrassing in the middle of a theater. [There is a software hack to change this.]
* Alarms can go off (and by default they are quite loud) even when the phone is in "silent" mode. Very embarrassing during a ballet. (Note: An "alarm" is not in the calendar; it's different than a "reminder".)
* A Cingular movie plays when I power up the phone, wasting my time. [There is a software hack for this too.] However, I can press "hang-up" to skip it.
* The camera is very poor in high-contrast light levels, ie with both bright and dark regions.
* Bought via Amazon, the phone was activated before shipped. That meant I could not port my old cell number.
Improvements over previous Motorola phones:
* Significantly clear and louder outgoing voice than on the V60, according to listeners. (I tested both in succession before deactivating my old phone.)
* Motorola has fixed the phone book! If you set it to view "Primary" numbers only, then you get one line per person. This makes the phone book much more useful. And it's better than most phones now b/c you can store multiple work, multiple cell, and multiple e-mail addresses for each person, a very unusual feature.
* The side buttons cannot be depressed accidentally.
* Much louder ring volume.
* With 4 on the toggle thingy, there are now 7 buttons which you can customize, plus short-cuts.
* The big, colorful display is great. The calendar is much more useful with more information on the screen. The phone book can be searched quicker (but a page-up/down would be nice). And more of a text message can be viewed. Also, the vibrant colors make the background very pretty.
* 9 is no longer tied to "911". (On non GPS phones, 911 is dumb since your location is not known. I use 311 locally for emergencies.)
* Pictures can be attached to the phone book, and not just to each person, but to each number. (This is the main value of the mediocre camera.)
Conclusion:
I just wanted a useful phone that does not make a bulge in my pocket. This is it. Good reception. Good sound quality. Some features which add value, and some which don't, but few which detract. This is the best phone available for someone like me.
Note: This Cingular version does *not* come with the fancy box, a bluetooth headset, Motorola PhoneToolsLite software, or the mini-USB-to-USB cable. It comes with the mini-USB charger, and that's it. (Only the uncouth would ask about a belt clip.) It also lacks the Golf and Pool java games that some people like.
Addendum: I have dropped it twice now, and it still works fine. Reception is vastly superior to the S-E T-series GSM phones, but not quite as good as the Moto V60 TDMA. The speakerphone is superlative; people say they can't tell it's on, except that it seems to be half-duplex (ie only one party can talk at a time). I can make dinner plans while I tie my tie in front of a mirror, in a part of my house where many people's cell phones get no reception at all!
56 Most Impressed
So I went ahead and picked up the new Motorola Razr V3 cell phone. All in all, I've been pretty impressed with the phone and quite surprised at the reactions I've been getting with it. The phone is a bit expensive but it's intended to be an exclusive phone and is priced as such (so says Motorola). The retail price is $600 (without a calling plan - $500 with 2/yr agreement) but now that I'm a Cingular employee since AT&T Wireless got bought, I'm now entitled to a 30% discount on devices. That takes the phone down to $420 which is still more than what 80% of the populace is willing to pay for a cell.
If you're familiar with the Motorola V600, you'll get used to the Razr pretty quickly. The OS has been updated from the V600 and it's a lot more stable than the V600's. I had the V600 for a week and it had already crashed on me, been a week now with the Razr without any issues at all.
Things were getting too quirky with the V600 and I wanted to get rid of it. I picked up one of the first versions of the cell and it seemed to be pretty buggy. When I was shopping around for the Razr, I was in the middle of sending a text message to a co-worker giving her the price of the Razr when I received a call. It started playing the mp3 I had set up as the ring tone but the phone never actually said I was receiving a call. So it kept playing the ring tone. And kept playing it! I turned the phone off and it was still playing! I had to pull the battery out to shut the damn thing off! About once every two weeks, the V600 would either freeze or reboot. Still pretty early, but so far no such issues with the Razr.
