First look at the RAZR

by Volker Weber

Now that I have played a few hours with the RAZR, I can tell you a bit about my experience so far. First of all, this is not your Daddy's Motorola phone. The software is actually very good, especially after you removed some of the eye candy. I have hundreds of phone book entries, so I don't need a photo next to each entry. This just slows things down. I also don't want a wallpaper or a screensaver. All gone now. I also reprogrammed the right softkey from O2 Active to Recent Calls. No need to be forced online by a casual click. Can I reprogram the web browser key as well?

Next step was hooking up the device to Snoopy. That was a breeze:

motosync.jpg

I just added the device to iSync and it blasted all my phone numbers to the RAZR. As mentioned in the comments to my last entry, this is a phone book and not an address book. You get the phone numbers plus the email address but not the home address. I will also see if I want to upload my calendar but that is unlikely. So far I have only used the USB cable but I will try a Bluetooth connection soon.

Comments

Does it support the bluetooth PIM Synchronization profile or do you need custom software to be installed?

Ragnar Schierholz, 2005-02-18

@vowe: No, the browser key is not reprogrammable, at least not on my vodafone branded phone. But as the branding includes only the splash screens during on/off and this key, I guess this is the same for all provider.

This sort of branding is o.k for me, not compareable with the branding of my old v600 which made this phone unusable. the first thing I've done was flashing a new original Motorola firmware with all functions and without branding.

This is waht I like most on the new V3, that it's usable from the first minute with just some configuration.

Sven Semel, 2005-02-18

It's a nice phone. Bluetooth iSync doesn't work.
But USB sync is ok since the USB cable charges the phone as well.

Bernd Malek, 2005-02-18

Plus, the cable has a standard mini-USB plug!

There is an option in the Connections settings called "Sync". It asks for Name, URL, Username, Password and Data Path. What is that? I did not need it for setting up the sync with Snoopy via iSync.

Volker Weber, 2005-02-18

Sure that the USB cable charges the phone? Doesn't look like this as nothing happens on the phone which looks like charging while connected. I would be happy if it's different as nowadays a USB port is everywhere accessible to recharge the phone on low battery :-)

Sven Semel, 2005-02-19

On Windows you need to install the drivers for USB charging to work. On the Mac I see a flashing battery indicator which tells me that the phone indeed is charging. However, a USB cable only supplies enough current for a trickle charge. The superfast charing requires the wallwart.

Volker Weber, 2005-02-19

There are a lot of stuff
stuff around for the V3:

Very funny ist the Motokit.

Bernd Malek, 2005-02-19

@vowe: You're right, I watched only the internal display, on the external one can see that it's charging...

Sven Semel, 2005-02-19

Sync via Internet normally means SyncML, www.syncml.org. SyncML sync via the internet with a syncml server, e.g. strato communicator pro. There is also a free syncml service, but i forgot the name (and had mixed experience with it. SyncML is also available in most other phones like (sony) ericsson, nokia, Siemens etc. Newer Symbian phones like Nokia 6670, Nokia 9500-Communicator etc. use syncML also for local syncing. As far as i think Mac OS X 10.4 will support syncml also for local syncing via bluetooth (at least that is what i hope).

Christian Just, 2005-02-19

https://www.mobical.net/mobical/main/index.jsp

Da gibt es SyncML umsonst

Christian Just, 2005-02-19

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