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When the Motorola RAZR V3 was launched last year, I think most everybody, including Motorola itself, was quite surprised by how popular the handset turned out to be, considering the asking price. Its slim profile and sleek silver colored metal body proved to be just too much of a temptation for the world, and people the world over jumped through hoops and over hurdles just to get one for their very own. Everybody was a movie star with one of these! 
Black is beautiful. | Until, of course, Motorola gave 50 exclusive RAZR V3 BLK handsets to some real movie stars at the 77th Annual Academy Awards in February, 2005. All of a sudden, the silver RAZR lost some of its shine. But once again, it is time for the masses to rejoice. Motorola is making the RAZR BLK available to all. Of course it isn't just the color that makes the RAZR V3 BLK such a desirable handset. One reason that people love it so is its size. It weighs only 3.35oz (95g), which is pretty light for a phone that has a largely metal body. At 3.86" x 2.17" x .57" (98mm x 55mm x 14.5mm) in size, it is actually thinner than most candy bar style phones on the market. It can be slipped perfectly into a shirt, suit, or pants pocket, as well as a purse, without being noticed. There is so much more to the RAZR V3 BLK than its physical being, though. Certainly the primary purpose of any phone must be making phone calls, and in spite of its small stature, the RAZR V3 BLK managed a full 7 hours of talk time in our tests - a very respectable showing. A related bonus is the fact that you can charge the RAZR V3 BLK directly from your computer's USB port with the same type of mini-USB cable that you probably already have for your digital camera. That's one less power adapter to pack in the suitcase. Support for all 4 GSM frequency bands means that the RAZR will work in San Francisco and New York just as well as it will in Paris and London. The handset's internal antenna also proved to be quite capable, offering up very good reception in weak signal areas. Of course some compromises had to be made to get all of this functionality into such a small package. The keypad, for example, is a very thin metal unit that offers less tactile feedback than most, though it makes up for that somewhat by looking fantastic in the dark, thanks to its cool blue back light. While quite usable, it might take a bit of getting used to. No compromises were made with the main display, though: a nice 2.2" 65k color TFT unit, with 176 x 220 pixel resolution. The external display is also color, though only a 4k CSTN type. 
The Motorola RAZR V3 BLK is thin and definitely in. | The built-in VGA camera proved itself to be one of the better ones on the market, offering good contrast, color, and focus in most situations. The RAZR's polyphonic sound system also works quite well, and even allows you to use MP3 files as ringtones. So if you have a few dollars to spare in your quest for looking like a movie star, Motorola has got just the thing you need. Luckily, the RAZR V3 BLK has the brains to back up the beauty. --Reviewed by Michael Oryl, editor in chief of www.MobileBurn.com Pros: - Thin
- 7 hours of talk time
- Quad-band GSM
- Good antenna reception
Cons: - Expensive
- Unusual Keypad
- Your friends will try to steal it
So if you have a few dollars to spare in your quest for looking like a movie star, Motorola has got just the thing you need. Luckily, the RAZR V3 BLK has the brains to back up the beauty. --Reviewed by Michael Oryl, editor in chief of www.MobileBurn.com
|
 Black (RAZR) is Beautiful |
| Review Date: May 12, 2005 |
| Reviewer: NOIR X, New York, NY |
The Black RAZR V3 is the wireless phone I have always wanted. It's that simple.
Before having bought mine, I would read commentary from people who would cite all of the features the RAZR doesn't have: "I could buy the (insert model number of cheaper, but still expensive phone which does 100 different things--all of them poorly) and get more for a lot less money." When I would research a model recommended by these self-proclaimed gadget freaks, I'd find that it's dimensions make keeping it in a pocket an awkward and uncomfortable proposition; I'd find that the pictures it takes are not nearly of comparable quality to those taken by even a modest digital camera; I'd find that the lo-res video it can shoot serves no practical purpose; I'd find that web-browsing, game-playing, Instant messaging, streaming television content, all suck up battery-life and ultimately make the device useless for the unlikely purpose of placing and taking phone calls; I'd find that the phone casing is composed of cheap and flimsy plastics which make me wonder how long it wll last; I'd find that little attention had been paid to how the phone's design will contribute to, or detract from, user comfort. After my investigation, I concluded that for all the money I would save by buying "Phone X" over buying a RAZR, I would still have paid hundreds too much for a filmsy hunk of cutting-edge technojunk. (Don't take my word for it. Look around on the Net for comments about the RAZR around the time of its inroduction and see the recommendations from consumers that people choose the Motorola V600 instead. Then look at the consumer reviews of the V600 on this site.)
The RAZR has a camera, a web-browser, Instant messaging capability, and a whole array of other features all of which are listed in the product description. To the extent that the RAZR does these things adequately I will offer little, if any, comment--mainly because I don't care about them. That to which I can and will attest is that the RAZR exceeds my expectation on how it serves AS A PHONE.
