Motorola RAZR2 V8

User opinions and reviews

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S
Stuart
vV5
30 Oct 2008

Anonymous, 30 Oct 2008I would like to suggest to those who are planning to buy Mo... moreAfter reading your personal encounter with the authorised service centre in your country, I really feel sorry & agreed with you, their service really sucks - big time. From that, I feel I'm really lucky as I've claimed the battery door, USB cover, updated my V8's software, got my E8's motherboard replaced and got my H12 bluetooth headset replaced - all done in my country's Motorola authorised service centre without a single cent spent.

From my observation & being in business management myself, normally bids are opened to companies with technical / servicing capabilities in handling repairs for Motorola phones. From there Motorola will eventually select a company to represent them in handling its service, repair and warranty claims work. If job's not well done, within couple of years or less the appointed "servicing company's" contract will be terminated or keeping it if job's well done. From your description, Semicon 'might be' the former case (contract terminated) and are not interested to handle your phone's problem hence causing your nightmare encounter. This kind of problem also happen to other phone brands and I've experienced that once (brand withheld) sometime around the year 2002 when I was using a non-Motorola phone. I can understand your feelings now as for some years I've stayed away from that brand too, eventually switched to Motorola now and I'm completely happy with it. Maybe now I've aged, I found that I've been asking around about a PDA phone (currently really hot phone running on Windows Mobile OS) of the former brand that I disliked before (they did not manufacture any PDA phones before that's worth looking at until now). Based on the above, I'm not saying you must trust Motorola but look at this incident as an experience. You might not use Motorola again for a long time but I believe one day you'll look at it again. If it's true Motorola has terminated Semicon, than it's for the good of it so that another appointed company will have to do a better job. Life is such, not everything that we encounter in life are good and that makes us wiser & smarter in our decision making in the future. Take it easy & Good luck to you.

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Anonymous
vxp
30 Oct 2008

I would like to suggest to those who are planning to buy Motorola in the Philippines to think a lot of times. I was referred to its authorized service center, Semicon at SM Megamall for repair. At first, when I went to their branch in megamall, I thought Semicon was not in business since nobody approached me nor ask me what was my business standing in there store. So when I sensed that nobody from their store was courteous enough to ask me what I needed since there was not even a guide somewhere whom to approach or what to do, I initiated to ask. Only to be told that I have to get a que number from the guard. My gosh, I dont like to elaborate but their service sucks! Anyway, I was told to wait for their text for an update regarding my phone. 3 weeks have gone and no text from semicon. I personally went back to Semicon, Mega to claim my cell, repaired or not. But to my dismay, the store was pulled out! Meaning, semicon was no longer existing at SM. I kinda panic because nobody answered the tel no. that they gave me for follow-up. So I researched where the heck will I call Semicon. Finally, when I was able to call Semicon, I was told that my phone has not been repaired yet! I was really pissed off so I told them I just have to claim it back unrepaired. Worst they asked me to claim it at their Gateway branch. I told them its far from my place so I asked them to send it to their Galleria branch. On the day that I have to claim it at Galleria, I was told that my cell was beyond repair. Now, does each branch of semicon has a different version of what's wrong with my cell? Oh well, I thought Motorola was one of the durable brands of mobile phones. I was wrong, the product is no longer that durable and worst their service centers and its people who man their stores are innefficient and unprofessional. And what is even worst is that part of their policy is to pay 200 for the diagnostic procedure that they "kuno" did. I paid P200 to be pissed off and for waiting for almost a month for my cellphone which is beyond repair. I only used it for just a year!

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Neutral
M{3
30 Oct 2008

I got this phone 10 days ago; looks great and I like it. I went through many websites and forums before buying it to identify any issues I might face. Honestly, many people complaint about the battery life. For me, the phone lasts roughly for 45 hours, which is fairly good. I had an SE W810i with a battery life of 4 days! Anyway, this is the price of slimness, right?

However, there are some minor issues that bother me:
1- When I receive calls, the external screen displays the caller ID as white on white with a very pale outline; a bit silly. Any ideas of how to change it?
2- When I make calls, the screen turns off after 5 seconds for “power saving”. In addition, it doesn’t turn on when the other party takes my call, so I can’t know (unless the speaker is directly on my ear or the loud-speaker is on) that the call has started! Is there a way to make the screen turns on when the other party accepts my call (just like all other phones)? At least, is there any sound that indicates this without having to put the phone on my ear the whole time?

Last thing, can anyone tell me how can I get the LinuxMOD5a, what is it for and how can I download it to my phone? Can this level of customization solve my first issue mentioned above? Thank you.

