Motorola MOTOFONE F3
- l
- lusif
- MsN
- 22 Dec 2006
India is the first target region for the ultra-low cost MOTOFONE F3. The phone is being launched by BSNL and Airtel at the moment. The F3 isn’t meant for the metros where all of us take features like MP3 playback, cameras and internet access for granted. It is meant for rural areas where the main requirements are a prolonged battery life, high durability, better network performance, and of course, accessibility. The F3 addresses all these issues very well.
This is a really slim phone—its just 9mm thin, which is the thinnest from Motorola, though not as thin as the Samsung Ultra Edition 6.9 (which has a 2-megapixel camera and MP3 playback support). But for its price, the F3 is the slimmest yet. It has a flat keypad with raised lines demarcating the rows. I felt that those lines came in the way when using smaller keys like the OK/Menu key and the dedicated phone book key, but not for the rest of the keys. The fact that the keys are flat and not cut outs should prevent the dust from entering the phone. This is a pleasantly attractive phone to look at, and equally pleasant to hold.
The Build quality of the phone is nothing outstanding, though it doesn't feel cheap from any angle. The battery cover did creak a little on firm gripping, but we think it'll do just fine. We didn't have the heart to drive a bullock-cart over the phone and see if it still worked fine.
First, we’ll take a look at the display. The new, ClearVision display used in the F3 not an LCD screen. It is 'electronic paper' developed by US-based E Ink. that doesn’t need power to constantly display an image on the screen—it only needs a little charge when the text (or whatever) needs to be changed. The display stays on even when the battery is pulled out! Hence, the battery life is automatically prolonged as conventional LCD displays are one of the most power hungry component of the modern mobile phone. Also, another added benefit of this technology is that it’s easily readable in harsh sunlight as well, since it’s quite basically just paper. You can read more about the technology here. We tried it out in different lighting areas and noticed that the readability is very impressive in all areas, though the center column of the phone gets a little dim because it has two columns of low-power LEDs on either sides of the phone’s front. These LEDs also illuminate the keys in the side columns well, with the center column being dimmer.
On the other hand, the display isn’t any standard 128x160 or even 128x128 pixel resolution that most low-end phones have these days. It’s a two-line, digital clock-style display with a few icons around it. This is partly an exercise in cutting costs, and partly aimed at making the display more accessible to illiterate users who would prefer pictures to text. The pictures part works, and the larger display of numbers is also easier to read, but I think it’s really inconvenient to read text in that digital clock-style display. Accessibility should make it easier for people to read the text, not to learn to decrypt seven-segment. A lot of the target users may already have seen or used phones with monochrome displays that show sharper, more readable text.
Network performance of the F3 is aided by two separate antennas incorporated in the phone. The idea behind two antennas is to ensure that at least one of them is free of obstruction, for eg. your hand covering it. The way people tend to hold the phone, an internal antenna almost always gets covered. Having an external antenna doesn’t fit into the sleekness of the series, so having dual antennas is a good approach. Two antennas cost more than one, but seeing the final price of the product, I don’t see that as a problem. We noticed that the network indicator was 100% at almost all the times, except in our sound proof room where no mobile phone has ever received any signal! The phone is a dual-band handset, by the way.
The other main feature of the MOTOFONE F3 is its extended battery life. The F3 is expected to offer up to 8 hours of talk time or 12 days of stand-by time. Now, I don’t really use the phone much – probably not even half an hour worth of talking per day, but the phone didn’t seem to work for more than 5 days. If I don’t use the camera or MP3 player in my Samsung E880, I get at least 4 days, so I honestly don’t see the big deal out here. I’m going to give it another go and let you know about the actual talk time that this thing can pull off.
In the end, I have mixed feelings about the SCPL-based MOTOFONE F3. I like the way it looks, the display technology, the audio quality, network performance and of course, the price of the phone. However, I’m not sure about the way the display has been utilised and the battery performance doesn’t seem to be as impressive as it should be – considering all the cutting edge, power-efficient E-Ink technology that they’ve used.
