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The market is always hungry, at least for the new, the slim and the shiny, when it comes to mobile phones. As device after device troop out, each ready to out-skinny each other, there is no cutting back on the extras that lure mobile users whether they need a new device or not. Those with a weakness for stylish and smart, be warned, the 2007 Motorola line-up is going to have you at your knees.
This is especially after a peek and play with the next-Generation RAZR which is being rolled out with the MOTO Q and Z8, even as store shelves are being dusted off for newbies such as the MOTOROKR Z6, the slider for music junkies; MOTOKRZR K3 with HSDPA connectivity; W510 with quad band GSM connectivity and the latest addition to the MOTOSLVR family, the L72.
Having had a long-time desire to start on dessert before getting to the main course, I'll venture first into giving a low-down on the MOTOSLVR L72 before the new RAZR is served up.
Both arrived at the same time, but it was not hard to decide which would win hands down.
The L72 promises style and performance, but all that grabbed me was its FM radio, which is available at a touch on the front panel.
Those who still listen to the Radio when they're on the move (even in the air thanks to the airplane mode) will appreciate the stereo wireless experience due to the phone's Bluetooth.
Taking advantage of the clear screen on the phone, Motorola has worked in a Radio Data System (RDS) so users can receive and read off the screen, information from the station they're tuning into, such as the song being played or the station's ID.
The other sweetener was Motorola's CrystalTalk technology, which makes it easy to hold conversations in noisy environments.
Unfortunately, there was no invitation to the Jet concert or a kids party (yes, the decibel levels can be equivalent)when it was time to test out the clarity of the L72. Braving the blaring stereo that was streaming the latest TV news report, I was able to hold a decent conversation with the other party, getting all the gory details of a visit to the doctor with nothing left to the imagination.
The phone is definitely for the teens and tweens who love their music and love taking pictures even more.
The MOTOSLVR L72 has a 2 mega-pixel camera with 8x digital zoom and takes Mpeg4 videos with 4x zoom.
What also helps is the very affordable price tag (less than S$100) if the handset is purchased with a two year contract with a service operator.
Now let's get to the meat.
The new RAZR2 V8 offers fans of the RAZR which has been around for three years, even more reasons to love the slim device.
Those who enjoyed the RAZR's trademark large screen will delight in the fact there is not one but two screens, including one on the outside and they're a little larger than usual too.
The external screen is extra shiny so it doubles up as a mirror, but more importantly, it offers an at-a-glance experience for messages and is also touch sensitive so users can control phone functions such as the media player, without having to flip open the phone.
The QVGA screen with 2 mega-pixel camera lens just above it will make picture-taking even easier, especially if you're into taking self-portraits to update friends and loved ones on how your day's been going.
This is one tough cookie.
While the earlier versions were built on aluminium, the new device comes cased in vacuum metal and a stainless steel internal frame, making it just a touch weightier but at the same with an 'oomph' when you handle it.
The metal-cased phone will be able to take a fair amount of knocks and drops and users needn't worry either over the 2.2 inch screen which has been made of chemically-hardened glass. Of couse, you won't want to try it out during a game of tennis as the tough phone has been made to give a more luxurious feel in the hand.
You won't feel cold, hard metal due to the clever use of materials including spun metal and chrome, and a seamless finish.
There are some who are averse to clamshell phones, fearing that constant use will wear out the flip mechanism. But not the RAZR2 V8. The phone gets a tough test with the cover being opened and closed a 100 thousand times, so it will be some time before anything drops off, really.
Inside, it appears very much the same as before since Motorola didn't want to change the iconic phone too dramatically.
The clear and large laser-edged keypads remain while a more user friendly interface has been introduced along with in-built memory of up to 2GB and a new ARM 11 processor, offering processing speeds that are 10 times faster than the original RAZR.
Users will get a buzz from the RAZR2 V8, literally, as the phone responds when you activate programs by sending a slight but strong vibration (similar to the experience you get when your phone is on silent, vibration mode).
Apart from the haptics technology which responds to touch, the phone has other new features such as MotoSync which offers over the air synchronization of Email, Phone book and Calendar, the ability to have email as well as phone menus read out to you and full HTML browsing powered by Opera 8.5.
What makes this a RAZR ultimately is its slim cut, and it does cut a slim profile, measuring just 11.9mm from glass-edged front to soft-metal bound back.
The RAZR2 V8 now comes only in blackish grey, a shade that's always a winner in my eyes. What counts even more is that this phone offers a good feel and user experience while looking way good, flash it for some extra attention !
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