In Brief

We're big fans of gadgets that are both useful and good-looking. They might just make it to "keeper" status. So we were intrigued by the Motorola Razr V3, wondering if its sleek design was matched by features that could hold up to our road warrior standards for voice, Internet, and picture-taking.

While the Razr is not the lightest or smallest phone we've used (that award goes to the Sony Ericsson T68i), it's definitely the slimmest. And it's got all the essentials: GPRS, email (IMAP/POP3/SMTP), a Web browser, a decent VGA camera, and the ability to function as a Bluetooth modem for your laptop.

For the most part, these features hold together well, making it a good choice for many style-conscious travelers. But we found a few rough edges that might be deal-breakers for some road warriors, notably a lack of EDGE high-speed data support, and somewhat limited email functions.

In Depth

The Razr V3 box is almost as trimmed down as the phone itself: it holds the Razr, charger, manual, and a curious object that looks like an undersized wrist strap. This last turned out to be a screen wipe, designed to be looped through a slot in the handset.

What's not in the box is sync software and cables. Windows users who want to sync the Razr with their PCs or use USB to charge the phone will need to buy the separate Mobile PhoneTools kit from Motorola. While you can use a standard mini USB cable, the Windows sync software is only available in the kit. Mac OS X users are in luck, though: the Motorola Razr is supported by iSync (USB only -- the Razr V3 doesn't sync over Bluetooth) without any additional software.

You also won't find a hands-free kit, and if you look closely, you won't find a plug for one on the Razr. If you want to go hands-free, you'll have to buy a Bluetooth headset.

Assuming you shell out for these options, using the Razr is a pleasurable experience. As a cell phone, the Razr V3 is one of the best. We tested it on Cingular's network in San Diego and never experienced a dropped call. Conversations came through crystal clear, and the Razr was able to get a great signal everywhere we roamed. The speakerphone performed well too. Our only real complaint about the phone function was battery life.

The Razr went 2 days, 10 hours, and 1 minute from a full charge to a dead battery. During that time, we only made 80 minutes of calls. However, we kept Bluetooth active continuously, used the GPRS data service occasionally, and took a lot of photos. This performance is somewhat less than we've gotten from similar phones, but the real problem was that when the battery died, we were out in the field without the AC charger, and wanted to charge it via the USB cable from our laptop. However, that didn't work, which we later discovered was because our PowerBook was unable to recognize the dead Razr, so it was turning off the USB port. When we returned to the hotel and plugged it in with the AC adapter, it worked fine. Other laptops may act differently, but you should check before you head out on the road.

When it comes to surfing the Web, the Razr does a decent job, with its crisp and bright screen. Unlike many other phones, Google won't automatically divert you to the WML version of its home page. However, you can visit it directly at google.com/wml, which is easy enough to type. If you have trouble viewing Web pages (not all HTML pages will work with the Razr's browser), use Google WML to search for it. Google's WML search engine not only returns results in WML, but it will convert HTML pages to WML on the fly when you click on them.

Unfortunately, the Razr V3 does not support the high-speed EDGE network that Cingular is rightly proud of. However, we were able to get 42Kbps throughput when tethering our laptop via Bluetooth, which is at the very upper end of GPRS speeds we've obtained with other devices. The upcoming CDMA version of the Razr (announced this month at the 2005 CTIA conference) should support 1xRTT data speeds of up to 153Kbps.

Our problem with the GPRS service is the Razr's refusal to keep the connection going when the lid is closed, even if you are in the middle of sending an email. We often snap pics, then send them to a friend or moblog. But the moment you close the lid, the message "Connection Terminated" appears in the external display. With only two upstream GSM slots in this phone's GPRS implementation, upload speed is only about 20Kbps, and who wants to stand around with the phone open waiting for email to slowly trickle up?

The Bottom Line

The Motorola Razr V3 is a delightful phone to hold and use. It's a head-turner for sure, but it's also a great companion while you're on the go. Where it falls short is in high-end smarphone features: if you need a powerful PIM and email workhorse, you won't find it here. But if you need a great phone for making voice calls, hopping on the Internet occasionally, and snapping pictures, you won't go wrong with the Razr V3.