Rs. 1,649 is a great price for a phone this slim, but it’s not something that hasn’t been achieved before. Motorola’s own C118 ultra low-end phone costs Rs. 1,500, has iTap and a 96x64-pixel LCD display. The C118 doesn’t speak to you and it’s not very slim, but it does tout 11 hours of talk time. The SCPL platform should make way for better phones in the higher segments for urban areas (replacing the RAZR), but as of now, the MOTOFONE F3 isn’t enough of a phone.
Having said that, I’d still go out and buy the phone just for the heck of it!
- S
- SUALEH
- PxK
- 21 Dec 2006
its a fine, very thin like price, best for all who like to keep secondary
i really like it slim, smart cheaper, much more
- ?
- Anonymous
- M4x
- 21 Dec 2006
It doesn't have a vibration?!OMFG!
- i
- ijustcoolin
- 2SW
- 20 Dec 2006
worlds most Diffrent ! dont buy ! ur callculater is better than this ! i have used it for one day ! n now my kid is playing with that ! yes it is very cheap ! but not also worth buying ! try to use it once u will laugh !
- f
- flo_sb
- nye
- 20 Dec 2006
if this phone would be incredibly cheap i would be glad to have it as a secondary phone. it is just what you need to have. is is very very stilish and i think it will be very cheap.
- A
- Avi
- w4r
- 19 Dec 2006
GREAT PHONE MOTO...U R THE BEST :)
If it had Vibration,Alaram and some phonebook memory... it would be great.
- T
- TANDI
- Nhd
- 19 Dec 2006
i think it's useless to have a phone without a vibration mode still without mp3. the phone must be discountinued quickley.
- A
- Aalaap
- PBt
- 19 Dec 2006
Here is a detailed review of the Motorola MOTOFONE F3: http://www.tech2.com/india/reviews/mobile-phones/motorola-motofone-f3/3188/0
- a
- anders
- SrQ
- 18 Dec 2006
HAHA imagine a cellphone in 2006 without mp3 ringtones!! Listening to polyphonic pling pling is just lame!!!
- T
- Thilina
- iFs
- 18 Dec 2006
Sorry about this, Useless phone for todays. no camera,no mp3, no fm, no memory card, no GPRS, no mms, noting any one. only slim and light weight.
- D
- Duwde
- P06
- 17 Dec 2006
Yes, it DOES have vibrate mode. I've confirmed in the motorola site in my country.
- R
- Richard Buchanan
- k1@
- 15 Dec 2006
here is a video of the MOTOFONE in action on youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bf1-ZCV_9qE
shows how the menu system works with voice prompts and everything.
- ?
- Anonymous
- j9a
- 15 Dec 2006
Another question: can you turn of the guiding voice and the sounds when you tap a number? Thanx.
- ?
- Anonymous
- j9a
- 15 Dec 2006
I have seen some pics of this fone where it's white, but I have read that it only comes in blue, red and black. What's going on?
http://www.esato.com/gfx/news/img/15261_MotImage_2006_11_28.jpg
Example.
- C
- CR
- jrB
- 14 Dec 2006
Oh yeah. Will the Hawaii 5-0 ringtone work with this phone? Thanks.
- C
- CR
- jrB
- 14 Dec 2006
Hey. I can easily afford any other reasonably priced phone out there, but I am going to get this one because it is practical, easy to use, slim, and has an incredible price.
- k
- katrsF3
- Pxm
- 14 Dec 2006
yes there is vibration....
- l
- lacoris
- MsN
- 13 Dec 2006
hey katrsF3
confirm whether it has vibration mode. thank you in advance.
- w
- weeezer
- nxv
- 13 Dec 2006
standby: 16-17 days (tested). OMG!
- k
- katrsF3
- Pxm
- 12 Dec 2006
the fone is available in india..
damn cute!!!love at first sight...
the menu is kinda new and takes time for getting adjusted..all in all ultifone at such a low price...gr8 speaker clarity too...luv it!!!!