Motorola E815 / E816 Hollywood
Phone Scoop Review
Oct 11, 2005 by Eric Lin
In-depth review of Motorola's first EV-DO phone for North America, the E815 for Verizon. read review ›
User Reviews
Average Ratings
Hands-down BEST RECEPTION!
Believe me, this phone gets a signal where no others can (central PA)... VZW reps will say all phones get the same reception, but i compared many and this is the best.
On the down side, it arranges your pics in your photo gallery backwards and you can't delete the pre-loaded ones (Grrr)
Tried the LG 8000, worse reception but better feel. Friend has the audiovox EVDO which feels nice but he camera angle stinks. I am still getting used to the differences from the 8K but am happy so far with my decision to get the 815.
After extreme comparison this phone is a top notch winner!!!!
I purchased the Motorola E815 3 days ago. I couldn't be happier! I researched endlessly. I almost bought the LG 8100. I was told by Verizon Wireless that LG was the best. After careful consideration and reading every Motorola review ever written, I came to my senses. I went to Verizon to purchase the 815, and the same sales associate admitted to me that his LG 8100,(which is comparable to the 815) had many glitches. He said he was sorry he didn't go with the Motorola. This phone has it all. I previously had the Audiovox..older model but also a good fone, no complaints. So I was skeptical. But thanks to the endless research driving my husband up a wall was worth it. I would recommend it to anyone.
Great Phone!!!
Wow! I was originally going to get a Samsung SCH-a890, but the store was out and I was talked into this one. I was disappointed at first, but it only took a few minutes of playing with this phone to fall in love with it! The internal LCD screen is big, beautiful and vibrant with a 262K color display, the 1.3 megapixel camera takes excellent pictures up to 1280 x 1024 pixels AND can take up to 15 second video clips with sound, includes photo caller ID (even shows photos on the external LCD screen), wireless internet, SMS, EMS and MMS messaging, wireless internet, it has enough memory for 1000 contact entries with up to 6 numbers and a picture for each entry, it's Bluetooth enabled and V-Cast capable, and SO MUCH MORE! While the e815 is not big and bulky, it is a tad larger than most phones these days. It's got a smooth, streamlined look to it when it's closed, and when you open it up, the main screen and keypad give it a nice, bold appearance. So it's not just a powerful phone, but it looks good too. Brains AND braun!
The only disadvantages to this phone that I've found are very minor. The external LCD only displays 4000 colors, and there is no way to modify text style when messaging (bold/italics/underline, size, color, etc). Other than that, this phone is a great phone to own! I highly recommend it!!!
My E-815 review
I just got two of these phones yesterday (Verizon service). I haven't had a chance to play with all the features but I wanted to let everyone know that the Reception is as good as everyone says it is.
I live in NE CT and in my town there is only one cell phone tower and it has Cingular on it, (this is my old provider I just dumped) I couldnt use the phone in my house and the tower was only about 3 miles away....
After reading all the reviews about this phone I decided to give it a try. All I can say is WOW.
I can now use a cell phone in EVERY room in my house, and I am telling you there is no VERIZON Tower around anywhere. The nearest one is apporx 5 to 7 miles (as the crow flies) away from my house.
If you want a phone just to be able to talk on this phone is it. I can't stress enough how good the signal strenght is. And for only $99 for new customers this is a steal.
This phone is the real deal.
Very happy so far
I am hesitant to make changes as I am afraid that newer equipment will not be as reliable as my older equipment. Thus, I have been using a V60i since the fall of 2002. I am not very into cell phone technology, etc---all I really want to do is just to use it for text messages and calls...which my V60i was perfect for. I have no use for a camera, get it now or vcast. I did need a new phone though as I was experiencing some problems with my V60i. When I saw the E815 was coming out soon with the great features I decided to go ahead and buy it. I also wanted a phone with bluetooth and I didn't really care for the 710 or the LG.
I purchased this phone last night. So far, I have not experienced any major problems with it. I think I did find a bug in the software though. My software version is 8720_01.17.03. If you press the right arrow (as if to select get it now) the phone freezes sometimes.
Pros:
GREAT signal quality, I have had pretty much full service since that time that I have bought the phone.
GREAT sound quality. I am located in Long Island. People can hear me clearly and to me it almost sounds like a landline phone.
GREAT speakerphone. At first I didn't like how it sounded to me, but I either got used to it, or it wasn't as bad as first thought.
Excellent ring volume--WORLDS above the volume of my V60i. I have not tried the vibrate yet, nor will I likely use it so that is not a major concern for me.
Cons:
My one major complaint about this phone is the external display. When the light is off it is almost impossible to see and when the light is on it looks a little bit distorted/discolored. Why can't the external display be as clear as the internal display was? I didn't have to touch my V60i to see the time and date on the external display.
The rings they offer on the phone are terrible. I realize that they want us to use get it now, but why can't they include some decent rings?
Overall I am very happy with the phone so far.
Almost Perfect
I like to have a phone with lots of features, but in the end being able to make calls anywhere and actually hear the person on the other end is MOST important. The E815 offers it all.
I'm probably just mirroring 90% of the previous reviews, but here's the list:
Pros:
- Excellent signal strength
- Loud & clear earpiece
- Big bright screen
- Very customizable
- Lots of memory with room to expand
- Excellent camera (for a phone)
- Excellent battery life
Cons:
- Weak vibrate function
- No analog (although I've never needed to use it)
I travel a lot and have yet to find a place where I can't make a call with this phone and Verizon's network. Even camping and hiking in some of the most remote areas of the country, I know I never have to worry about being out of touch. I've had tri-band phones in the past, but never needed the analog function. I suppose if you're someone who needs it, this phone isn't for you.
