Introduction

Motorola has always been on the forefront of flip phone design, making a profitable living catering to the clamshell-hungry market. From the early days of the StarTac, to the more recent best selling V600, Motorola has always created clamshells that have become top sellers with consumers.

Continuing with this trend, Motorola marks the latest installment of its clamshell portfolio with the RAZR V3. Like its predecessors, the V3 contains clean lines, productive functionality, and an intuitive design, with in-demand features such as Bluetooth, MP3 ringtones, and a built-in camera. However, the V3 goes further to provide revolutionary features that go beyond what manufacturers have released to date.

Design

The designers at Motorola decided to create one of the thinnest clamshells on the market. So the Motorola RAZR V3 required major innovations in design and engineering by combining aircraft-grade aluminum, with a chemically-etched keypad for a device that measure an incredible 13.9 mm thick.

The RAZR V3 measures a tiny 89 x 53 x 13.9 mm. Motorola has put design and aesthetics high on the list of priorities by creating the RAZR V3 completely from metal-alloy. Therefore, in addition to being remarkably thin, the RAZR V3 is not surprisingly lightweight as well, weighing a mere 95 grams. Functionally, due to its thinness, plastic would inherently be too fragile. Therefore, the anodized aluminum casing was needed for stability, durable enough to withstand everyday wear and tear in addition to the occasional bump or drop.

With the V3 closed, the front panel contains an external display for handy access to information without opening the phone. Located directly above it lies the lens for the built-in VGA camera, able to take photos at 3 resolutions of up to 640 x 480 px. Although the lens is exposed at all times, Motorola has used hardened glass instead of a lens cover to avoid scratches that may occur.

The side of the RAZR V3 contains a connection for a Mini-USB plug. An adaptor is included that also allows charging the phone through this input. Additionally, voice functionality and standard volume keys on the sides provide convenient access.

The Motorola RAZR V3's keypad is revolutionary as well. Since the V3 is a clamshell, when folded, the thickness of the keypad presents a problem when designing a thin phone. Conventional raised keys would have increased thickness dramatically. Thus, Motorola engineers needed to figure a way around it by creating a completely flat keypad. That involved covering a touchpad in nickel-plated copper-alloy with numbers and symbols chemically etched into an electro-luminescent strip. The result, a futuristic, wafer-thin, keypad that illuminates a light-blue glow in the dark. Although a bit awkward at first, the new keypad design does not hinder text messaging speeds.

The RAZR V3 is truly a design and engineering marvel. From its clean lines and lightweight feel, to the sturdy aluminum-alloy materials, Motorola has combined great design, feel, and durability into the thinnest device to date.

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