Travel Technology - Motorola Razr V3 vs V3i

What's the big difference?

I'm looking on eBay for an unlocked Razr and the price difference is substantial. ~$250 for V3i and ~$650 for V3.

What's the big difference?

I'm looking on eBay for an unlocked Razr and the price difference is substantial. ~$250 for V3i and ~$650 for V3.

1.3 mega pixel camera
Class 10 edge
I *think* it also takes a micro-SD card.

1.3 mega pixel camera
Class 10 edge
I *think* it also takes a micro-SD card.

Thanks, but I need more...

I'm not very knowledgable in that field so talk to me as if I was a child... :)

camera - I believe the cheaper model has it too, but I assume it's of lesser quality?

class 10 edge :confused: :confused: :confused:

micro-SD card - :confused: (I assume it's just more memory?)

Thanks again!

~$250 for V3i and ~$650 for V3.

The price must be mixed up, as the V3i is the newer model that's just coming out, the V3 the older one.

$650 for the V3i is ridiculous, and $250 still too much for a V3. The V3i is a minor update of the V3, with a higher resolution camera and a memory card slot (in case you want to use it as an MP3 player or store many pics from the still-crappy cam). According to my information, it won't have edge capability (high speed data transmission) at its introduction, although the GPRS implementation is indeed upgraded to class 10 (slightly faster data transmission).

I expect the V3i will come down to current V3 price levels within months.

Both have the mediocre Motorola user interface, poor battery life, and IMHO a flimsy-feeling hinge.

The larger V3x, in case you run into it, is an entirely different phone with 3G, and not really available yet.

The price must be mixed up, as the V3i is the newer model that's just coming out, the V3 the older one.

$650 for the V3i is ridiculous, and $250 still too much for a V3. The V3i is a minor update of the V3, with a higher resolution camera and a memory card slot (in case you want to use it as an MP3 player or store many pics from the still-crappy cam). According to my information, it won't have edge capability (high speed data transmission) at its introduction, although the GPRS implementation is indeed upgraded to class 10 (slightly faster data transmission).

I expect the V3i will come down to current V3 price levels within months.

Both have the mediocre Motorola user interface, poor battery life, and IMHO a flimsy-feeling hinge.

The larger V3x, in case you run into it, is an entirely different phone with 3G, and not really available yet.

You are correct.

It's not V3 or V3i, it's V3x.

Is it worth the price difference?

v3x: http://www.welectronics.com/gsm/Motorola/Motorola_v3X.HTML
v3i: http://www.welectronics.com/gsm/Motorola/Motorola_v3I.HTML
v3: http://www.welectronics.com/gsm/Motorola/Motorola_v3_black.HTML

Is it worth the price difference?

About $30 for a V3i over a V3, IMO.
As for the V3x, it may have 3G and look like a V3, but is a much bigger and heavier phone, i.e. there are better 3G phones for less.

You are correct.
It's not V3 or V3i, it's V3x.
Is it worth the price difference?
The V3x isn't beinng sold in the US yet, because the cellphone networks haven't been upgraded to the higher data speeds that it supports. It is being sold in Europe and Asia. Also, it has a camera with a higher resolution than the V3.

You are correct.

It's not V3 or V3i, it's V3x.

Is it worth the price difference?

Avoid the V3 like the plague if you plan on use it on a 3G network. The battery life is woful, especially when going between 3G and 2.5G.

[quote]I'm not very knowledgable in that field so talk to me as if I was a child... [/quote

With all due respect, if you have no idea about phones, why the V3 ? If you want something that "looks pretty" but is simple to use, head over to the LG U880 instead of the V3x.

Avoid the V3 like the plague if you plan on use it on a 3G network. The battery life is woful, especially when going between 3G and 2.5G.

I don't think the V3 is advertised as a 3G phone, it's a GPRS phone. It works fine as a GPRS phone, as a wireless modem for my laptop. I'm getting 230 kbps on the T-Mobile network. The V3x is the 3G version for GSM networks, and it is not yet available in the US. There is also a V3c which is the CDMA version.

I don't think the V3 is advertised as a 3G phone, it's a GPRS phone. It works fine as a GPRS phone, as a wireless modem for my laptop. I'm getting 230 kbps on the T-Mobile network. The V3x is the 3G version for GSM networks, and it is not yet available in the US. There is also a V3c which is the CDMA version.

You are getting 230kbps on a V3? Impossible.

V3 is GPRS only, which won't go any higher than 40-50kbps, even on EDGE with my K-Jam I don't get higher than 140kbps. I can only assume the test you are using is flawed, or cached...

V3x is available in the US, but is a) useless as there is no 3G and b) expensive.

Off topic, but is Motorola ever actually going to release the SLVR or are they just focusing on the V3 line for the moment?

Off topic, but is Motorola ever actually going to release the SLVR or are they just focusing on the V3 line for the moment?

