Camera

Activating the built-in 0.3-megapixel camera from the Camera Key next to the 5-Way keypad, the Motorola V276 can take pictures at 24-bit color depth and 16 million colors.

Capable of snapping photos at up to 640 x 480 px in resolution, other resolutions include Medium - QVGA (320 x 240 px) and Pix - QQVGA (160 x 120 px). Approximate image file sizes are 50 KB for VGA, 16K for QVGA, and 3 KB for QQVGA. With 3.8 MB of internal memory provided, consumers will be able to snap away with plenty of space to spare.

In Camera Mode, the internal LCD becomes the viewfinder, displaying basic information such as available memory. Meanwhile the directional keypad becomes the controller for the 4X Zoom (Up / Down) and Brightness Levels (Left / Right).

For self-portraits, consumers can activate the Self-Timer (5 or 10 sec), or use the Mirror located next to the lens. Other functions include Auto Repeat, Shuffle, Lighting Conditions (Automatic, Sunny, Cloudy, Indoor (Home), Indoor (Office), and Night), Image Styles (Color, Black and White, Antique, and Negative), Brightness Levels (-3 to +3), and Shutter Tones.

The inability to record videos is a drawback. However, recording video has never been a strong point with camera phones to begin with, most providing grainy resolutions of 176 x 144 px.

Regardless, the V276's camera is the same one in the V265 released last year. However, with its lower price point and business user demographic who don't particularly depend on imaging capabilities, it's expected. Overall, the V276's camera quality is below average from most camera phones advancing up to 2.0-megapixels, but its cost reflects it as well.

Basic Features

Released as a Verizon Wireless' exclusive, the V276 is built on AMPS 800 / CDMA 800 / 1900 technology, making it capable of using analog networks when digital is lacking.

With the standard 9-icon display that most Motorola devices share, the V276's menu is easily navigated through with the use of the Menu and Left and Right Keys above the keypad. Consumers are able to additionally bind personal shortcuts to allow more convenient usage.

Motorola rated the V276's 820 mAh Li-Ion battery at 3.5 and 300 hours (12.5 days) of talk and standby times respectively. However, those are under optimal conditions. Handset manufacturers and carriers often list talk-time and standby-time ratings with disclaimers about variable performance and often refer to the times they publish as maximum times.

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