Motorola RAZR V3
Phone Scoop Review
Jul 11, 2005 by Eric Lin
In-depth review of Motorola's iconic RAZR V3 high-end clamshell GSM phone for Cingular and T-Mobile. read review ›
User Reviews
Average Ratings
bad luck with the battery
I bought this phone in August of 2006. When it arrived, the battery that came with it didn't hold a charge for more than a day. I called my provider (T-Mobile) and they sent me another battery, free of charge. The phone then worked more like I expected it to (lasting several days before needing a charge).
But things went downhill again recently, after only 1 year and 4 months of regular use, the newly replaced battery began to do the same thing as the first battery that came with the phone. After being fully charged (overnight, with the phone off) the phone beeps and dies with a dead battery by the end of the day (8 hours).
I bought a new battery to try and figure out whether it was the battery or the phone. With a new battery, the phone has a slightly longer shelf-life (almost exactly 24 hours) before beeping for help from some electrical outlet nearby.
I am disgusted. I expect my phone to last much longer! I tried to contact T-Mobile to see how they felt about selling such a piece of junk. They only offer me a new phone with another 2-year contract. I don't think I should have to sign another contract as it is not of my own volition that I want a new phone. I NEED a new phone because this one is broken!
I am not ready to sign a new contract. I want justice. If anyone can help me, I would love to hear from you.
Razr phone
I didn't like this phone. Its battery sucked, couldn't make phone calls without it dying. However it did easily fit into my pocket....
Pros:
Good size
Easy to text with
Good looking phone
Cons:
Battery sucked
Easily destructible (broke in half by stepping on it? wtf?)
Turns off and on randomly
Slow!!!!
Crappy in general
I would NOT recommend this phone to anyone. I had it replaced 3 times in the span of 6 months! And the battery twice!
My dad and sister also have this phone and had it replaced many times and we all hate it.
Not worth the money
I bought a Razr V3 about a year ago, and literally after 2 weeks of owning it i had to send it in for repairs.There were many spelling error's within the phone, if the screen wasnt shut very carefully the phone would shut off and when it turned back on the screen would flash black and white.Sometimes i wouldnt even touch the phone and it would turn off by itself.
Pro's:
- looks cool
- big screen so its easier to read
- thin so it fits nicely in your pocket
-its motorola, so overall learning how to use tools on the phone is easy.
Con's:
- very fragile, mine once fell off my couch onto my carpeted floor and everything went crazy on it and it wouldnt turn back on( couch cushion to the floor is maybe about a 1 1/2 FT drop)
-Battery life is not long
- Sometime you have to play with the charger to get it to work, it might light up when plugged in, but look carefully because most of the time it comes up "unable to charge."
-Camera isnt the best
-When texting, somehow it will switch to numbers in stead of letters in the middle of typing, and in order to fix it u have to close out of it and start all over again.
-It has an alarm clock, but it doesnt always go off when its suppose to.
-BOTTOM LINE, IF YOU PAY FULL PRICE FOR THIS PHONE YOU ARE WASTING YOUR MONEY! If there is a good deal offered on it( like the $70 i paid for mine) take it, otherwise look for a different phone.
I hate razr
Pros:
great design
Cons:
i think i have already had 3 razrs in my life and every single one has had one thing or an other wrong with it. they aways end up with some type of gliche. save ur money and get a more reliable phone, you'll thank me for it.
suggestions--> samsung, ive had samsungs that ive dropped in water, dried off for a week and been able to use. very good reliable phones.
Average at best...
I've owned this phone for almost 8 months now in the Northeast Louisiana area with Cingular. My previous experiences with Motorola came from a V400 and V551.
Signal-wise, its fared out OK; but lately calls are dropping and increasing in frequency.
One minor complaint is a "buzzing" noise that I have occasionally heard where the ear is placed. It hasn't become a major issue, but its enough to annoy after extended periods of time.
Bluetooth is a breeze. A Nokia BH-900 headset linked with no problems, and file transfers are a snap to do as well.
PROS:
Decent signal.
"Good" quality for a VGA camera.
Sleek design.
Bluetooth.
CONS:
-Increasing frequency of dropped calls. (I'm sure this has a lot to do with the network and not the phone).
-" noise near the earpiece.
-Battery (this is a primary phone and I do realize this decreases overtime; but I'm to where I may top out around 2.5 hours max these days).
-Occasionally, the screen goes completely black and the phone resets. This has been an ongoing problem since I've had the phone...
Overall, not good; not bad. Somewhere in between. The inconsistencies didn't start popping up until the latter half of ownership so far.
Its "respectable" on signal, and good on calls, provided the network can hold for an extended period. However; the black screens seriously annoy, along with the "buzzing" noise near the earpiece.
Recommended if the price is right (no pun intended); otherwise, there are better buys.
hey, I like it
I was very hesitant about getting this phone because of all the bad reviews, and also because I didn't care for the moto 815 I had with verizon. So I tried a couple other Cingular phones, and after try 4, I ended up with the black v3. And call me an idiot, but I really like this phone, I should have went with it all along.
Pros:
-real ringtones...thank god, a phone that acutally goes 'ring,ring'. Imagine that. They're very loud also...bonus.
-reception...this is by far the best reception I've had with all the cincular phones I've owned.
