Motorola RIZR Z3 Review, User Opinions and Technical

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7th April 2009 Author: - - Views:

Motorola RIZR Z3

The Motorola RIZR Z3 is being tagged by most people as the slide version of the very popular Motorola RAZR phones. And rightly so as the RIZR Z3 does resemble the build and character of the RAZR and even share a lot with regards to its looks and function. It must be noted that the RIZR Z3 is the first slider design from Motorola to be offered to the European and American market.

It is a handset that is both pleasing to view and hold as it is a great piece of technology engulfed by steel and rubber casing, giving it a very solid and sturdy feel, regardless of its dimensions. Although definitely not the world's slimmest phone, which Samsung probably holds the record to, to make a slider with such a dimension of only 16 mm thin is quite an achievement and definitely holds its own.

A lot of the functions that previous users of Motorola, especially the RAZR and MOTOKZR series can still be found here. The RIZR Z3 shares the same specifications of the KRZR with the design element being the most obvious difference. The advantage of the RIZR Z3's design is that most of the functions can be accessed even when the unit is slid shut, thanks to the 5 way navigation pad that is situated on the RIZR Z3's facade when the slider is closed. Even the voice commands and camera buttons are easily accessed at the side of the unit.

Motorola RIZR Z3 Camera and Display

The Motorola RIZR Z3 is equipped with a two mega pixel camera that can both function as a digital camera or a camcorder. Pictures can be captured at a maximum resolution of 1600 x 1200 pixels, enough for all around use and may prove to be handy when the need for quick photo documentation arises. The camera on the RIZR Z3 is rather straightforward and easy to use and most people will have no trouble fiddling with it. It also has the basic features we have all come to expect from digital cameras and camera phones alike, such as color schemes, image rotation, frame insertions, contrast settings and brightness. The camera also supports different popular image formats so the user can choose which format suits him best.

With regards to the output, the images come out smooth with not much noise that is expected from two mega pixel and below camera phones. Although the colors can use a bit more vibrancy, as the images tend to look dull and uninspiring. It does however have fun and useful features such as the six color effects, multishot option, adjustable exposure settings, a self timer, 8x optical zoom

Video captured with the RIZR Z3's camera utilizes the increasingly popular 3gp format or the mpeg4 format with a choice of 176 x 144 and 128 x 96 pixels. The length of recording videos is dependent of course to the available memory.

The screen display on the RIZR Z3 is at 176 x 220 pixels or 1.9 inches, which is relatively larger than most phones of its class. The improvement from the 65,000 colors of the KRZR's screen to that of the RIZR Z3's 262,000 is very apparent as images can be viewed better and even the text is more legible.

Motorola RIZR Z3 Design and Accessories

At only 16 mm thick, the RIZR Z3 is rather one of the thinnest mobile phones out in the market, especially when taking into consideration that this is a slider phone. The five way navigation key is nicely raised above the phone's surface making it easier to operate and not fumble around with it. What's more is that the toggle can be programmed as user defined functions making the phone adapt to the user's needs. The other keys on the faÃ§ade such as the clear, talk, web browser and power buttons though is not as user friendly as the navigation key as they are not spaced out much and are rather small. This is especially hard for those with bigger fingers.

Being a slider phone, one of the things users usually check is the assembly of the top (screen) and bottom (keypad) panels of the phone, whether it creaks and feels flimsy or is it built to last. No need to worry about that with the RIZR Z3 as the spring activated slider on this phone is quite sturdy without the squeaks and creaks normally present with slider phones. The steel and rubber casing adds to this phone's sturdy and stable feel. Plus the weight of the RIZR Z3 makes handling the phone feel more solid, which at 115 grams does not really weigh that much even compared to phones of its class.

For transferring your files such as mp3's or images even without a wireless computer setup, the RIZR Z3 ships with a USB cable and moving files from the phone to your computer and vice-versa is close to effortless. And with an expanded memory of 1 Gigabyte, you can easily fit in as much as 1,000 songs give or take. The card slot though is behind the battery cover and together with the SIM card could be a tricky process to pry out or slip in.

Summary of Motorola RIZR Z3 Features

Weight: 115 g
Width: 46 mm
Height: 106 mm
Thickness: 16 mm
Network: GSM 850 / GSM 900 / GSM 1800 / GSM 1900
Screen Resolution: TFT, 256 colors, 176 x 220 pixels, 30 x 37 mm screen size (1.9 inches)
Data: GPRS, EDGE, Bluetooth v2.0 stereo (A2DP), USB v1.1
Connectivity: EDGE, USB v1.1, Bluetooth v2.0 (A2DP)
Web Browser: WAP, XHTML, GPRS
Music: MP3, AAC, Mpeg4
Camera: 2 mega pixel, 1600 x 1200 pixel resolution, Video (CIF 15 frames per second)
Messaging: SMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging
Expansion Slot: microSD card slot
Tones: Polyphonic, Vibrating alert
Software Features: Java MIDP 2.0
Other Features: Voice Dial, Voice Memo, integrated hands free
Battery: Standard battery: Li-Ion 780 mAh (BC50), 6 hours and 40 minutes talk time, 230 hours stand by time

PROS: The slim and stylish design is definitely an attraction, and quite sturdy at such a small dimension at that. Features are quite ample for both work and fun. The spring loaded slider's build is solid and feels as though it would last for a very long time.

CONS: The picture quality with its 2 mega pixel camera, although fine leaves a lot to be desired. Especially with it's lackluster color. The memory expansion slot and SIM card slot is rather hard to access.

Overall: The Motorola RIZR Z3 is a trendy all around handset with plenty of features to keep those fingers busy for a while. It does have its shortcomings but once you weigh it against the pros and the fun starts, whatever is lacking can easily be overlooked. All in all, the Motorola RIZR Z3 is a great little package worthy of its own place in the mobile phone industry and eventually in our pockets.