Motorola E1070 review: Chubby RAZR

Organizer, Internet and Extras

On first position inside the Tools menu is located the alarm clock. It offers several alarms to activate at various times and with different repeating intervals. The alarm clock can also be used as a "reminder" as it permits text notes. Of course, the reminder function is much better executed by the calendar. Here each event can be assigned a duration time, an alarm, and a repeating interval. As usual, month, week, and day views are available.

 
Useful functions menu • month, week, and day view of the calendar

Another pretty interesting function to be found in the extras menu is the calculator featuring an integrated currency converter. Motorola E1070 does not offer time functions, nor does it have pre-installed java games. I suppose that the phone's final version will feature at least a pair of games, though, as it supports 2.0 Java version. Besides, JBenchmark test show that the phone is rather fast.

 
Calculator

The internet browser is no less entertaining. It is designed to primarily open WAP pages, which it does brilliantly. 8 text lines are viewed on the display en bloc. The browser is also able to open web pages, but their font size does not get automatically adjusted to the display dimensions, which causes part of the page to remain outside the screen borders. On the other hand, Motorola deserves a compliment for providing connection through internet APN.

 
Browser copes with WAP pretty well • not so well with internet pages, though

When the phone is used as a modem, data for the internet browser or for the PC is delivered through GPRS Class 10 or via instant data transfers in UMTS. As to the connection with a PC, this is established through Bluetooth or a USB cable. Bear in mind that Motorola E1070 is equipped with a standard miniUSB connector, which means that the necessary cable will cost you a couple of euros, unless you have already obtained one with your digital camera, for example. Things get a bit more complicated as far as the connectivity software is concerned as it might not be delivered together with the phone. If it is, I expect it to be a demo version only as this is how Motorola has always done so far. Time will tell, though. Motorola may surprise us pleasantly as it already did once by enclosing a full version of its Mobile Phone Tools software into the original package of both the V3 RAZR model and the V635 model. Apart from file transfers, the service software is also able to synchronize data between the phonebook and the calendar.

Is it worth it?

Motorola E1070 is a phone for demanding customers, which prefer high-class equipment at moderate price to provocative design. At the same time, Motorola E1070's design seems to me quite attractive and I believe its keypad, for example, would grip the attention of any real style fans. The display is a spectacle for the eyes. Its drawbacks are minor, if any.

The phone is a particularly handy working tool due to its well-organized phonebook, calendar, and the option for fast data transfers in 3G. At the same time it is an attractive alternative for all those who require multimedia entertainment, too. The camera application appears to be the weakest link in the entire device. To resume, Motorola E1070 could become a pretty successful mobile as long as the manufacturer fixes its minor drawbacks and encloses fully functional synchronizing software in the original package of the phone.

A potential competitor of the new Motorola E1070 is Sony Ericsson K600 - a phone with standard construction, which supports 3G and features equipment pretty similar to the one of E1070. Motorola E1070's advantages are a fine display and a memory card backup, while Sony Ericsson K600 scores on compact design, intuitive menu, radio, and a lower price. On the other hand, here is also the slider phone Nokia 6280, which is more expensive, but its equipment suffers no handicaps, if directly compared to Motorola E1070. Apparently, the most serious competitor of all is going to be Samsung Z300 - a highly attractive clamshell phone, equipped with 3G support, two high-quality displays, an MP3 player, a memory card slot, an extensive phonebook, and a megapixel camera.