The one thing I was possibly concerned about is having to get the Razr unlocked because it was exclusive to Cingular and I had an AT&T Wireless SIM. I like my AT&T Wireless SIM - I get unlimited minutes and data with my employee account but if I migrated to Cingular, I would be limited to 1,000 minutes a month. With some of my work telecon calls, I could be pushing that each month. Fortunately, the phone either came unlocked or allows AT&T Wireless SIMs. It's still geared to Cingular's network so I had to manually configure the connection to mMode.
The Razr is one hell of a sleek phone! First, it's extremely slim (why it's called a "Razr") and it's light. The key pad is a single sheet of metal which helped keep the size down. This cell was even more appealing to me being a Tron fan.
So, I went to the mall to try out the phone to see how other people reacted to it. In the span of an hour, I had two people exclaim "Whoa - is that the new phone on TV?!?", one guy offered me $300 for it, and the ladies at Starbucks went crazy over it. Last year, if you wanted to pick up chicks, you'd take your kid or pet to the park. Now you buy a Razr. I was standing in line at CostCo the other day playing a game on it to pass the time and a guy in another line asked me about the phone.
One feature with the phone that I'm not so sure about is the screen itself. It's reflective qualities differs from the left/right viewing angle so your left eye actually sees a slightly brighter picture than the right. The end effect is that the screen has a 3D feel to it, but it also feels like you're watching it through a pair of red/blue 3D glasses. The external display (which can display photos of people calling) could be a little better quality, the colors seem a little flat. I haven't tested the camera out too much yet but I suspect it'll work like the V600. The specs on the V600 claim that it has a 4x zoom. No, it doesn't. When you zoom in, it simply crops the picture a little closer to the center so it doesn't have to scale as much to fit onto the screen. Holding the V600 stationary, I snapped three pictures of my calendar, a 1x, 2x, and 4x. I placed the 4x in the center of the 2x and the 2x in the center of the 1x - and the end result looked just like the 1x photo.
The audio of the Razr is outstanding as well, surprisingly since the phone is so much smaller than the V600. The max volume of the V600 is the mid-level volume of the Razr. The speaker phone is clearly heard over a large area at max volume. People I've called said that I sound clearer as well.
One reason I switched to the Motorola V600 was because it's signal strength is very good, kind of important when I don't get good cell reception at my house. Likewise, the Razr's is just as well even though it has no visible antenna.
The battery life exceeds even the V600's long life, advertising 6-7 hours of talk time. Using the Bluetooth headset over a concall (which drains the battery nearly 50% faster), I was able to maintain a call for three hours without issue, even with weaker reception.
So if you have a few extra bucks to spend or having problems picking up chicks, you may want to consider the Motorola Razr.
57 Software is buggy. Garbage. Flimsy.
I've had to buy this phone three times and all three times the software crashed. it's buggy as hell. it also bends easy, so forget about putting it in your pocket. The things are crashing all over the country. It's 500 garbage. Perhaps in six months time, they'll have it all worked out, but for now, you be better off with two Dixie cups and some string.
58 razr v3
so far so good. i'm very happy with the phone thus far. It's so light i can put it in my pocket and you can barely tell its there. the camera is ok. if the person is not standing still the pic is fuzzy. I'm waiting for my wireless head set to come in, that should be very cool. ya, i'd have to say this is a great phone. i'm the envy of the office.
59 Too expensive!
Razr V3 is the latest in the Moto lineup of flips.
Pro's,
1. It has all the latest features you would expect from a top end 2004 phone.
2. Very thin and sleek design.
3. Loud volume on the earpeice.
4. Nice reception and no external antenna.
5. Quad band for use around the world, once unlocked.
Con's,
1. It costs half a grand!
2. Not impressed with the wide size. When put in pocket its large surface area is a hindrance.
3. Awkward to hold while talking and also dialing.
4. The body material although light and slim is still unimpressive IMO. V60 had much better finish.
5. Constant buzz is heard from the screen when making calls.
6. Menu system is still very crappy. Not at all intuitive, takes longer to a simple thing.
7. No T9 for SMS text messaging.
8. Poor camera quality (as is the case with most of the current phones).
9. Below par handsfree quality.
10. Phone available only with Chingular contract.
Motorola has a habit to pricing their new flips way beyond the reasonable range. V60, V70, V600 and now Razr V3. All started in the half grand range and drop to realistic prices when the hype dies. I would say save your money or buy something worth it like an iPod mini and/or a Sony Ericsson/Nokia phone.
