The Motorola V2282 Cell Phone: Three! Three! Three Gizmos in One!
Written: Apr 17 '01
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Pros: Stylish, sturdy, light, good features.
Cons: Battery life, difficult navigation, no clock.
The Bottom Line: The Motorola V2282 Wireless phone takes mutifuntion to a different level. Not a higher level; just kind of adjacent.
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| madtheory's Full Review: Motorola V2282 Cell Phone |
It seems that nowadays every electronic device must be designed so that it has a secondary function that replaces another device. We have MP3 players that double as voice recorders, watches that double as MP3 players, and Palm Pilots that double as pretty much everything else. I can foresee the day where I’ll be surfing the web, calling a friend, organizing my schedule, downloading software, typing up a presentation, and making coffee and toast with my watch.
And that day just got a little closer. Motorola’s V2282 Cell Phone combines three devices into one: a cell phone, a web browser, and an FM radio. It may not be able to make my breakfast, but this device has some tricks that most folks will definitely find extremely handy.
The unit itself is small and light (5.3 oz), with a sleek, streamlined design. In order to allow users to personalize the phone, Motorola has made faceplates available in stylish colors for a modest fee, naturally. The keypad is recessed, to help keep the user from pushing keys accidentally. Buttons on the phone are pretty small, so people with big hands like me may have a little trouble dialing. It wasn’t a huge problem though. One of the issues I have with this phone is the battery life. It seems I was charging it a great deal more than I was using it. The batteries retain their charge for about 4 hours, which is apparently is adequate for most folks. I guess I just need to get with the program.
So what about the triple threat of functions this phone possesses? In order to make things easier I discussed each function separately.
The Web Browser - This function is definitely a natural progression for the cell phone. In fact, it’s a common function of many medium-range to high-end cell phones already. You’ve basically got an extremely scaled-down PC anyway. If you can just add a good browser to it, you’ve got yourself a nice little web-surfing device. For the web browsing function, the Motorola V2282 utilizes a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) for grabbing information off the ‘net. Some of the information available includes weather forecasts, entertainment events and schedules, stock quotes, and news headlines. You can even receive and send Short Message Service messages (kind of like Instant Messaging) using this handy gizmo. Keep in mind that a lot of providers charge extra for these features, so you may want to take the time to decide for yourself if that five-day forecast is worth your left arm.
One downside to this function is that even though you can access a wealth of information online, since the V2282’s small display only holds 6 lines and 16 characters, you’re going to have trouble reading it. I often had to stare and concentrate in order to decipher whatever miniature hieroglyphics were being printed on the screen. And for those of you who like to use your cell phone while driving, don’t even think about it! . Trying to read this screen while driving will get you into an accident. Pull over and save a life.
The FM Radio – Adding a radio to a cell phone is a cool idea, but I don’t know how useful it is. Then again, I’m sure several years ago, some guy asked, “A radio and an alarm clock together? What would be the point?” On the Motorola V2282 the FM radio function is very easy to use. When you’re ready to listen to some tunes, you just activate the radio by pressing a button on the side. The primary functions of the unit then change, allowing you to scan through available stations using the up and down buttons, then set and access presets using buttons on the keypad. Volume is adjusted using another button on the side of the phone. I found that even inside my office building, most of the stations in my area came through loud and clear. Reception was not a problem at all.
Motorola also saw fit to include a standard headset with the unit. The headset itself is light and sturdy, just nothing special. Music sounds adequate with only a little distortion. I haven’t tried any other headphones with the unit, but I’m sure you could use some better ones, if you wanted to.
The Cell Phone - Of course, the most important function of a cell phone should be the phone itself. When I took calls, I found that the voices were crisp and clear (provided my area was well covered, of course) and the people I was speaking to had no trouble understanding me. Motorola chose to give this unit more than 10 ring tones, which is good for those who just have to be different.
The V2282 also has all the standard phone features, such as caller ID, multilingual support, multiple phone line capability, number recall, and a Rolodex. The search feature of the Rolodex is a little difficult to navigate, but it’s easy to get used to.
I didn’t have any dropped calls with this phone, but then again I didn’t do a lot of roaming or use it much inside of buildings though. Your experience may vary depending on how often and where you use your phone.
So, what’s my final verdict? Even though the Motorola V2282 is not the best on the market, it is a very solid cell phone. It’s got all the standard features that a cell phone should have, and the FM radio and web browser bring additional functionality to the device. It’s relatively easy to use, and I had very few problems with the phone. If you’re looking for a fun, sturdy phone, I recommend giving this one a try.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 99
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madtheory
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Location: Dallas,TX
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DON'T CALL IT A COMEB... wait. I guess you actually can call it a comeback.
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