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Motorola Razr 2 V8 mobile phone

Cutting... er... edge

The Razr 2 features Opera's full browser, which can fit text to screen or offer a full-size web page with the screen acting as a window onto it. The lack of 3G can be an issue on richer pages, though overall it manages impressively quick rendering and speedy page scrolling for a 2.5G handset.

Motorola MOTORAZR2 V8 mobile phone
Good music player, average camera

The V8 also has an email client, plus a spread of office tools such as calendar, task list, notepad, file manager, alarm clock, currency converter and voice recorder facilities. Calendar and contacts can be synced over the air remotely using the SyncML-compatible MotoSync technology. Email csn be synced too, via Exchange ActiveSync for Microsoft Exchange 2003. Alternatively, users can hook up via the USB cable or Bluetooth to sync locally with a PC using the supplied Motorola software.

You can use speaker-independent voice dialling, engage a series of commands for activating functions, and use a “talking phone” option to have messages and various menu options spoken to you.

Thin it may be, but Motorola claims the Razr 2 V8 can go the distance, with a stand-by time of up to 330 hours and a talk time of up to 470 minutes. This is compromised, of course, by music playing, camera snapping, video watching and so on. Playing music on its own, the V8 would rock on for approximately 11 hours, according to Motorola.

In admittedly music-intensive mixed feature testing, we had the Razr 2 begging for more juice after a just over a day’s function-heavy usage. In regular usage, we managed around three days between charges. Call quality delivered no complaints, providing an excellent performance over a series of calls in a variety of international locations and network situations.

Verdict

Style has always been a key factor in the Razr proposition, so you might reasonably expect the Razr 2 V8 to offer an exciting new take on the line – or perhaps add some genuinely cutting-edge functionality. Sure, it’s undeniably thin, but there's really nothing here we haven't seen before.

The V8’s features are decent enough, though we still think no swappable memory is a mistake, the camera is disappointing, and the lack of 3G is odd for a device aiming to push forward the Razr concept. There is a 3G version waiting in the wings, the V9, so would-be buyers impressed with the look of the V8 but wanting faster downloads may care to wait.

78%

Motorola Razr 2 V8 mobile phone

Let's be blunt: the Razr 2 has sharp looks but no cutting-edge cachet...
Price: Contract: from free; pre-pay: £250; handset only: £300 RRP

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