Is Your Old RAZR Getting Dull?

The Motorola RAZR V3 “razor” phone is one of the most beloved cell phone designs ever offered. Most carriers have offered one or more RAZR models, including some pay as you go services like GoPhone from AT&T. To be sure, the venerable razor phone is still in demand. But if you’ve been eyeing other cell phones and having thoughts about switching models, you should know that the RAZR design hasn’t been standing still. There are upgraded models available that could give you the RAZR you love but with the extra features you crave.

One of the most striking upgrades is the Motorola RAZR 2 V8 w/ myFaves for T-Mobile. The MOTORAZR, as it is also called, is both slightly thinner and more tapered than the decidedly boxy V3 series design. You’ll also notice that the outside screen is larger and is capable of high resolution color display. In fact, both the inside and outside display have the same specs. They are 320 x 240 pixels and display over 262,000 colors.

The 2 inch color high resolution displays are a nice complement to the 2.0 Megapixel digital camera that takes printable photos. it also works as a camcorder for capturing extra long video clips that you can watch on your phone and share through video messaging. This camcorder has a 2 hour maximum length. Say, isn’t that enough for a feature film? Anyone want to be a cellular Ken Burns?

Music is also a feature of the RAZR 2 V8. It includes a Windows Media Player 11 with external mounted controls. That advanced player supports WMA, MP3 Playlists, and album art. You also get stereo Bluetooth streaming so you can send your tunes to a compatible A2DP wireless stereo headset or other compatible device.

Messaging capability is up to date, with SMS text messaging, multimedia messaging, and instant messaging all onboard. So is HTML Web browsing with a T-MobileWeb add on plan feature.

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Motorola RAZR Black Magic

Motorola's V3 RAZR design has made it THE phone for business and personal users. Let's take another look at highly popular version known as the black "razor" phone.

The Motorola V3 RAZR Black has a rich, professional look and feel. The case is aircraft-grade aluminum, not plastic. The anodized coating on the tough thin aluminum body wasn't done just to give the phone a rich look. It's primary design purpose is to contain a solid collection of electronics in a chassis that is only 1/2 inch thick. The rigid structure lets you flip open the phone for a long, lean feel that is surprisingly rugged.

The other notable design innovation is the ultra-thin etched metallic keyboard with a cool backlight. This feature is quite unlike the usual key buttons and offers a feather-touch to activate the touch-tone numbers. Combined with the thin aluminum shell, it creates a very svelte profile for the RAZR.

The V3 Black features a high resolution 2.2 inch main color display plus a smaller color external display. PC synchronization is provided to coordinate calendar and contact information with your office computer. The included Email client supports POP3, SMTP, IMAP4 email access. You also have SMS text messaging and multimedia messaging support. A WAP browser is included for Web access. Instant messaging is built-in as well.

Other features of interest are the VGA quality digital camera for impromptu snapshots and long range Bluetooth capability for use with wireless headsets.

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Motorola RAZR V3m Stone Razor Phone

The Motorola RAZR "razor phone" series continues to be a highly popular phone series for both business and personal cellphone users. A recent addition is the V3m upgrade in an anodized stone gray finish. It has a classy look, classic RAZR lines, and a host of new technology.

The stone razor phone keeps the aircraft-grade aluminum shell, etched backlit keyboard, and half-inch profile. Technology improvements upgrade the displays to 262,000 colors on the main display and 4,000 colors on the external display. That matches well with the 1.3 Megapixel phone upgrade that still includes 4x digital zoom.

The "m" in V3m stands for multimedia. In the Stone RAZR, multimedia includes streaming features such as on-demand Sprint TV, NFL Mobile and the Sprint Music Store as add-on features. The camera will take short video clips as well as stills. A music player is included that supports MP3 songs and podcasts.

The technology that supports multimedia consists of expandable memory capacity using MicroSD / Transflash format cards if you need more than the built-in 30 MB. It also includes EV-DO cellular broadband capability for downloads up to 700 Kbps.

Of course, the legacy features of Bluetooth wireless headset support, speakerphone, email, SMS text messaging, multimedia messaging, instant messaging and mobile Web browsing are all included. It also looks and feels like a classic RAZR.

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Motorola RAZR 2, The Razor Phone Legend Lives On

Motorola's RAZR V3 is undoubtedly the most sensational and well received business phone of all time. So how do you follow a winner like that? With the RAZR 2, of course. Motorola's razor phone legend lives on with upgrades that keep it at the front of the pack. Its multimedia features also make it a highly desirable personal cell phone.