Edit: As of March 6th its price has already fallen to 190 with new contract. In a few months it will be free, the price its really worth.
60 Motorola Razr V3
The small and sexy v3 phone is the ultimate in celluar technology. I love my razr phone and I have found it extremely useful in everyday situations.. Besides the fact that every time I walk down the street I have to worry about a $500 invesment in my pocket, the phone easily impresses all of my friends with its lavish features including a camera, video camera, bluetooth, voice dialing, large color display, and many other featueres... This phone is a little small buts its very nice to have. I reccommend its its great.
-Plsailboy
61 Great?
I bought this phone and had it for a day but decided to return it. It just wasn't what i expected. The design was okay but the keypad was a bit rough. I didn't think that it was worth what i paid. and it wasn't very user friendly if a person hadn't ever used a motorola before and even for me it was a bit weird
62 Top of the pop
I like this phone. Quad band allows me to leverage the best of GSM in Bay Area with Cingular. The design is just so sleek. I have no complaints.
63 Early adopter
Updating my previous impression.
Reinstalled mobile phone tools software and haven't had any problems with crashing anymore. Still the included lite version of the software is fairly handicapped, and Motorola requires you to pay if you want the fully automated version (unlike Nokia), so I leave my rating at 4 stars.
I've had no problems with the top being flimsy. In fact, I think it's sprung quite tight to the open and the closed position. The flip doesn't rock from side to side at all, in fact there is NO play on the flip in the open or closed position on my phone.
I would wish for more user configurable menus, that and a memory slot considering this is one of Motorola's top-of-the-line phones.
64 not as impressed
First impression, surface area is larger than my current Samsung i600 which is a large phone but depth may make up for that. The phone is nice and light.
Beware, this is not cased entirely in aluminm as I envisioned from the Motorola description, it has an aluminum battery cover over the top half of the back and the front of the flip; the rest of the phone is typical cell phone plastic. I would estimate that the phone is 60% plastic on the outside when flipped open. The aluminum battery cover does not fit well and has to be forced down to cover the lower outside seams.
So far, I am not at all impressed with the craftsmanship of this highly touted flagship. I will update my review and adjust the star rating accordingly after I have charged it and had a few days of use.
ok, so I have my phone charged and have had time to fiddle with it. The reason I orignally chose this phone was for bluetooth in the smallest form factor I could find and I will give it high ranks for this. I have been using a Samsung i600 smartphone that has integrated Microsoft Outlook, Calendar, and Contacts but made for a very large phone. With this phone I can now take my HP iPaq with me when I need email and sync over the bluetooth connection and leave the bulk at home on the weekend when all I need is a phone, This is working beutifuly and I am very pleased with the functionality.
I still give the phone low grades for construction. I have had samsungs for my last two phones and a Motorola before those. As with the last Motorola I owned years ago, this one has an extrememly flimsy flip joint that seems destined to break. It already has a significant amount of play in it when opened. To make the matter worse, the phone has had all of the quick buttons that are normally placed on the sides of the lower half of the flip (where you hold the phone) placed on the top instead. Beyond thea complete ergonomic blunder, the buttons are very hard to press in and if the other side is not supported by your hand, the entire top of the unit kicks over to the side at the flip joint. Enough said in the other review about the usual lacking sense of the Motorola menu system. One additional missing feature (may be in there but I can't find it anywhere) that I thought was required in the US now is the location based 911. My last phone had this with the setting of on all the time or only when dialing 911.