I had Verizon forever and was expecting to lose a little bit in the reception area switching to Cingular, and I did, until I got this phone. I haven't dropped a call yet.(Harrisburg, Pa)
-bluetooth...it works great, I will never get a phone without it again.
-large, easy to navigate screen and ui... alot of people complain about motos ui, I think its simple, and I came from using samsung, which is supposed to be the easiest.
-speakerphone works great.
-outside display...I was a little hesitant about the outside display being only 4096 colors and small pixel count, its the same as the Nokia 6102 which is horrible, and was the reason I took that one back. But with Moto having the smaller screen outside, I think it compensates, the pictures are nice and clear...and it stays on so you can see missed calls, time and whatnot without pushing any buttons.
-yes, this is a slick looking phone. I didn't buy it for that reason, but it doesn't hurt that it looks good. Very sturdy also.
Cons:
-earpiece a little scratchy at high volume.
-everyone wants to play with your phone. I guess I'm one of the cool kids now. (could be worse I guess)
Anyway, I really like all the features and options this thing has, and I haven't had any problems with it. I'd have to say I'd recommend it to anyone, and that surprises me, because I really didn't think I was gonna like it.
MOTOROLA DID IT AGAIN!!!
The phone is the best i have had so far!I thought that the buttons would be hard to press because they are all packed together but wuz i wrong... I love to text and this phone is the absolute one for texting.. i recomend this phone to any texter and people who like bluetooth.
PROS:
loud speaker with bass
easy to press buttons
large display
METAL phone!
downloadable ringz
slim design
CONS:
front screen is hard to see in the daylight
A FINE Phone
I've had it nearly a week...have read reviews here. Agree with some but disagree with of the "trashing" done on this phone and Cingular. I have the black version thru Cingular and am very happy. The two items that I read here that disturbed me...no insurance thru Cingular and no video...are simply not true in regards to my experience. I added insurance for it yesterday and read the book last night and video works fine. Anyhow...here's the 'user" Pro's and Cons that I've experienced.
PROS
1. SIZE - fits in my small front pocket of my jeans even tho it's a bit wider than my previous phone the slim design makes it fit in much better than the narrower V220 I had.
2. Beautiful big screen.
3. Sturdy construction...much better than a plastic case.
4. Loud ringer...weak vibrate...because I carry it in a pocket or purse much of the time I rely on the ringer to alert me to a call. I actually like the weaker vibrate....it's enough to alert you when it's in your jeans but won't vibrate off a table.
5. Love the internal antennae...doesn't get in the way.
6. Shortcut feature...I'm surprised this isn't mentioned...although most phones have this. Many of the tools you use regularly...ie calculator, datebook, video recording...can be put on shortcuts and they work perfectly.
7. And I can't forget RECEPTION. No dropped calls yet. I love this.
CONS - These are all minor issues as far as I'm concerned.
1. Outside Screen - very small. Would like the time to be a bit larger...old eyes ya know.
2. A bit wide...but I've gotten used to it and I have VERY small hands.
3. Smart buttons on top section instead of bottom makes it a bit awkward to hit the voice button when driving.
4. Aluminum case...although this is nice..sturdy without weight...it does conduct heat and cold. Not a biggie tho.
My suggestion would be to visit a store and "play" with the phone features there to see if they work for you. Everyone has their preferences.
Razr Sharp
I have to preface the whole review based entirely on the fact that this is a phone first and foremost.
Pros:
Of course this phone looks great, what would a marketing department and an art department be doing for a phone manufacturer, going for ugly?
-I am like many of other posters here. I wasn't sold on the Razr as being an alternative to my current Moto, or the Nokia or Sony that I tried before going to the Razr.
-Reception is out of this world. I live in Minneapolis and routinely go out of town to the lake. My Moto's are the only phone that can hold reception, and my Razr beat out my wife's V551 in signal by a long shot. Surprising since the 551 was the best of all of my friends and relatives.
-Camera is pretty good for a VGA.
-Calendar is okay, but would be nice if I could sync up with Outlook or Groupwise similar to Nokia.
-HUGE internal screen, very nice for gaming.
-Nice keypad layout with the raised keys and plenty of spacing for larger fingers
Cons:
-At times battery life has gone quickly
-Same old ringtones shipped with the phone
-Old menu's not as useful as some of the other manufacturers
-Side keys are definitely in an awkward position when phone is open
Overall a very surprising phone. Glad I was forced to pick this one up. For the skeptics still out there this is a keeper if you want a phone to do its job and make and receive calls, with some nice features on the side.
Close But Not Quite
It Is An Ok Phone It Is A Good Razr Phone Starter But It Just Dont Cut It I WOuld Appricate It Alot More If It Had More Memory But I Was Blue Toothed Some Stuff And It Was Like 6 Songs And That Filled Up Half Of The Memory And I Got 3 Vidoes And That Filled It Up I Like The Over All Fell Of The Phone A Sleak Thin Degsine And It Was Easy To Use Everything Is Very Coustomizable Love The Whole Feel Of Motorola GREAT just Gonna Get One With A Memory Slot And A Better Camera Like The VGA Is Great But It is Mot Enough I Am Gonna Get One With Mega pixl (Preferabley The Motorola V3I I Dont Know Yet)
