Motorola SLVR L9 review: Not much has changed

Motorola have continued their tradition of the RAZR-like designed phones and the L-series has a new member, the SLVR L9. This phone is a direct successor of the L7 model and they do have a lot in common. In fact, they have almost no difference.

This handset is mainly targeted at the mid-range personal use. It doesn’t have some business enhancements or any media gadgets to offer, so its main purpose is to serve telephony to the users. With a new keypad, added EDGE supportand FM radio and a more powerful camera, L9 is headed to replace the older SLVR model and probably make some new friends on the way.

Motorola SLVR L9: Who got the looks in this family?

Key features:

• Stylish looks
• Very solid construction
• microSD memory card slot
• GPRS & EDGE - both Class 10
• FM radio with RDS
• 2 megapixel camera

Main disadvantages:

• Not much innovation over L7
• No 3G
• Slow user interface
• No Notes application

When we first saw the L9 we thought “it’s just like L7!” and we were eager to find out what were the differences between them. After short time we discovered that there are only few changes. Our opinion is that the final impression can be largely linked to the price tag that goes with the phone, as if it turns out to be much more expensive than its predecessor, it won’t pack a good deal. But if they are in close price range, buying the L9 would make sense. Now, let’s get into more detail about that new L9.

Bear in mind that the test unit we got is a pre-release one and some bugs are really acceptable at this product development stage. Some options and applications may vary in the final retail version.

As usually, Motorola kept the familiar SLVR design and continued the successful line of L7 and L6. The new thing here is the glossy front panel of our test device. The silver framing of the keypad and display is so shiny it can be even used as a mirror. The back of the phone is made of some rubber material and feels firmly in one’s hand. We didn’t hear a single creek sound from the phone’s body and it proved physically perfect during our tests.

With the same size as the L7 model, 113 x 49 x 11.5 mm and the same weight of 96 grams, the phone feels great when held in hand - just as heavy to allow you to use it easily.

Motorola L9 held in hand

Beside the silver glossy frame, the front of SLVR L9 also consists of a small Motorola logo on the very top, between the grills of the main speaker, and the sign “MOTOROLA” beneath it. Just below, is situated the display, but we’ll say more about it later. A contour line divides the space between the display and the keypad. From this line down comes the controversial keypad of Motorola SLVR L9.

Motorola SLVR L9’s front side • The main speaker • the keypad

On the back of the phone we found only the 2 megapixel camera lens, a small USB sign, indicating where the USB port is, the Motorola logo once again and two signs telling us that the phone has memory card support and records video. That’s all on the battery cover. On the very bottom of the back side is the loudspeaker grill.

Phone’s back • the camera lens • the loudspeaker grill

When you take the battery cover off, you can see the Motorola BK 60 880 mAh Li-Ion battery. The manufacturer promises that this battery will provide about 350 hours of stand-by time and up to 4 hours of talk time. Whether this is true or not, we could not find out in our tests as we did not use the phone in ordinary daily fashion. Underneath the battery is the SIM card bed. The card is easily inserted and taken out, so there are no problems here. A good thing about Motorola L9 is that it supports the new MegaSIM technology which means that it allows for special SIM cards having up to 1GB of memory.

Back cover off • BK 60 battery • the phone’s back without the battery • the SIM card bed

The top side of the phone has a button, which releases the back cover, and an eyelet for a neck or hand strip. The bottom is bare. The left side is home to the two volume keys and the voice command/record key.

The top and bottom of Motorola L9 • the left side and the volume and voice buttons

The right side shelters the miniUSB port, the camera release button and the microSD card slot. Because of the standard USB port, Motorola L9 can be connected to a PC using a cable, most of you probably already have. The manufacturer puts such ports in most of their phones and that is something to be appreciated. Recently Nokia has started to do so, too.

The right side of the phone • the memory card slot • the USB port • microSD card