Motorola W490 Phone, Black/Mandarin (T-Mobile)

by Motorola

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3.9 x 1.8 x 0.7 inches ; 3.8 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B001BXRTDG
• Item model number: W490
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #175,081 in Cell Phones & Accessories (See Top 100 in Cell Phones & Accessories)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Blending RAZR high style with an affordable price tag, the sleek Motorola W490 offers compelling communication features to keep you in touch with ease. With a vibrant color screen and lengthy talk-time, this compact flip phone is a handy mobile companion. In addition to text messaging capabilities, you can chat with buddies using Yahoo!, MSN, AOL, or ICQ instant messaging services. Other features include a 1.3-megapixel camera with video capture, USB wired connectivity with mass storage capability, Bluetooth connectivity with stereo music streaming, and MicroSD memory card expansion.

T-Mobile Service
The W490 operates on GSM 850/900/1800/1900 networks and can handle high-speed data connectivity via T-Mobile's EDGE network (which stands for "Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution"). This high-speed, mobile data and Internet access technology is fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services (with average data speeds between 75-135Kbps), including video and music clips, full picture and video messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and email on the go.

It's compatible with T-Mobile's myFaves service, which allows you to call up to five of your most common contacts--on any network, even landlines--without using any of your minutes. Learn more about myFaves from T-Mobile.

With T-Mobile's MyFaves service, you'll enjoy unlimited nationwide calling to your 5 favorite people.

Phone Features
Measuring 0.69 inches thin, the Motorola W490 sports a 1.9-inch LCD screen with support for 262K colors and a 176 x 220-pixel resolution. It has a 5 MB internal memory, which can be expanded up to 2 GB using optional MicroSD memory cards. This phone can store up to 1000 contact entries (plus up to 250 stored on the SIM card), and each entry can store up to five numbers as well as picture ID.

This Motorola phone includes the innovative CrystalTalk technology, which automatically accounts for background noise during a call and adjusts the audio quality based on ambient noise conditions to provide the optimal conversational experience. CrystalTalk also reduces the volume of the background noise picked up by the microphone during a call, making it possible to be more easily heard over the phone while in a noisy environment.

This phone provides Bluetooth version 1.1 wireless connectivity, and includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, and audio/video remote control. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones.

In addition to SMS text messaging capabilities, the W490 offers built-in instant messaging with Yahoo!, MSN, AOL, and ICQ services. iTap text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for entering text on handsets, is built into the unit--a plus for mobile email and text messaging users. Other features include:

• Music file support: MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+
• 1.3-megapixel camera with 8x digital zoom and video capture
• PIM tools: calendar, calculator, voice memos
• Speakerphone
• Java 2.0 support for app and game downloads

Vital Statistics
The Motorola W490 weighs 3.8 ounces and measures 1.8 x 3.9 x 0.7 inches. Its 800 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 7.5 hours of talk time, and up to 14 days of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Definitely not a disposable phone, 18 months and still going strong, June 11, 2009

By 

Cricket "Living life and loving it!" (Somewhere in a land far, far away..) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Motorola W490 Phone, Black/Mandarin (T-Mobile) (Wireless Phone)

Nowdays it seems like people change phones every couple of months, but not me. When I buy a phone I expect it to last me at least 2 years. Originally I wasn't sold on the W490 when I acquired it, but it was one of the phones that came "Free After Rebate" and that was within my budget.

There were several features that were must haves for me and it has them all.
* Slim (Less than 3/4 of an inch)
* Lightweight (Under 4 ounces)
* Camera (1.3mp w 8x zoom. Not amazing, but it works well. See customer images)
* MyFaves compatible
* Larger screen than my previous phone (Just shy of 1 1/4 by 1 1/2 inches)
* Alarm clock (I use it everyday to wake up)

Some extra features that weren't necessary, but that have been very useful.
* Video Camera
* mp3 Player (I have an iPod, but did load music on to the phone and I still listen to it every so often)
* Voice notes and/or Calendar (Great for grocery lists, appointment reminders, etc.)
* Email access to AOL, Yahoo, Comcast, Compuserve, Earthlink, Gmail, HotPOP, Juno, Mac, Netzero & Verizon.
* Instant Messaging access to AIM, ICQ, Windows Live & Yahoo.
* World clock
* Calculator
* Voice dialing (I set this up and haven't used it since. It worked, but
I mainly call MyFaves and they are all one touch calling anyways.)

As for the actual quality and use of the phone for calls, it's been great. As long as I'm in an area that T-mobile has service, so do I. I've traveled out of state with it numerous times and never a problem. The clarity of the call is clear and I have not received any complaints from the people I talk to. Additionally in my experience the phone can take a beating and keep going. I have dropped this from waist level onto the concrete at least a dozen times and although there are nicks and scratches, it's still working. (I do not recommend this, it just happens to me.)

So is there anything I don't like about the phone? Yes! The video camera is nice for small "fun" videos like catching the kids doing something or a friend making a fool of themselves. Although as easy as it is to take a video it is not as easy to send. I wish they would allow you to send it via email or text like you can with the pictures, but the only way to send videos is via bluetooth. I know that there is an option to connect your phone to your computer via USB, but in my 18 months I have only been able to make that work once.

3.0 out of 5 stars Not the usual Motorola quality I expect., November 3, 2009

By 

N. Earles (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Motorola W490 Phone, Black/Mandarin (T-Mobile) (Wireless Phone)

I usually prefer Motorola cellphones because all other brands I have had to return, but Motorola has better quality audio and volume and this phone has a bigger screen which is better for my old eyes!! But this model has been a disappointment. I got it in Heather and the face plate started wearing off the paint immediately until you no longer can read the numbers and letters. The hinge is very shaky and I know a couple of people that theirs cracked. I prefer the old metal housings, the plastic battery door cover is cheap and easy to break. The phone charger for the wall doesn't charge the phone, tried several chargers and different outlets so it must be the phone, so I have to use the car charger only which is inconvenient when traveling. It is not easy to setup speed dial numbers but I use Fave Five which helps. Over all I would have expected better quality from Motorola as I have seen in the past with other products.

1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Dirt Phone, August 3, 2009

By 

jarrett - See all my reviews

This review is from: Motorola W490 Phone, Black/Mandarin (T-Mobile) (Wireless Phone)

I was and am completely dissapointed with this phone. The only redeeming quality is the ability to access my e-mail with it. Who needs the MP3 funtion ? HELLO ?!? We have iPods !!

My main gripe is the fact that if you talk on this phone for more than two hours straight, or too often, it start to do weird things. Mine started dialing the 9 & 7 during calls, and then finally, seized up completely.

Considering that I work for a merchandising retailer and got this thru T-Mobile, I'd be real careful buying this "Burner".