"I have to go, my battery is dying...again"
Written: Aug 24 '01
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Pros: Sturdy, small, and a strong signal
Cons: Short battery life and display
The Bottom Line: High quality, but not for long phone calls.
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| lizgillingham's Full Review: Motorola StarTAC 6500 Cell Phone |
The Motorola StarTac 6500 is a cute little phone. It comes with a holster, A/C charger, manual, and yes, even a battery. It stores 100 phone numbers and comes with a messaging service and call waiting. Caller ID is an option, but you have to get the digital version of the phone (which costs a little more).
The phone is quite easy to operate since most of the functions are either buttons on the phone themselves, or accessible by pressing function (FCN on the phone). The display is decent though only 7 characters can be displayed at once making for some odd abbreviations (Scrpad, Emergcy, etc.). However, you definitely do not want to lose the handbook as programming the phone takes a good set of instructions.
On the plus side, the reception on this phone is better than on any other that I've used. The sound is very clear, even when you're a long way out of the area. It even works in subway tunnels! It also happens to be quite strong and able to stand being knocked around. I was horrified one day when I dropped my phone down the stairs, but when I got it, to my relief, it was just fine. However, the antenna is quite flimsy and is probably quite easy to break off.
The phone is also quite small - about 3 inches long and quite thin. It fits into the smallest of bags. Sadly though, it is a little too wide to fit into cell phone pockets that many bags offer as it's just a tiny bit too wide, so it will have to flop around with the rest of your things. It does fit nicely into pockets, however.
The battery life is not at all impressive. It lasts 14 hours on standby and 60-70 minutes of continuous talking. You could leave it on all night, but by the end it may not have the power to make more than a 3 minute phone call. It needs to be recharged each night, but recharging only takes about an hour. Motorola offers longer lasting batteries you can buy for this phone but they are quite pricey.
The messaging service can only be reached by dialing your own cell phone number and pressing the pound key. The phone does not notify you if you have new messages, you just have to happen to call at the right time. They offer either a ready made message or the chance to make your own.
Overall, this phone is great for making occasional phone calls. It fits well into small spaces and is quite strong for its size. However, if you require a phone to be on all day for random phone calls, you should consider another phone.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 55
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Epinions.com ID:
lizgillingham
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Location: Ontario, Canada
Reviews written: 14
Trusted by: 4 members
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