A Startac with a silver skin and data kit
Written: May 31 '01
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Pros: reception, uncomplicated menu, good voice quality
Cons: hinge point squeaks and gets worse with age, silver paint flakes off, inconsistent quality control
The Bottom Line: reluctant recommendation. Why, haven't found a better clamshell style phone on Sprints network.
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| betatester100's Full Review: Motorola Timeport P8167 Cell Phone |
OK, I was having trouble with my Sprint dual band Startac, so Sprint replaced it with a Timeport. I somehow wish I still had my trusty old MicroTac Lite, as this was the last Motorola product I owned that could be classified as "bulletproof". The Startac/Timeport/Talkabout series of phones are not nearly as robust as the older Motorola phones, though they are not horribly flimsy either like the Samsung 8500. I have a love/hate relationship with the Startac line, and this Timeport is not fairing any better than my old black Startac. The hinge point squeaks after the first few weeks, the paint flakes off the sides unless you are extremely careful (unlikely with a cell phone), and I've noticed some inconsistent quality issues with these newer phones. A had 3 Timeports recently all with issues. One would make a horrible noise in the earpiece whenever in a weak signal strength area, another had a dark spot on the display that was much dimmer under backlight, and the third had a horrible hinge squeak right out of the box.
So you probably ask why I don't chuck this thing away and buy something else?? Wish I could find a better clamshell style phone. I like having the keypad covered as this protects inadvertent dialing without having to manually lock the pad. I was thinking about getting the new Sanyo 5000, but its got a large color PCD that probably drains batteries too fast (don't believe Sprints rated talk times). I'm not much of a wireless web fan so the big screen is cute but unnecessary. I'm also a bit afraid of the Sanyo 5000 since my wife has a Sanyo 4500 and that phone really stinks. The 4500 has lousy reception (checked with 2 phones), the menu is difficult to use, and the speakerphone is half duplex so you keep saying "what did you say" to the party on the other end.
All in all, Motorola makes a decent phone that will work well on Sprint. It has its annoyances and shortcomings, but so does everything. I reluctantly recommend it.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 199
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Epinions.com ID:
betatester100
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Location: Aventura, FL
Reviews written: 16
Trusted by: 8 members
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