T-Mobile Razr2 V8 Cell Phone Review - Value & Comparisons
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Mark Brezinski Published on December 10, 2007 Comment on this |
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Value (5.0)
The Razr2 V8 is currently the cheapest model Razr2 out there. Verizon and Sprint both have their iterations priced at $250 with a contract, while AT&T believes theirs is worth an even $300. Even at roughly half the cost and with far superior hardware, we still have trouble placing the V8 as a solid deal. It is by no means bad, it's just that all its best attributes have counterpoints. Its battery life is just bad -- browsing time was so low we wonder why the feature was included at all. It also doesn't have an email client. While it does have great organizational software and a good file browser, it still doesn't reach smart phone quality. Also, its file browser is overshadowed by the inability to easily transfer files to and from the device. Even with its drawbacks, the V8 is a handsome handset with good functionality for half the price of a typical smart phone. While it isn't the best deal out there, you could get a lot less for your money without trying too hard.
Comparisons
Helio Fin - The Fin and the V8 are very similar. Both are good looking phones that have a lot to offer. The Fin has a GPS and better messaging software. It also has marginally better battery life and audio quality. In virtually every other category, however, the Razr2 V8 is better. The Fin costs $70 less, however, which does even the scales a bit. 
Samsung Juke - Despite being dead last in our ratings, we like the Juke. It's a unique little device with an atrocious ad campaign. Like the V8, it's biggest flaw is its battery life. In this match-up, we'd have to side with the V8. The Juke's price has yet to come down, and for the extra $50 invested you get software that's more than twice as robust and about ten times the screen. If the Juke's price drops down to naught, we might recommend it over the Razr2 V8 for those who don't think they'll take advantage of the V8's organizational software. 
Sony Ericcson W580i - The W580i is currently almost half the cost of the Razr2 V8, and is a better media handset if only because of its battery life. In terms of overall software quality, however, the Razr2 is better rounded. It also looks more professional, whereas the W580i clearly looks to be for the younger set. Again, however, the Razr2 finds itself priced at $70 above its competition, which could be the deciding factor. 
LG Chocolate VX8550 - This match-up is nearly identical to the one above. While the Chocolate is a bit more toned down than the W580i in terms of youthful appearance, it still doesn't look as professional as the V8. It is a better music player, with a vastly superior battery life. The software isn't as good, but if you're looking for an Mp3 player that can call people, the Chocolate wins hands down. 
LG Venus - When we started reviewing the Razr2 V8, we initially thought it'd be like the other Razr2s: nice looking, but lacking once you power it on. Of course, we were very impressed when we saw the breadth of the software. In the Venus's case, we were expecting excellent software, but got phone that's worse than the Razr2 V8 in a lot of ways. The Venus was the more attractive phone, at least in our eyes, but the V8 has significantly better software.| Previous Next | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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