I've got both SLVR's here; the L6 and the L7. L6 is really cheap (around $189) and is a pretty decent looking device. Nice and thing, small display, but the same old crappy Moto interface. The L7 has a better display, edge, PTT and a transflash slot.

Neither are worthy keeping around for too long.

You can find the L6 all over Ebay.

You are getting 230kbps on a V3? Impossible.

V3 is GPRS only, which won't go any higher than 40-50kbps, even on EDGE with my K-Jam I don't get higher than 140kbps. I can only assume the test you are using is flawed, or cached...

V3x is available in the US, but is a) useless as there is no 3G and b) expensive.

You are getting 230kbps on a V3? Impossible.

V3 is GPRS only, which won't go any higher than 40-50kbps, even on EDGE with my K-Jam I don't get higher than 140kbps. I can only assume the test you are using is flawed, or cached...


I haven't done any speed tests. The little icon on the tray reports that the connection is 230 kbps. I'll try a speed test tonight.

I haven't done any speed tests. The little icon on the tray reports that the connection is 230 kbps. I'll try a speed test tonight.
The icon in the speed tray reports the speed of the port on your PC and is not indicative of the modem's external connection speed. If you open the modem log, you should see the speed at which the phone reported connecting to the network - but that's also not necessarily indicative of your actual network speed. A speedtest (like at broadbandreports.com/tools) should give you an idea.

I haven't done any speed tests. The little icon on the tray reports that the connection is 230 kbps. I'll try a speed test tonight.

Ah ok. Cause when you said "I'm getting 230 kbps on the T-Mobile network" I assumed you meant that was the speed you were getting...

The icon in the speed tray reports the speed of the port on your PC and is not indicative of the modem's external connection speed. If you open the modem log, you should see the speed at which the phone reported connecting to the network - but that's also not necessarily indicative of your actual network speed. A speedtest (like at broadbandreports.com/tools) should give you an idea.
You are quite right. I was misled. The actual speedtest speeds were on the 30 -40 kbps range.

You are quite right. I was misled. The actual speedtest speeds were on the 30 -40 kbps range.

Which is dead-on for GPRS.

NEITHER.

I highly recommend the new Samsung 900 "blade" offered by Sprint for $199 w/new activation. You can probably find a better price with retailer incentives or at Amazon.

Similar thin form factor, but much more useful including lightning fast internet connection that provides easy access to web-based mail, plus bluetooth, 1MP camera, and even some crappy radio and TV selections.

NEITHER.

I highly recommend the new Samsung 900 "blade" offered by Sprint for $199 w/new activation. You can probably find a better price with retailer incentives or at Amazon.

Similar thin form factor, but much more useful including lightning fast internet connection that provides easy access to web-based mail, plus bluetooth, 1MP camera, and even some crappy radio and TV selections.

You forget that a lot of people here travel, good luck using your Samsung A900 abroad...

Radio and TV stations on a phone are useless. They were a fun gimmick back in 2002, now they are just boring. Bluetooth? Yeah, for Sprint that is amazing, but for the rest of the (GSM) world Bluetooth is pretty much standard.

You forget that a lot of people here travel, good luck using your Samsung A900 abroad...

Doh! :rolleyes: It also depends where you travel. In Asia you will find Sprint works fine while your GSM is useless. Europe, the opposite. I personally travel more within the US, and never have a problem finding a sprint signal.

Radio and TV stations on a phone are useless. They were a fun gimmick back in 2002, now they are just boring. Bluetooth? Yeah, for Sprint that is amazing, but for the rest of the (GSM) world Bluetooth is pretty much standard.

Ageed - the camera, music, radio and TV are worthless to me. But you would be surprised how many young people value these features.

As for bluetooth, it wasn't standard in the US as recently a couple of years ago, but it is a feature that anyone on a 2 year replacement cyle might want to consider. Of course, the RAZR has it, but not all phones do.

Doh! :rolleyes: It also depends where you travel. In Asia you will find Sprint works fine while your GSM is useless. Europe, the opposite. I personally travel more within the US, and never have a problem finding a sprint signal.

Actually; since it is a dualband CDMA phone it won't be much use at all outside the US. As for GSM being useless in Asia... Kidding right? Asia is the worlds largest GSM market. The only parts of Asia that GSM is not big are Japan and Korea. Other than that GSM is everywhere.

I always like to be able to slide a local sim card in my phone and pay their rates, instead of being stuck with the same US operator wherever I go...

I don't think the V3 is advertised as a 3G phone, it's a GPRS phone. It works fine as a GPRS phone, as a wireless modem for my laptop. I'm getting 230 kbps on the T-Mobile network. The V3x is the 3G version for GSM networks, and it is not yet available in the US. There is also a V3c which is the CDMA version.

