The Motorola RAZR V3. A Phone For the Distinguished Connoisseur.

Author's Rating:

Pros: Talk/standby time, software/memory features, screens, Bluetooth and USB, Four GSM frequency modes

Cons: Camera has a lower pixel count than some others, no added XD memory card.

The Bottom Line: 
This is a moderately expensive phone by Motorola but one that will be enjoyed not only for its great look and small size but its functions and utility.

Author's Review
Ahhh! Exquisite looks, design, and a plethora of features to suit my needs. This is the phone I chose. In the following lines I will describe in some depth its cosmetics, use, and features, This is the only way to truly relate the appeal of this phone which strangely exudes class at every avenue. Hold on to your hat - this is a lengthy review that could still be of interest even if you already have the RAZR V3. I have divided it into various topics so you can skip around, if you will, to the "nuts and bolts".

Cosmetics:

Originally, I was most interested in this phone for its small slim design, battery life, Bluetooth, large phone book, and the fact it is mostly metal and therefore somewhat durable. What came next was a general warming to it beyond utility, more like my penchant toward fine clothes, expensive jewelry, and other fine adornments as I held it in my hand. Anyone with a discerning eye and a feel for fine things will immediately be taken by this phone once they see it up close. It has that posh look of refinement with its light sandblast silver anodized case, and finely machined exterior and interior. Smooth with a small external screen that instantly shows who is calling, before you open the flip to answer it - or answer with a Bluetooth device, it displays the name and number or a photo you may include in its phone book. The outer LCD screen is no giant but its colors are beautiful and pales only to the much larger LCD screen inside as you open it. It is reminiscent of a finely crafted expensive Swiss watch and includes a digital calender and clock on the displays, which is updated by the system you are on for each time zone you enter. The only small detraction from its look is the mini USB port which is always uncovered on its side. In other than bright light, the keypad is brightly illuminated with a blue glow and the light from the large inner screen as it opens making the machined metal keys easily seen.

Usefulness and things to note:

It's true Nokia, Sony, Siemens, along with others, offer more features but none of them offers a phone of this small design that truly works as well. The Nokia is a bit more reliable in my experience than the Sony and the Siemens but all of these newer phones are much bulkier for their added features. Features, I will add, that are better left to other more specific equipment which can do the job better. These are digital cameras, Mp3 players, PDA's, and stereo radios. Why would anyone even expect a phone to do all of these other tasks well anyway? Its purpose is to be a phone and this one is a nice one indeed. I found that the features I don't have with the RAZR V3 are not that great in the other phones that include them, although some are nice to have around. Battery life drops quickly using them and I prefer using my battery power in calls. What the V3 offers is more to the liking of professionals on the go. For those not looking for compact design or uninterested in carrying a separate camera, Mp3 player, and such, I would recommend one of the new high end Nokia phones which "does it all". The RAZR V3 fits my image and my clothing without causing any unsightly bulges from a pocket, which many will appreciate. At 2" X 3.8" X 1/2" closed, this phone is smaller than an empty wallet. A larger phone can not give this look of neatness with tailored clothing, but (chuckle) I wouldn't put it in a back pocket where I might sit on it (at its 3.3 ounce weight you might just forget about it). After all, wireless phones are now wearing apparel and not usually left lying around - and those on belt clips just look more blue collar and advertise the fact. An added Bluetooth headset with this phone means most will never see it or know you have it unless you pull it out to show off. Not the smart thing to do anyway, as you will impress no one of consequence but will bolster your own vanity. Keeping it safely hidden in your pocket should also keep it safer from theft.

With my Logitech Keyboard's Bluetooth software I can answer this phone from my computer and perform many of its functions there, even using it for a computer modem. All that is required, is that I have turned the Bluetooth feature on in the phone which does draw additional power from the battery and you must have a current data subscription to allow the modem feature's operation. Of course, you will also need to allow the Bluetooth connections to provide for this and the entire process is simple, quick, and secure. The additional Motorola software for your computer, while not so refined, does provide for more features. But, it must be purchased separately by most as it is not usually supplied in the box.

