Customer Reviews

Motorola RAZR V3 Silver Phone (AT&T)

5 star:		(65)
4 star:		(61)
3 star:		(43)
2 star:		(24)
1 star:		(45)

 

 

First things first...

I got the Motorola RAZR V3 from a Cingular Company store when the price dropped to USD299.99 - retail price, no contract required. As opposed to USD199.99 for a two year contract or FREE if you get a contract from Amazon. Don't buy from Cingular franchise/independent dealers because they don't make money from selling the phones alone so they mark up the retail price above what Cingular company stores sell them.

I use the phone for my T-Mobile service. I legally unlocked the phone via Cingular. No firmware updates, web site unlocking or hacking required. The only downside is that there is Cingular branding everywhere. But for the cheap price to pay for the phone, it's not a problem at all. All I did was have T-Mobile send me their settings over the air (OTA).

The Phone...

* Design - Kudos to Motorola for finally coming out with a great design for a clamshell phone. It's unbelievably thin, light and functional. All thanks to the aluminum material. Of course they weren't the first company to make full use of it. Nokia made the first daring route of using metal alloys by introducing their 8800 series more than 6 years ago. Apple followed and introduced 1-inch laptops starting with the titanium PowerBook and, of course, the aluminum revisions.

With the clamshell closed or open, it looks like one killer design. I like the way they incoporated side keys for a supposed one-handed operation, but in reality the keys are not easily accessible when flipped open. But still a good thoughtful addition.

The keypad is another cool design. Laser precision cut - one piece from an alloy material. I agree there isn't much tactile feedback, but that's the price to pay for a thin phone. There is still tactile feedback, mind you, and it's enough to let me know I pressed the key. However, the keys are so flat that it's hard to distinguish from one key to the next except for the slight separation from the translucent rubber material (where the blue light emits) in between keys.

* Screen - Finally they introduce a main 262K color screen and a 2nd display with 4,096 color screen. This beats the standard 65K for other phones. Despite the feat, sadly both screens easily gets washed out in bright sunlight. Motorola should equip the screen with anti-glare glass and contrast enhancing screens to aid the viewing. To save on battery, you can adjust the brightness, turn on the screensaver or completely shut the screen when not in use for a time.

* Making a call - This is where the V3 shines. So far no dropped calls, static noises or whatever. Signal strength is very decent. I could hear the callers and they could hear me very well. The speakerphone is mighty loud for a phone this size. It is very useable and convenient.

* Menu - I jump from phone to phone and found Nokia to make the best, most intuitive menu. IMHO you don't need to read the manual in a Nokia phone because you will find the settings in places you expect them to be.

My last GSM Motorola phone was a Startac series and I swore never to come back to Motorola until now. Frankly the V-series designs suck. But the RAZR made people like me notice Motorola once again.

The menu for the RAZR is finally very good. Not great. It's still not as functional as I would expect, but it's getting there. You would still have to crawl your way around especially if you want to find settings for MMS and WAP.

* Functionality - For a phone this thin and good-looking, it's surprisingly very functional. Although I am disappointed by the miniscule VGA camera specs and lack of EDGE feature. My two year old Nokia 6230 and Nokia 6600 came equipped with those features. This is less than a year old phone. What gives?

* Bluetooth - Works 99% of the time with the top of the line Motorola HS850. The calls transfer flawlessly to the headset. But there were instances when I couldn't make it transfer quickly or at all. Rare, but still happens. Btw, get the black HS850 European version. The US version with a blue color is just too preppy and tacky. To each his own.

* Fit and Finish - In my job, I've seen so many other people with RAZR phones that I've examined how it goes thru the daily wear and tear. One phone bent at the top. Unlike a plastic phone that can scratch or crack, the metal furthermore bends. If you drop it...Because of the material and design, the only user replaceable part is the battery cover. Yipee. I've seen two phones with a flickering screen. Also another phone with the back cover discolored from tossing it around the table-tops. If you're the careful type or you can simply afford to toss them after the season, it's really not for the faint of heart.

