Motorola SLVR L7 mobile phone review

Motorola is hoping the new RAZR SLVR a candy bar version of its popular RAZR handset will stand out from the crowd, but will it?

3 February 2006 10:37 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Motorola is hoping it can continue its current popularity with the new RAZR SLVR a candy bar version of its popular RAZR handset, but has the phone got what it takes to stand out from the crowd?

According to the “word on the street”, there are two reasons why you would want this phone over any other. First is the dimensions of the design and the second that this is the second phone from Motorola to offer users the iTunes software.

In practice and reality the first is very true, the SLVR is incredibly slim - 11.5mm slim in fact and this means you can happily tuck it in a trouser pocket without every girl you talk thinking you’ve got other things on your mind.

Like the RAZR before it, the top of the phone is flush flat and the keypad made from aluminium. Improved from the RAZR however, is the slightly raised numbers and this does help locate them when you’re texting without really looking. As before the phone glows in that Tron-like state whenever you start pressing buttons.

The second however - the fact that this is the second iTunes phone - might be the case in America, but atlas here in the UK, this is not too be.

We questioned Motorola on why the phone was lacking perhaps the one key feature aside from the design and the reply was simply a “no comment”. It’s a strange omission especially considering that the phone is shipping with the software in other territories. Perhaps it's because the company is still suffering from reported poor sales of the ROKR.

Get past this and the phone doesn’t really offer much beyond the design. Yes there is a media player, yes there is Bluetooth and yes there is 64Mb of Transflash in the box to get you started, but we’ve rather come to expect this from phone purporting to be multimedia all singing all dancing models and so really it is nothing to shout at the top of your voice about.

But what about the camera I hear you cry? A disappointing VGA model with 4x digital zoom and certainly not up to the megapixel variants you find as standard on even entry-level phones from other manufacturers.

Verdict

We are flummoxed as to why Motorola has opted to leave the iTunes software out for UK users. Aside from the design it is really the only other thing this phone possibly had going for it.

The inclusion of a VGA camera shows that Motorola still hasn't really taken on board people's desire to take digital photos with their phone and while the omission of a megapixel on the RAZR could be accounted for it being early on to the scene, the fact that the SLVR hasn't kept up with other manufacturers in this area is a disappointing one.

This phone will garner lots of wows when you take it out of your pocket. But if you do buy it, just don't let people know that the insides are fairly lacklustre.

Score

Review Recap

Made by: Motorola
Price as reviewed: £price dependant on contract
Latest price: Compare prices
The good: Design, looks
The bad: Lacklustre features offering, no iTunes software in UK
Quick verdict: This phone will garner lots of wows when you take it out of your pocket. But if you do buy it, just don’t let people know that the insides are fairly lacklustre
Score