RAZR V3xx

If you simply must be seen with one of the latest fashion phones, you can't go wrong with the Razr V3xx.

Continuing the success of Motorola's stylish V3 line of phones, this latest incarnation has been redesigned to deliver high speed Internet browsing and is complemented by a host of other multimedia functions.

Bringing sexy back

In terms of design, the Razr looks downright sexy.

The first thing you will notice is Motorola's signature metallic black, slim phone design.

The V3xx is sure to turn some heads when you whip it out at your next social event as it is stunningly designed with premium metal finishes, precision cut keypad and a svelte form measuring barely half an inch thick.

Opening up the Razr, you will be greeted by the sight of its bright 2.2in LCD screen.

The large screen is obviously designed to show more text and information, making it easier for web browsing.

It also helps that it displays absolutely high contrast and remarkably stunning colour pictures.

The smaller exterior screen on the outside is not to be taken lightly either.

While its big brother on the inside takes much of the user's attention, the exterior screen proves useful in viewing caller IDs for incoming calls and for changing the phone's profile, all without opening the phone.

More than just looks

In terms of functionality, the Razr performs its job as a phone very well.

Calls made from the phone sounded clear and crisp, free of distortion.

The phone packs other common calling options such as speakerphone and voice dialling.

The user interface of the current Razr has been greatly improved over its predecessors.

The phone's flat metallic keyboard is not only pretty to look at — it is also very responsive.

The Razr didn't not show any sluggishness or delay when I was navigating through its menus.

Text messaging was also easy with the phone showing no signs of lag when typing.

Another strong point going for the Razr is its long battery life.

The phone managed to last at least three days without needing to be charged.

Definitely a plus when you are travelling or when energy conservation is a concern.

Surfing the Web

Proving that the Razr is more than just another slim fashion phone, the V3xx has a collection of different functions that will certainly keep you busy on your commute.

Armed with HSDPA and EDGE support, the Razr delivers high-speed Internet browsing on the go.

The phone does a good job surfing online with its built-in web browser.

Additionally, the phone comes preloaded with Yahoo!'s new mobile application, Yahoo! Go.

The Razr does deliver relatively good browsing speeds.

In testing the browsing speed of the phone, the browser took five seconds to load the default Google homepage.

However, despite the fast browsing speed, the Razr had problems loading webpages that are not optimised for mobile phones.

Due to this, webpages are often stretched across many pages, forcing users to click through page after page.

It would have been nice if the browser allowed for users to choose between viewing the page in "fit-to-screen" size instead of stacking up content onto a single column.

Not one for multimedia

On the multimedia side of things, the Razr comes with two cameras — a main 1.3- megapixel camera with 8x digital zoom and a secondary VGA camera for video calling.

For the most part, the camera works — you will be able to get clear pictures with it so long as there is good lighting.

The only drawback is shots taken at full zoom are extremely blurry and mostly unusable, but this is to be expected with digital zoom.

Also, the absence of a built-in LED light makes it difficult to shoot pictures in the dimly lit environments.

The phone's integrated MP3 player comes with a useful Media Finder, which allows you to search through songs by artiste and album name.

The media player itself is very simple and lacks more advanced options found in other music phones like adjustable equaliser modes and customisable playlists.

To its credit, however, the phone's builtin speaker was surprisingly loud for a phone this slim. I can't recall the number of times its message alert tone drew everybody's attention.

The phone does come with a decent helping of built-in storage space, 60MB to be exact.

But if you are seriously considering using the phone for listening to music, you can opt for an additional microSD memory card.

You will also need to get an optional mini- USB stereo headset before being able use the V3xx as a music player.

Alternatively, you can use the A2DP and AVRCP Bluetooth stereo profiles for wirelessly streaming music to compatible Bluetooth headphones.

Rounding it up

The Razr V3xx is a solid phone that serves well as a mobile phone with Internet browsing capabilities.

This one model you will definitely not want to leave home without if you want to get some surfing done while on the go.

The bottom line is, the V3xx is an ideal mobile phone for basic everyday usage.