S
Stuart
vV5
30 Oct 2008

Martina, 30 Oct 2008To Stuart, Hi! i m using SE w580i,now i want to buy Razr2 ... moreMartina,

The V8's music capabilities are not bad itself. Since you're using SE W580i, why not choose a song from your SE and try to find someone using V8, bluetooth it & compare. This is the best way to compare the sound quality differences because you can practically make your decision on the spot when you listens to both phones' results. I suggest this way as I myself is more towards mid range quality with treble & bass after that. I wouldn't know your preferences so if I were to give you my recommendation, it might not suit you.

If you're into music and should you decides to compare the music quality as I suggested above, why not try out the E8 too. This way you'll have more options. Good luck.

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Martina
uts
30 Oct 2008

To Stuart,
Hi! i m using SE w580i,now i want to buy Razr2 v8,i m confused abt music,is Razr2 V8 music is better than SE w580i.Can u plz help me out.
Thank u

M
Martina
uts
30 Oct 2008

Thank u Stuart! Now i think I should buy Roker E8

b
bwehg
k6h
29 Oct 2008

Stuart, 22 Oct 2008First and foremost, you need to know that there are 3 types... morethis is how this goes verizon ,at&t,sprint have built in memory plus you can buy a micro sd card.even though tmobile does not have a micro sd card it has more memory than the other 3.it has 256 normal user memory and 2g built in memory for music,movies and whatever and also the gold razr2 v8 is the same as tmobile except it comes unlocked but has same memory.

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Gerard
v0X
29 Oct 2008

Stuart, 02 Oct 2008Gerard, I was "away" for couple few days, no internet, n... moreHeheh,i was also not able to use the internet last
20+ days,my dad came back from abroad.. He always
uses the internet...

Still trying to search in some mallz...
Wish i could change my phone or
buy a new cover...

To Stuart & EMS06

last 2 wkz i peeled the design of the
battery door... It was better then before!
2 glass parts! The front flip and the
back! I was lucky 9/10 people said my phone
was better...

Could you 2 please help me find a new Flip slim phone?
It could be motorola,sony or Samsung...
Any megapixel exept 5 & 3.2mpixxx...
And most of all not 3g... I hate 3g!
and better then V8 512mb...

'-' thanks '-'
;)

G
Gerard
v0X
29 Oct 2008

EMS06, 30 Sep 2008Yes, I've had mine partly come off Gerhard. I tried super g... morethanks for suggstions...

a
arpitha
vGu
26 Oct 2008

Martina, 23 Oct 2008 Can anyone plz tell me abt music of this phone ,abt speake... moresuper music clarity, really good phone

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Nids
2@e
25 Oct 2008

I bought this phone three weeks back.. n though it has gr8 looks.. but i am facing numerous software problems.. the phone is not getting synchronised with the computer.. to top it all.. although i bought a sealed pack.. it has a photograph clicked much prior to the date i bought it..

my suggestion would be that do not buy this phone..

r
request java applica
PSc
24 Oct 2008

Hi,everyone to V8 users,i tried to install java applications on my v8.Some seems to be working (actually works) but many don't.Can u all please show me where to get good java applications and how to install and of course get working perfectly.I can use about 6 applications now like dictionaries,money software and etc.thanks to you all.

S
Stuart
ibh
24 Oct 2008

Martina, 23 Oct 2008 Can anyone plz tell me abt music of this phone ,abt speake... moreMartina,

I won't be able to give you the exact comparisons between V8 and Sony Ericsson phones as a whole because it all depends on which SE models you are referring to. Some SE models are better than the others and we must also compare the SEs with V8 base on similar price range.

However, I have done actual comparisons between V8, SE K550i & K750i. My first impression would be quite surprising for you (I believe), the oldest among these 3 models, K750i sounded the best - I've even asked & got similar feedback from a friend working in phone retail shop. As to why it sounded better than later models, I've got no idea at all. Maybe because it's thicker therefore give better volumization in sound. The bass, mid range and treble are evenly balance on K750i, the V8's not too far apart though, much better than K550i. So considering the slimness of V8 (11.9mm), V8's output is considered quite good. Another factor to consider here is both the SEs have built in equalizers but the V8 only comes with Bass Boost and Spatial Width for adjustment.

Bottom line, I liked the K750i but maybe because it suits my ear drums (maybe it's different for you & others). If you enquire on "W" SE models, I've heard the music quality on its own without comparing with V8 on the spot, some SE W models are not really that good. I would expect W "Walkman" models performing much much better than its K models but some models are disappointing, sounded very tinny instead.

So if you're looking at spending money to buy a good quality music phone, try looking at ROKR E8, W910i or even Nokia's Xpressmusic (all these 3 are worth considering). The CNET's judging panels (3 of them) did a test on music phones and E8 came out first as compared to Nokia's Xpressmusic. My suggestion, try them out yourself, only you will be able to tell which one is for you - as the saying goes "beauty lies on the eyes of the beholder".

