Solid phone, reliable and convenient.
Written: Jan 22 '03 (Updated Jul 08 '03)
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Pros: Nice features, flip convenience, strong reception.
Cons: No web or GSM, no useful keyboard lock, hard to change rings. Antenna can break!
The Bottom Line: Solid phone, good reception, great for business use and dependability. Be gentle with the antenna!
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| apowell's Full Review: Motorola V60t |
Like many users I came to the V60t after using a series of Nokia phones. IMO, Nokia still has an edge in menus and logic, but the V60t is close and offers great performance and convenience.
First is the flip-phone design, which is the reason most users will choose it. Opening to answer and closing to hang up is a great convenience, and the voice dialing (20 numbers) feature is incredibly handy when walking or in the car. The hinge design is robust and holds up well, and the stainless case resists scratching. The flip feature means that the plastic screens are shielded from damage, and also results in a great fit to the average face. When the phone is open and in use, the earpiece and the microphone are both well-placed. Receiver volume can be controlled by a rocker switch during use, and the phone will generate more volume and is easier to hear than most.
I've used a couple of the small Nokias, and they were both harder to hear with and harder to shield the mike from wind noise. Many users don't realize the Nokia mikes are on the bottom end of the phone, and cupping your hand under the end of the phone helps pick up your voice. This is not required with the V60 series, as the mike is well placed. Good marks to the V60t on this issue, which is something that affects every single call. Good marks to the Nokias for having more intuitive, easie to understand menus.
Reception on the AT&T network in northern Colorado is strong. During the 60 mile drive from here to Denver, there is not one place where the signal will cut off. I've used the phone in a variety of buildings and other difficult reception areas, and the reception is as strong and dependable as any phone I've ever used. There is signal strength indicator on the phone face, with 5 increments of signal marks.
The phone has a huge memory for phone numbers, and graphics can be used with each number (home, work, mobile) to help visually identify the number you're calling. The phone book is easy to use and intuitive, and you can save numbers you've called or received calls from.
The menus and buttons on the phone can be customized to some extent, so you can make some choices about which buttons control functions. This makes it easier for the phone operation to be intuitive to you.
The stainless case is mainly a plus, but if you have big hands, realize that it's a bit slippery and you may have trouble hanging onto it. Because the hinge remains tight after six months of use, the gap between the sections of the flip phone is tight, and I have to hold the phone with one hand and get a fingertip into the gap to open it. If I had really large hands I'd get a leather case which fits on the outside of the phone, adding some bulk and making it easier to hang onto and to open. I currently use a leather holster and just pull the phone out of the holster to use it.
One unusual feature is the availability of the Motorola FM Stereo Radio Headset-98310/SYN8609 which turns the V60 series into an FM radio. You can store your favorite stations as presets and it works just fine. Be aware that the earpieces for the stereo radio headset are rather large and if you have small ears, they may be uncomfortable. The headset doubles as a phone earpiece/mike when you get an incoming call, and it mutes the phone's ringer, so if you have the stereo FM set plugged in, you need to keep the earpieces in or you won't hear incoming calls at all.
Most accessories for the V60 series are available on eBay at huge discounts compared to retail, and I recommend buying them there. OEM accessories cost more than aftermarket units, but that's to be expected. I bought the OEM FM radio headset for $23 as opposed to $40 retail.
I have the phone on about 10 hours a day and use it only 3-4 times a day, and I usually go 4 days or so between full charges. The battery charge indicator has only three marks, and when it drops to one mark I have one day of use left.
There are limited PDA functions available, primarily a calendar interface. I haven't used it because I am not using MS Outlook for a calendar, and I'm not convinced it will interface to any other computer-based calendar. I'd really like to carry my calendar on this unit, but it hasn't worked out for me.
Dislikes:
The plastic holster/clip that comes with the phone is functional but sticks way out from your body, gets in the way and catches on things. Also, you'd better get the phone clipped in EVERY time you hang it up, or it will drop on the ground with possible damage. Bottom line is to hit Ebay and buy another holster or case immediately. Make sure to buy one which has cutaways at the bottom of the case for the many accessories and chargers which connect there.
UPDATE: For months, I thought the phone only came with ONE ring tone. I found out that this is wrong - there are numerous ring tones, but you're not likely to find them on your own. Here's the path to take: Menu> Settings> Ring Styles> Then under the ring style you're using will be a line called (Ring Style) Detail. Select Change (right button) and cursor to Calls, then push Change (right button) again. You will then see the list of ring options, and can select from them. I NEVER would have found this without stopping at a service center to have them show me. Nokia's superior menus make this process easy and intuitive - why can't Motorola?? You can also manually program your own, but learning the process requires digging into the manual 114 pages deep and it's not intuitive at all.
Another Update (7/03):
I've discovered the weak point in this phone is the antenna. It seems to be solidly attached but in fact there's only about 3/8" of base below the 1 and 1/4" antenna. As a result, the antenna exerts too much leverage on the base, which simply snaps into a small clip on a circuit board. Mine broke off under very little stress (due to repeated stress, I'm sure) and I went to Sears to get a Torx screwdriver to open it up. Their comment when I brought the screwdriver to the counter was "Broke your antenna, right? Got a Motorola phone, right? That's who we sell all these Torx T-6 screwdrivers to...Motorola owners." I still like the phone, but later models have shorter antennas which should be less likely to break. I ended up having an AT&T service center fix it, as it was broken in a spot I couldn't fix. The cost was $40, which isn't excessive. However, the design of this part is poor and unless you handle the phone carefully you'll probably have the same experience. I have lowered my durability rating from 5 to 4 because of this design problem.
There is no meaningful keyboard lock. Nokia has a keyboard lock which requires pressing only two keys and still lets you answer incoming calls without unlocking. Motorola's lock is four keys and won't answer an incoming call without unlocking the phone. The problem is that the ring style (Silent, Vibrate, Vide & Ring, etc.) is selected by keys on the exterior of the phone. These buttons can be pressed against a chair when sitting down. As a result, it's not hard to change the ring setup from one setting to another (say, from "Vibrate and Ring" to "Silent") without realizing it. This is an easy way to miss calls. This is much less an issue with a flip phone than an open-face phone, but it could have been avoided with a convenient keyboard lock. To be fair, this doesn't happen much and if you're aware of it, you can avoid it by handling the phone carefully...and why wouldn't you handle a $200 piece of equipment with some care??
A very minor issue is that there are no games built into the phone. I seldom use them, but when I'm waiting for someone and sitting in the car, I sometimes played the games on my Nokias. If you're a game addict, this could be more important for you than it is for me.
UPDATE: As a side note, this phone is not GSM-capable or web capable. These are not a big deal to me, but the GSM issue is important to note if you travel internationally.
OVERALL:
This is a solid, dependable phone for business use. It's not set up to be a toy and play games, but to last a long time, look sharp and businesslike, and handle calls well. It does what it's designed to do very well, and I strongly recommend it if you want a dependable flip phone. there are many rebates available; I stacked two rebates to reduce the cost from $200 to $100 when I bought it.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 100
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Epinions.com ID:
apowell
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Member: Al Powell
Location: Fort Collins, CO
Reviews written: 39
Trusted by: 2 members
About Me:
Professional broadcaster. Educator and Ph.D. Technically oriented handyman, expert in electronics, automotive and home repair.
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