At my age, most would like to consider me a bit "over the hill" and my hearing is definitely not as good as I enjoyed in my younger days. I can no longer hear things such as alarms on watches or even the ticking sounds they make, but I still hear well enough to avoid the need of a hearing aid. My previous phones have had vibrators as this Motorola does because of this. With this phone's strong volume and clear speakers, I have no trouble hearing it ring or using it during a call - as happened with others I have owned such as the Nokia 6340 models and some of the earlier ones (I would not hear them ring after laying them down). It also has Motorola's loudspeaker function, which can be activated during a call, that does work very well.

A well satisfied Nokia user, I turned to Motorola because of the smaller size and trusted Motorola name. What I found was a phone that much better suited my needs than the current Nokia models. I really didn't need the bulk of a phone with an Mp3 player or a radio, and the 4X digital zoom camera this one has is merely a novelty, as I own an Olympus digital with 10X optical zoom for my serious picture taking. While Motorola does offer many other personal models, I tend to think Motorola is more of an industry leader in two-way business radios for field work with construction and manufacturing crews, and various government operations. I was quite surprised with this offering and expect it will be durable as they have been making durable equipment for many more than a few years.

Accessories:

As you may have guessed, this phone can be used with a number of aftermarket and OEM equipment offerings. From car kits to chargers there are a number of them that are compatible, but use those from Motorola to maintain your warranty. USB cables, Bluetooth earpieces, and cases are another thing - many fine accessories in these categories are offered by various manufacturers and your preference can be guided by your conscience here. Software can be found that will operate most features from various manufacturers, but some of the RAZR V3's features just won't come on line until you install Motorola's software offering which contains their proprietary drivers. Simply plugging in the phone to your computer with a USB cable adapter will not cause any drivers to be found or installed, even though Windows will recognize a new device to install. You will have to have that Motorola Disk. Don't have a Bluetooth connection? No problem, Motorola offers this hardware in combos with the software. Check out http://www.hellomoto.com before you start shopping, then check out the various deals available on what you want from other dealers for your best buy.

Motorola's software is by BVRP and version 3.0 is actually version 3.11 known properly as Motorola Mobile Phone Tools (Deluxe). With two free updates available from the BVRP website and multiple restarts, this goes to version 3.23. The software does work well and supplies multiple profile options you can use to install both USB and/or Bluetooth communications (even infrared communication is offered). Note - when first installed the software will not display the V3's picture on your computer - the two BVRP Mobile Phone Tools website patches for Motorola Phone Tools (Deluxe) are necessary.

Transmission Power:

I would be sadly remiss if I didn't mention the power output and clarity using this small phone. I previously owned a Nokia 8260 at one point, which also is a very small phone of similar battery power. Although I could always hear clearly over it, I had to return it due to its low transmission power in weak signal areas. No such problem exists with the RAZR V3 as its clarity remains great on both ends. (Chuckle) No more grrrr- "Can you hear me now".

1) The Battery:

Hidden behind what may be about the only plastic piece on this phone other than on the LCD displays, the battery snaps firmly in place. The cover, which also snaps and latches firmly in place, seems to double as another antenna in addition to the one hidden by the displays as noted by two small contacts under it.

The talk time and standby time with this phone is very good. Your signal strength in the area you are in does affect it just as with any other wireless phone. (The weaker the signal strength, the shorter your battery time before needing a fresh charge - the same as pulling from an AMPS or TDMA tower instead of using a GSM or GPRS signal will also shorten your time between charges.) After the initial charge, I made a point of leaving the Bluetooth feature turned on (it increases the power drain on the battery) and allowed the phone to deplete its charge, then turning itself off - before I connected the battery charger. I did this the first three or four times to condition that battery, and I now have the extended charge life I was expecting even though my primary signal area is somewhat weak and causes it to increase battery use for increased transmitter power. It compares favorably with my Nokia 6340 phone battery's charge life which had been the best I've seen with its advertised 2 1/2-6 hours talk and 9-25 days standby times. Of note is the Nokia had a 3.6v 1000mAh Li-ion battery and the RAZR V3 has a 3.6v 710mAh Li-ion battery, which does suggest the Motorola would have times only 3/4 that of the Nokia. However, that is not the case in my experience although standby times are shorter by a day or so than I had with the Nokia. With my heaviest use of 2 hrs. per day, a single charge has been sufficient as it was with the previous Nokia 6340. The Nokia standby time easily lasted a full week but the Motorola has only lasted 5 days in standby before a charge was needed, still no big deal. (All times were checked with Bluetooth off.) A future 1000mAh battery may be offered to improve this as the included battery is of about the same size as the Nokia 6340 battery I compared.

