Motorola Motofone F3 Unlocked Phone with Dual-Band GSM 850/1900--International Version with No Warranty (Black)

by Motorola

Product Details

How To Guide [PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 3.8 x 2 x 0.8 inches ; 4.3 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B0013A7KMW
• Item model number: F3
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (245 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,625 in Cell Phones & Accessories (See Top 100 in Cell Phones & Accessories)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Combining Motorola's sleek design sensibility with intuitive and easy-to-learn functionality, the nicely affordable Motofone F3 slides easily into your pocket. Functional and fashionable, the Motofone F3 is designed to keep you in close communication with your friends, family, and business associates via voice and text messaging. It features dual-band GSM connectivity (850/1900 MHz), speakerphone, a clock with integrated alarm, and up to 500 minutes (over 8 hours) of talk time as well as up to 300 hours of standby (over 12 days). This unlocked cell phone does not come with a SIM card, and it requires that you provide a SIM card for usage with your selected service provider.

The super-slim Motofone F3 features a unique electronic ink display with large, easily readable characters.

Phone Features
This candybar-style phone measures just 0.35 inches (9mm) thin, and it has a unique Motorola ClearVision display that helps to increase the battery life of the phone. The changeable electronic ink display (electrophoretic imaging film) is easy to read in bright sunlight or dimly lit environments from virtually any angle--just like paper. Additionally, the display is plastic, lightweight and ultra-low power, making it ideal for mobile and power sensitive applications by eliminating the weight and breakability of glass used in LCD displays.

The text display contains only two lines of six characters each, and it shows a digital clock when there's no activity. Combined with a flush-fitting keypad and dust-resistant design, the Motofone F3 is especially durable in active everyday use.

The Motofone F3 offers a redesigned user interface with voice prompts to guide the you quickly and easily through menu navigation, messaging, and other functions. In addition, graphical icons visually demonstrate the menu features as well as network status and battery strength. For pre-paid customers, the Motofone F3 automatically reports the status of your pre-paid account after each call or message.

This phone allows you to store contacts only on the SIM card (for 250 entries), and it provides a view of the last 20 dialed/received/missed calls. The layout of the numeric keypad resembles Motorola's SLVR phones, and it includes a large navigation pad as well as send/end keys and two soft keys. Above the display are bars showing signal strength and battery life. Other features include:

• High-volume for call clarity in loud environments
• Embedded polyphonic ringtones in eight voices
• Ability to download ringtones
• Silent vibration mode
• Speakerphone

Vital Statistics
The Motofone F3 weighs 2.4 ounces and measures 4.5 x 1.85 x 0.35 inches. Its 750 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 500 minutes of talk time, and up to 500 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/1900 GSM frequencies.

What's in the Box
Handset, battery, travel charger, documentation

Product Description

This candybar-style phone measures just 0.35 inches (9mm) thin, and it has a unique Motorola ClearVision display that helps to increase the battery life of the phone. The changeable electronic ink display (electrophoretic imaging film) is easy to read in bright sunlight or dimly lit environments from virtually any angle--just like paper. Additionally, the display is plastic, lightweight and ultra-low power, making it ideal for mobile and power sensitive applications by eliminating the weight and breakability of glass used in LCD displays. The text display contains only two lines of six characters each, and it shows a digital clock when there's no activity. Combined with a flush-fitting keypad and dust-resistant design, the Motofone F3 is especially durable in active everyday use. The Motofone F3 offers a redesigned user interface with voice prompts to guide the you quickly and easily through menu navigation, messaging, and other functions. In addition, graphical icons visually demonstrate the menu features as well as network status and battery strength. For pre-paid customers, the Motofone F3 automatically reports the status of your pre-paid account after each call or message.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

134 of 142 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Simple, voice guidance, solid call quality., February 4, 2008

By 

AreYouKidding? - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Motorola Motofone F3 Unlocked Phone with Dual-Band GSM 850/1900--International Version with No Warranty (Black) (Wireless Phone Accessory)

I bought this on a whim. My dad's cell phone has a big crack in the screen so I figured I would upgrade him into something new. He's not a big gadget guy so there was no need for features like a camera or bluetooth or even a color screen for that matter.