There is evidence of poor construction. The battery cover does not fit properly on some phones. On some phones they fit great. On others you will have to make it snap.

* Phonebook - I have to tackle this separately because most people think that you CANNOT have multiple numbers under one name. That simply isn't true. They are the type who don't care to read the manual it came with. On their defense like I said the menu system is bad that a simple feature as adding numerous numbers under one name is not evident. There are two steps you MUST do in order to refrain from the phone from displaying the same names multiple times in the address book.

Step 1: Under the Phonebook menu go to Phonebook Setup (find it!) and change the VIEW from All Contacts to Primary Contacts. This will refrain the phonebook from displaying the names multiple times.

Step 2: Under each names, make sure to assign a primary contact number so that this number is the one displayed when you view that name. If you want to scroll thru the list of numbers of, all you have to do is simply press the left and right keys (from the 4-way Navigation key...for those that don't read the manual it's that circle key with a center button).

Oh yeah, you can only assign multiple numbers to one name IF you save your contacts to the phone, not the SIM. And by doing this you expand the features by being able to assign photos, voice dialing and custom ringtones to EACH number (not just to each name).

* Battery - I'm perplexed why they can't offer Li-Polymer batteries instead of the aging Li-Ion type. Nokia has made the switch years ago.

Battery life is decent. I get at least two full days with the Bluetooth on, occasional calling, SMS, MMS and internet. Of course heavy users who talk all day will find themselves charging the phone nightly. It's disappointing, of course, but it's what I expect for the size and specs.

Cingular versions come with the no frills, carton box packaging with home charger (plus L=shaped adapter) and something to wipe the screen. No software, no case, nada! It's customized for Cingular use with Cingular branding on the battery cover and screens.

The retail versions come in a cool box complete with case and mini USB cable. Of course that still depends on the country you get it from.

Why do I rate it only 3 stars? The price doesn't necessarily justify the available functions for the phone. You can justify paying the price for the design. Because for the same [retail] price version, you can get a more technologically advanced and sturdy GSM phone from the European/Asian market.

It is thin. Yes, it is. But did you did notice it's wide, too. Right? What it made up for the thickness, it got back for the width.

If you search the internet forums, you can maximize the features of the phone further. You will need the mini-USB to USB cable and a Windows PC and a lot of tinkering. Beware the phone is susceptible to malfuntion if you do the wrong settings.

* MP3 - This doesn't have an MP3 player. It DOES play MP3 ringtones. You don't need to buy them online or purchase software to compress files. I use a Mac and change the settings in iTunes to compress the files to MP3. Then pass on the file via Bluetooth.

All in all a cool phone that gives exactly what you expect in terms of form and the corresponding function. I'm itching to see how Nokia will respond.

Right off I have to say that when it comes to cell service and phones and the inherent contracts: you get what you pay for, in more ways than one, and buyer beware! I do my research, ad nauseum, before getting into a new contract or into bed with a new cell provider. I've been a Nextel subscriber for two years with an i90 and an i730. Both lovely phones - service very professional from Nextel - coverage and features what I expected. But like I said, I researched that to death before I bought their phones or their service. Got the phones from Amazon.

I, too, was taken by the looks of the RAZR, and so was my wife once she saw one. But was it as good as it looked and was it worth and worth switching carriers for? For one, Nextel wasn't making it easy to stay with them - they got into bed with Sprint and I had Sprint for years and still have nightmares about their customer service. (Plus, the price for an "upgrade phone" for Nextel was *unacceptable* from my point of view. Everyone knows you get a cheaper phone with a new contact!)

I got two RAZR's at a local retailer - sorry Amazon, but your rebates with Cingular aren't worth the effort - and paid $99 each, best price *anywhere.* I got a family plan which is on par with Verizon's and saves me a bunch of money over Nextel. A *bunch* of money. Two words: rollover minutes.

I spent just an hour charging the phone, reading the manual and configuring the phone to function as well, if not better, than my i730, which is a *great* phone, and noticed similarities in function and detail and quality to Sony, Motorola and Nokia phones friends of mine have. I repeat: I read some of the manual, which is something many people seem to avoid.

