The popular V600 gets an upgrade with the V635: Michael Oryl gets hands-on with the Megapixel-toting clamshell handset at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Here at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Motorola introduced the latest incarnation of its V6xx line, the new V635. Based on the popular V600, the new model adds a number of features that have been demanded by users and the press alike.
For starters, there is a new 1.3 megapixel camera module on board, replacing the old VGA unit. This 1.3MP imager is the same new one used by the E815. Motorola promises that the quality will far surpass that of the much maligned camera module that was used in the Motorola V710.
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And what good would a megapixel camera be without a convenient means to store the photos? To that end, Motorola has added a TransFlash memory card slot to the V635. Sandisk, the primary backer of the TransFlash format, currently offers only 64 and 128 MB TransFlash cards, but promises that their new 256 MB cards will be available very soon.
Another series of upgrades from the original V600 can be found in the V635's user interface. The V635 makes use of the same skinnable UI used by models such as the E398. Motorola skins change not only the colors used in the interface, but even the shape and layout of icons and things like that, taking them a step beyond typical themes.
The new camera module has its own new user interface. Motorola uses semi-transparent and auto-hiding controls in this new UI, and the results are quite good. Generally you have access to the entire display for use as a view finder. When you want to adjust a setting, you press up or down on the d-pad. That brings up a semi-transparent representation of the d-pad on the display. You move up or down to select the menu option of your choice (brightness, color, etc), and move left or right to change the actual setting for that option. It works very well and is quite intuitive.
One last, more practical change is worth mentioning. Contact searches now can use multiple characters. No longer are you restricted to jumping to just the M's. Now you can enter M-I-C and skip right to the Michael's, just as you can with Nokia phones. Kudos to Motorola for paying attention to details; overall, the V635 promises to be a solid offering.
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