1a) Charging - Associated Screens, and Menus:

Charging is accomplished through the phone's mini USB port and can be done with the included charger in about two hours usually, or using an adapter cable to a computer's USB port. While charging, the phone can be used and the call vibrator, if being used, is turned off for incoming calls. Motorola provides an angle adapter to make using the phone while charging more comfortable. On the upper right hand screens (while active) appears a green indicator with three bars to denote a full charge one drops for each stage of depletion. From the Main Menu -> Settings Menu -> Phone Status -> Battery Meter, a display will show with six green numbered segments that will indicate a more accurate state of charge.

2) Menus:

Before I get to far along, here is a sampling from the MotoManual of the menus. I will not explore the various sub-routines here, but will say they are extensive and provide excellent controls. They are also easily entered and the supplied Motorola manual was unnecessary for me, even though this is my first Motorola phone, although it does explain everything well. It also explains exactly what each key controls and what they can be set to control. You can also set your screen to hide or show icons, using them much the same as those on a Windows OS display.

2a) Main Menu->-

2a)(1) Recent Calls->-

>-Received Calls
>-Dialed Calls
>-Notepad
>-Call Times
>-Data Times
>-Data Volumes

2a)(2) Messages->-

>Create Message
>Message Inbox
>MMS Templates
>Quick Notes
>Voicemail
>Email Msgs
>Out Box
>Drafts
>Browser Messages

2a)(3) Games&Apps

2a)(4) MEdia Net

2a)(5) MEdia Mall

2a)(6) Tools->-

>SIM Applications
>Calculator
>Datebook
>Shortcuts
>Voice Records
>IM
>Alarm Clock
>Chat
>Dialing Sevices->-
>Fixed Dial
>Service Dial

2a)(7) My MEdia->-

>Camera
>Pictures
>Sounds
>MotoMixer
>videos

2a)(8) Address Book

*A note about AIM (instant messaging). Although this function name (AIM) does not appear in the phone's menus it does appear on the RAZR V3's inner screen unless you change its button function. This Feature is not available on "Closed Switch" Internet connection. You must have a GPRS full time service activation using a MEdia package for this, and the GPRS icon must be showing active on your screen for the feature to work. Also, you must set the feature up using the AIM Offline Menu - reached by pressing its button while AIM appears on your screen. It is charged out in kilobytes of use which will then appear in the Recent Calls->Data Calls and Recent Calls->Data Volumes menus. Check with your provider for the availability of MEdia packages and area coverage of this GPRS feature.*

2b) Main Menu->-Settings Menu->

2b)(1) Personalize->-

>Home Screen
>Main Menu
>Skin
>Greeting
>Wallpaper
>Screen Saver

2b)(2)Audio->-

>Style
>Detail

2b)(3) Connection->-

>Bluetooth Link
>Sync

2b)(4) Call Forward->-

>Voice Calls
>Fax Calls
>Data Calls
>Cancel All
>Forward Status

2b)(5) In-Call Setup->-

>In-Call Timer
>My Caller ID
>Talk and Fax
>Answer Options
>Call Waiting

2b)(6) Initial Setup->-

>Time and Date
>One Touch Dial
>Display Timeout
>Backlight
>TTY Setup
>Scroll
>Language
>Brightness
>DTMF
>Master Reset
>Master Clear

