Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(50)
3 star:		(22)
2 star:		(21)
1 star:		(104)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I discovered this phone's existence online. Once again, thanks to Amazon's unparalleled customer review knowledge base, I got the skinny and knew what I was in for. I wanted a phone with a screen that was READABLE. Due to limitations in technology (LCD) and biology (my need for reading glasses), the screen of my little Nokia is only visible when cupped in my hands in a darkened theater. And even that low-budget phone has too much JUNK to wade through. (I don't care to do Internet shopping by phone, thanks though) The Motofone F3 does what a phone is supposed to do - it lets you TALK to people quickly and easily. It's Electronic Ink screen is amazing - you REALLY CAN read it in broad daylight. Why isn't any other phone using this technology?

If you're interested, please do read the reviews. These phones are not marketed in the USA it seems - I guess we are collectively just too hip and sophisticated for this quaint little thing. Mine came "unlocked" as advertised - I just transplanted the SIM card from my old phone and I was ready to go. You have to choose your preferred language, and if you want a manual for the dozen or less functions, you can download it easily from Motorola.

Some of the negative reviews are gut-busters. Did these folks even READ about the phone they were getting? Maybe it was a gift, I don't know. "Box was opened!"? That's because they're pulling these from South America or India and unlocking them for you! "Has a crappy interface!"? It does look like Etch a Sketch, but hey, I don't care to have all my friends' avatars on my screen. I can speed dial about 15 numbers. And you CAN send and receive text, if'n you really have to, though I don't think I ever will. (So counterintuitive... that's why God invented keyboards!) "Phone has no color screen! / no MP3 player! / no camera!" etc... Well, if that's what you want, you don't want this phone. I told all my higher-tech friends that I just got two "Third World Phones" - and my wife and I love them.

Note: apparently some folks did not get "unlocked" phones or had other technical problems. I was lucky in that regard. (May have been a different vender.) Also make sure your phone plan uses compatible technology. Amazon has a little chart at the top of the page to help you with this too. Thanks Amazon, and Vibe Cellular, for letting me make an informed decision. It's the cell phone I've always wanted.

First, Ignore the comments from people complaining about the lack of features - that is EXACTLY what makes this phone different. If you wanted a phone with a camera [that takes bad pictures], an MP3 player [with bad quality sound], a PDA [with crippled keyboard/software] or a GPS receiver [that takes forever to lock and eats batteries], then you should have known this isn't for you. You would ignore anyone that would buy a minivan and then complain that it isn't a race car and you should also ignore anyone that buys this phone and then complains about what is missing.

And almost everything IS missing. It's a phone - a very good phone. An unpretentious device to make/receive calls and it does this better than probably 99% of the phones you can buy today. It has great sound quality, a very large and easy to read display, and remarkable battery life. If you need to send/receive text messages, it can do that, but the large display makes this a capability for occasional use only.

For those of us accustomed to nested menus and linked feature lists, operating the phone is almost too simple and most people trip themselves up in the beginning because they expect it be more complicated than it is.

It will make a phone connection when other phones can't find the signal and it will hold on to the signal much better than any of the 'full featured' phones I've owned. You can read it at night and in the noon day sun. You can hear it in a car with the windows down. You use it for a week without needing a recharger.(4 and a half hours of talk time and nearly two weeks of standby time).

For what it is - you can't find a better value. If you want a cell phone that will do everything but wipe your, uh, nose [but do it poorly], then you really shouldn't expect to get that from a phone that costs $33 outright without contract (and you know it...)

The English Manual is available online and it is small because there isn't much to explain.

To get it to ring (louder), simply push the UP button on the large, round rocker switch in the middle. To ring quieter, or go into vibrate mode, simply pus the Down button until it vibrates.

It IS a great device and a great value for making voice calls.

This phone is hard-to-find-common-sense approach in design and technology. I have never seen better phone. This is not a gadget that makes your life miserable because you need to worry every day that batteries are charged or you need to spend 1/2 day on setup or figuring out why current time does not show on screen. If you need features behind phone, get Apple iPhone if you need just a cell phone, get Motorola F3.

Pros: I had one of these while in the UK and it had great reception in areas that others didn't...RAZR. I am buying another one to use here in the USA. It is hard to find just a "phone." If you want a camera or music player, then it's not for you. If you want a phone that works great as a phone, then this is the one. The keys are similar to the SLVR or RAZR. The display is large for those of us who need larger font. Reception and battery indicators easy to read. Several different ring tones. Extremely LOUD and vibrate options. Automatic key lock option. Cons: Dual band. Hard to find head set accessories.

I own this phone. It's a great phone, assuming that you only want to make calls and send/receive simple text messages.

However, it is NOT a quad-band phone. This listing says "QUAD BAND" in the title, then describes it as a dual-band (which it is) in the page content. This is misleading.

I am really impressed with this little phone. After taking my Ericsson W300i for a swim, I figured I didn't deserve a phone that cost more than, say, $34, so I took a deep breath and ordered the Motofone. Its everything I hoped it would be. Very simple, straightforward, and elegant even. Yes, the screen is weird, and reading or composing text messages takes some learning, but for the money its hard to complain.

Though this phone is not feature-packed, it covers the basics and does everything very intuitively. Want to turn the volume down? Press the down button on the dial. Need a number from the address book? Press the address book symbol and then press the number key that corresponds to the first letter of the entry. You can't do text messages to multiple recipients or make fancy characters with the keypad, but it sounds great, is lightweight, has a vibrate mode, keypad lock, and long battery life. My wife paid $80 for a used unlocked RAZR and we both agree the Motofone is a much better bet.

The F3 is probably the most sensible phone made by Motorola. All it does is phone things. It's not an mp3 player, nor does it pull email or control a TV. It - now get this . . rings!
It's unassuming in design as well as function. At perhaps 1/8th of an inch thick, I can't feel (nor sometimes find) it in my pocket. The speaker phone is plenty loud, although options a little clumsy. Battery bar hasn't budged in four days,receptions good, and it keeps time. I'm sure you've already read other reviews, so I'm not going to elaborate about the "Space 1999" screen. Welcome to the future. . .
It's only been about a week since I got it, but I'd buy another one. This is a great no-frills phone. I have a Thinkpad, and it's designed as if it's an afterthought to the Z61. . . Oops! Forgot the phone. There it is. . .we should find a way to get this stuff here in the USA.