MOTOROLA PEBL U6 ORANGE T-MOBILE BLUETOOTH CELL PHONE

by Motorola

Product Details

• Item Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• ASIN: B000H1WO0G
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Motorola's PEBL U6 is the second model in Motorola's high-end "four-letter word" line, following the super popular RAZR V3. The PEBL takes some of the same materials and technologies used in the RAZR and packages them into a completely different kind of clamshell handset. While the RAZR is all about thin, sharp angles, the PEBL is more about design, making use of soft curves and smooth lines throughout.

Screen shots from the PEBL.

Click here to get a 3-D view of the Motorola PEBL.

The orange finish on the smooth, rounded exterior of the PEBL U6 manages to be very glossy while still having a visual texture to it. The effect is very cool in person, but the downside is that the phone is an absolute magnet for finger prints. But that's just the cost of high fashion, isn't it?

The PEBL's biggest claim to fame is perhaps not its shape and look, but its unique opening mechanism. A series of custom hinges, a dampening device, and some magnets allow the PEBL U6 to be opened up one-handed in a very smooth, elegant manner. When holding the device, you simply use your thumb to pull the top cover towards the bottom of the device a bit, which releases the magnetic latch that keeps the spring-loaded opening mechanism at bay. At that point you simply move your thumb out of the way and let the spring do its job. The motion is smooth and slow enough not to cause the device to become unbalanced.

Once open, the PEBL's unusual keypad is ready for use. The directional controller and its center select button are very typical of mobile phones, but the rest of the keypad builds on some of the design elements we saw in the RAZR's keypad. The PEBL's keypad and softkeys are completely flat. The actual buttons are hidden behind a single sheet of metal that has a bit of give to it, allowing finger pressure to make its way to the switches underneath. Thin strips of translucent material let light filter in from behind, just as they do on the RAZR's keypad. The net result is a very distinct-looking keypad that probably sacrifices a bit too much in the name of fashion. Individual keys are simply much easier to find and press, even if they don't look nearly as sharp.

The inner workings of the PEBL U6 seem to be stock Motorola. The handset comes in two variations, each of which supports three GSM frequency bands and EDGE data. The North American version supports the 850, 900, 1800, and 1900 Mhz bands. The internal display is a 262k-color unit with a pixel resolution of 176x220. The battery should be good for over 6 and a half hours of talk time, or up to as long as 10 days of standby time according to Motorola. Bluetooth support more than makes up for a lack of infrared connectivity. The only aspect that seems a bit dated is the PEBL's VGA camera. For a high-end handset like the PEBL, you certainly would expect more resolution in the camera, at least it's capable of recording MPEG4 video clips.

Other highlights include 5 MB of internal storage that can be used for MP3 or MIDI ringtones, photos and video clips, and downloaded Java games and applications. The addition of speaker-independent voice dialing and voice commands is welcome, and the PEBL's relatively low weight of 3.7 ounces (110 g) makes it quite pocketable.

Motorola's PEBL U6 is a unique handset. Where it goes, stares and longing gazes will follow. It might not have the full range of high-end features inside, but for the see-and-be-seen crowd, it probably has everything to get the job done.

Pros:

• Unique design
• Automatic opening mechanism
• Bluetooth

Cons:

• Low-resolution camera
• Difficult keypad

--Reviewed by Michael Oryl, editor in chief of www.MobileBurn.com

Product Description

Inspired by nature’s smooth curves and organic lines, Motorola PEBL is the essence of mobile sophistication and stylish simplicity. Hold it in your palm and you’ll understand its mysterious pull. Enjoy both form and function, with complete imaging, video capture and playback, and voice recognition features. Design at its most breathtakingly simplicity, Motorola PEBL reshapes the way you view mobile communication. No hard edges. No fussy lines. Just a sleek and smooth contour with an evolutionary single-touch open hinge.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful phone but with some limitations, January 13, 2007

By 

Helen Hancox "Auntie Helen" (Essex, England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: MOTOROLA PEBL U6 ORANGE T-MOBILE BLUETOOTH CELL PHONE (Wireless Phone)

I love this phone. I love it so much when, having had it for just two weeks and accidentally immersing it in seawater so that it died, I bought another one. My original one was a free upgrade but after two weeks I was willing to spend £100 on a replacement. I liked it that much.

