Motorola RAZR2 V8

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S
Stuart
vV5
28 Jul 2008

bld, 28 Jul 2008and thanks again, you must be a real character, taking all ... moreBid,

You are welcome, I'm just trying to help. Unfortunately I'm still not able to answer to all due to my limited knowledge, in actual fact I'm also learning. The last 15 years or so, I've made some lousy decisions on mobile phone purchases so I can relate to some people's dilemma as I hope someone was there too to help me back in those days. Imagine I've even used Hitachi mobile phone before and very much regretted the purchase. I'll only mention the brand (Hitachi) here now that they are no more in this business.

For your network providers in Romania, it's better for you to confirm with them on whether one of the 4 specified here - GSM 850, 900, 1800 or 1900 are covered by them. If so, I'm sure you can use it over there. Good luck.

b
bld
nsF
28 Jul 2008

Stuart, 28 Jul 2008Bid, If cost is not an issue and you decides to get the ... moreand thanks again, you must be a real character, taking all this time to answer to people and give them advices

b
bld
nsF
28 Jul 2008

Stuart, 28 Jul 2008Bid, If cost is not an issue and you decides to get the ... morethanks, I already visited the site, but unfortunately they do not ship it to Romania. the phone is presented in the romanian version of the site, but I can not order it online. I don't know what to do, I really want this phone, it's time to replace my old nokia 8800. I have a cousin in the USA, I could ask him to order it for me and ship it to me in Romania, but will I be able to use it ? My nokia 8800 did not work in the USA, as I know there are different network types

S
Stuart
ibh
28 Jul 2008

HK, 28 Jul 2008 Stuart, I would love to work with someone like yourself... moreHK,

After reading your comments, I realized that you are a positive and constructive person and I like the way you analyse the bigger picture too. What you said were true about V8, not that it's a lousy phone, in fact I personally feel it's a relatively good phone, depending on what we are looking for. That part about we Motorola supporters looking for a "rescue" model was a very good analysis based on current Motorola's position. Again, my personal opinion, I truly believe Motorola will continue to be around producing good phones irregardless of what others said. They are a very big corporation worldwide and mobile phone division is considered a small portion of business for them as compared to supplying customizable communication equipment and even equipment supplies to US government agencies. This information was obtained from a friend who was an ex-Motorola employee in their R&D division, and it was through him that I've full confidence in Motorola products.

I believe the 1st RAZR models gave the mobile phone world a shock with WOW factor at that time, resultingly, to meet or even exceed that benchmark is tough now as everybody expects another WOW factor each time Motorola launches a new model. Anything lower than that would spell disaster for their brand - it's more of human expectation factor. Try reading the reviews of Motorola ROKR E8 under gsmarena.com as I did earlier today and you'll see different feedbacks, many, in fact many are very positive. It's good that Motorola U.S upgraded their normal V8 (not luxury version) to 2GB built-in memory making it more attractive and worthwhile for music lovers. Correct me if I'm wrong, the haptic technology found in V8 is now followed by other makers namely Samsung (Soul) and LG (Secret) not to mention the "thin" phone design - it shows Motorola's design was ahead of its time. The question now is whether Motorola can come up with another WOW phone, maybe a combination of E8's unique keypad, V8's improved clamshell, improved UI, camera and so on. I certainly hope Motorola will succeed in doing that.

HK, it's good to see another gsmarena blogger who cares like you and hopefully more will join us in helping those in need, with constructive and professional approaches.

Thanks

H
HK
4fV
28 Jul 2008

Stuart, I would love to work with someone like yourself. However one only needs to google "Motorola V8", and there are numerous professional reviews. There are numerous websites not limited to but including Motorola's that completely explain the features and list the attributes of the phone. I much rather read someone's emotional plea and assessment(being that it is informed) then some completely uninspired, neutered representation of the obvious(not that I am saying the review was in particular). There is no phone on the market now, or probably ever that will make everyone happy and in turn have everyone respond positively to the product. But the margin should be disproportionately positive. Having said that, most every issue has been addressed, and most questions on this forum have been answered or the question itself may be illogical and misrepresentative of reality. But every product has this same features(the human factor). Not one product is exempt, so every product is basically playing on a level field. The problem is the person writing the review.
My problem with the V8 aside from my struggles with the keypad, are that the phone does not reestablish Motorola in the market. Truth be told, the Razr2 series has not vindicated Motorola, it has only made us aware of Motorola's deficits. Motorola's share on the marketplace, not to mention it's stock has come tumbling down at the speed of sound. Motorola is in crisis right now. The V8 was supposed to be a "media giant", but it is a mouse trapped in a cat's body. When I think about how wonderful my old V3i was to use, how comfortable and easy to utilize the features(as limited as they were) that were on the phone. Yes I had all the little problems everyone else had with the glitchy software, but this was tempered by the positive features of the phone. I can say the same thing about my old V635, which is probably my favorite phone ever made. I am by composition a "Motorola man", but this V8 makes me feel like Motorola just gave up right before reaching the apex. This could have been one amazing phone.