Here's what stays and what's new in the RAZR 2. First of all, don't worry about a bulging phone. The technology upgrades have been integrated without fattening up the chassis. The RAZR 2 V9m is still a svelte 0.5 inches thin and weighs in at a mere 3.6 ounces. Battery life is up to 250 minutes of talk time and up to 280 hours on standby.

The most noticeable difference in razor families is the new large color display on the outside of the case. No more little bitty window. This is a high resolution color 320 x 240 pixel screen displaying over 65,000 colors. The main display is also 320 x 240 pixels but is upgraded to display over 262,000 colors.

All this resolution is put to good use for taking and viewing still photos and downloading videos. The digital camera is now 2.0 Megapixels. It can be used in a camcorder mode to capture video up to 2 hours in length. Yes, you too can make a full length movie right on your cell phone. At 15 frames per second and 176 x 144 resolution, however, you won't exactly be shooting content for the resurgence of the drive-in theater.

Bluetooth wireless is implemented extensively in the RAZR 2. You get support for the usual hands-free headset, but also streaming stereo music to external A2DP Bluetooth devices. You can also print your photos directly from your phone using a BPP or Bluetooth Basic Printing compatible printer.

The RAZR 2 V9m is optimized for Sprint's multimedia services. These add-on plans offer you Sprint Navigation turn-by-turn directions, Sprint TV video, Sprint Music streaming radio and downloadable music over-the-air. The technology that makes this possible is EV-DO cellular broadband, available in most metro areas, plus expandable memory capacity up to 2 GB.

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MOTORAZR maxx Ve Takes RAZR to the Max

Motorola's RAZR phone line unquestionably set a new standard for business and personal cell phones. Now a new design looks to take the crown and become THE standard for high technology and advanced styling. It is the MOTORAZR maxx Ve for Verizon Wireless. It might also be called "razor phone, the next generation."

What really set the RAZR design apart when it debuted was the slim profile vs the chunky feel of other flip-phones. Also its light weight and technical features. It was a groundbreaking product in its day, but getting a little long in the tooth. That slim profile is now being matched by other phones and even PDA style mobile devices. The high-tech VGA camera is now about as exciting as a VGA computer monitor. The RAZR is still extremely popular and a great bargain. To be an early adopter once set you back several hundred dollars. Now most RAZR models are offered free with new cellular service plans. The RAZR may no longer be pushing the limits of affordability, but it's also no longer pushing the limits on mobile technology.

What the new generation razor phone offers is a similar size package and upgraded features, but without the extreme sticker shock of the RAZR V3 introduction. Let's look at what's changed and what hasn't. One spec that jumps out immediately is the performance of the digital camera. The original 640x480 resolution VGA digital camera has been replaced by a 2.0 Megapixel camera offering 1600 x 1200 pixel resolution maximum. That's easily good enough to print and may well obsolete much of the need to tote a separate digital camera just for snapshots. This camera has autofocus, a 4x digital zoom, and flash. It will also work in camcorder mode with a video capture time limited only by available memory. A 60 MB memory is built-in. Expandable memory is by MicroSD/Transflash format plug-in memory card.

Bluetooth wireless capability has been expanded. Of course you can still use a clip-on Bluetooth headset to make and receive phone calls. But the MOTORAZR maxx Ve also supports A2DP which allows you to stream stereo music to and from compatible devices. The multimedia capabilities are further enhanced by support for streaming multimedia, such as on-demand TV and music, with Verizon's VCAST services. You can download and save songs from the VCAST music store as well. I should note that this incarnation of the MOTORAZR maxx is labeled Ve, which stands for Verizon. The phone is designed for Verizon's Wireless service and add-on plans. In additional to multimedia, you can get GPS turn-by-turn directions with VZ Navigator as an additional Verizon service.

The RAZR replacement sports larger color displays both inside and out, a larger phone book, parental controls, advanced voice activated dialing, and other upgrades. But breathe easy. The cool black clamshell is only marginally larger than the RAZR models it replaces. Even the slim side profile has grown from 0.54 to just 0.59 inches. Weight is up a fraction of an ounce from 3.35 to 3.88 ounces. You can upgrade to the new technology without having to give up the size and weight advantages that attracted you to the RAZR in the first place.

What are the hottest cell phone deals available right now, including free cell phones? Use the Cell Phone Plan Finder to check out the top phones and associated wireless service plans.