If multimedia functions are not what you are looking for, the Razr V3xx will suit you just fine.

Pros: Stylish design; slim; HSDPA support; good battery life.

Cons: Multimedia features could be better.

(QUOTED FROM THE STAR ONLINE VISIT THESTAR.COM.MY)

Sony Ericsson W950i

'Sony Ericsson has been releasing quite a few eye-catching phones of late. Out of the lineup, the W950i is probably one of its more unique offerings.

For one, it is a smartphone that has Walkman capabilities. And as part of the Walkman family, the W950i offers no less than superb audio quality – something that is lacking in most smartphones.

Also, unlike smartphones which are bulky, the W950i looks rather sleek with its slim monoblock body.

It actually looks very similar to Sony Ericsson's M600, but in a more refined manner when it comes to how the keypad is designed.

Like the M600, the W950i is broad and easy to hold. Having a wide body also means it is able to host a bigger screen, which is always a plus point.

Sony Ericsson made a wise choice by giving it an overall solid black-coloured casing with just a few orange highlights.

I also like that it has a jog dial that can be used to scroll through contact lists and other options.

What I didn't like about the phone was its keypad. Justlike most of the phone, the keypad is flat with just a few dot-like protrusions to guide your fingers during key presses.

Though stylish, the keys were hard to use as it did not have much tactile feedback, so I had to rely mostly on its stylus.

Regardless, the W950i looks very classy and expensive –but then again, it is, at its recommended retail price of RM2,699.

Some good, some bad

Wow, that's expensive, you say? But perhaps that's the price to pay if you want a phone with a whopping 4GB onboard flash memory.

Yes, you can go all crazy with storing your favourite songs and even movies in the W950i. And you never have to delete a SMS message again.

Unfortunately, this may also be why the W950i does not come with an expansion slot for external storage.

Another gripe is that the W950i does not come with a built-in camera.

Though I much prefer to take photos with a real digital camera, I must admit that it is still convenient to have a phone with an integratedcamera.

Also, you would not be able to make video calls, which makes the 3G capability seem quite useless.

Sure, you can argue thatyou can surf the Internet and watch mobile TV with 3G. But why not put in WiFi instead then?

Grouses aside, the W950i has one of the nicest-looking display for a smartphone.

It comes with a brilliant 2.6in touchscreen that is very suitable for browsing websites and watching movies.

Another good point about the W950i is its speakerphone. When I drive, I can put the phone on the seat next to mine and the person I call can still hear me as clear as if the phone was right next to my face.

However, I found thatthe phone is not as loud assome of the other Walkman phones when playing music through its integratedspeakers – though its stereo headset more than makes up for this by producing excellent audio.

One for newbies?

The W950i runs on Symbian OS 9.1 and has a similar user interface to the P-series phones from Sony Ericsson.

One of the differences when compared to the P-series, for example the P990, is that the W950i has a "Walkman" icon in place of the "Calendar" icon in the main menu.

This in a way, seems rather redundant, since the W950i already has a similar iconon its main screen by default plus a dedicated Walkman button!

Though I've had experience with a variety of mobile OSes, I must admit that I had to resort to the manual to use the W950i.

Some parts of its user interface are intuitive enough, but I still had trouble getting used to it. It took me about two weeks before I was able to navigate the phone effortlessly.

This is especially true when it comes to text input. If you are used to the handwriting text input in PDAs (like me), you would have to forget just about everything you have learnt.

Without referring to the manual, it took me a while to figure out how to scribe some letters.

Looking at the manual helped, but even after several weeks, I still have problems with some characters.

Interestingly, a friend of mine who has never used a PDA had less of a problem. Granted, he still got some letters wrong, but he had better results on his first try.

Conclusion

If you want a phone that can subsitute an iPod, the W950i is definitely it.

Then again, with its hefty price tag, you would wish it came with a little more – perhaps WiFi, a decent camera or a memory card expansion slot, at least.

Pros: Impressive storage space, brilliant screen, superb sound quality.

Cons: No EDGE support, no camera, no WiFi, expensive.'quoted from the star online

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