M
Martina
uts
23 Oct 2008

Can anyone plz tell me abt music of this phone ,abt speakers,r they louder than sony eric. phones

S
Stuart
vV5
22 Oct 2008

philby from oz 4 stu, 22 Oct 2008hey stuart u seem to be the man to ask questions about the ... moreFirst and foremost, you need to know that there are 3 types of V8 available.

1- Normal version V8 (512 MB built in memory)
2- Normal version V8 (2 GB built in memory)
3- Luxury version V8 (2 GB built in memory)
* All does not support memory card.

If I'm not wrong, I believe most countries outside US are only selling No. 1 & 3. Depending on which country you are staying in, you'll be lucky if you are able to get the Normal Version with 2GB. I do hope you are the lucky one.

Number of SMS that can be stored are depending on whether you're using the 512MB or 2GB version. Let's pick the 512 MB version for example, number of SMS message storage can still be different between different individuals, if you've more graphics (pictures, videos) stored in your V8, then you'll have less space for others. For me, I've stored more than 100 messages in total in my SMS Inbox, Drafts, Templates & Outbox and I remembered there's still approx. 200 over MB available. I've very little songs, pictures & videos stored inside my V8 at that time so this could give you a rough indication on its storage. Remember, the V8 does not support memory card so the 2GB would definitely comes handy.

If you are a high phone user, V8's 740Mah battery won't be able to last you very long. If your bluetooth is not turned on all the time, maybe a day.. or two if you're lucky, sorry for being straight to the point. I'm a high phone user too so I've a car charger and a portable charger with me so battery life is totally not an issue for me. I charged my V8 overnight everyday, start talking around 9am and by 2 to 3pm, it'll drop to 2bars. Normally I'll charge it the moment it drops to 2 bars and I don't wait till it goes to 1 bar at all. Bear in mind that my bluetooth headset is turned on at 9am, stayed connected until the time I sleep at night so logically the battery life would be a lot shorter for me. For normal usage, it'll definitely last much much more than mine. So I hope you won't be affected by my personal experience with V8 as my case is a bit abnormal and unusual as compared to majority of other users. One thing for sure, the overall quality of V8 is really good eventhough nothing's perfect. The signal strength, voice quality and the elegance in design are still in my mind even though I'm currently using E8. If you like clamshell design, don't need 3G, doesn't need high megapix camera, requires really good voice quality, go for it. To perform a test, go with a friend (he/she must be using different phone brand) to a noisy place, call out to another person with your friend's phone then immediately call again with your V8, ask the other party to tell you the difference in voice & background noise quality, you'll be sure the background noise is a lot reduced when using V8 and it's clearer too as Crystal Talk in V8 magnifies your voice automatically when the background noise is high making your voice be heard easier. I've tried this a couple of times already and the results were impressive.

Hope the details above help.

p
philby from oz 4 stu
TIA
22 Oct 2008

hey stuart u seem to be the man to ask questions about the v8,im just wanting to know how many sms this phone can hold?also if i put a bigger memory card in will that mean it will hold more texts?also wat is battery life like?if i give it a good 1st up charge how will the battery life go?please feel free to reply to me at phil_dickson_09@hotmail.com cheers buddy

p
philby from oz
TIA
22 Oct 2008

hi guys im from oz and these phones jus came on to our pre paid at $299 with $55 calls which is a great deal,im on a plan so have no need for the sim but its a great price regardless,can anyone one using the phone please tell nme bout the battery life?how long does it last and wat sort of useage?im on the phone quiet alot,ive been through so many phones the n95 both version the viewty and the k850i had problems and sold em all on got a cheap moto k1 and love it so much great phone only thing is the batt life so thats y im looking in to the v8 b4 buying it please feel free to reply to me at phil_dickson_09@hotmail.com thanks alot guys

S
Stuart
vV5
21 Oct 2008

Tim08, 21 Oct 2008Thank you Stuart! Thank you EMS06 for telling the secret co... moreTim08,

For your questions, I came out with my opinions as shown below. It's a long explanation overall so I hope they won't bored you much.