For anyone complaining about the phone/ address book, shame on you. I was worried about the address book based on reviews, but after five minutes with the manual and using the phone, I got the RAZR to do *everything* my nifty i730 could do and then some. There are so many ways to configure the address book it's silly. You can assign and create "categories" for numbers and addresses and even have the phone only display certain categories so you only have to flip thru the numbers you want to flip thru.

As for the complaints about battery life, the RAZR has a six-plus hour talk time on it, better than half the phones on the market today. I can say that cos I feel like I've researched about half the phones on the market ... :) Do this: plug your phone in when you go to sleep at night. I can *guarantee* you it will be fully charged in the morning.

Fragile phone? How clumsy are you? I've beaten up lots of phones over the years and you should expect just about anything this side of a brick to break when you drop it. Half of my i730 is made of the same material the RAZR is and has a lousier belt clip to boot, which has allowed my i730 to fall the the ground way too many times. I'm happy with the material and it's expected durability. Stop throwing your delicate, *expensive,* micro-electronic device around like it's made of teflon. *Be careful.*

I am not on the camera-phone bandwagon primarily because what is required to merge unlike technologies is by it's nature usually expensive and difficult. (A good example is the ROKR, the so-called iTunes phone. I have an iPod, and if that phone had come close to actually blending the best of the wireless world and the abilities of iTunes and the iPod,I would have bought it, but it came far short of doing that cos blending two ideas like that isn't the easiest thing to pull off well ...) The RAZR is not expensive because it has a great camera or a large memory stick or can capture full-motion video and zip it over to your dorm room buddies in the blink of an eye. It's expensive because it's a *slick* looking phone and makes other phones on the shelf self-conscious. Most of the professional reviews of this phone gave it low marks for camera abilities, so don't be surprised by that. Want a good camera phone for Cingular? The Sony s710 got great reveiws; good luck getting it for less than twice what the RAZR costs. That's the difference.

Last thing - I got the phone knowing I have 30 days to send the whole thing back if it's not working out for me. So there's a little consumer-friendly cushion to give me some time to fully evaulate the phone. Still, I did my research so there wouldn't be too many surprises when I got the phone.

Hope this helps.

There's quite a few things I like about this phone, and a few things I dislike. We'll start with the likes:
It's an attractive, light weight, and quite durable little phone. I've seen other's complain about the phones durability and I don't understand that means I have thrown this phone on three seperate occasions and it still works like brand new, without one single scratch. Hopefully that will straighten out any doubts you have on the matter of it being sturdy. All of it's features are easy to use, and the phone fits in places most cell phones can't, do to it's size. The speakerphone is loud and it doesn't cut out on you like other's i've owned. Now for my complaints on the Razr: If purchasing this through Motorola it comes with a very nice metal box, games, and a 3D phone book. You have to use Cingular as your provider and they take out the metal box, the games and the 3D phonebook and that should be included for the price of this phone. My major complaint is the volume on it is all the way up and I sometimes have a difficult time hearing. The phone is very difficult to keep clean and prints don't wipe of easily. You can not use a memory card and you really need one with the limited space it has. My last complaint is the phonebook will only let you store one number per name, so you have several of the same names with different numbers which makes it a bit unorganized. I would also like to add that I was disappointed that it didn't come with software. Altogether, it's a good phone without a lot of features and is quite easy to use which was exactly what I needed. It is a bit pricey for what it comes with.

Be very wary of Amazon's new promotion for a the $50 Razor with new Cingular service. If you read the fine print you'll find that porting your number to a Cingular account "makes you ineligible for the Amazon.com rebates." Other than that the phone is decent, it looks cool (thin but wide) and is a good deal for $50 if you don't need to port an old number.

I'll start with the bad first, given the amount of interest this phone has generated.

1) The Phonebook application is a little...wonky. Some people have said you can't add more than one piece of contact info per contact, which is NOT true. You can, but its nearly hidden underneath the "MORE" function while editing the contact. However, its not convenient and you cannot add additional e-mail addresses or phone numbers to your contacts using the Phone Tools app...which is annoying, since T-Mobile charges $30-40 for the hardware/software bundle.

