Motorola SLVR L7 review: Slim style

Typing with iTap

As mentioned earlier, Motorola L7 is not suitable for frequent SMS writing. Nevertheless, it supports all possible message types. The phone features an iTap dictionary to ease SMS writing. However, its dictionary is poorer in comparison with the competitor T9. A SMS can contain a maximum of 450 characters, which is a total of 3 sub-messages. Before a message is sent the editor provides information on the number of parts it will be divided into. Count down starts from 450 and continues in a declining order.

Main menu of the message editor • selecting message type

Messages can be both written and read in 8 lines en bloc. The phone's message capacity is quite extensive due to the shared memory. On the other hand, delivery notification has to be activated each time before message is sent, which is really inconvenient. Any sound saved in the phone memory or on the memory card can be used as an alert sound for incoming SMS.

Apart from standard SMS Motorola L7 also works with EMS and MMS. The MMS editor is similar to the SMS one. A MMS can contain pictures, video, sounds and voice records made with phone's built-in voice recorder. During editing, pictures are directly displayed as previews. MMS size is limited to 100 KB. Besides, Motorola L7 offers an email client, which manages attachments as well as SMTP, POP3 and IMAP4 protocols. Several email accounts can be managed simultaneously, and also both automatically (in accordance with the preset interval) and manually.

Creating SMS • and MMS

Additional features

Motorola L7 offers the following organizing functions: calendar, calculator, code memory and alarm clock. There is no task manager or text notes. The calendar offers month, week and day views. Each event can be assigned a description, starting time, duration, repetition option and alerts. The phone can alert you any time before the beginning of the event by any sound available. The calendar permits synchronization with PC.

Month view at the calendar • week view • event detail

Motorola L7 has a total of 5 alarm clocks. They can also be used as "reminders" as each of them permits the insertion of text notes. The alarm clock activates itself when the device is switched off too. Unfortunately, I did not come to find its repetition function. Code memory is located among Java applications.

The most interesting among all entertainment functions is the MP3 player, which is a Java application. Unfortunately, the MP3 player can't be minimized and play in background. Nevertheless, they tracks can be filtered by album and artist name or grouped into playlists. The loud speaker is of pretty good quality. It is a pity, however, that the manufacturer has decided not to include earphones in the original package. This is why I am not able to provide you with details on what the possible qualities of the sound might be with connected earphones. Being a Java application, it is possible to minimize, but such a step results in interruption of the playback.

Java player cannot be minimized

The phone is based on Java 2.0 version, which means you should not worry about ever getting short of games. Two games have been pre-installed by the manufacturer. One of them is a variation of the famous Worms; the other one is a classic cosmic shooting game. None of them held my interest for a long time though.

Pre-installed games: Rebels • Crazy

Motorola L7 provides GPRS Class 10 support. Data transfers are pretty useful for work with WAP browser, in particular. Motorola L7 can also be used as a modem connecting PC to internet. The phone is linked up with PC either through Bluetooth, or via USB cable. There is no infrared port. However, I need to point out that in order to get your Motorola L7 connected to a PC, you will have to obligatory use Motorola Mobile Phone Tools software, which is not available for free.

It definitely makes for sentiments

Motorola L7 is not a phone for everybody. I guess that those of you who pick up a phone by its design will probable be the only ones to appreciate the values of this phone right. Motorola L7 will repay you with an attractive slim design, a brilliant display and a wide range of functions. However at the same time you will have to put up with its delayed response and low-quality camera, as well as with a confusing menu and an unpractical keypad. In this aspect, Motorola L7 is not suitable for users, who need a phone that will be fully reliable in a hectic working environment and particularly not for those of you, who write SMS frequently.

In terms of thinness Motorola L7 has no other competitors but its brothers Motorola V3 Razr and Motorola L6. If you find it hard to decide which one of these three models meets your needs the best, base your final decision on your subjective preferences and the amount of money you are willing to pay. You can also get the new Benq-Siemens S68, which is also slim and user-friendly, but features poorer equipment. Motorola L7 is already available on the market at a price quite reasonable in reference to the phone's rich equipment.