All in all, it is a sleek looking phone with the great added benefit of bluetooth but packs the luggage of Motorola's deficient attention to sturdy construction and ergonomic controls. I would recomend waiting for the next version of this phone or for a Samsung equivelant if I had it to do again.
<update>
Had the opportunity to experiece two 'drop tests'. Dropped once from waist level onto hardwood floor and once onto concrete. Neither drop seems to have affected the phone although the concrete did knock the battery cover off but it went back on with no misfit. Bluetooth has amazing range; extends beyond my 802.11g when syncing to my iPaq. The woindows Pocket PC 2003 contacts menu item to dial via bluetooth works and is a nice substitution for the lacking phone contact storage when I have the iPaq handy. Still very disappointed in the Motorola menu system but this is my only lasting complaint at this point outside of the amount of plastic construction. The Cingular network is operating very well in the my area of the country and has better coverage than Verizon since Verizon gave up analog. I have had a few reception problems but not as nearly as many as I have become accustomed to with Verizon over the last year.
65 Early adopter
You have to be an early adopter to pay this much for a phone.
I bought an unlocked phone to use with my T-Mobile SIM. My phone came with a lite version of mobile Phone Tools and a USB cable, earbuds, leather holster with removeable belt clip, and charger.
Goods & Bads:
-Lite version of mobile phone tools is severely handicapped and frequently crashed on my Windows XP system. I couldn't easily sync with my Outlook Express database - the import feature in the Lite version is limited to comma separated text files only. The manuals says the software will import fully from Outlook or Outlook Express, but there is no such option available in the Lite Version. Buying the full version from Motorola costs $79 with a USB cable included or 29.99 to download with no cable or CD. Nokia tools for the 6230 was a much more capable phone management tool in every respect, more reliable, and was included with the phone and also free to download.
-Because the phonebook data is imported in a text file, the fields will have to be mapped to the correct fields in the V3 address book, another pain. Instead of synching between your email address book and the phone, the software maintains it's own address book. Software frequently locks up after using any one of the available functions. Rebooting the computer is the only way to reenable full functionality.
-Leather holster is nice, with holes for viewing the exterior LCD screen and accessing the charger/USB slot. The top flap is held close by a magnet vice a snap, handy. However, the phone has to be completely removed from the holster to open the flip, a relatively minor inconvenience, but removing the scratch protection should you accidentally drop the phone.
-Phone is sturdy and very well constructed. Same with the new style connector socket, looks similar to a metal firewire style plug than the typical two-pronged plastic connector plugs in use on other motorola phones. Flip is strongly spring loaded and the two parts are snug in the close AND open position, unlike the motorola i90 Nextel phone I used to have.
-Bluetooth works well, no problems. USB cable is more convenient than Bluetooth, and will simultaneously recharge the phone from your computer.
-Screen is large, very bright and sharp - same with the exterior LCD screen although it's only thumbnail sized. Keyboard very functional so far, although the on-hook and off-hook buttons are reversed from the Nokia phone I swapped it for (new habit pattern required).
-Picture address book and photo caller ID is very handy for someone whose near vision is fading with age like myself.
-Camera photo quality is below average compared with a digital camera, but average compared with other cell phones. Does have 640x480 resolution, although the large photos tend to be fuzzy even in bright sunlight.
-Reviewers complained about the menu system. In my opinion, the arrangement of the menu seems odd. When you press the donut button, the selection defaults to games, instead of setup or text or email or phone book. Text entering is a little less intuitive than my Nokia 6230, and I still have figured out the predictive text entering system, although I haven't read the manual for that either.
-Didn't try any games or the video feature.
All in all, a very large, bright and sharp color display on the inside, a full resolution smaller color display on the exterior, solid construction, and a slim form factor combine to make this phone easier to carry in my pocket without fear of damage, easier to use without reaching for the eyeglasses, and provides decent connectivity with my computer using bluetooth or supplied USB cable, albeit with extra effort required to synchronize with computer files. Have ordered the full software to try with this and my wife's V600 - hopefully it'll take care of the poor functionality of the Lite version.