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Stuart
vV5
28 Jul 2008

bld, 28 Jul 2008Thanks Stuart. Cost is not such a big problem, but this v8... moreBid,

If cost is not an issue and you decides to get the V8 online, maybe you can visit this website first to take a look before deciding - http://www.store.motorola.com/mot/en/US/adirect/motorola?cmd=OnlineOrderingPageDisplay&WT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=pi_yahoo_Homepage

This is the original Motorola Store website and I was surprised that they are now including 2 GB built-in memory on the normal version V8 instead of 420MB (I'm aware the luxury version has 2GB built-in memory and is more costly than the normal version). If you are a music lover, 2GB built-in memory is really worth it, unlike me, I've only utilized 10% of 420MB on my phone. (I'm not really into music).

I would suggest you take a look at the 2GB normal version V8 at Motorola store website, compare price with other online stores before deciding. I believe many other online stores are still selling the 420MB version. One more point to note is that the 2GB normal V8 version is the current version, (probably due to market demand on bigger memory) so it definitely comes with the latest updated software too - and it's definitely original unit from Motorola Store Website. As for black market, personally I don't recommend. I was offered a brand new V9 (so they said) at about 50% of market price sometime early this year (black market, possibly stolen new from retailer's warehouse) by a young adult but I rejected the offer. I was supposed to test the phone but he didn't turn up after several appointments so he's not as reliable at all. That's not the main purpose for rejecting the offer, I wasn't ready to buy it cheap, without after sales warranty (as parts could be expensive should anything goes wrong within 1 year) and carrying a phone with IMEI number blacklisted as "lost or stolen", the possiblities of the above are always there AND I hate to spend too much time thinking of these possibilities - so I wanted peace of mind.

So Bid, have a good time checking, hope you'll get yourself a good reliable unit. If you decides to get the 2GB normal version, keep us posted on the performance.

T
Tinker - Argentina
PwF
28 Jul 2008

Well i habe this phone since januery 14m 2008 and today i advice that the left side bottons, the one that is used for the camera and wiex the text messajes without open the phone are made of plastic, yes, it habe plastic bottons and the metal paint is now erase... [http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/4853/v8dead004lv4.jpg] i´ve use this phone for 6 month and i recive 600 text messajes per month soo i´m realy dissapointed with this "top of the line" product. If someone now how to get a new motorola v8 housing please email me at: Tinker@argentina.com TNX

b
bld
nsF
28 Jul 2008

Stuart, 26 Jul 2008Bid, You brought up a very interesting subject. I saw a ... moreThanks Stuart.
Cost is not such a big problem, but this v8 luxury is not imported in my country as far as I know. Motorola original products you can buy in Romania at our 2 big carriers vodafone and orange. I asked in both a vodafone and orange shop and they can't get it. My only option is to order it on ebay or get it off the black market. Is there any code for motorola, like nokia's imei showing codes? maybe that could help me tell if it is an original product

T
Tinker
PwF
28 Jul 2008

T
Tinker
PwF
28 Jul 2008

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Shane Winterman
Lr9
28 Jul 2008

again my phone is not working properly now im trying to move a file to the memory card but it says "because the memory is full the current action cannot be completed" this is stupid since i have left more than 1 gb available anyne with this problem or why this is happening ?? ?? thx in advance

E
EMS06
N7$
27 Jul 2008

I guess the saying 'different strokes for different folks' comes into play here.

I've used the V3 myself and the following are the things I liked about it compared to the V8: the vibrate alert was stronger, you had more than enough customisation for short cuts (maybe the V9 offers this since it is not linux but motorola's standard menu), the option to lock folders was comprehensive unlike the V8 and that's just about it.

Do I prefer the V3 or the V8? Definitely the V8 though I wish the above options were present.

The V8's build quality is unsurpassed, way better than the V3, it is thinner, the ability to completely customise the menu is also a nice touch, the active external screen and the touch buttons are great. It is nearly impossible to be 100% happy with a product you just have make compromises here and there.

So, all in all I'm happy with the V8.

S
Stuart
vV5
27 Jul 2008

Rozz, 26 Jul 2008I am using this mobile, upgraded from the V3 model which I ... moreOnce in a while we all seem to miss somethings we used to have before when we look back at those days, don't we?

For me, despite all these new gadgets and features, the phone that comes to my memory is my Nokia 2110i - that was in the mid 90s. I was impressed with its built, solid as a rock (must be metal finished), made in Finland, (forget about built in memory those days), reasonably thin for that era, good reception, clear voice quality and the most unforgettable design of all - the egg shape display screen. After that, I owned another nokia, 6110i (also towards end 90s) but the built was not that good. After that it was Motorola's Star Tac and MicroTac for me.

I'm sure you missed your V3 for certain reasons and you probably like some features offered by your V8. I was using Motorola Z3 before V8, I missed the slider design of Z3 (I like the ease of sliding mechanizm with one hand), the smaller overall size but I like the UI (Linux user interface) of V8, the sleekness and most of all the Crystal Talk clarity. That's life, we can't have it all.

