These stylish flip phones may lack 3G capabilities, but they serve up mid-range amenities including music players, memory expansion and 1-megapixel cameras. Which calling clamshell will you flip for?
Review summary of the Motorola RAZR V3t:
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Full Motorola RAZR V3t Review:
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Round 1: Design
The Motorola RAZR V3t sports the classic styling of the ubiquitous clamshell; however, the V3t's look isn't anything special and is just another variation in the aging RAZR lineup. Nokia's 6133 has a plus-sized waistline at 0.8 inches thick, which is much thicker than the V3t at 0.5 inches thick. However, we found the 6133's smooth, rubbery shell and striking chrome trim more appealing than the V3t's brushed black metal finish. What really put Nokia's clamshell ahead of the RAZR for us was the button on the side of the handset that swiftly flips it open.
Winner: Nokia 6133
Round 2: Calling
During our tests, Nokia's 6133 took a hit in call quality, which depended heavily on the phone's reception. Unfortunately, though our conversations were nice and clear during times of solid reception, our signal strength was quite shifty and we experienced a few dropped calls. On the other hand, the RAZR V3t excelled in call quality, serving up clear calls, even when our signal was at just two or three bars. The RAZR's microphone was also nice and sensitive and could pick our voice up even at a whisper, holding background noise to a minimum.
Winner: Motorola RAZR V3t
Round 3: Messaging
Both handsets offer many of the same options and features. Both the 6133 and the V3t dish out instant messaging support for AOL, MSN, Yahoo and ICQ. The clamshells also feature T9 predictive text that makes typing SMS messages quick and simple. The deciding factor in this round came to keypads. We found the flat keypad on the 6133 to be comfortable with large, well spaced keys that made for accurate typing. However, we were annoyed by the lack of a dedicated back key that made it difficult to correct any mistakes. Though we found the Nokia's keypad to be easier on our fingertips, we liked the V3t's flat metal keypad more, especially its convenient, dedicated messaging key.
Winner: Motorola RAZR V3t
Round 4: Extra features
These clamshell's are mid-range phones, meaning they offer their fair share of amenities, including a camera, music player and memory expansion. The Nokia 6133 boasts a 1.3-megapixel camera that took some decent pictures, but the RAZR V3t holds its own with a 1.2-megapixel camera. Both phones feature a microSD expansion slot, but they both hide the slot, inconveniently, behind the battery cover. Both phones also include music-players; the 6133's supports MP3, WMA and AAC files; the V3t's supports just MP3 and AAC formats. Neither phone offers streaming music. Even though there were some subtle differences in this category, they weren't significant enough to declare a victor.
Winner: Tie
And the winner is…
The Nokia 6133 and the Motorola RAZR V3t were evenly matched in terms of their features and network capabilities as they both are carried by T-Mobile. However, the RAZR V3t out-performed the 6133 in terms of call quality, which we think is the most important category for these phones. The V3t also snuck ahead of Nokia's flip phone in the messaging department with a convenient, dedicated messaging key. WWhile we appreciated the 6133's eye-catching style despite its bulky profile, the V3t’s superior calling and messaging features ultimately took the day.
Champion: Motorola RAZR V3t
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Score: 58% When: October 2006 Worth: $100 - $250 Carrier: T-Mobile
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