Using my own criteria, a wireless phone should draw and hold a signal; It's earpiece should deliver clear sound at a volume which can compete with background noise; it's mouthpiece should pick up the users voice clearly; it should be compact enough to allow for placement in clothing pockets without creating prominent bulges; it should be solidly built out of durable materials which are not prone to scratching; it should have decent battery life. And yes, anything for which I pay hundreds of dollars should be designed with aesthetics in mind: there are far too many wireless phones which look like disposable children's toys, or like awkward, all-purpose, button-riddled gadgets.
Using the above criteria, the RAZR V3, particularly the Black model, is close to perfect. The sound from the ear piece could certainly be louder, but I have yet to have a caller's voice drowned out by the noise of busy New York City streets. The people to whom I'm speaking have reported to have heard my voice loudly and clearly. Battery life could be longer, but then, the same could be said about many wireless phones which are bulkier and have larger batteries. I have used the phone on both T-Mobile and Cingular networks and found that it draws a strong signal on both; it has never dropped a call. I found the speaker phone to be loud and clear despite my expectations to the contrary. Is the much-lamented Motorola phone book program clunky? Yes it is. But the RAZR's voice-dialing works well, making it possible to avoid scrolling through the phone book if one hates it that much.
I'll try to boil it down with a somewhat clumsy analogy: Complaining that the RAZR doesn't do enough in the way of tech-gimmicks to justify its price (which is considerably lower that it was when it was introduced) is like complaining that an exotic sports car isn't worth the money because it doesn't have a cup holder, a GPS system, and DVD player like the Minivan you've been looking to buy. That ridiculousness ignores the engineering that makes the sports car a superior performer on the road, and the attention put toward making it sleek and aesthetically pleasing. The RAZR's performance has made concern over signal strength a thing of the past. and its design is unmatched--not just for it's ultra-compactness, but for the solidity of it's build. That makes it worth what I paid for it. And my inability to speak to the quality of other phones on the market put them out of consideration.
Besides, as they say, black is beautiful.
That the RAZR cannot serve as a business-card scanner doesn't trouble me. For those who need to have whichever feature-laden mobile gadget is most desired at the moment, buy a Samsung MM-A800, clip it on you belt (you'll need to), and earn yourself the right to say your phone can do just about everything--poorly. |
Motorola finally getting it right
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| Review Date: August 8, 2006 |
| Reviewer: Living in Budapest, Budapest, Hungary (originally Ann Arbor, MI) |
| This is my fourth consecutive Motorola phone. I've owned a Timeport, v66, and v600. The Timeport was simply terrible. The v66 was a little better, but the Motorola menu had to be the worst of any phone I had ever used. My v600 was a very pleasant surprise. My sleek and functional RAZR is the best phone that I have owned. I really like the large crisp screen. The tiny external screen is a great addition. After three weeks of fairly heavy use, I haven't had any problems. The RAZR has pretty good talk time, but I'm not certain whether or not one can really get the 7 hours claimed by Motorola. The feature that I really like and appreciate is the abilit to charge my phone with a standard USB cable. It's nice not having to carry around an extra charger when I'm already lugging around my laptop and its power supply. |
Warning! Offered by Tiger Direct...
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| Review Date: April 2, 2006 |
| Reviewer: J. Jones, San Clemente, CA United States |
| The RAZR is a nice phone, but this review isn't about that, instead it is about the people selling it which is just as important. If you haven't dealt with Tiger Direct lately or at all, then you should be aware that they sell refurbs and open box items and have changed from a decent seller to completely clueless. Their customer support is non-existant and if the item is not in stock, then they won't bother letting you know. You will sit around wondering why your package never arrived because you won't get a live person on the phone and they don't answer email until a month later. It is better to check www.nextag.com or any other price comparison site using the keywords "Unlocked RAZR" where you will get it cheaper and can be assured that the product is coming from a reputable seller. Tiger Direct is probably the worst electronics dealer on the net because they are so big and feel they don't have to care about their customers. Hopefully, you go somewhere else and save yourself a headache. These people just don't care. |
Great phone would buy again
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| Review Date: February 7, 2006 |
| Reviewer: Nathaniel K., Miami,fl |
| It is both stylish and functional. Black by far is the best color. Great reception and worth the price. The only problem with the phone is it is a fingerprint magnet but you can clean it. It is pretty durable i have dropped it three times and no scratches though i would recomened buying a case. Also beware of the bluetooth eats up your battery. The video quality is pretty good it can record up to a minute if ajusted. I recomend getting the Usb data cable and software for the phone so you can put your emails,data, etc. on your phone. In concluesion worth the buy. |
You're in Good Company With the RAZR V3
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| Review Date: August 24, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Florida Guy, |
| I don't like being the first to own a new product, so I waited until the RAZR had been on the market for a long time before buying one for myself. This is by far the best of many cell phones that I've owned. The keypad does take a bit of getting used to, but once you do, it works very well. The signal strength is good, the voice quality (sending and receiving) is good, and the four-band feature is good when traveling outside the USA. Also, Amazon's price was good. IT'S ALL GOOD! |
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