Motorola Razr2 V9m on Verizon Cell Phone Review - Hardware
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Alfredo Padilla Published on September 12, 2007 Comment on this |
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Keypad
Text Words Per Minute (8.80)
To find out how easy the Razr2 V9m's handset is to type on we timed how long it took to enter a standardized phrase using two hands. We repeated this test five times and took the average time to calculate our words per minute (WPM) score. The Razr2 V9m from Verizon performed just as admirably on this test as its Sprint cousin, able to type out our test sentence at an average speed of 44 WPM. As you can see below this compares very well to other phones with regular keypads, and is competitive with phones that have QWERTY keyboards; on the HTC Mogul, which has a large slide-out QWERTY keyboard, we managed 44.9 WPM. We found the keypad roomy and easy to use with two hands, despite the lack of key travel. | Cell Phone | Words Per Minute | Score |
| Razr2 V9m (Verizon) | 44.00 | 8.80 |
| Helio Fin | 31.70 | 6.34 |
| Razr2 V9m (Sprint) | 42.90 | 8.58 |
| Razr V3m | 29.40 | 5.88 |
| LG Chocolate VX8550 | 38.49 | 7.70 |
| Apple iPhone | 39.60 | 7.92 |
T9 and Auto Complete (10.0)
The Razr2 V9m from Verizon supports predictive text entry using Motorola's iTap system and word prediction, using previously entered words and phrases to speed up your typing. Predictive text entry is pretty standard on phones, but we were glad to see the presence of word prediction as well, which is missing from the Sprint version of the V9m.
One Hand Usability (7.84)
For those who like to type one-handed we repeated our words per minute (WPM) test using only a single hand. As is normal our speed was a little slower, but still good at 39.2 WPM. We have to say the Razr2 V9m's keypad is one of the best we've typed on, one- or two-handed.
| Cell Phone | Words Per Minute | Score |
| Razr2 V9m (Verizon) | 39.2 | 7.84 |
| Helio Fin | 32.7 | 6.54 |
| Razr2 V9m (Sprint) | 36.7 | 7.34 |
| Razr V3m | 26.1 | 5.22 |
| LG Chocolate VX8550 | 29.8 | 5.96 |
| Apple iPhone | 32.1 | 6.42 |
Keypad Backlighting (7.0)
Just like the Sprint version of the Razr2 V9m, the Verizon version has a well lit keypad that clearly illuminates all the numbers and symbols. Unlike the Sprint version there doesn't seem to be any support for a light sensor, which is strange since both handsets supposedly have the same hardware. There are separate timing controls for the keypad, however, allowing you to set the time out length from a few seconds to always on. You can also turn it off permanently.
Controls
D-Pad/Joystick (6.0)
The Razr2 V9m's d-pad does a very good job, with raised arrows allowing you to find the four directions by feel and a raised ridge separating the center select key from the surrounding circle. It's also roomy and we rarely found ourselves making mistakes. Like all of the controls on the Razr2 V9m's one piece keypad/control sheet, key travel and tactile feedback when the buttons are pressed is less than we would like. Despite these drawbacks we liked the Razr2 V9m's d-pad. Touch Screen (0.0)
The Razr2 V9m has a section of the external screen that is sensitive to touch, but because it's not as functional as a true touch screen as found on the iPhone or LG Prada we decided not to award any points here. We will be awarding points for the touch-sensitive buttons in the other buttons section below.
Jog Dial (0.0)
The Razr2 V9m on Verizon lacks a jog dial. The Sprint version of the V9m allowed you to use the volume keys to move up and down lists, but the Verizon version of the phone lacks this functionality.
Soft Buttons (7.0)
The soft buttons on the Razr2 V9m are roomy and easy to find by feel. The same concern about lack of travel and tactile feedback is here, but despite these issues we found the soft keys very easy to use and rarely made a mistake when trying to press them.
Volume Control (5.0)
The volume rocker on the Razr2 V9m is located on the left side of the phone, near the top of the lower flip. We found the volume key to be well placed, with a clear differentiation between up and down, but were disappointed by the lack of key travel and tactile feedback when the key is pressed.
Power and Standby (6.5)
The power button on the Razr2 V9m is a secondary function of the end key. Like most of the keypad and control buttons on the Razr2 V9m, this key is roomy and easy to find by feel. A long press on the key is required to shut the phone down, while a short press will start it back up again.
Other Buttons (10.0)
On the front of the phone when closed there are three contextual touch-sensitive buttons that are part of the exterior display. These buttons sit at the bottom of the screen and change their function depending upon what the exterior screen is being used for. When "pressed" the handset vibrates slightly to provide some feedback, and this works well in practice. We only wish the Razr2 V9m made better use of the exterior display and these contextual keys.
Below the volume key on the left side of the phone is a speaker phone key that requires a long press to turn the speaker phone on or off. Although this is different placement than the key with the same function on the Sprint version of the phone, we once again feel this function is a waste of a hardware button. To the left of the d-pad is a dedicated camera key, which launches the stills camera with a single press and the camcorder with a long press. To the right of the d-pad is the clear/back key. Finally, on the right side of the phone is another button that launches the voice command software. As with the Sprint version of the V9m we are not awarding points for the speakerphone button, but are doing so for all the other keys mentioned in this section.