2b)(7) Phone Status->-

>My Tel. Numbers
>Battery Meter
>Other Information

2b)(8) Headset->-

>Auto Answer
>Voice Dial

2b)(9) Car Settings->-

>Auto Answer
>Auto Handsfree

2b)(10) Network->-

>Network Setup

2b)(11) Security->-

>Phone Lock
>Lock Application
>Fixed Dial
>SIM PIN
>New Passwords
>Certificate Mgmt

2b)(12) Java Settings->-

>Java System
>Delete All Apps
>App Vibration
>App Volume
>App Backlight

2b)(13) Web Access->-

>Media Net
>Web Shortcuts
>Stored Pages
>History
>Go To URL
>Browser Setup

3) Bluetooth and its Features:

You may already be aware of just what Bluetooth is, and I will not go into much depth here other than its operation and how I use it with this phone and my computers. Some of you may have read my review of the Logitech Bluetooth Keyboard I currently use with its Bluetooth software, but I will again tell you Bluetooth has a range of about 30' and a connection rate of about 1Mb. The Bluetooth "frequency hopping" across 79 channels takes place at 1600 times per second and your connections are secure as each device has its own IP Address - that must be authorized by you from each device. You can also prevent "discovery" by other Bluetooth devices using your phone or computer menus. This all means there is no interference using Bluetooth here. That Logitech Bluetooth software really provides for easy connection to the RAZR V3. Simply click on the computer icon and select the function following discovery after activating the Bluetooth feature from the phone menu. Once the connection is enabled, your phone and computer will remember them and all that is needed is your enabling the transfers at the screen and sound prompt form The RAZR V3. All the various Logitech features will work with the exception of Phone Book synchronization as the Motorola version 3 software is required for this, even though it does not appear in the Logitech lists of compatible phones. Need help with the free Logitech software? Logitech has provided it also in their menus. For the remaining features to work you will need to purchase the Motorola version 3 software disk which also provided for USB connections.

One nice feature provided by Logitech's software is the ability to answer calls from my computer using the Audio Gateway Bluetooth connection. Once granted by you on the V3, a small blue LED will flash intermittently in the upper right hand corner of the V3's exterior screen.

Messaging from your computer can also be enabled as well as business card transfer, and file discovery. But, only one function can be enabled at a time.

4) Media - Mp3's, Pictures, and Videos:

Yes, all of these features are available and easily accessed in the phone or by a computer using a Bluetooth connection and software such as my Logitech software. The Motorola software is needed, as I mentioned before, for USB connections. While I'm here, I'll just note for you this phone also has a voice recorder for those short voice notes.

Just so you will know, the LCD screen is powered by ATI's latest mobile processor for phones which will make games and video clips a more enjoyable experience.

4a) Mp3's:

Mp3's? Yep, this phone does play them and MIDI's as well. With about 6Mb. of memory you won't be able to record many though, and you may cut many of the present sounds. From the phone menu you can keep up with this memory usage to avoid dropping installed sounds. These sounds can then be applied as ring tones and such. From the RAZR V3 you can even use your menus to modify the sounds. Once you have installed the Bluetooth software and enabled the easy connections, you will be able to right click on music files and send them to your Bluetooth Motorola Phone. They will copy there in the appropriate section. Don't get in a hurry transferring a Mp3 as it does transfer, or rather copy, a bit slowly. (The computer OS I have is Windows XP Pro, but other Windows versions should handle everything about the same) Sound reproduction is also surprisingly good from the V3's speaker on its lower back. Remember, you can also save tones from your phone to your computer.

4b) Pictures:

The RAZR V3 provides a small camera with 1X, 2X, and 4X digital zoom. This done by pressing the circular keypads up and down indicators after you turn on the camera. The < and > keys control brightness. The camera is activated by pressing the left hand key next to the screen and pictures are taken by pressing the right hand key. Of course, here as well, are many more options that will appear as you take the picture. Before you take it you also can enter its menu to tweak the settings for lighting, size, and such. Whatever you aim the camera at is shown on both screens and a timer can be set to make that "self portrait" easier as well, while looking into the screen to adjust your position.

