Customer Reviews

Motorola V190 Unlocked Phone Quad-Band GSM, MP3, and SpeakerPhone--U.S. Version with Warranty (Black)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

the one i was sent was the silver not blue version but overall, i liked the phone and it was mainly due to the simplicity of the phone.

pros:
speakerphone
spacing of keys
inside screen
reception
battery life

cons:
outside display of the contact name and the word "calling" next to it.... it seems redundant to have that.
can only have individual ringtones if on the phone itself and not on SIM card.
simple functions difficult to find without the help of manual.

the cons are minor if you don't mind a few gliches but i recommend this phone for those who want a simple phone with quality over quantity.

I bought this phone mainly to use in Italy for extended visits and plan to get an Italian SIM card. The phone itself works well (I tend to like Motorola phones -- others may not) and the quad band capability should ensure compatibility with European wireless networks.

One big selling point of this phone was Amazon's claim that it was unlocked. However, after trying two SIM cards from provides other than AT&T/Cingular (one from an Italian provider and one from a Hong Kong provider) the phone is quite definitely LOCKED as it asks for a subsidy code when you boot up with a non-AT&T SIM card. So I will likely have to fork over another 15-20$ to get a code to unlock it from a third party.

I think others have had similar problems --- as the phone was supposedly sold directly by Amazon (but I am sure they are using a third-party supplier), my suggestion to their quality control department is to pay a little more serious attention to this issue of selling locked phones as being "unlocked".

One other thing -- it appears one may need to buy the software necessary to use computer-communication features on this phone (but I have not done a deep search on the Web to see if the software can be found for free --- what I know is my XP-system does not have a device driver to mount the phone and the phone manual indicates one needs to purchase such software).

Easy to use
long battery life
good features if looking for a Basic phone

The phone was not unlocked as advertised, and the IMEI unlock code could not be found, making it impossible to use the unit. Returned after a week of frustration -- unclear how the vendor intends to profit by paying to ship phones around the country.

This is an excellent basic phone. No complaints whatever.
Not many bells or whistles, but does averything that you want
a phone to do. Very good sound quality. Screen very legible . Comes with a good selection of standard utilities that do everything that I want a phone to do, and a lot of things for which I have no use on a phone(sending faxes, internet browsing, etc). The phone has been extremely reliable, no problems whatever and has worked perfectly at all times.

This is a phone that works on the GSM system. There is no problem with GSM service anywhere in Canada where I live. European SIM cards for it are readily available, which allow for very economical local use in Europe thus avoiding very expensive roaming charges. I have had no problems with GSM service when I am in the USA, but can only speak for the northeastern USA.

This is a mobile GSM phone It does not have bluetooth, it does not
have a camera. It is not an MP3 player. But it is extremely good at the basic function of any telephone : sending and receiving phone calls. Additionally, it has excellent sound quality and has been 100% reliable.
As far as I am concerned, for what I want a mobile phone for, it has
turned out to be a most economical and an excellent choice. Highly
recommended.

This phone was advertised as "Unlocked". When they arrived, I put my sim chip in and when I powered the phone to use it I was asked for a "code" to use the phone. After talking to customer service I was told this phone was not "Unlocked" and I had to return them.

Ordered the UNLOCKED V190 in black, Amazon sent me a LOCKED V190 in SILVER. The label on the box said it was an unlocked black V190, but it seems the order processors at Amazon did not open it to verify if it indeed was a black unlocked V190. There was a silver locked V190 inside.
Thus, I returned it and got a refund.
If you order this phone, be advised that you may get the wrong one.

I rate two thumbs down on this one.

Got the phone. It was indeed unlocked.
But it was programmed as Cingular, which was not stated in the sales add.
Can not use any of my cell service features because it is Cingular.
But it works for the basic stuff, so I can not complain.
For some odd reason, it has a low sensitivity (shows low signal compared with TMobile phone at same location). But otherwise I like the phone.
Please include type of programming in sales add, so people can decide.

Pros:

Battery Life (with the 1100 mah battery probably the best for a cell phone)
Display brightness and color
Key spacing and tactile feel
Signal sensitivity (much better than my other high end Nokia 6126, having a stub helps with signal reception vs those which attempt to hide the antenna)
Smart Keys (make key functions for you accessible with one button - calculator, recent calls, etc.)
Voice Dial (pretty good for a basic phone, but limited to about 7 contacts)
Built like a tank (durable)
Highly visible outside screen (even in bright sunlight)
Not having to work in all the other gimmicks (camera, MP3) allows more focus to be placed on basic phone feature quality.

Cons:

Functionality of datebook limited (ex. can't repeat item for a limited number of days)
Speakerphone not that loud
Can't list multiple #s under one person's name in phone listings. (fax, cell, work, etc.)
Graphics not that elegant but functional
User manual really doesn't cover the more subtle functional capability of this phone.

Overall, the best buy in a basic flip cell phone. A steal at $40 - $50.

Obviously not for the person who wants a camera, radio, MP3 player, photo album, etc., etc., etc.

Note: unlocked phones will only provide voice and text messaging services on any GSM network. The service provider has to set them up to provide multimedia, web access and other services. Many low end unlocked phones are last year's new but excess inventory for a service provider and will have their logo and service icons on the phone. This is typical. You also need the user manual for the manufacturer set PIN and other security #s to initially access the phone's functions. User manuals can be found online at the manufacturer's web site.

Like others have said. The order was switch from a V190 to a V195 without asking if this was okay.