Review: Moto RAZR
Like most other major manufacturers, Motorola has maintained the same interface for a few years now. They too make a few adjustments and improvements where necessary, but have not changed anything significantly. Motorola users will then be familiar with the RAZR's menus, while new users should not have any problems adapting.
From the home screen, the menu key and the D-Pad select key open the main menu, the only time when the two share a function. The softkeys, D-Pad direction keys and the side key can all be customized as shortcuts. Navigation is very consistent. the left softkey is always back or delete, the right softkey and D-Pad select are always select or action. The menu key only opens an options menu when its logo, which is a menu icon, is displayed.
Menus are nearly instant, with only the slightest pause after opening most applications. The only exceptions are accessing the downloads, which actually starts the Java engine even before you launch an application, and opening the camera application. It takes a litlle over 2 seconds to start the camera, which is typical for phones, and a "starting camera" screen is displayed during the wait. When launching the downloads menu, a huge Java logo takes over the screen for about 4-5 seconds the first time it is launched after turning on the phone. However as long as the phone has memory to keep the engine running, that wait time is reduced to a split second.
The menus are all quite logical and well named, however the applications themselves are not always as easy to use as the menus.
Other than the camera application, nothing will run on the phone when the flip is closed. Closing the flip while the phone is trying to do something will almost always cancel that action. For instance if you are checking email on the run, you'll have to hold the phone open the whole time or the RAZR will stop checking for email, quit the messaging application, and return to the home screen.