I've now had my PEBL for over six months. I still love it, but some of its limitations have become apparent. I'll list the pros and cons and you can judge for yourself.

**Pro the PEBL**

It's a clamshell - why would anyone ever buy a phone that isn't a clamshell and risk phoning someone up when kicking their bag in a pub (yes, I did this with a normal phone, but fortunately phoned the friend I was in the pub with so we realised; saved a huge bill!)?

Beautiful design and, as yet, I haven't found it at all flimsy

That fantastic opening manoeuvre which is just so cool

Some good standard ringtones

Battery life seems fine

Menus are reasonably customisable and there are lots of useful options

The phone is lightweight, fits in a lady's pocket and that smooth shape works well

Reception seems fine wherever I use it and it's always easy to hear people and for them to hear me

**Cons for the PEBL**

The camera is really pants. The one on my previous Samsung was 10 times better and that was an older phone. The video feature is equally pants.

Texting can be slow... you type quite far ahead of the actual phone sometimes, and I'm no speedy teenager at texting

The software that came with the phone doesn't work with my PC running WinXP (I think this is a conflict with my computer as it is meant to work); however, I have some other Bluetooth software which will work for transferring files and stuff, I just can't use all the address book features that are in the proper software

The main thing about this phone for me is the good design and it's very easy to live with. Despite the poor quality of photos I still give it 5 stars because I think it's that good. It won't suit everyone but that's why there are hundreds of different models of phone out there!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite phone yet!, December 12, 2006

By 

S. Maynard (Athens, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: MOTOROLA PEBL U6 ORANGE T-MOBILE BLUETOOTH CELL PHONE (Wireless Phone)

Got this phone through T-Mobile... I love the color (the picture on Amazon is pretty much dead-on), the size/shape (fits nicely in the palm of my hand with no protruding antenna), and the silky smooth finish. It doesn't feel cheap and plastic like my last phone. It takes a little practice to learn how to open it correctly, but once you master the technique, you won't even think about it. I've taken this phone all over the world and used it in China, France, and the USA. Ironically enough, I get zero signal at my home here in Athens, GA but I can be in some small Chinese town that I could probably never find on a map and it works great! The screen on this phone is large and bright and the keypad is easy to use, although it does get greasy very easily. I like the bluetooth feature because I can use it to connect to my PowerBook and sync my address book as well as transfer photos back and forth. The built-in camera is pretty crummy... it's fun to send somebody a picture message but I'd never try to use it for anything serious. My only real complaint about this phone is that I haven't figured out how to clean the outside of it yet. I had it in a bag that also contained a lead pencil, and it ended up with some gray smudges here and there that just won't go away.

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars LOOKS ARE DECEIVING, October 19, 2006

By 

K. Fort (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: MOTOROLA PEBL U6 ORANGE T-MOBILE BLUETOOTH CELL PHONE (Wireless Phone)

I have had this phone for about 3mo. This is my 2nd phone in 3mo. The 1st one they sent would not work and I had to send it back. The outside face plate has already cracked. The back cover will not stay on. It is hard to open. The voice dial does not work well. And the photo options are hard to work. I tired to return back to T-Mobile but no luck. BTW if you are with another phone compnay DO NOT move to T-Mobile. I left NEXTEL, I am am so sorry I did. My T-MOBILE experience...BAD SERVICE, BAD SIGNAL!!!!

It does not sound like it, but I think of my self as a level headed consumer...but my entire T-Mobile experience including the PEBL phone is one of the worst I have had with in the cellular industry.

1 Star for a good looking phone.