Display
Primary Screen Gross Resolution (8.0)
The Razr2 V9m's main display is QVGA resolution (240 x 320 pixels). This is a significant improvement over the older Razr V3m, but is fairly standard for most modern handsets. As you can see below every other handset except the V3m has a resolution as high or higher than the Razr2 V9m.
| Cell Phone | Resolution | Score |
| Razr2 V9m (Verizon) | 240 x 320 | 8.00 |
| Helio Fin | 240 x 320 | 8.00 |
| Razr2 V9m (Sprint) | 240 x 320 | 8.00 |
| Razr V3m | 176 x 144 | 4.00 |
| LG Chocolate VX8550 | 240 x 320 | 8.00 |
| Apple iPhone | 320 x 480 | 9.00 |
Primary Screen Pixels per Inch (9.09)
Pixels per inch (PPI) is a measure of how densely pixels are packed onto the screen. The higher the pixel density, the richer the colors produced by the screen and the sharper images are displayed. The Razr2 V9m's screen measured 181.8 PPI, which is a good score. As you can see below only the LG Chocolate VX8550 had a higher pixel density than the Razr2 V9m.
| Cell Phone | Pixels Per Inch | Score |
| Razr2 V9m (Verizon) | 181.8 | 9.09 |
| Helio Fin | 173.9 | 8.70 |
| Razr2 V9m (Sprint) | 181.8 | 9.09 |
| Razr V3m | 125.0 | 6.25 |
| LG Chocolate VX8550 | 200.0 | 10.00 |
| Apple iPhone | 164.8 | 8.24 |
Screen Physical Size (5.50)
The Razr2 V9m's main screen measures 2.2 inches diagonal. This is larger than the older V3m's 2.1-inch screen, but only slightly. Most phones have a screen between 2 and 2.4 inches, so the Razr2 V9m falls right in the middle of that range.
| Cell Phone | Size Diagonal (inches) | Score |
| Razr2 V9m (Verizon) | 2.2 | 5.50 |
| Helio Fin | 2.3 | 5.75 |
| Razr2 V9m (Sprint) | 2.2 | 5.50 |
| Razr V3m | 2.1 | 5.25 |
| LG Chocolate VX8550 | 2.0 | 5.00 |
| Apple iPhone | 3.5 | 8.75 |
Screen Brightness (5.85)
Because the Razr2 V9m's screen is controlled by a light sensor with no option to control brightness manually it's difficult to get an accurate measure of how bright it can actually get. In our standard test where we measure brightness using the lux meter from two inches away we measured it at 52 lux. You should note, however, that since we measure the brightness in a dark room this probably doesn't show how bright the screen can actually get. The Razr2 V9m does allow you to control how long the backlight stays on, however. You can choose from seven, 15, or 30 seconds and also have the option to leave it always on or off.
| Cell Phone | Brightness (lux) | Score |
| Razr2 V9m (Verizon) | 52 | 5.85 |
| Helio Fin | 78 | 5.15 |
| Razr2 V9m (Sprint) | 48 | 5.40 |
| Razr V3m | 46 | 2.30 |
| LG Chocolate VX8550 | 55 | 3.15 |
| Apple iPhone | 168 | 15.40 |
Screen Bright Light Performance (6.0)
To see how the Razr2 V9m's screen handles bright light situations we shine 300 lux of light on the screen and judge how legible it is. Three thousand lux is equivalent to a bright sunny day. The Razr2 V9m handled this just as well as it's Sprint cousin. The screen was reasonably legible, but not as good as the iPhone or BlackBerry 8800, both of which did extremely well in this test. Chances are you'll be able to find your way around the interface, but don't expect to be able to read too much on the screen beyond that.
Color Depth (6.0)
The Razr2 V9m's main screen is capable of displaying 65,000 colors. This is pretty standard, but for a higher end phone like the V9m we actually would have preferred to see a 260,000-color display. The more colors a screen can display the more accurate colors appear on the screen.
| Cell Phone | Colors (thousands) | Score |
| Razr2 V9m (Verizon) | 65 | 6.00 |
| Helio Fin | 262 | 8.00 |
| Razr2 V9m (Sprint) | 65 | 6.00 |
| Razr V3m | 65 | 6.00 |
| LG Chocolate VX8550 | 262 | 8.00 |
| Apple iPhone | n/a - unknown | 6.00 |
Secondary Screen (16.68)
Ports & Storage
Power & Data Ports (5.0)
We've always approved of Motorola's use of a standard Mini USB port for power and data, but with the Razr2 V9m they have taken a slightly different track, using the newer Micro USB standard. This provides for a lower profile, but because this is one of the first handsets to use this connector it's not nearly as ubiquitous as Mini USB yet. As such we are only awarding half the points we would for Mini USB.
Headphone & Jack Compatibility (5.0)
The Razr2 V9m uses the same Micro USB port that is used for power and data for headsets, as well. Thankfully Verizon has included an adaptor for more standard 2.5mm headsets, so you don't need to go out and buy a proprietary set of wired headphones. Of course you can eschew the headphones altogether and instead go with wireless stereo Bluetooth headphones, which the Razr2 V9m also supports. We appreciate the presence of the 2.5mm adaptor, although we have to ask: why not a 3.5mm adaptor instead? Still, it's better than what you get with the Sprint version of the V9m, which is no adaptor.
Internal Storage (1.0)
The Razr2 V9m comes with 128 MB of internal storage. Between 60 and 80 MB are available for the user, depending upon the software configuration of the device. 128 MB is significantly more than most handsets, which range between 20 and 60 MB, but of course it's no comparison to an iPhone, which has as much as 8 GB of storage.
Expansion Slot & Format (5.0)
The V9m uses Micro SD expansion for additional storage. Micro SD has pretty much become the de facto standard for mobile devices, so we're not surprised to see it used here. The Razr2 V9m supports Micro SD cards up to 2 GB in size, but it lacks support for newer, higher capacity SDHC cards. The Micro SD slot is located beneath the battery cover, but not underneath the battery. Still, you do need to remove the battery to get a card in and out. We were pleased to see the slot is spring loaded, an improvement over the older Razr V3m.
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