Motorola V176
Average Ratings
Motorola V176 nice-but
I've just switched carriers because I never seemed to have any service with my previous carrier (Virgin which I loved BTW in terms of support and ease of use).
This phone was as close to the one I had as I could get. It is a bit more expensive and has fewer features, but over all it is a nice little phone.
Except--the user manual is dreadful. It makes references to things such as a speaker phone key although there is no such labeled key nor is there anything in any of the diagrams/drawings that would indicate that some key acts as the spkr ph key. There is a speaker phone, but no instructions on how to enable/disable it aside from what is mentioned above.
There are either no instructions on how to do so or no way to delete a contact from the phone book. That seems rather absurd. Either it is a serious flaw in the phone or a serious omission from the user guide.
I've been working my way through using electronic devices and software with nothing more than a user manual for many, many years and this manual ranks among the least useful.
V176 Tracfone or Net10
I upgraded from a V170 to the V176 and wow this is a much nicer phone. The main upgrade feature I like is the speakerphone. I had a phone from Alltel and it had a cheap speakerphone in comparison. I have used both Net 10 and Tracfone over the last 5 years. No Difference in the service. Tracfone owns Net 10 and they both use towers from other carriers. If you buy the double minute card and search for double upgrade cards you can actually get you per minute cost lower with Tracfone than with Net10, But Customer Service is no good with either in my experience. I use Tracfone because it is simply the best deal you can get for a cell phone today. Okay back to the V176 - PROS Slightly Larger than the V170 and easier to use. Has Internet access but I didn't buy a phone to go on the Internet. It eats the minutes up so I stay away from that, but if you really had to check your email it's a nice feature. Great Speakerphone. Great reception. Sturdy built. CONS - Under it's menu it says office tools - OK so where is the calendar? Not there. OK what about a note pad for quick notes? not there. Of course I'd like to see the above cons included but there are a few other improvements I'd make too. 2 more things added to this phone would make it perfect - 1 is to have a caller id window on the outside of the phone and 2 is voice activation. A camera might also be nice but that is getting a bit too far. OVERALL: Very pleased with both the phone and with Tracfone. Tracfone and Net 10 are both an alternative to subscription services that will run you on average $50 a month so that means you're OK as long as you don't talk over 500 minutes - if you do you will need another carrier and also another phone because the V176 is only for Tracfone and Net 10. Thanks for reading my opinions.
v176 on NET10: Great combo!
The combination of this phone and NET10 is the best wireless phone experience I've ever had. (Caveat: I am not the biggest of wireless users, though.)
The reception is great (most important), and the phone has many extras (alarm clock, calculator, stop watch, games but no camera). The Web access may be handy for some, but it runs the minutes down too fast for my liking (on NET10). It has a speaker phone although I can't say I've used it yet. If you are a ring tone fanatic, you will be disappointed by the built in ones. They are pretty lame, but I understand you can download alternate ones (if so inclined). You can always just use vibrating alert which works well.
Battery life seems to be much longer than other phones I've used especially for the size (small). You charge it using a single post jack which is much better than the tedious pin plugs on previous Motorola models I've used.
Just about the only thing I really don't care for is the contact book. You can put several numbers in for each contact, but each one occupies a separate line in the contact book (just not my preference). It does texting, but I am not big on that so I am not the best to judge.
The v176 is a flip phone with an easy-to-read display which powers down (but not the phone itself) to conserve battery when left idle (adjustable delay). It has solid keys that should be big enough for bigger hands.
To summarize, the v176 is a great phone for that which it was designed. It is not the fanciest and most slickest phone around today, but it gets the job done and gives you a few extras. I am a satisfied owner.
Very satisfied
I used to have an old Nokia phone that I used in the Virginia Mountains through Cingular and was unhappy with it and it's reception. I'm an infrequent cell-phone user. I use it mostly on trips and for occasional calls to my better-half when running errands. Rather than paying $50 a month after taxes for a monthly plan, I decided to give Tracfone a try with the V176 phone a month ago.