If you're looking for a reliable, all-digital, very customizable, loud and clear phone... look no further.
Best Phone I ever Owned
I just got the E815 and it is an amazing phone. Sure, Verizon has crippled the features but everyone expects that by now from Verizon and there's always ways to get around it. So let me list my PROs and CONs for the E815:
Pros:
-Inside screen is amazing. Bright, vivid and great to look at.
-Speakers are great, perfectly clear and crisp sound.
-Camera works great, and takes amazing pictures. I've read reviews that the camera sucks but I think those people just got a bad batch of phones.
-Video is good, not as good as the camera but not horrible either.
-Size is great. Petite phones are not my thing. This phone fits perfectly in my hand, and its very comfortable to hold.
-Customization is so cool. From skins to ringtones to greetings to anything else you can think of. The E815 is one of the most customizable phones I've ever owned.
-Earpiece volume is great and keeps getting better. Again, the echo issue has to be with a certain batch of phones because I have no problem there.
-Reception! Oh how great it is to have reception! 4 Bars everywhere I am, and even in difficult areas I've not seen it go below 2 bars. And the bars tell the truth too, at least for me.
-Unlike what I've heard, the vibrate mode is fine for me. I wear loose clothing and I could still feel the vibration but I can also understand why others might not like it.
CONs:
-Outisde screen is really bad. It looks really primitive and this is definitely the worst part of the phone.
-Since its Verizon, naturally there's gonna be crippled features but this is a carrier problem and not at all the phone. Howardforums, my children ;)
So as you can see this phone is a must buy. It is the best phone Verizon has and the best phone I've ever owned. I'm coming from a Samsung a670 and although dated that phone was a great phone and I loved it. But the E815 blows it out of the water. Amazing phone and highly highly recommended.
Really a very nice phone!
I've got this phone for 3 days right now, just like it more and more.
The reception is excellent and the call clarity is supreme. Battery life lasts quite long and enough for you to talk for hours. And another nice thing is it doesn't really get very 'hot' and makes your head dizzy (the radiation) after a long talk.
Of course, there's some cons. The 1.3 megapix camera does not take really good picture, at least compare to my previous Nokia 6680. And the bluetooth function is limited... that means beside bluetooth headset, you can't use the phone to connect any other thing.
I give this phone a 4 out of 5, but because I just switch to VZW and due to the satisfaction of it's coverage, I'll give it another 0.5 bonus!
E815 Huge Improvement of V710 best EVDO phone so far on VZW Network
The e815 truly exceeded my expectaions on the upgrade from the v710. The look is much better than the V710 the feel is more comfortable and the software is improved and faster. It has a faster connectivity with the Bluetooth, the voice dialing, slighlty different than the V710 but the changes are more useful with the E815. The camera is a definite improvement over the V710 with taking pictures indoors. The outside screen is a huge improvement, I love the fact you can see the time from the outside and that you can change the wallpaper on the outside. It is currently the only phone that VZW offers with speakerphone being used while closed. This is a significant advantage over other phones because you dont have to worry about using your Bluetooth headset driving if you dont have it with you because you can just turn on the speaker phone and set in on your dash and talk and it is completely hands free.
Other impressive phone features:
Vcast is great on this phone
MP3 player is awesome
Camera is great
Bluetooth is excellent for the most part excluding the fact that verizon crippled it
TransFlash card possibility
PROS:
-GREAT RECEPTION
-BETTER CAMERA
-MUCH BETTER KEYPAD THAN THE V710
-GREAT EARPIECE VOLUME
-GREAT BIG SCREEN
-NICE WALLPAPERS
-LOTS OF MEMORY SPACE
-NICE EASY TO USE APPEALING SOFTWARE
-GREAT BATTERY LIFE
-GREAT MP3 PLAYER AND VCAST (NEW YORK AREA)
-TIME DISPLAY ON OUTSIDE
-TRANSFLASH CARD
-SPEAKERPHONE CAN BE USED WITH PHONE CLOSED!
CONS:
-SOFTWARE FREEZES BUT RESETS ITSELF WITHIN SECONDS
-THE CALLER ID PICS ARENT AS LARGE AS THEY COULD BE ON EITHER SCREENS, BUT THEY ARE STILL A DECENT SIZE
Size is actually a good thing
The Proâs & Conâs have been covered very well so I would just like to add a plug about the form factor.
I have owned Nokia, Ericsson and Moto phones and have watched the trend toward smaller and thinner phones. This reduction is size comes at a cost in reception, battery, resilience and it also makes the darn things hard to hang on to! The shot in the movie Zoolander comes to mind where he whips out the ridiculously tiny cell phone.
Donât get me wrong, the Razr is totally sexy looking, but ergonomically, the thing is tough to hold on to and a bit fragile. In day to day use, I am realizing that there is an optimum size and form factor that just seem to work best. I for one like the size and thickness of the e815. Augmented with two small egrip strips, this phone handles well in hand and is sturdy enough to last (hopefully).
I am also lucky to have one that seemed to have been made on a Wednesday- Great reception, excellent battery life, OS load that hasnât hiccupped yet. There will always be niggly items on a phone to pick at, but I am very impressed with the e815 / Verizon setup.
