Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Motorola V190 Unlocked Cell Phone--U.S. Version with Warranty

Motorola V190 Unlocked Cell Phone--U.S. Version with WarrantyBilled as an entry-level phone, the Motorola v190 is actually a feature rich handset with quad-band global coverage capability. A speakerphone, instant messaging, MP3 ringtones, dual displays, USB connectivity and gaming support are all here-- a significant step up from entry level phones of the past.

Design
The phone features a sleek clamshell design with a large 128 x 160 color display with 65,000 colors. The outside cover of the handset sports a supplementary 96 x 32 monochrome display that can display time, call information, battery and signal strength, and more. A stub antenna is placed on the top right side of the unit. Up and down buttons for volume control are placed on the left side. Most of the phone's features and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset's control pad. Meanwhile, there's a USB-capable data port for data connectivity (the USB connector also supports charging), as well as a standard jack to accept universal hands-free headsets.

Calling Features
The V190 supports polyphonic ringtones as well as MP3 ringers, allowing you to use portions of your favorite songs to alert you to incoming calls. You can also assign pictures and ringers to your most common callers. A number of ringtones come preloaded on the phone, and ringer and Picture ID functions let you assign ringtones and pictures to your most common callers.

For those time when you want to be silent and discreet, the V190 has a vibrate ringer mode. Plus, a built-in speakerphone makes it easy to talk without having the phone to your ear. Voice activated dialing makes calling your friends, family and associates as easy as saying their names.

Messaging, Internet, and Tools
The V190 has all the bases covered when it comes to messaging and Internet connectivity. The phone features support Wireless Village instant messaging (carrier messaging charges may apply). There's also a built-in web browser for wireless downloads and mobile web browsing. Traditional text messaging, as well as picture and sound messaging are also supported by the phone. iTap text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit-- a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

A number of handy software tools are bundled with the V190 including a calculator, a calendar, and an alarm clock. The phone also supports the SyncML synchronization protocol, so you can sync it with your PC-based calendars and contacts.

Imaging and Entertainment
The V190's USB connectivity can be used to transfer pictures, sounds and graphics to the phone's memory from your PC. Screensavers, themes and wallpapers can be set to your tastes. And the phone is Java enabled, meaning it supports games and application downloads written on the Java platform.

Vital Statistics
The Motorola V190 weighs 3.46 ounces and measures 3.37 x 1.81 x .91 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 10.8 hours of digital talk time, and up to 542 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS frequencies. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

Customer Review: OK phone --- but it is *NOT* unlocked

I bought this phone mainly to use in Italy for extended visits and plan to get an Italian SIM card. The phone itself works well (I tend to like Motorola phones -- others may not) and the quad band capability should ensure compatibility with European wireless networks.



One big selling point of this phone was Amazon's claim that it was unlocked. However, after trying two SIM cards from provides other than AT&T/Cingular (one from an Italian provider and one from a Hong Kong provider) the phone is quite definitely LOCKED as it asks for a subsidy code when you boot up with a non-AT&T SIM card. So I will likely have to fork over another 15-20$ to get a code to unlock it from a third party.



I think others have had similar problems --- as the phone was supposedly sold directly by Amazon (but I am sure they are using a third-party supplier), my suggestion to their quality control department is to pay a little more serious attention to this issue of selling locked phones as being "unlocked".



One other thing -- it appears one may need to buy the software necessary to use computer-communication features on this phone (but I have not done a deep search on the Web to see if the software can be found for free --- what I know is my XP-system does not have a device driver to mount the phone and the phone manual indicates one needs to purchase such software).

Customer Review: Okay

Doesn't matter the phone or the service, the area in which I live causes a lot of dropped calls. This phone is worse than the last though, and its battery isn't all that hardy either. It will get me through my contract, and then I will scrap it along with my carrier.
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