So far I have been very pleased. The reception and battery time are excellent. I like the screen savers/desktop picture choices, and the ringtones are good enough - it also vibrates noticeably. It's size fits in my jeans pocket, and it's a basic phone without all the bells & whistles that I'd never use. If you want a phone for actual phone calls, this one fits the bill.
This phone also doesn't cause Tracfone's double minutes or "units" to be deducted when roaming out of your local calling area - so it saves money over phones that are less expensive.
Through Tracfone promotions I was able to get my phone loaded with lots minutes at activation. I used to use on average 25 to 30 minutes a month with my Cingular plan - and at $50 bucks a month, I was spending $600 a year for about 350 minutes of use - that was a lot! When I activated my Tracfone it came with 30 free minutes and there was a monthly promotion for an additional 220 minutes. Then for $129 I bought the 400 minute card that keeps my phone active for a year. Then I got another 120 minutes through the refer-a-friend promotion. So for a total of $129 I got over 800 minutes - a much better deal for an infrequent user. And future minute cards will be doubled if I need to purchase them.
It's battery-saver option is nice too. The only downside is that I don't think it is bluetooth compatible - but for the infrequent user it's a moot point.
Feel free to contact me if you want free minutes through Tracfone's Refer-A-Friend promotion before you activate your new phone, if you decide to get a Tracfone.
V176 (NET10)
This is as good as it is going to get with prepaid. Perfect phone. 88.00 at Walmart and NET10 is better than Tracfone anytime. More minutes and better reception. No external caller ID which is not a great loss. A cell is to make and receive calls, case closed. Unless you want a 300$ phone that does essentially the same as this phone, no contracts, no problems with this phone.
v176 for Tracfone/Net10
I purchased the v176 (Net10) over the 4th of July weekend from Wal-Mart for $88. It is basically an improved v170 or v171. Improvements include a much better display, better feeling keys, better ringtones, speaker phone, and a modern user interface. (The user interface resembles what you find on new Motorola phones for contract plans. A big improvement over the v170 user interface.) The earpiece sounds the same as the v170, not quite as loud as I would like though loud enough. Overall, the v176 is an improvement over the previous Tracfone/Net10 offerings.
pretty good phone
i've had this phone for a couple of months and its not too bad. the service is pretty good (tracfone) i get reception in most areas.
pros:
signal strength
display
games
web browser
speakerphone
ringtones
ringing/speaking volume
cons:
no external display
no camera
all in all, a pretty good phone. be careful the web browser doesnt work for me (i dont know if its because of tracfone) a good phone for someone who wants something basic without many features that works good
lots more pros than cons-
I love the phone.
Before this I had a 5100 Nokia which did very little.
I didn't need bells and whistled, but wanted no contract.
The phone is great, I like everything, and I admit there are some things I haven't learned about it.
It does everything once you have a chance to work with it, and read the manual. However, my concern and I have placed in on forum. Please respond if you have an answer other than a bad phone. Get it replaced.
I have had it for less than two weeks. Activated Thanksgiving Day. Been working great. I keep in on charge. I don't have a car charge yet. The standby should be appropriate for the time I am off outlet. 3-4 hours. Yesterday and today I noticed that my hone would not turn on. I put in the the charger and it had to start charging. I am beginning to wonder if they battery is defective, if so, I need it replaced soon, as I don't plan to pay for a battery when I did nothing wrong! IT IS GSM.
I have not taken the back off, or looked on the screen to see what type of battery standard battery with sim chip.
GOOD PHONE, WANT NO TROUBLE, WANT SAME PHONE! IF IT WEREN'T HAVING TO BE CHARGED, I WOULD GIVE IT ALL STARS!
Any ideas I am open!
Great phone!!
I got this phone for net 10 from walmart for $88.00. It is a big improvement from the v170/171/v173
Net 10 v176
Purchased this phone on July 4th, is a BIG improvment over the v171...bigger more vivid color screen, ringtones much better, has web access using wap 2.0 feels nicely in your hands...improved keypad, better battery life, speaker phone....net 10 is heading in the right direction with this phone...no cons here.
