First Looks: Motorola V3x (3G)
Fat But Fab
Fat But Fab
Right after Motorola had stunned the world with the sexy V3 RAZR, users have been waiting patiently for a decked up V3 RAZR phone that would meet the current power-hungry market. Reply they did, in the form of the V3x – a handset with a lot of features not seen in the previous RAZRs. At first glance, the V3x is a little on the chunky side – 19.8mm thick to be exact. However, users must take note that the Motorola V3x is a 3G handset, which justifies its thicker profile.
Judging the Phone by its Cover
Technically, the V3x is one of the smallest 3G handsets in the market today. This phone, while not ultra-thin like its original V3 predecessors, actually fits fairly comfortably into most pockets. With its soft touch plastic construction, the Motorola V3x gives a fresh and clean appearance, and its added thickness giving it a more substantial look. Closed, the 2.0-megapixel camera can be seen on top with an LED flash that is so bright, it can function as a torchlight when needed. Right below the camera is a small external display with a resolution of 96 x 80 pixels. The external display is very useful, allowing quick checks of the time, date and state icons, provides details on missed events, displays caller's name, and also as a mirror for taking self-portraits.
On the lower part of the phone is a blue horizontal strip that lights up to indicate incoming calls or when the unit is recharging. On the left side of the phone is a mini-USB connector for charging the unit, a smart-key button, and two volume control buttons. The voice control button and the camera release button can be found on the opposite side of the phone. Finally, the speakers can be found at the back of the V3x. The speaker is good, though sound quality did turn out a little bit on the muffled side since the speaker is such that it points away from the user during video calls or video watching.
Open Sesame
Opening the V3x reveals a 2.2-inch QVGA display screen that produces brighter, sharper, and clearer pictures and font outputs than older RAZR models. Motorola has also introduced a few changes to its menu interface and messaging functions to create a refreshing user experience for the V3x. One thing worth mentioning is that the 'select' function is now the left soft key and the 'cancel' function is now on the right, which (finally) feels just like any other mobile phone in the market. Running your fingers along the surface of the keypad will reveal several raised rubber strips that were plated to make text and number input easier for users.
Clearly, as a 3G phone, video calling, music and video downloading, and streamed TV are all supported functions. It also has Bluetooth and a multimedia player supporting AAC+, MPEG4, WMV, WMA, MP3 and Real Video/Audio formats. The onboard camera takes good photos, but the highlight is its ability to switch between landscape and macro modes. This enables users to take good close up shots when the need arises. The video function of the phone supports MPEG4, Real, and 3GPP formats. At the storage end are the onboard memory (62MB) and a microSD (TransFlash) memory slot, which means it'll take a while before you run out of storage options with the V3x.
Final Thoughts
Under normal usage, the V3x could only last two days on a single charge (99 minutes in continuous video talking). However, with an improved interface, large internal memory, a 2.0-megapixel camera capable of taking pictures in landscape and macro modes, 3G functions, and expandable memory, there is much to adore about the Motorola V3x than frowning at its chunky body.