Downgraded from 5 star rating because of the software.
66 The Ferrari of Mobile Phones
Sexy form... CHECK. Innovative construction... CHECK. Exclusive price tag... CHECK. In a sea of flip phones and candy bar phones that all look alike, the RAZR V3 is the Ferrari of mobile phones and stands out as such. If you're looking for a feature rich phone, then the V3 is not for you as a V600 will provide the same features for far less. But if you want a high-quality constructed phone that screams, "look at me, I'm a sexy b*tch," then the V3 is up your alley.
Actually, a better analogy would be: The Acura NSX of mobile phones. Like the NSX, I feel the V3 is a marketing tool for Motorola. It's their way of saying, "We're known for inexpensive phones, but, look, we can build stylish, well-crafted, high-end phones too!"
Unless wireless technology improves from GSM, the V3 is a phone that I can definitely keep for more than 2 years. The styling, design, and construction is just that good (I upgraded from a trusty and reliable, yet mediocre Nokia 3360 TDMA phone).
There's been quite a debate about the construction of the V3 and the best explanation that I've heard is that the bottom backside (below the battery cover) and the lower front is plastic for the antenna. It certainly makes perfect sense to me (unless the metal frame IS the antenna) as all the other areas are cold to touch (in this weather) while those areas are usually room temperature. Furthermore, it would be misrepresentation on Motorola's part to advertise it as such. Regardless, this phone may seem flimsy, but it's very solid -- there is no comparison w/ my old Nokia 3360 and my girlfriend's V551.
Mikey's likeys:
1- The mini-USB port. This is great for single-point access for data and charging -- it's simple and should be a mobile phone standard!
2- The Bluetooth connectivity. Coming from a wired hands-free setup, my Bluetooth headset (a Jabra BT250) is a godsend. I can leave the V3 charging in my home office and still be connected in the living room. (SIDE NOTE: stay away from from the D-Link Bluetooth USB adapter for PC connectivity and get the Belkin F8T001 adapter -- read my review on the D-Link for details)
3- Quad band. Doubtful that I'll ever use this feature/benefit, but those two words will certainly impress all around you.
4- The speakerphone. I've been a non-believer of mobile phone speakerphones, but I've got to admit, the V3's speaker phone is the bomb. It's loud and clear (but not loud enough for the car). My girlfriend tells me that I sound better w/ the V3 speakerphone than w/ my old Nokia 3360 and wired headset setup. When I don't have my Bluetooth headset, I'm spoiled w/ the speakerphone.
5- The internal display. Going to the V3 from the Nokia 3360 is a leap of spacial proportions and after a couple of weeks, I have found myself to be spoiled w/ large internal display. And not only that, the V3 has an ATI IMAGEON graphics accelerator! All other phones (excluding PDA phones) pale in comparison in this regard.
Mikey's no-likeys:
1- No memory expansion. I don't see myself using up all 5MB of internal memory, but an SD/MMC card expansion slot would be nice. Maybe Motorola (or somebody else -- maybe myself) will come out w/ a mini-USB adapter for this purpose.
2- Poorly written owner's manual. I have found that the owner's manual is more like a reference manual and sometimes leaves you figuring things out on your own. It does not explain how to use many common features that owners (especially ones new to Motorola phones) use. Instead, it lists all the features and expects you to put 1 and 1 together. It's like the "C++ Reference" vs "Learn How to Program in C++ in 21 Days." Maybe Motorola's technical writers are just to technical?