Pictures can be applied as screen savers, added to names in the phone book (so they appear when a call comes from that number), applied as wallpaper, saved (for later use or transfer to a computer), or simply discarded. Here again we are using memory, so check from the picture menu for availability. You can also transfer pictures to the phone from your computer, but they must be cropped to size or they will not appear. I do this easily using my Camedia software and Bluetooth connection. If you see they are using too much memory in relation to others on your phone, they can be further resized using the phone's Picture menus.

5b) Videos:

Again, if you watch memory usage, you can install short movie clips from a computer which you can also apply to screen or to just view when it pleases you. But, don't expect much here and they cannot be made using the phones camera and sound recorder.

*Note: The early V3 I reviewed here did not have the video record feature as later models now have. See the update at the bottom of this review to find out how I added this feature.


5)The Phone Book, Synchronization, and Voice Dialing:

I won't linger here longer than necessary.

The phone book has a stated capacity of 1000 names with features for labeling numbers for type and how they display. You again need the Motorola software installed to your computer to access the phone by USB or Bluetooth for synchronization and changes there not done with the phone's menus. Email addresses are also no problem here, and you also have a note pad and calender that you can synchronize or edit as well. You can easily send messages to those email addresses so long as you have a data enabled plan.

Voice dialing is a nice feature here which can be activated to dial numbers after pressing the smart key to record your various voice prompts to phone numbers. For instance - I can press the smart key, then saying "Linda", and her phone will then be dialed (so long as I stored her spoken name to her number). This feature was on my Nokia phone but it had only 10 entries that could be made in this manner. Here, it seems to be unlimited and it works much better recognizing my voice than it did on the Nokia.

Wondering About Messaging?

It's simple, and writing with the Motorola predictive text is very easy once you become familiar with it. It remembers previous spellings and offers them intuitively to hasten your writing speed. Somewhat different but similar to the Nokia predictive text, I feel now it may be a bit better than Nokia has. If you have a MEdia package on your plan you can also send photos on your phone to others, as well as receive them.

In Conclusion:

If you read all of this review, Whew! I believe you will agree with me the Motorola RAZR V3 will be a classic phone that will be remembered for years to come, after it is no longer offered. Hey, Motorola is already offering new models at twice the price of this one. So get yours while you still can or wait for its replacement to drop in price if your in the market. The newer model offers little more than EDGE capability and a different look at almost twice the price. Based on everything, I am well pleased with my purchase. For now, I'll just be looking forward to my $100 Rebate. Hope this helps you in your decision, if you are interested in a new wireless phone.

***UPDATE 10/26/2005***

How does this phone stack up since my first use April 1, 2005? Well, after seven months and showing 35 hours in calls, the phone still looks and performs as great as it did when I purchased it. With the Motorola Phone Tools software (BVRP), all functions are available and I was even surprised at how thorough many of the added features were using it. My first installs of the software went well and all features were available. Of note there are some quirks involving the software if the install did not go well. To this end, I offer a link to the software review where I purposely probed the software issues I noted some were having. The solution for a correct software install is there. While not easy if you had a problem, I will remind you the V3 is still an excellent phone without it.

That link is:Motorola Phone Tools (Deluxe)

****UPDATE 5/15/2006****

Interested in modifying your cellphone's internal software for advanced features or those shut down by a service provider? Read I'd rather have a V8 - But my RAZR was a V3!, where I discuss what I did to gain the video recording feature my early RAZR V3 lacked that later models came with! The modifications unlocked the phone and improved Bluetooth and the operation of other features as well. These are modifications you too can do - and you may be able to find software for Verizon models and others.

You may also enjoy my review of the Motorola PEBL The Motorola PEBL...For Your Eyes Only or For Ladies Only? and my review of the newer version Motorola Phone Tools 4 Avanquest - Motorola Mobile Phone Tools 4. The installation help for both is still available at the above link to Motorola Phone Tools (Deluxe).

*****Update 10/02/06*****

What replaces a RAZR V3 that still works great after almost two years? Why, nothing less than the RAZR V3i. Read about that great new edition here - titled "Motorola streeeetches the V3i to what Connoisseurs and Enthusiasts truly wanted in a RAZR!
".