Motorola RAZR V3m Cell Phone Review - Tour & Design
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Alfredo Padilla Published on March 16, 2007 Comment on this |
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Front Closed
The front of the Motorola Razr V3m is dominated by the housing for the 96 x 80 CSTN color display. The housing is larger than the display itself. Below this you find the Motorola logo and a slot that shares the phone speaker. Above the display is the 1.3 megapixel camera. Like all Razr’s the front flap of the flip does not extend all the way down, leaving a joint four fifths of the way down the front of the phone when closed.
Left
On the left you find two buttons and a port. On the top part of the flip you find the volume rocker and a voice command button. Unfortunately the volume rocker does not function when the phone is closed, while the voice command button is used to light up the exterior display. On the bottom part of the flip, near the thicker bottom area of the phone you find a standard mini usb port.
Top
The top of the phone houses the hinge for the flip.
Bottom
Nothing is found on the bottom of the phone.
Right
On the right is a single button, which activated the camera when the phone is open. On the right side of the hinge you will also find the phone’s lanyard loop.
Back
The back of the phone sports the battery cover with release latch, external antenna port with rubber cover, Motorola and Sprint logos and the speakerphone.
Front Open
When opened the Motorola Razr V3m retains a layout that is familiar to any Razr user. The top flip is dominated by a TK” 176 x 220 TFT color display. Above the display are the Motorola brand and logo, flanked by the phone speakers. On the lower part of the flip you find the typical Razr keypad and controls, made of a single piece of metal with etching differentiating the keys. A circular D-Pad is flanked by two soft keys, a back button, shortcut to recent calls, dial and hangup keys. Just above the controls on the right you will find a light sensor.
Below the controls is the keypad, the 5 button is slightly raised to provide tactile feedback for touch dialing. Each of the buttons is separated by blue etching in the typical Razr wave arrangement. Below the keypad you find the phone’s microphone.
Battery Out
The battery housing holds the 740 mAh battery and provides access to the MicroSD slot. Although the Micro SD slot is not located beneath the battery, you cannot access it without first removing the battery. The Micro SD slot is not spring assisted so it requires some force to get the card in.
In the Box (2.0)
Sprint’s Motorola Razr V3m ships with manuals, a wall charger and a 64mb Micro SD card with adaptor for SD card slots.
Handling (7.0)
The Motorola Razr V3m feels comfortable in the hand. The wide body may be a little uncomfortable to hold for those with small hands, however the phone’s thin profile can make up for this. The plastic casing is slightly slick, and it may slip out of your hands on occasion. Opening the phone is fairly easy, with one or two hands as there is a good differentiation between the top and bottom sections that you can find by feel.
Because of its light weight the Razr is easy to hold for long calls, but it’s thin form factor, especially when open, means that there’s not a lot to hold onto, which can be uncomfortable for those with large hands. The placement of the lens is of some concern, because when open your finger seems to sit on it naturally, leading to fingerprints and smudges. The exterior screen also attracts fingerprints. Getting a memory card into the phone is a little bit of a pain, as you need to remove the battery first and the slot is not spring mounted. The battery latch is easy to use, but is well recessed so you shouldn’t see the cover come off by accident. Getting the battery itself out is a more difficult, requiring you to pry it out with your finger tips.
Overall the Razr V3m sacrifices some functionality in terms of handling for looks, but is still a very usable device.
Portability (9.0)
The Razr V3m is one of the most portable phones out there. It will fit into just about any pocket or purse, and won’t weigh you down at all. Some may find it a little wide, but this is more than made up for by the thin form factor. If you’re concerned about the phone getting scratched up there are a large variety of cases and skins available for the Razr series.
Aesthetic (8.0)
As a successor to the original slim phone, the Motorola Razr V3m has the style that has become synonymous with Motorola. No one carrying a V3m should feel bad about their phone’s looks. On the other hand, because of the phone’s success it is no longer the status symbol it once was.
Durability (6.5)
The Motorola Razr V3m does creak a little, and the very thinness of the phone creates some concerns about its durability. Not to mention that any phone with moving parts brings concerns to the table. Overall though, the V3m feels fairly solid, and should hold up until its time to sign up for a new contract.
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