Who would have thought: following years of trial and error, Motorola in 2004 finally managed to deliver a phone that had just the right combination of features and iconic design to induce lust in hearts around the world. That's right, I'm talking about the RAZR V3. At the 3GSM World Congress in France this week, Motorola unveiled a black candybar version of the same handset, to be known as the SLVR V8, and who else had the good fortune to get his grubby mitts on it other than yours truly.
Every bit as good-looking as the RAZR V3, the SLVR V8 is perhaps unlikely to achieve the same cult following as it is only as good as its predecessor; not better. Still, it remains a highly impressive piece of engineering, and has the exact same visual styling as the black version of the RAZR V3, including the etched metallic keypad and super-slim profile.
An odd mix of high- and low-end features, the SLVR V8 supports EDGE for high speed data transfers and Push-To-Talk (PTT), as well as Bluetooth and memory expansion up to 256 MB courtesy of Motorola's proprietary TransFlash format. There's only 5 MB of integrated memory, however, and the VGA camera with its 4x digital zoom is unlikely to have anyone boast of their SLVR's great imaging capabilities.
Other features include an MP3 player for which users won't have much use given the small size of the handset, and thus its battery, but at least support for MP3 ringtones is sure to have those fond of personalization smiling. Adding applications should be a breeze with J2ME MIDP 2.0 support, and browsing is courtesy of support for WAP 2.0. Messaging is courtesy of a Wireless Village-based IM client, whilst POP3/SMTP e-mail support should cater to the needs of most users - although IMAP4 support would have been welcome. Of course, SMS and MMS are also supported.
The screen of the V8 is a tad smaller than the one found in the RAZR V3 at 1.9" as opposed to 2.2" for the latter, but should remain bright and fully readable nonetheless. The keypad, also, is of the same variety as that found in the V3, and as such might take a little while to get used to yet performs well once one has grown accustomed to it.
Unequivocably well-built, there is no doubt that the SLVR V8 feels just as good to hold as the RAZR V3; there's just something about it. It may not gain the same following as its predecessor, but the offering is more than good enough for those who want a phone with superior design but shy away from the clamshell form factor. If you're one of them, you should be able to get the SLVR V8 in the 3rd quarter of 2005 - but for how much, Motorola won't say.
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