?
Anonymous
4fV
27 Jul 2008

I miss my old V3i

R
Rozz
ibm
26 Jul 2008

I am using this mobile, upgraded from the V3 model which I used for 4 years. I like it okay, but I seemed to miss my old V3. This mobile is slightly longer and while is has larger screen and more storage, I find that it was much easier to flip open the older V3. And one more thing, with the older V3, it is much easier to move around the home screen icons as compared to this one.

S
Stuart
vV5
26 Jul 2008

bld, 26 Jul 2008could anybody tell me what are the differences between an o... moreBid,

You brought up a very interesting subject. I saw a few phone models just yesterday in a phone shop (not a prominent shop but rather small one) with quite a number of people looking and enquiring. The prices of these phones are much cheaper than the original attracting potential buyers but some look a little strange, the laminated cover, the cover itself. We can see plenty of phone external covers for sale at quite low price in majority of shops nowadays therefore making it even easy for duplications. Now, to be fair, I'm not saying that the phones (any brands or models) that we see at most phone retailer shops are fake but as consumers, we need to be very careful when buying especially for those who are quality conscious. I became aware of this after an incident, at a phone shop, talking to a not-very-happy staff there and he disclosed to me that some of the phones were "fabricated", selling as used phone (declared as used for couple of months, cover changed, electronically re-calibrated and warranty claim can be done coming back to the same shop). Many phone brands are now manufactured in China and I'm not saying China made is not good, depending on the manufacturer's business objective. China can and have the technology to produce top quality products if cost is not compromised. I know because my company imports from China too. Major brands I believe are here to stay and would not mess up their own reputation BUT in mass production, zero defect is something which is difficult to achieve during manufacturing process and quality control that's why we have mix comments from users on the same product.

Personally, if budget is not an issue, I would recommend buy original - buying from the sole distributor in your country. Usually warranty claims are easier (as I've encountered). If you are buying online, make sure you are buying from a reliable site. I own a "used" phone many years ago because it's cheap and that's what it was - cheap... cheap quality, noise interruption, bad signal, scrapped that and told myself no more used phone. Even well branded sports car were duplicated in Europe (caught and published in paper sometime this year). What can they think of next..... amazing!

b
bld
nsF
26 Jul 2008

could anybody tell me what are the differences between an original v8 luxury and a really good fake one from china? I've seen on ebay and other sites v8's for sale but they ship it from china. in the pictures it looks original, but i recently saw a 8800arte replica and you almost couldn't tell the difference from the original one, even the menu was copied. the only thing it had different was a memory card slot. if you know please tell me, i don't wanna get fooled and buy a fake one

S
Stuart
vV5
25 Jul 2008

HK, 24 Jul 2008Actually Stuart that is one of the worst reviews I have eve... moreHK

I agreed with you... partially. Yes, reviews should present both good and bad side of any phones. I personally feel that everything stated there are "norm", in fact it's more like a copy of the phone brochure BUT that's where the problem starts. If you read the V8's comments far back enough, you'll find that many people are asking questions that doesn't make sense, many information that can easily obtained from manuals or brochure. This means many did not read their manuals, even those who bought this phone, unfortunately. I will declare that I'm no expert in V8 and sometimes I'm here to try to help with my limited knowledge for those who requires information and I'll be the one to applaud others who are putting in their effort too to help others.

There are 2 ways to look at people's comments like the one from The "Anonymous" person (the one I reply and commended) who wrote the informations that many people supposedly already knew but unfortunately not all knew. I truly believe he deserves to be commended. Why? He did not write it in a sarcastic way like many people did at this website. The language he used was well constructed and not offensive which means he meant well unlike others who only know to condemn and criticise unprofessionally. He spent time, thought about it and proceed to write this long paragraphs. So I chose to applaud and appreciate the effort that he or she has put in. So I'm approaching it with a positive angle with sense of appreciation and encouragement so that others who know a lot about V8 could also help those in need here.

The 2nd way to look at this comment - to tell the world the comment is no big deal, everybody knows it - don't even have to here, worst still the person who wrote this simple, basic information is commended for his effort by others. (This actually reflects a person's thought).

Which way to choose to look at this is individual's choice. I definitely have chosen the "appreciation and encouragement" way. Yes, personally I already knew the information that anonymous put up and I felt it's good for others who need it. (Imagine people are still asking what's the built-in memory in the V8? So I can see here many others still require basic information). So I only hope those already in "advanced level" on the V8, please help others in the "beginner level", we are doing good things here. I've learnt to accept that there are good hearted people around whom are willing to put out efforts to help others and yet not getting "thank you" in the end.... these are good people. I've also learnt to accept that there are people that are smarter but doesn't want others to be smarter than them. Give due credit when credit is due.

K
Kingpin
Lxv
25 Jul 2008

HK:

What shortcomings are you talking about? care to name some?

=)

H
HK
4fV
24 Jul 2008

Actually Stuart that is one of the worst reviews I have ever read on the V8. It doe not go into any detail regarding the shortcomings of the phone, and that is the essence of any review. Everyone understands how a phone is "supposed" to work, it is the reality and the stress of every day use that is the true test. And this phones falls short in many respects.

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