Motorola RAZR MAXX Ve Review

| By Jill Bauerle

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Equipped with an MP3 player, a 2-megapixel camera and a video camera with extended playback capabilities, the Ve represents the last generation in a line of Razr phones before the upcoming Razr2. Its refinements include a dark metal and glass design, an improved keypad and a bright 2.2-inch screen. The Ve comes packed with a generous 60-megabytes of internal memory plus the option of 2-gigabytes of microSD memory.

Three touch-sensitive buttons for music control, coupled with stereo Bluetooth A2DP, make listening to music a seamless experience. The Ve goes head to head with the less expensive VX8700, which has a better interior screen and also delivers VCast services using the 3G network.

Design

The Ve dresses an ultra-thin profile in fashionable black metal and glass that gives the top a jewel-like luster. Although the phone is relatively lightweight at 4 ounces and measures 0.6 inches thick, it feels solid in the hand. The hardened glass covering the front screen sets the Razr Maxx series apart from previous Razr models. Although pretty when polished, the shiny veneer smudges easily.

The glass front has a purpose other than attracting fingerprints. The Ve functions as a music player when the clamshell is closed. Pressing the smart key on the left side activates three touch-sensitive buttons positioned underneath the front screen. When the buttons are lit, they can be used to play, pause, forward, rewind or skip songs without opening the clamshell. With their blue backlight, they also add another dimension of elegance to the exterior.

While the Ve shares the same dimensions as the V3m, the Ve tweaks its predecessor's shortcomings, starting with the keypad. While maintaining the flat surface and cool blue luminescent backlighting of the V3m, the Razr keyboard contains raised lines the delineate each key from the other, making touch-dialing and text-messaging easier than on earlier versions.

The keypad layout doesn't stray from the V3m's design, with Left and Right soft keys at the top. The camera/video key is positioned to the left and the clear or "back" button sits to the right. A green "start call" button and a red "end call/power on/off" button separate navigation bar from the keypad. Other buttons include volume up/down positioned on the left side above the music player and voice command activator on the right side.

The 2-megapixel camera lens sits squarely in the center at the top next to the flash. The rear-facing speaker, while not exactly in the best position for watching video, compensates for its inconvenient placement with good volume capacity, which bodes well for the speakerphone. Another seeming design flaw is the hinge. While the screen tilts up at a slight angle when the phone is flat, the hinge won't stop at any other angle, making hands-free video watching impossible unless you're leaning over the screen while it rests on a flat surface. The hinge also features a dedicated auto-focus key for the camera that seems unnecessary, since the camera is self-focusing.

Compared to the V3m, the exterior screen is slightly larger and brighter, at 1.7-inches the fast-refreshing TFT display has a resolution of 120-by-160 pixels and shows up to 65,000 colors. You'll find all the essential information on the front screen, such as time, date, signal strength, battery life and caller ID. However, the clock is small and the text is tiny and unchangeable. You might find yourself squinting to read it, especially in sunlight, when the display is more difficult to see.

A mini-USB port on bottom left side connects to a charger, a stereo headset -- with an adapter -- accessories or a PC. Out of the box, the Maxx Ve comes with a battery, travel charger, right angle connector, screen cleaner and user guide.

Camera

The 2-megapixel camera with an 8X zoom is an improvement over the V3m's 1.3-megapixel lens, and offers five resolution sizes: 1,600-by-1,200, 1,280-by-960, 640-by-480 and 320-by-240 pixels, as well as a "picture ID" size for address book photos. Pressing the camera button activates the lens, and the inside screen transforms into the viewfinder. A small frame in the middle acts as a subject centering guide.

Like earlier versions, the camera includes a function that turns the external display into a viewfinder when the clamshell is closed, making blind self-portraits a thing of the past. With digital zoom, the lens doesn't magnify, but rather it blows up a portion of the frame -- much like cropping -- without adding more clarity. Besides the flash, the settings include a self-timer, red-eye reduction, brightness and white balance controls, different shutter sounds, color effects and various "fun frames" including Santas and Shamrocks that would probably only interest kids nine and under.

The camera takes sharp videos which are greatly enhanced by the Flash. While the video camera features extended capture and video sharing capabilities, unlike the V6 it does not support two-way video calling.

Pressing and holding the camera button turns on the camcorder, which records in two resolutions, 320-by-240 or 176-by-144 pixels. The ability to record as much footage at the memory will allow is good news for citizen journalists hoping to capture footage of breaking events. The camera caps video messages at 15 seconds, and also includes a short, 10 second setting for those who like to keep their v-messages brief. Once a video is saved to the library, you have the option of trimming it.

Basic Features

Released for Verizon Wireless, the Ve compares closely to the LG VX8700 in design and feature set. Both phones are VCast and Mobile-Web capable with broadband-only access and support Bluetooth stereo. Slower and bulkier, the Maxx Ve runs on the first generation Verizon interface as opposed to the newer Flash UI version found on recent Samsungs and LGs, including the LG VX8700.

The battery provides up to 3.5 hours of talk time or 13 days of standby. If you use your phone to watch video or listen to music, you'll have to recharge it daily. For the hearing impaired, the Ve is TTY and hearing aid compatible.

Screen

Both the screens are well-lit and look crisp and clear against the black frame. TFT technology provides the highest color quality among color LCDs. At 1.7-inches, the outer display is slightly larger than previous Razr models, and shows relevant information such as the caller ID, date and time, signal level and battery strength.