Situation 1:
I can understand why that someone you know said it's not a good idea buying V3x, especially now. The example I can give here is like buying a 1975 top rated car now, with backdated technology. That same car would be appealing to a lot of people in 1975 but now, it belongs to the "Jurassic park" era. The same now applies to V3x so some people will say the V3x is outdated, bulky, huge and low memory, they're in fact right "from their perspective" . From another perspective, there are many people whom are still using very basic & low specs phones even today, the reason, $$$, money! There are so many low income earners around, I've seen people using phones with black & white display, surprisingly, still available even till today. So imagine if these people can have V3x, I'm sure they'll probably wipe the phone so clean, it'll sparkle like a diamond! (I know I exaggerated a bit). So to summarise the ideology behind it, for someone who can afford more than V3x, they'll say it's huge, low memory etc... because they are looking, aiming at 3G, 5MP cam, 8GB phone. Likewise, for someone who have only say 50 to 100 bucks to spare for example, V3x is luxury to them. My principle, listen to comments, (you need to analyse whether they are bias or not) decide what budget you can spare, within the range, what features are you looking for, then spend wisely. For your info, I've used Z3 with 40MB memory and 1GB card, I was happy with the phone, wanted V8 with Crystal Talk later so I increased my budget & bought it even though it does not support memory card, I was happier. It's ultimately what we want, not what other people want.... listen to your own instincts and in the end, you'll be the happiest person, (not your friends) and that's the most important thing!

Situation2:
Personally I don't believe with 22 messages in the phone could use up all the memory space. If I can still remember, I have easily 60 to 80 text messages in my previous Z3 (40 MB) and I still have quite good space to spare. Other factors like themes, wallpapers, MMS, pictures, videos could use up big amount of memory size so maybe the 22 messages were probably the last of whatever memory that's left in the phone after all the above. Take a glimpse on his/her phone, you'll probably see a beautiful picture used as wallpaper, so how many more in there, no one knows for sure.

Situation 3:
On the 20% usage on a 512MB card issue, I don't believe it'll show "message full" as messages are usually stored in phone. If you're referring to pop up message saying full, I believe it is then something not right with it's internal electronic processing accuracy or something wrong with the card itself. (Have you used the card inserted into a PC before?) An infected card can also give such problem eventhough your phone won't be infected as it's running on different OS platform. I'm not a technically sound guy but if I were to face the same problem with memory, can't save contacts or can't perform what it's supposed to, the first thing I'll do is to send it back to the authorised service centre (if it's still under warranty) instead of listening to another person's comment that the phone's on low memory - totally not acceptable. We spent our hard earned money on products that should be functional, not on excuses. For your info again, I bought an E8 for about 2 months now, noticed the reception signal not as stable as my previous V8 (a bar or two differences and fluctuates), recently brought it back to Motorola Service Centre, they replaced the whole motherboard for me. (I was lucky I guess). For about 10 days now, I found the signal's stable and strong, similiar to my previous V8. My practical encounter here shows just how important warranty claim is to us all. Buy new from authorised local importer and make sure you make full use of your warranty within the year - should you need it. Don't compromise because if not, after that one full year, you'll be on your own and I'm pretty sure you'll curse & swear that this will be the last you'll ever purchase from the same brand again. Not the phone's problem but ours.

From the above, I'm not able to answer exactly to some of your questions here but I would categorize them under human errors instead of technical problems, because majority of us are not technically bound. To sum it up, since most of us are not technical geniuses, that's why we "pay" for their technical researches & finished products, so if there are problems arise, they (the manufacturer) better be prepared to solve them for us. I hope the above provides a different perspective in the way we look at problems.

Hope the above helps.

N
Nandu
uti
21 Oct 2008

EMS06, 07 Oct 2008Go Messages> Options (on the bottom left side of the screen... moreThanks EM06 for your valuable situation...Thank you once again.

T
Tim08
wrb
21 Oct 2008

Stuart, 18 Oct 2008It's the same for my V8 too so it could be typo error. It's... moreThank you Stuart! Thank you EMS06 for telling the secret code of Motorola phone!

Stuart, I would like to ask you again. I have ever read opninions about Motorola RAZR V3x. I give situation below.

Situation 1: I asked someone via email about Motorola RAZR V3x. He said,: "Don't use V3x! It's outdated, huge, and bulky. Thus, the lack of internal memory." That I know, I see in the motorola website, it says Motorola RAZR V3x has 64MB internal memory. Is this memory doesn't enough for save SMS until, say 80 SMS (not in the SIM card)? What do you think Stuart?

Situation 2: One people says he/she can save only 22 messages only in his/her phone through the message memory show full. Other people says the message memory is according to SIM card. That I know if we would like to save message, say SMS. The SMS will be saved in SIM card. But, if we don't save it, just let it in the inbox, will the message memory full? (say, the we let Motorola RAZR V3x still has 45MB internal memory)

Sitution 3: I would like to show you this conversation.
Mr. X : Recently I bought V3x, but I have problem with it....
My mobile always show message full, but there is no SMS in my phone. I can not store contacts in set. It says phone memory full. I reset the phone from set but it don't work. I can do nothing within my phone memory. What would I do?

Mr. Y (Reply to Mr. X) : it indicates that u have a low memory.

If we have 512MB microSD, we just consume 20% of 512MB microSD in Motorola RAZR V3x, will the message memory full? I hope you can explain about these!

Thank you very much, Stuart!

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