1a) It also takes forever to scroll through your Phonebook contacts. I thought it MIGHT be caused by having some SIM contacts, so I transfered all of them to phone memory. No dice. The scroll speed is untenable. Even my wife's Moto V330 is quicker. What gives? I had to create a voice prompt for almost every contact in my list.

2) Even at full blast, the volume just isn't loud enough. Plus, the "audio sweet spot" on the speaker is hard to keep next to your ear. If you are planning to get a Bluetooth headset and use that exclusively, this shouldn't keep you from getting the phone.

3) Compared to a Samsung V205, a Sony Ericsson P910i and Motorola's own V330, the RAZR gets poorer reception. The previous phones mentioned all get four bars at my house. The RAZR gets 2. This even after calling T-Mobile tech support for help. Their advice? "Keep turning the phone on and off and it will hopefully find another tower."

4) T-Mobile offers NO games for this phone yet. Given how high profile this form factor has become, I find this level of support to be somewhat poor. I know - you don't buy a phone for its games. But just to show how lacking T-Mobile's support is...the RAZR includes a demo for BeJeweled. After the (very) short demo is over, it asks if you want to buy it. Clicking the link brings you to a webpage that says "Sorry, we don't offer games for your phone yet". My wife's V330 has a similar issue. She's had it for over 4 months and services like T-Mobile STILL offer no games for the phone. Again, I know you shouldn't buy a phone based on the number of games offered for it, but its still a feature, something to whittle away the time while waiting at the DMV.

5) Camera phone still only 640x480. Decent pics at that resolution, but given that there are cheaper phones on the market (I didn't get this phone for free) with higher pixel values, this is a moderate oversight on Moto's part

6) Phone response is fairly poor as well. Example - going through my contacts by pressing keys (going from Q to R to S)...so very slow. You think the phone hasn't responded so you mash the button again, at which point it responds to TWO button presses and you have to start all over again.

7) The Phone Tools application is a little user unfriendly and totally geared to people who mess around with Outlook CSVs on a daily basis. I've managed to get it to work, but not without some work.

Alright, so now for the good.

1) This phone is a veritable conversation piece. Oohs and ahhs all around...if you care about that sort of thing. I usually don't. I just want a functional phone that gets good battery life, gets a decent signal and can withstand a beating (I'm a klutz). But if you do care about the conversation-worthyness of your cell phone, this one has it in spades.

2) Great battery power. I've had it on for 5 days at moderate usage and I've still got 2 bars left.

3) This is a sturdy phone. My kid has already dropped it on cement twice and I've seen NO scratches at all. Maybe I'm lucky, as another reviewer mentioned that poor build quality on his piece. I've not had any issues. The phone is rock solid.

4) The usual amount of ringtones and wallpapers....all of which are amazingly expensive. Why does it cost 2 bucks for a hi-fi ringtone lasting 20 seconds when I can buy the song at iTunes for a dollar?

5) The PhoneTools software allows you to create your OWN ringtones. I haven't played around with the software yet, so I'm going to guess that your abilities to import MP3s or CD-audio will be truncated to some degree.

6) Excellent Bluetooth performance. Haven't had the opportunity to test file transfers and such, but the RAZR's connection to my Moto BT headset is great. Doesn't matter which side of my body they are situated. Decent sound quality even at 20 feet of unobstructed space.

7) Did I mention this phone is attractve?

8) Ringtones can get quite loud, even without degrading ringtone sound quality. I wish the speaker was this loud.

This phone has some serious shortcomings - most important among them is the poor performance of the Phonebook app, poor signal quality and low speaker volume. Ordinarily, I'd be bringing the phone back, like, tomorrow. But the design of the phone and its excellent BT performance makes me want to hang onto it.

Hopefully, Moto learns from their mistakes and releases a RAZR V4 with better earpiece volume and snappier response times.