When I received the box I was a little shocked. First thing I noticed is the manual was in Spanish. This wasn't a big deal to me. I searched the web and found an English manual to download. This could really annoy others expecting a better out of box experience. The next thing that caught me off guard was the default language; it was also Spanish. Again, no biggie because the phone "speaks" to you when you power it up and asks you what language you want to select. Pressing "3" sets the language to English and you're set.

Once powered on you can choose to keep the phone in "Voice Guidance" mode. This is actually a really user-friendly feature. After you push the Menu button (located to the left of the navigation pad) you can navigate through menu items with the pad and the voice tells you what menu item you are on. This totally makes up for the B/W screen and lackluster icons.

Overall this is a great entry-level or emergency phone. The call quality rivals any phone I've used. Volume was loud and clarity was near-perfect.

Pros:
- Great signal strength
- Crystal clear calling
- Solid battery life
- Slim profile looks more sophisticated than it really is
- Speakerphone (press Menu button twice when on a call)
- Voice guidance

Cons:
- Spanish manual and default language
- Low-res, monochrome LCD screen (See customer images)
- No modern bells or whistles
- Kinda plasticky feeling
- Not for Texters

For the price (Sub-$40) this can't be beat. Just make sure you know what you are getting into before you buy it.

Only 4-stars due to the whole Spanish manual/language thing.

52 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Basic Features, October 27, 2007

By 

Ratlab - See all my reviews

A common complaint relating to this phone is the lack of a graphical interface. The e-paper display limits the phone to alphanumeric characters and a few symbols. The 8 character display is at times inconvenient, particularly for sending text messages and navigating through the phone book.

I find the voice features to more than compensate for its deficient display. The speaker and microphone function superbly. If volume ever becomes problematic, the speakerphone is quite loud.

One of Motorola's marketing points is prolonged battery life (compared to other phones) because of e-paper's low power consumption. I would subjectively rate battery life to be "excellent." The only trouble is the long charging time. On an up note, the charging port is a cylindrical plug, which I have found in my experiences to be more durable than clip-type connectors, which tend to wear and fail over time.

One small annoyance with the phone: from a dead boot (i.e. take the battery out/in and power on)... The phone's clock seems to be completely internal. Unlike other phones which retrieve time from the network, the phone always asks you to input the date and time (which is lengthier than one might like). The phone has a voice-help feature, which audibly dictates menu functions (e.g. "send a message" "read a message" when the corresponding icons appear on screen). This feature can be disabled, but also resets and resumes from a dead boot. Therefore, one should silence the phone rather than turning it off.

Overall, this phone functions hassle-free to make and receive voice calls. Any other features like text messaging and alarm clock are slightly inconvenient to access. Personally, 90% of my mobile phone activity is voice calls. The lack of texting, camera, games, and the like are no bother to me.

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for what it is: Just a phone!, June 1, 2008

By 

Kenneth C. Macfarlane (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Motorola Motofone F3 Unlocked Phone with Dual-Band GSM 850/1900--International Version with No Warranty (Black) (Wireless Phone Accessory)

All I wanted was a simple phone that worked well and didn't cost a lot of money. That is exactly what I got with the Motofone F3. The phone I received was originally intended for use in Mexico and the box had been opened, but the phone was in new condition. I inserted my AT&T SIM card, powered the phone up and was greeted by a voice prompt instructing me to press 1 for English. After setting the time and date the phone was ready to use.

I was pleased that the Motofone F3 got better reception in my signal-challenged house than my old Samsung phone. My phone is my watch, so I appreciate that the time is clearly visible on the electronic ink display. A quick internet search will provide a list of configuration codes that can be used to modify phone settings.

Motorola developed this phone for use in emerging markets, so the simple menu system is based on icons and optional voice prompts assist navigation. I haven't disassembled the phone, but it feels like the internal electronics are shock-mounted. The phone fits in my hand well and is solidly built. I like its ease of use, good call quality, speakerphone and long battery life. The one feature I do wish it had is mute. This phone is capable of text messaging, but I don't consider it suitable for anything but occasional use.

If you like camera phones, phones as fasion accessories or do a lot of texting this phone is not for you. But if you need a simple, low-cost phone, this one is worth considering.