Old Reliable
Written: Aug 08 '02
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Pros: Motorola durability, signal strength
Cons: Needs more rings before going to voicemail -- not adjustable
The Bottom Line: You can't go wrong with this phone. And AT&T TDMA coverage is great, if you can put up with "iffy" customer service.
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| joannabenz's Full Review: Motorola V2397 Cell Phone |
Excellent call quality. Good headset jack. Good physical coverage nationally through AT&T.
I bought Motorola because of their fine rep, and haven't been sorry. After 18 months of use, I have only failed to get a roaming signal on two occasions -- once when I was off-signal by just a few inches.... and once when I was truly out in the boonies. I suspect that even in the worst possible area, I could have completed my call with the help of a cell phone signal booster.
This phone is quite durable, and has survived being dropped on numerous occasions. However, I keep it in a leather PDA case, which helps a bit. The included AC charger works beautifully, and will never overcharge your phone. Phone does get a little warm sometimes while charging, no biggie.
Watch out for the Motorola car charger. I left my phone in the car, plugged in -- accidentally overcharged it -- and it behaved erratically for weeks. Eventually, the phone just "fixed itself" and started purring along just fine again. But I rarely plug in the car charger anymore unless it's to actually make a phone call.
Physically, the v2397 backlit lcd screen is adequate, but a little bit too small. The case sort of cuts off the very edges of the screen. Forget about all the lovely colored covers, as they will obstruct the lcd even more!
As far as usability, the on-screen setup menus are a bit limited and bulky -- but the buttons themselves are very simple to use. There are "up" and "down" buttons on one side of the phone and an "enter" button on the other side, which makes navigating through menus a breeze.
This phone could use a few more options -- especially the ability to control the actual number of rings. (I need more time to answer my calls.) Motorola does offer an optional "auto answer" mode (like pushing a button to answer an incoming call, but it's done automatically) -- and a "push any button to answer" mode, but I still think this is the phone's biggest limitation.
There's a "go to voicemail" button and an on-screen text messaging service (if your carrier offers it) -- but these don't work while roaming. Built in phone book is nice, and it can dial automatically for you; just hit Send.
All in all, a pretty simple, and durable phone -- cost efficient for me with AT&T's Free to Go Plan, which even includes free voicemail. AT&T Customer Service has been less than optimal, so you might also want to consider a TracFone prepaid solution. But the Motorola v2397 phone has certainly pulled its weight for me.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 120
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Epinions.com ID:
joannabenz
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Member: Joanna Benz
Reviews written: 7
Trusted by: 0 members
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