Problems:

* Volume buttons make a sound when you're trying to put the phone into "silent" mode. Somewhat embarrassing in the middle of a theater. [There is a software hack to change this.]
* Alarms can go off (and by default they are quite loud) even when the phone is in "silent" mode. Very embarrassing during a ballet. (Note: An "alarm" is not in the calendar; it's different than a "reminder".)
* A Cingular movie plays when I power up the phone, wasting my time. [There is a software hack for this too.] However, I can press "hang-up" to skip it.
* The camera is very poor in high-contrast light levels, ie with both bright and dark regions.
* Bought via Amazon, the phone was activated before shipped. That meant I could not port my old cell number.


Improvements over previous Motorola phones:

* Significantly clear and louder outgoing voice than on the V60, according to listeners. (I tested both in succession before deactivating my old phone.)
* Motorola has fixed the phone book! If you set it to view "Primary" numbers only, then you get one line per person. This makes the phone book much more useful. And it's better than most phones now b/c you can store multiple work, multiple cell, and multiple e-mail addresses for each person, a very unusual feature.
* The side buttons cannot be depressed accidentally.
* Much louder ring volume.
* With 4 on the toggle thingy, there are now 7 buttons which you can customize, plus short-cuts.
* The big, colorful display is great. The calendar is much more useful with more information on the screen. The phone book can be searched quicker (but a page-up/down would be nice). And more of a text message can be viewed. Also, the vibrant colors make the background very pretty.
* 9 is no longer tied to "911". (On non GPS phones, 911 is dumb since your location is not known. I use 311 locally for emergencies.)
* Pictures can be attached to the phone book, and not just to each person, but to each number. (This is the main value of the mediocre camera.)


Conclusion:

I just wanted a useful phone that does not make a bulge in my pocket. This is it. Good reception. Good sound quality. Some features which add value, and some which don't, but few which detract. This is the best phone available for someone like me.


Note: This Cingular version does *not* come with the fancy box, a bluetooth headset, Motorola PhoneToolsLite software, or the mini-USB-to-USB cable. It comes with the mini-USB charger, and that's it. (Only the uncouth would ask about a belt clip.) It also lacks the Golf and Pool java games that some people like.


Addendum: I have dropped it twice now, and it still works fine. Reception is vastly superior to the S-E T-series GSM phones, but not quite as good as the Moto V60 TDMA. The speakerphone is superlative; people say they can't tell it's on, except that it seems to be half-duplex (ie only one party can talk at a time). I can make dinner plans while I tie my tie in front of a mirror, in a part of my house where many people's cell phones get no reception at all!

First the phone:
+ Very nice, colorful display
+ Reasonable speakerphone quality considering its form factor
- It's cleverly marketed as being razor thin, but this isn't the most compact phone out there - not by a long shot. My 1.5 year old Samsung E715 also has no antenna, VGA camera, color display, internet access, etc. and is SHORTER, NARROWER and LIGHTER than the Razr - that makes the Razr thin, but at the cost of additional length, width and weight

On Cingular:
- Started charging me for service the day I ordered the phone however they didn't actually put it in the mail for another week (and after I spent 30 minutes on the phone with them to see why it hadn't been sent)
- Seem to have adopted AT&T Wireless old customer service standards (which were horrific) - it took me 5 transfers and 90 minutes on the phone to cancel my service, at one point I got a rep who said "Didn't I just speak with you?" Yes, she had and then transferred me somewhere else, who transferred me back and she was then trying to transfer me back out again?! Who designed their workflows, a bunch of 3 year olds??
- After the previously mentioned 90 minute call, tried to confirm cancellation a week later (only 20 minutes on the phone with 2 transfers this time) to find out that my service had NOT been cancelled - needed to send me a return shipping label
- 1 week later, return shipping label arrives - the next day I put the phone in the mail using their 2 Day Fedex label - they receive it 3 days later and, of course, do not cancel my account
- Call again 1 week after I've confirmed that they've received it, they show no record of receipt - said to save me time I should leave voicemail for a 'supervisor' with the fedex tracking info which I do later that day (only 20 minute call with one transfer this time)
- Three days later call again to find out that the 'supervisor' has done nothing and that my account is still open, finally find someone willing to cancel my account (though I wait on hold 15 minutes while he's doing whatever)

Moral of the story, if you want this phone buy an unlocked version and sign up with T-mobile or another provider. The extra money you spend now will save you countless hours (and I do mean HOURS) of aggravation with their "customer service" staff who don't seem to grasp the meaning of the term.

