In terms of sheer volume, Motorola is the second largest cell phone maker in the world, trailing only behind Nokia of Finland. Motorola has been in the mobile phone business for quite some time, producing their first handset way back in 1983 -- the DynaTAC -- although the company has been in business for more than 75 years. Outside of mobile devices (including cellular phones), Motorola also has three other divisions: Networks & Enterprise, Connected Home Solutions, and Corporate.Motorola has several popular handsets on the market today. Keep on reading to find what what they are, and what sets them apart.
RAZR Slim Clamshell
No list of Motorola cell phones would be complete without mentioning the ultra thin flip phone that gave the company a huge regenerative boost. While other slim phones may have beaten the RAZR to the market, it clearly was Motorola's offering that popularized the form factor. There are currently no fewer than five different versions of the RAZR available, and it can be quite difficult to distinguish between them. Here is a quick guide describing each of the five.
GSM Handsets
- V3: The one that started it all, the Motorola RAZR V3 is, by today's standards, nothing special as far as features are concerned. The camera is a mediocre VGA unit, and there is only 5.5 megabytes of internal memory. With no expansion slot, you are quite limited as to how many pictures, wallpapers, and MP3 ringtones you can store. That said, this Bluetooth-capable clamshell is a good budget-minded choice for those mostly interested in the appealing form factor.
- V3i: The Motorola V3i takes everything that the V3 had to offer and bumps it up a notch. The camera is now a 1.23 megapixel unit that is also capable of capturing video. On-board memory has been bumped to 10MB, and the V3i also features a microSD/TransFlash expansion slot for additional storage. Perhaps most appealing of all, this version of the RAZR is compatible with iTunes, allowing you to use it as a portable MP3 player as well.
- V3x: Previously known as the V1150, the V3x sports some subtle differences aesthetically, but some rather substantial changes as far as functionality. Most notably, this is a 3G handset, compatible with UMTS standards for transfer speeds upto 384kbps. The resolution of the primary display has been improved to 240 x 320 pixels (compared to 176 x 220), the primary camera is now 2.0 megapixels, and the internal memory is a fairly beefy 64MB. Add to that a secondary VGA camera for video telephony, a MP3/MPEG4/AAC player, and microSD expansion, and you've got yourself a winner in the Motorola RAZR V3x.
CDMA Handsets
- V3c: It may have taken a while, but Motorola finally got around to releasing a CDMA version of the slim RAZR clamshell, and it was dubbed the V3c (the "c", obviously, standing for CDMA). While it sports EV-DO for high speed data, the screen has been reduced to 65k color (instead of the 256k found on the GSM versions). There are 30 megabytes of on-board memory, but no expansion slot. The camera is fairly adequate 1.3 megapixel unit, and this Bluetooth-capable phone also sports an integrated MP3 speakers music and MPEG-4 movie player. In this way, it can be said that this phone -- feature-wise -- fits somewhere between the V3 and V3i.
- V3m: To address the needs of CDMA subscribers for mobile music, Motorola released the V3m. Virtually all of the features found on the V3c were duplicated, but they added a microSD expansion slot. The Verizon version of this phone works with their V-CAST service, but it seems that the phone will also work with PlaysForSure files as well. Also, the 1.3 megapixel camera can shoot short videos.
SLVR Skinny Candybar
Building on the success of the RAZR, Motorola released a candybar version that they dubbed the SLVR. Featuring the same appealing slim profile in a bar design, the SLVR is just as confusing the marketplace, because there are no fewer than three different versions readily available.
- L2: The Motorola SLVR L2 is the most basic version currently available. This tri-band GSM (900/1800/1900) does not have an integrated camera, nor does it have any media playback capabilities. The L2's chassis is mostly made of plastic and has a relatively "cheap" feel to it. Other key features include polyphonic and MP3 ringtones, Bluetooth v1.2, and push-to-talk.
- L6: One step up from the L2 is the L6. Still made primarily of plastic, the L6 adds a video-capable VGA camera to the mix, and replaces the 65k color CSTN display with a scratch-resistant glass version. There is still the same 10MB of internal memory, but no built-in media player.
- L7: If you want a full featured slim candybar phone, then you'd have to cast the L2 and L6 aside in favour of the top-of-the-line Motorola SLVR L7. Available as a quad-band (850/900/1800/1900) GSM, the L7 packs in 11MB of memory, microSD/TransFlash for expansion, and VGA camera with video. This time around, you get a built-in MP3 speakers/MPEG-4 player and the display has been upgraded to a 256k color TFT screen with a resolution of 176 x 220 pixels (compared to 128 x 160 found on the L2 and L6).
Other Highlights
- PEBL U6: For those of you interested in a rounder, softer-looking version of the RAZR, Motorola released the PEBL clamshell. Sporting the same smooth keypad, the PEBL has a monochrome external display, 5MB of internal memory, no expansion slot, Bluetooth, and a VGA camera capable of video recording.
- A1200: Also known as the "Ming" in some circles, the Linux-basedA1200 is the latest touchscreen smartphone coming off of Motorola's lines. Announced in December 2005, the Intel XScale 312MHz processor-powered A1200 is a quad-band GSM unit with 8MB of built-in memory, microSD expansion slot, a 2MP camera, and personal information management tools. Its design is reminiscent of the smooth lines found on the PEBL.
- Motorola Q: Just released for Verizon Wireless and Telus Mobility, the Motorola Q is being touted as the world's thinnest smartphone. With dual stereo speakers, 64MB of internal memory, miniSD expansion, and Bluetooth v1.2, this Windows Mobile 5.0 smartphone is quite a powerful package. It has been demostrated running XM Radio, Slingbox, and even Pocket NES.
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