Motorola W315 Prepaid Cell Phone Review - Tour & Design

Richard Baguley
Published on December 29, 2007 Comment on this

Front Closed

The Motorola W315 has a clean, rounded design that is obvious from the front. In the middoe of the top of the lid is a small LCD display that shows the time. At the top, we see something that we don't see that much these days; an external antenna that slides up.

Open

Flipping open the top reveals the keypad and screen. Right at the bottom of the case we see the small microphone hole, then above this is the keypad. The 5 key is indented to make touch dialing a little easier. Above the keypad are the green send and red end buttons, plus the 4-way directional pad, the shortcut key (on the left), the clear button and two soft keys below the screen. The function of these two soft keys changes depending on the menu options on display below the scree.

Left

The left side of the W315 contains three features: a volume control, a speakerphone button and the cover over the mini USB charging port.

Top

The major features on the top are the slide-out antenna and the lanyard loop, and a small speaker vent on the right side.

Bottom

There are no features on the bottom, with the exception of two small speaker vents on the edge of the lid.

Right

The right side of the W315 has only two major features; a 2.5-mm headphone socket under a small plastic cover and a button that activates voice dialing.

Back & Battery Out

Removing the rounded back of the W315 reveals the battery, which takes up the majority of the space. But at the bottom of the phone, you can just see another speaker, which is activated when the phone is in speakerphone mode. The battery is a rather small 880MAh model, which doesn't bode well for the battery life.

In the Box (1.0)

As you might expect with a prepaid phone, the package is pretty minimal. In the bubble pack you get the phone, a few manuals and a USB charger. And that's it; there are no headphones, memory cards or software. Incidentally, the thick plastic bubble pack was a pain to open, requiring a large amount of hacking at to open. And, yes, we did indeed shed blood in producing this review.

Handling (5.5)
The W315 is a small phone that fits into the hand well. The paint-feel platic on the case means that you can keep a tight grip on it, and the send and end buttons and directional controls fall under the thumb when the phone is open. However, the keypad is not comfortably placed for dialing with one hand; if you are holding onto a post on the train with one hand and are trying to dial with the other to let someone know you are going to be late, you have to uncomfortably angle your thumb down to reach.

Portability (7.0)
The W315 is not a large phone; at just 3.48 inches tall, 1.98 inches wide and 0.89 inches thick, it's a small phone that fits nicely into a pocket or bag. But the extendable antenna is a pain; it pokes into all the wrong places if you put it into a trouser pocket, and the phone is a bit too thick to go into a snug pair of jeans.

Aesthetics (6.0)
The W315 isn't a stylish phone by any stretch of the imagination; the design is clean and simple, but it's more about function than style. I wouldn't expect to see any supermodels using the W315.

Durability (7.0)
Although the W315 feels pretty well built, the antenna is again a concern; the top part of the antenna could easily get caught on something and pulled, breaking either the antenna or the top part clean off. But the rest of the phone feels solid; the port covers and buttons aren't likely to get damaged in everyday use.

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