I've heard about this phone long before it ever reached US soil, and wanted it very bad based on looks alone. Took me awhile to get it but it was worth the wait. This IS a great phone.

Let's touch base on appearance first. Obviously, it is gorgeous. Not all of the casing is metal, but the plastic parts are made to blend seemlessly in. It shines brightly and attracts people to it like a moth to light. I've noticed people catching glimpses of it from what seemed like a mile away! Get used to people wanting to hold and use your phone. It's thin, and wide, but do not find it's wideness a problem. I'm a female and have tiny hands and it fits fine to me. Being that the keys are flat, you have to look at the keypad while dialing anyway, so what's the point of complaining that you can't dial with the hand you're holding it in? The black around the external screen is a nice touch to the silver. The external screen itself only serves it's purpose. It's tiny, and the colours are not wonderful but it always shows the time for you and useful for caller/picture ID. Can also be used as an external viewfinder for the camera. Back/battery cover was no problem getting on like some people have said. They must of had bad models. Snapped on right away. Looks of this phone are flawless and deserve a five star rating on their own.

Internal screen... what more can you say then WOW! First time I seen it, I about had a heart attack. The colours are so VIVID and stand out from the screen. It almost looks three dimensional. I'm not the only one who gave that reaction. EVERY single person that opened that phone jumped in amazement.

Keypad is the second most attractive feature on this phone (after the internal screen). The thin, gleeming metal mezmerises you. While it might look fantastic, don't be fooled because it works just as good. Very easy to press the keys, almost effortlessly. Everything is in the right place, it lights up nice and bright, everything is big enough so you do not have any problems hitting the wrong keys. I like the added message key that takes me straight to my messages. As well as the web button that takes you directly to the browser. Great additions. Another thing I like, is how the keypad gently vibrates during certain operations instead of making noises. Without hearing those annoying tones, you still know that you are pressing the keys.

Sound quality is A+ as I always expect from Motorola. Never once has a call not been loud and clear. Speakerphone is just as good, I can hear it from other rooms. The ringer modes work great, vibration mode will not fault you. I've had problems with other phones vibrating so softly... you couldn't tell you were getting a call. This one will vibrate like crazy! You can customize your ringer options to what you please.

Reception has been 100% perfect so far. No dropped calls, nothing unclear or scrambled. I use Cingular service in the Las Vegas area and the calls are crystal clear like I should expect. Better then most internal antennae phones I've used!

Menus are a bit complicated for a first time user of phones or the Motorola firmware. I've had Motorola phones previously (the v400 being the most recent) so I already knew how to get around this phone. The software is a lot like the v400s with a few added features. The phone book is a little confusing but I've never had problems with it. Read the manual if you get lost, it's no big deal like some people have made it out to be. Every feature is placed under the right categories. Everything is very customizable. Three skin options are available and they are all very nice and really make the menus and gui stand out.

Included wallpapers are great. I usually hate included wallpapers and immediately buy my own... haven't so far on this phone. There are not many but they all are great shots or animations and look so beautiful on the screen.
Included ringtones aren't bad, either. I prefer mp3 ringtones so have bought my own, but if you like using standard tones... you'll find one to your liking on here. Many to choose from.

Camera quality is what you would expect from a cell phone. People complaining about quality need to realize they are shooting pictures from a phone... not a real camera. Every shot I've taken has looked great in all lighting conditions. Easy to take and send photos. Camera does not take video but can view video. A feature I will more then likely not use unless I wanted to purchase Cingular's news or sports service that stream videos online to your phone.