The interior display uses a standard 65,000 color LCD, as opposed to the more vibrant 262,000 color display found on the Maxx V6 and the VX8700. However, what it lacks in vividness it makes up for with resolution, offering a large 2.2-inch screen that takes up most of the space on the interior flap. Since video streaming is one of the selling points of the Ve, a 262,000 color screen might have made more sense. But at 65,000 colors, video streaming is good, but not amazing.

Given its battery life, the Ve probably couldn't handle a larger color display. Both screens use TFT technology, which refresh faster and offer brighter contrast levels than older, STN LCDs, but use more energy.

Audio

Like the V3m, the Ve is a fully-functional MP3 player with 24/7 access to VCast Music, Verizon's online music store. To purchase tracks, navigate to the "Get it Now" button on the menu and press "Music & Tones." Songs are downloaded at $2 each to the music library, which can be found on the tab under "My Music." The music library automatically creates separate lists according to genre, album, playlist, artist or song and also offers a shuffle setting.

The added support for stereo Bluetooth means you can lose the wires when you rock out to your favorite tunes. Dedicated music buttons on the clamshell eliminate the need to open the phone when pausing or skipping a song.

When transferring music from or to a PC, you can access MP3s or WMA files either locally or purchased from the VCast Music service. Music purchased on the Ve is not compatible with Mac OS. Transferring music from the Ve requires Windows XP and Windows Media Player 10. Other audio functions include a robust speakerphone, voice-activated calling, voice records and adding sound to a picture message.

Messaging

With the Ve, Verizon offers as many choices for messaging as it does multimedia. You can say it with text, email, instant messaging, pictures or video. For emailing, Verizon offers a service called "Get Email", which limits you to sending and receiving email from their Yahoo, Hotmail and AOL accounts. The Ve also offers access to the most popular instant messaging clients such as AOL IM, MSN Messenger and Yahoo Messenger.

The combination of high-speed connection and video camera makes the Ve a good choice for those interested in video messaging, although video messages are limited to 15 seconds in length. If you're used to T9, Motorola's iTap system will be a challenge.

Entertainment

Besides music, VCast offers a wide array of video, games and apps through its "Get It Now" services. For a subscription fee, you can stream videocasts in sports, news, entertainment and weather, from media outlets like CNN, ESPN and Comedy Central. Verizon's network features over 30 channels. For a $15 monthly access fee, you can receive unlimited access to more than 300 video clips daily. You also have the ability to receive daily feeds from certain channels and receive text alerts when new content arrives.

Video isn't the only application to keep Ve owners glued to their phone screens. It comes loaded with two games: Pac Man and Texas Hold'em. While these old favorites will no doubt eat up hours of battery life, serious gamers will want to download the latest Brew games, such as "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," which are reminiscent of 80s console games. But beware: while most games are billed on a per-download basis, some games require air time to play.

The Ve tops off its VCast offerings with practical applications such as the GPS-capable VZ Navigator that provides real-time, voice-prompted directions and auto-rerouting if you miss a turn. VZ Navigator gives you access to a wide array of location-based services, including mapping, audible turn-by-turn navigation and the ability to find over 14 million points of interest. It requires a $10 fee for unlimited monthly access, or $3 for 24-hour use.

Internet

The Maxx Ve connects to the Internet on Verizon's Ev-Do service, which offers download rates of up to 300- to 500-kilobytes per second. Ev-Do lets you stream VCast services at near-broadband speeds and browse for news, entertainment, sports and weather, as well as dozens of downloadable apps. If you have email on Yahoo, Hotmail or AOL, you access them through "Web 2.0," available for an additional monthly charge, plus airtime charges.

Compared to the EDGE, used by T-Mobile and AT&T, Verizon's Ev-Do service is significantly faster. However, AT&T have begun upgrading existing networks to the newer HSDPA technology, capable of transferring at blazing speeds of 3.6-megabits per second -- putting the Ve's transfer speed in the middle of the pack.

Storage

The Ve comes packed with a generous 60-megabytes of internal memory plus the option of 2-gigabytes of removable microSD memory. However, access to the card you'll have to remove the back cover.

Connectivity

Bluetooth offers a wireless range of approximately 30 feet, and the Ve supports multiple profiles. Headset and Handsfree profiles lets you to connect a headset or car kit, while Dial-Up Networking profile (DUN) lets you connection to a PC to function as a modem. Object Push (OPP) profile lets you transfer simple objects, such as images or virtual business cards. And lastly, A2DP streams stereo music to compatible headphones so you can walk around and listen to music without wires.

Conclusion

The Razr Maxx Ve combines sleek style with 3G to deliver VCast music, videos and apps. Adding convenience through design, touch-sensitive music controls transform it into an MP3 player.

As loaded as the Ve comes with tools for consuming multimedia, its 2-megapixel still and video camera -- with flash -- will make multimedia wizards out of Ve owners interested in creating video emails and narrated photos. Good transmission and reception make the Ve both functional as well as fashionable, while its crisp screens brighten the entire room.

However, compared to the less expensive VX8700, the Ve doesn't offer more for the extra cost. The Ve offers an improved keyboard over earlier Razr models, but the Razr2 will hit stores soon, making the Ve less appealing.

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