Motorola RAZR V3xx Platinum Phone (AT&T) Version 1

Motorola RAZR V3xx Platinum Phone (AT&T) Version 1 (silver)

I purchased this phone about a year ago when my contract was up with Cingular (ATT), and I renewed.
My previous phone was a Razor, and before that an LG and before that another Motorola.
Once you become accustomed with the Motorola Menu, then go to LG, they are opposites of each other. You have to relearn how to get around the menu. (I even had a Nokia, which I will never purchase another one again)

Why I choose this phone
1. It is a Motorola; Motorola's have always been very good with me. After my LG experience, I decided not to stray again.
2. MP3 playing ability.
Yes I am tired of having ten different things to carry in my pockets and this simplifies it to one product.

I really was not interested in the camera, web and other features. (Thou I will comment on this later)...
This phone comes with the ability to play MP3's, you can put the phone in speaker mode where it sounds like an old transmitter is radio, or get a blue tooth head set. Which I have purchased a Stereo Bluetooth Headset. This feature works great, the phone it self will hold MP3s,(not sure how many) you can also purchase an additional memory card for it, which I have purchased a 2GB micro card which I have many MP3's and a few pictures, (this does not support wma, wm4 only MP3).

Other features!
This phone has probably more than one might need?
You can forward calls to another phone, it you don't answer the phone it can forward with out using your celluar carrier, the phone will do this if you set it up. If you find this feature and you have Cingular you will see it is forwarded to your voice mail number, so if you change this, remember that number so you can put it back in there.
You can block your out going number; accept data and fax calls, voice dialing, 3 way conference, etc
I notice cellular carriers offer these services; this phone can do this all without subscribing to another service from the cellular company.
One can assign ring tones to groups or individuals use MP3s as ring tones (Such as when my sister calls a whole song will play until I answer the phone).
Other features:
You can go online, but the site should be designed for viewing from a cellular phone. I have viewed my personal site with this phone, it worked, but the site is not designed for a cell phone. I just don't care to use it to browse the web. But it is there if needed.
You can download special applications to go online, such as check your bank account, Wachovia offers such an application.
The Major instant messengers are included with the phone.
You can check your email with a special java application. Which is where I have a problem?
This phone you can only check certain e mails which are in this application. The last Generation Razor, you could set up the SMTP information directly into your phone and check any SMTP enabled email, I still have not found where to do this. This phone as far as I have found can only check the Email included in the Java applications (i.e. msn, yahoo, aol etc).

Data Connection: You can connect this phone via Bluetooth or Cable and use it as a modem with your PC and go online. This feature you have to subscribe to, I have unlimited Data with my carrier. I also have a Verizon Broadband card; this phone will connect to the internet at a faster speed then my Verizon Broadband card.

It also has all the other usual functions alarm clock, calculator, and a bunch of other stuff I never use.
Photos, MP3s, phone book etc...
You can purchase a program (Motorola Phone tools) and install it to a PC to sync the phonebook to outlook, retrieve photos, to and from the phone. This program you can create ring tones from MP3's, edit photos, send text messages and bunch of other stuff I never use.
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You can also use the Bluetooth bonding to PC/Mac to exchange information without the program as well. And another interesting thing you can print to a Bluetooth enabled printer, which I have yet to try! (But as soon as I find a printer I will try it, Toshiba's MFP can have this feature)

Reception Quality:
I work as a PC / Laser Printer tech and drive from office to office; I have been in the Everglades of Florida to South Carolina, to Upstate NY with this phone. I have another phone I carry for work, a Motorola V325i with Verizon. In comparison: the ATT Razor V3xx always has a signal, where as the Verizon is a gamble. I still have not figured out if it is the phone or service?
I wish my company would go with Cingular, then I could have a single phone as this Phone will allow more than one number assigned to a single phone. (Most modern phones have this feature).
Overall it the quality of service has been good, I use it as a back up to my work phone, when it will not work in a building, and I use my Razor, because it will work.
I have been in very few places where it doesn't work.

After reading other reviews (various sites) some mention a beep if you don't answer the phone, and no zoom?
This beep can be turned off, read the Manual that comes with the phone sometime, this guy would rather buy a new phone, and then spend a minute reading and investigating?

As for the Zoom on the Camera? Mine has lettering around the eye, 1.3 MP and 8X Zoom. Which in English translates to?
1.3 Mega Pixels... 1.3 million pixels. (If you don't understand this, look up some information about Pixels)
8X zoom, it does Zoom 8 Times, the quality of the pic decreases as you zoom. I can even send the photos as an email from this phone.
Not the high quality SLR, but pretty good considering it is a phone. The camera features different modes and adjustments, I have gotten some good quality photos but this takes a bit of adjustment. But then again so does my digital camera? Again if you read up on this you to will know how to use this feature?
And the Red Dot problem!
Open any phone look for a little dot of some sort!
This is standard and can you blame the manufactures, certainly after warranting the many retards that jumped into the pool with their phones, would you want to cover that?
I have the phone insurance with ATT; I have in the past smashed my phone, went to ATT and got another one. ATT phones use a SIM card which I have discovered, will work in any SIM card phone! I have put my SIM card into other phones just to see if it will work.
It does, I have put the card into $20 pay as you go junk phones and it works. Rather than pay the monthly fee for insurance, or pay for a new $200 phone, if I break my phone I will be buying a cheap pay as you go phone and using it with my SIM card. (A trick they don't tell you about!)...
I have dropped this phone so many times, lost it in the car, tends to fall out of my pocket and go under the driver seat. It has scratches and has been abused. Still works well.
The Battery life? If I talk, it goes dead after about 1.5 hours, using it as an MP3 Player seems to last longer. Just leaving it on has lasted days. I haven't really paid much attention to this.
I am not really concerned about battery life as I understand it is a battery, I always have something to charge my phone with, and you can also charge this phone with the Proper USB cable to a PC.
The thing I don't like is it gets warm when I am talking on it, this dosen't matter it I am using Bluetooth or using the headset.
The last thing I didn't like about this phone, which I did not know until I bought it...
Using an earpiece, there is no 1.5m Jack, only Bluetooth Enabled Earpieces will work.
If one can get an earpiece that connects through the data / battery port, I do not know?



After reading the reviews I would conclude half the problems are User Error, not manufacture error? Simply because people are lazy and cant find the time to learn something new. Some infact would rather invest more money and not Time? (I have found this to be true in many different areas not just this phone)
If all else fails Read the Book!