There are no games included. I never play games on cell phones so it's no biggy to me. If you can afford a cell phone like this, then you're probably too old to play the hard-to-make-out games on phones anyway. Most of the decent games to play are never included on phones anyway.

Battery life is decent, depending on usage as usual. I can usually go about three days without charging with normal daily use. If you are on this phone, making calls and playing around all day long... you will be charging it every night.

All in all, this is an amazing phone. You can't go wrong getting it, especially when the price is getting lower. I was debating on getting this phone or a smartphone and I'm glad with the decision I made. If you want all the useful (and actually needed) features of a cell phone... with the looks to kill then get this phone. It'll make you happy.

The Razr V3 is definately one of the better phones I've had. For starters the manual isnt great at giving you some of the details. The phone in general has great looks, obviously very slim and fits into any pocket perfectly. I wouldnt recommend it if you have big fingers though because you might find a hard time trying to punch the numbers in. Im not a huge camera phone fanatic so I never really cared much about the quality. The reception is excellent, battery life is amazing, and if you like buttons and gadgets, this phone has plenty of them. Quad band does allow you to take this phone pretty much anywhere in the world. All you need to do is rent a sim card or something overseas. All in all its user friendly except like I mentioned earlier the manual could of been more percicive about a few things I ran into. Unless your job doesnt need any flashy objects that attract clients to you by making you look rich, I wouldnt recommend buying this phone at its original price. Its a great phone, but thats just asking too much for it. (...)

Pros: Very Slim, Long battery life, user friendly, flashy and impressive, lots of cool features.

Cons: Not good for people with big fingers, too expensive.

I have been a long time user of Motorola phones because I find that they often have the best signal strength. The RAZR is no exception: I have done side-by-side tests with phones from other manufacturers and was able to make calls on the V3 where other phones did not work.

Since previous reviewers have gone into the details of the phone's many features, I will stick to remarking on areas with which I am not in complete agreement.

1. Concerning the looks vs. feature debate, I would like to take issue with those who state this phone is not feature-rich. We all agree it is the sleekest phone available but it also has most of the features frequent travellers and business execs could want: an excellent calendar feature (that can be synchronized with Microsoft Outlook), an address book that works very well (after some serious tweaking of the default settings, granted), a great speaker phone function, support for Java apps and games, the ability to easily manage the phone from a computer (via Bluetooth or using a mini-USB) and a camera that was much more decent than I expected. All this in a beautiful, lightweight, nearly plastic-free package.

2. With the latest firmware (which can be found online if you feel comfortable with flashing), video recording with sound IS enabled and the quality of pictures taken with the phone's camera has been improved. Though this release is directly from Motorola, Cingular will most likely come out with its own version (building on Motorola's) and, when this happens, I highly recommend having a store flash the upgrade.

3. I have found battery life to be exceptional. On previous phones, I was lucky if the phone lasted more than 24-48 hours with light use. For me, the RAZR systematically lasts 4 DAYS with light use. To me, this is impressive. I should note I live in an area with excellent signal strength, so the battery does not get drained searching for a signal but the RAZR is still far superior to other phones I have used, especially considering its small, lightweight battery.

DRAWBACKS: No phone is perfect. What I see as this one's main drawbacks are that it does not support EDGE, the phone is a little wide (does not bother me at all but it might be an issue for those used to tiny phones), and the lack of accessories provided by Motorola. For me, the only really issue is that the phone is GPRS, not EDGE, but I decided to do without. As for the accessories, Cingular is really stingy (you get nothing but the phone, the battery, charging cord, manual and a 99¢ screen wiper), while the non-Cingular version of the phone comes with a leather case, PC synch software and a data cable. No big deal but a little surprising since the phone was quite expensive up until recently.

CONCLUSION: Of course, if you are looking for the best camera-phone out there, this isn't it. However, if want the slimmest phone on the market with an excellent set of core features and applications, this is your phone. The RAZR is skinny and eye-catching but it does not skimp on functionality. At Amazon's latest price for new customers (...), the phone is a real bargain on which I wouldn't pass.