3- Drops and dings. Like any "Ferrari," I'll probably go into a week-long mourning the first time I drop or ding the phone. I'm hoping there will be [good] cases available to protect my V3 while it juggles around w/ keys in my pocket. (SIDE NOTE: I have heard that Cingular / Lockline is not insuring this phone, but my Cingular sales guy was hesitant sell me the phone unless I bought the insurance)
4- No EDGE. My girlfriend's $99 Motorola v551 has EDGE. Shame, shame, shame Motorola. Bad Motorola. Bad, bad, bad. Alas, it's akin to buying a $160k Ferrari 360 Modena and having a cheap $20 factory stereo system (or paying $90k for an Acura NSX and it's only 290hp).
5- Internal display colors. I was all hyped up to hear about 260k colors, but Motorola's specs after some detective footwork is 65k colors, but up to 260k colors in MPEG-4 video playback. Very, very, sneaky and mis-leading indeed.
Wishlist:
1- I wished there was a PocketPC smart phone version of this phone. PocketPC + V3 form factor = perfection.
Regarding multiple numbers for one name in the review below -- you can set the phonebook to display only primary numbers by:
1- setting the primary number for all the names that have multiple numbers (you don't have to do this if a name only has one number);
2- set the address book view to "Primary Contacts" in Phonebook Menu >>> Phonebook Setup >>> View;
3- voila, only primary numbers are displayed.
The way Motorola has implemented this is not very intuitive as Nokia's implementation (refer to my owner's manual dis-like above), but I have found Motorola's implementation to be a little more robust.
UPDATE: It's been nearly three weeks since I've bought this phone and no buyer's remorse.
67 High Performance....Delivered
This phone has everything one can ask for in a phone and more...great looks, bluetooth, BIG screen with hi resolution, speaker. And surprisingly it fits in the hand perfectly...unlike some other "BRICKS" out there.
And for a change, with I am able to get service in my apartment which was a big pain with t-mobile earlier.
Few cons though, which made me give it four stars- Foremost, it still has old software...for example, you still cannot store more than one number type in one name...it creates duplicate records. I have heard something about 3D address book...but atleast in Cingular phones it is not available. Plus...not a single fully functional game...only ONE demo (at least from Cingualr)
Also, with a phone so expensive...it doesn't come with its CD to synhronize address book etc..you still need to shell out another $30 or so.
68 Techno nirvana
American engineers are at the best when they design sleek products with simple functionality. Forget about all the bells and whistles that clutter most electronics products. This phone is the epitomy of space age design. No other phone comes close in terms of the look and feel. If you want a phone that is first and foremost a good phone and looks and feels cutting edge, buy this phone.
69 Great phone
After 3 yrs of the Sony Ericsson T68i I had enough. I decided it was time to get a new phone and this is the phone I had been waiting for. It is a flip phone, but it is so thin that it's thinner then 99% of the current phones out there. The software is fast unlike the Sony T68i and since it is a flip phone my hands don't cramp up when using it. It is so light that you don't even feel it's in your pocket. The graphics are amazing, and so is the hifi sound. The phone feels very solid in your hands. Looking at the T68i makes me laugh now, it feels like a kids toy phone. Remember how revolutionary the startac was?? Well, Motorola has done it again, they are back.
70 WOW!
The picture on amazon doesn't do it justice. This phone is HOT! The body is solid and the innards do amazing things. Anyone that can afford it should get it now.
71 Amazing!
I have been waiting for this phone for over a year. My last phone worth buying was the Motorola V60, every phone since then has seemed flimsy and a waste of good battery. My friends have gone through phone after phone, they fall apart after a five foot drop or submerge in water, not the v60 and hopefully not the razr. Its amazingly slim, almost the thickness of a cd case. The screens are bright, and razor sharp, no pun intended. The camera is at least somewhat useful and has a 4x zoom. The phone is almost as cool as my Japanese's interns, it looks as though we are almost catching up. This phone is awsome. The mp4 video is awsome, more storage would have been nice though, maybe a sd or cf storage? I guess that's what the pda is for. Still a sleek and powerful phone. 500 bucks though?! give me a break, check out www.wirefly.com you'll find the same phone with loads of accessories for about 399 with a minimum 12 month service contract. Worth every penny!