The V3x (http://www.three.com.au/index.cfm?pid=2204&pageid=3111) is available as a 3G handset

The V3x (http://www.three.com.au/index.cfm?pid=2204&pageid=3111) is available as a 3G handset

Isn't that exactly what he said? :confused:

I'm quite happy with my RAZR - the signal quality is very good and if I keep Bluetooth off when I'm not using it I get about 4 days of battery life as well...the V3i doesn't seem like a worthwhile replacement, because I don't think many people are interested in using this particular phone as an MP3 player. The screen is very big, which makes it possible to even browse HTML web pages properly (with Opera Mini)...the main drawback is getting used to the very weird Contacts list, but it hasn't really been an issue for me so far.

So in the last few days, my Razr has gotten this odd background noise during a call. It's almost like a crackling. It hasn't been dropped for awhile (at least 3 weeks) so I really don't think like that's brought it on. It's super annoying and I can't get rid of it. What do I do (besides the obvious of getting a new phone :) )? It's really not that old since I only got it in maybe December. Thanks!

I bought a v3i online that was brought over from Singapore. It has iTunes on it, a 1.3 MP camera, and a micro SD card. It also has voice recognition. The screen resolution is also improved over the v3. The camera is mediocre but improved over my mpx220.

I like the v3i. I paid about $325 for it and feel that it was worth it. This seems to be the going rate for it. I hear that it will initially be pricier when Cingular first releases it, but that's of course just online rumors for now. Cingular will likely release it within the next month or two.

What is the coolest GSM phone out there currently? I showed up in Hong Kong all ready to buy the new ROKR v2 but it is not out until July. I was hoping to upgrade my V3x to something newer and unlocked but am struggling at the moment.


Thanks

So in the last few days, my Razr has gotten this odd background noise during a call. It's almost like a crackling. It hasn't been dropped for awhile (at least 3 weeks) so I really don't think like that's brought it on. It's super annoying and I can't get rid of it. What do I do (besides the obvious of getting a new phone :) )? It's really not that old since I only got it in maybe December. Thanks!

Power it off for at least 30 seconds. It's been suggested by a t-mobile tech that one should do that at least once a day if roaming.

I'v had my V3i w/ iTunes for about a month now (220 from ebay) and I love it. It looks great, the screen is great and the iTunes thing is great too -- although mine is one of those limited to 50 tunes instead of 100. But, I'm sure that will be cracked or Apple will up it to 100 via their website like they did for the ROKR a while back.

It took me 4-5 days to get used to the Moto UI, having always been a Nokia person, but it's easy now. The 'Obeymoto' voice recognition is superb and having it loaded with the US language pack, but keeping the UK gal's sexy voice asking the questions, gets a lot of interesting looks when I (rarely) happen to be doing such in public.

I have no use for class 10 GPRS or browsing -- it's an emergency bonus for me.

To put it bluntly it just looks plain cool, with the smokey color, light-up blue 'M' and 256MB storage, a camera & video more than good enough for spontaneous shots. And it's more than a wee bit amusing to turn on some custom funlights and put it on the counter of the bar -- instant conversation starter... ^

So if I have a non-itune V3i, is it possible for me to download itune as after-market software. Or do I need to update the flash-rom in-order to do it?

Any pointer is appericated.

What is the coolest GSM phone out there currently? I showed up in Hong Kong all ready to buy the new ROKR v2 but it is not out until July. I was hoping to upgrade my V3x to something newer and unlocked but am struggling at the moment.


Thanks

If you are looking for a cool GSM phone, then why are you looking at the ROKR2 or any Motorola for that matter?

Check out the Nokia N91 or one of the newer SonyEricssons, anything but Motorola. Motorola's are cool in the same way as spinning rim's are cool on an Escalade.

So if I have a non-itune V3i, is it possible for me to download itune as after-market software. Or do I need to update the flash-rom in-order to do it?

Any pointer is appericated.

No. Itunes is proprietary. You have to purchase with the device (or download for Windows/MacOS).

So if I have a non-itune V3i, is it possible for me to download itune as after-market software. Or do I need to update the flash-rom in-order to do it?

Any pointer is appericated.

You'll need a rom upgrade for it, check out some of the Moto warez sites...

...Motorola's are cool in the same way as spinning rim's are cool on an Escalade.

:D :D :D The visual is too funny!

You'll need a rom upgrade for it, check out some of the Moto warez sites...
Unless something has changed in the last week that I missed, there is no way to add itunes into a non-iTunes V3i. The iTunes system files are scattered throughout the chipset and even a full flex flash from an iTunes phone will not do it. They have not yet cracked where the key files are.

Speculation is that it was done so that the debacle (as far as Apple was concerned) does not happen as happended with the SILVR and ROKR, with iTunes 100 song limit being cracked to hold 1000 songs.

That's why, for example, there has not been a crack found to change the 50 tune limit on some V3i's to the 100 limit that came on others.

If you want music on a non-iTunes V3i, you can add Moto's Digital Audio Player and load your own MP3s.

Thanks for everybody's reply.

I will play around with the Moto DAP.

If not, I got it with my SPG AMEX, so I have about 75 more days to get a refund.