T-Mobile Razr2 V8 Cell Phone Review - Tour & Design
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Mark Brezinski Published on December 10, 2007 Comment on this |
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Front Closed
The front of the Razr2 V8 is monopolized by its interesting external screen, which has a touch-sensitive part at the bottom. Above this is a small Motorola insignia, atop which is the camera lens.
Front Open
Flipping open the Razr2 V8 will reveal its internal display, which is sandwiched between more Motorola branding. The bottom half of the phone contains the d -pad, its orbiting array of six keys, and a standard 12-button keypad.
Left
The left side of the phone is textured to facilitate grip. It contains a volume rocker, the Smart Button (which is the select key while the phone is closed, and brings up the media player otherwise), and the micro USB charging/data port.
Top
The top of the phone is boring and has no important features.
Bottom
The bottom of the phone is also textured, but we're not sure why: the beveled edge means it'll never offer a solid grip. Topographical issues aside, those two blue slits are the V8's microphone.
Right
The right side of the phone features a huge voice command button as well as a lanyard loop.
Back
The back of the phone is equal parts battery cover and branding. Below that mess is the blue smile of the speakerphone.
Battery Out
Once you've removed the battery cover, you'll be able to see the SIM card slot and the battery itself. Removing the battery reveals no additional features. Unlike other versions of the Razr2 the V8 does not support Micro SD cards, instead relying on its 2GB of internal storage.
In the Box (6.0)
The Razr2 V8 comes with a ton of stuff. First of all, there are a ton of leaflets in addition to the manuals. Once you dig past those, you'll find a wall charger, a headset with four replacement ear buds, a micro USB to regular USB cable, a mini USB adaptor for the phone's micro USB port, a software CD containing Windows Media Player 11, and a svelte cloth pouch. We were happy to see that T-Mobile decided to include so many extras with the phone.
Handling (5.0)
The Razr2 V8 is a bit bigger than the old Razr, but still handles well, provided you don't have small hands. If you do, you might find the phone a bit wide to manipulate easily. It also has a good amount of heft to it for such a small device, but it probably won't be enough to turn a phone call into a serious workout. The smooth plastic case also feels nice, and the textured sides give your fingers something to hang on to.
Portability (8.0)
The Razr2 V8 retains the thin profile emblematic of the Razr series and is therefore incredibly portable. It should fit into just about any kind of pocket, purse or bag without trouble.
Aesthetics (8.0)
Like its twins, the T-Mobile flavored Razr2 is a nice-looking handset. We had a dark blue version, which we though looked more professional than the brighter colors of the old model. If bright pink is more your style, however, we're sure it will be released at some point. Until then the Razr2 V8's subtle, dignified coloration will have to suffice.
Durability (7.0)
The Razr2 V8 certainly feels durable. We twisted it around and didn't hear any sort of creaks. As a flip phone, however, the V8 comes with a durability stigma: moving parts break down faster than non-moving parts. In spite of this, however, the V8's hinge seems to be sturdy and sealed off. The only other durability issue is the external screen, which we can see getting all sorts of scratched.
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