Motorola RAZR2-V9m Cell Phone



Details

W/new plan

W/family plan

Prepaid

Phone only

    Specs   Images   Expert reviews   User reviews   Manual   Compare   Accessories   Mobile Content

Motorola RAZR2-V9m

User rating 3.2   Read reviews - Add review
Motorola updated the RAZR2 V9m by adding a huge external display with virtual touch keys along with stereo Bluetooth and a 2 megapixel camera.  With the V9m you can continue to listen to your favorite tunes on the music player too.   
Motorola V9mMotorola’s RAZR is an icon of cellphones, technology, and design in general.  The V3 and all of its brethren collectively became the second most successful mobile handset in history, and the word “RAZR” has become synonymous with “thin flip phone” in gadget parlance.

But the RAZR eventually grew a little long in the tooth, and Motorola’s dominance in the cellular world eroded over time.  After a legion of “four letter phone” offshoots - KRZR, ROKR, RIZR, PEBL, FONE, et al - Moto finally released the long awaited sequel to the RAZR: The RAZR 2. 

RAZR 2 dropped on nearly every major US network at the same time, and while there are differences from carrier to carrier, the new RAZR’s overall look and feel is the same across its variations.  RAZR 2 is thinner but heavier and taller than the original, and its traded those razor-sharp edges for rounded corners and curvier lines throughout.  The new RAZR is also built like a tank - it feels luxurious and nearly indestructible in hand.

But in a world where handsets let you do everything from watch TV to parse RSS feeds to find your way when you’re lost, is Moto’s new RAZR too little too late?  I took the Sprint variant - the RAZR2 V9m - for a spin to find out.

Just 11.9mm thick, the RAZR 2 V9m is one of the thinnest clamshell handsets currently available, and thinner than the RAZR V3m by more than 2mm.  The V9m is 103mm long by 53mm wide and weighs in at 117g, which is a surprisingly big number for a RAZR.  But this RAZR doesn’t feel heavy in a bad way - instead it feels solid like a luxury class product should.  The handset sports a stainless steel internal frame and hinge, which accounts for both that weight and the feeling that the handset could stand up to a pretty good lickin’ and keep on tickin’.

In find this RAZR much more attractive than the original, as well.  The combination of rounded corners and hardened glass on some exterior surfaces is modern and sexy.  And while some folks find the V9m’s pearly gray a little drab, I think it looks understated and classy (RAZR2 variants from other carriers are available in other colors).

A clamshell phone, the front panel of the V9m features a huge 2” external display with three touch sensitive controls along the bottom edge that provide haptic (vibrational) feedback when you press them.  The lens for the two-megapixel camera is center mounted along the top edge of the panel.  There’s a volume rocker switch and softkey along with a usb/charger port the left spine of the handset and a camera key on the right spine.  Removing the battery cover on the back panel of the handset provides access to the microSD memory card slot as well as the battery.  While it’d be nicer to have an externally-mounted memory port, at least it’s not hidden behind the battery itself.

Flip the V9m open and you’ll find a familiar, if updated, layout: screen on top, buttons on the bottom.  The main display is larger than the external screen, though barely, at 2.2 inches.  The button layout is a flush mounted, etched metal affair, with font faces that echo the futuristic vibe of this newest RAZR.  A 12-button dialing array is topped with a navigational layout built around a shiny circular D-pad flanked by two softkeys, speakerphone and back keys, and call and cancel keys.

While all of the buttons on the inside of the V9m are flat, they offer better tactile feedback than most other flat/etched keypads I’ve tested.  The buttons here have a bit of a slippery feel to them, but they have pretty good travel.  Brushed metal on the D-Pad makes it rather nice to use, even without looking.

I give MOTO a general thumbs-up on their RAZR redesign.  Obviously the original was a huge hit, but I never really liked the way it felt in hand.  RAZR 2 fixes that issue by rounding over sharp edges and using pearly glass and a stainless steel hinge to give the handset the feel of a fine object from the near future.

Read full review »
 

Our fancy algorithm says this stuff is related...

Add a comment

There are two easy ways to submit your comment
  1. Sign in if you are already a member, or join PhoneDog for a free account- this way you won't have to re-enter your information on subsequent comment posts. Additionally you'll receive all these great benefits of being a PhoneDog community member.
    Or,
  2. Submit your comment without registering by using the form below

Motorola RAZR2

Overall Rating:
2.7 out of 5
By: Brent Bundy on Sunday, July 20, 2008
From: McAlester, OK (United States)
Experience: 4 Months
Pros: Looks good,camera works well,display is good

Cons: Sound is poor,battery cover comes off too easely

Summary: The sound is poor on booth regular phone and speaker phone-volume can not be turned up enough. If you drop the phone, the battery cover comes off and the battery comes out-every time. You can not easily review your speed dial numbers. I prefer my old LG phone over this one.

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful

Razr 2 excellence

Overall Rating:
3.7 out of 5
By: zac classified on Wednesday, July 16, 2008
From: sioux city, IA (United States)
Experience: 10 Months
Pros: Great Camera, sound, and calling.The service is great! Very Sleek.

Cons: The battery starts to dimmer after 8 Months of use without using music,Touch screen randomly goes off. Buttons get worn down and have to press harder to use them.

Summary: Great Phone usually performs better then others. 2.0 camera. recommended

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful

Razr 2

Overall Rating:
3.3 out of 5
By: Chris Anderson on Tuesday, May 20, 2008
From: Little Rock, AR (United States)
Experience: 3 Years
Pros: Great sound,Excellent Camera.

Cons: Some pictures can become corrupt and not show on the phone. The charger, if you buy your own or use the one the manufacturer gives you goes out within 2 or 3 months to where you have to maneuver the charger in the port to get the phone to charge.

Summary: The phone looks Great and has is very technologically efficient, but it doesn't exceed much past its predecessor.

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful
All Motorola RAZR2-V9m user reviews

Buying choices

With new service Click here for help
Compare prices from all authorized online dealers
with a NTelos plan from
$199.99
with an U.S. Cellular plan from
$199.95
with a Sprint PCS plan from
$179.99
with an ALLTEL plan from
$129.99
With pre-paid service Click here for help
with a Cricket plan from
$379.99
Purchase phone only Click here for help
Compare prices from 2 online stores
Accessories Click here for help
Purchase compatible accessories for this phone
Ringtones & Media
Shop for compatible mobile content for this phone




|  HOME  |   ABOUT US  |   EMAIL  |
Phone: 800-500-5020
Copyright © Telecom Communications. All rights are reserved