Landing in the CG office is the latest flip phone from Motorola to hit Sprint, the Motorazr VE20. My first reaction to the VE20 is that it’s very thick, but that’s in comparison to the original RAZR line. The VE20 may be fatter, but it certainly has more features.
The VE20 is equipped with a 2-megapixel camera capable of video recording. The camera loads up rather quickly once you activate it via the right side button and choose between camera and camcorder. When the camcorder is activated it prompts you to choose between “video mail” and “long video.” It appears the only difference is that “video mail” is smaller than 1MB in size whereas “long video” takes up more space. You can also take photos of yourself without ever opening up the phone since the camera is located on the front flap. Nothing revolutionary, but it’s very convenient and I wish other manufacturers would follow suit.
The MP3 player is nothing special, but I like the ability to sideload files to the device over USB is pretty. It also supports stereo Bluetooth. My only real gripe here is that the included 256MB microSD card is located underneath the battery.
As are most Sprint devices, the VE20 is GPS enabled and is powered by telenav. Unfortunately, my review unit doesn’t seem to be enabled to do anything fun like use GPS, download songs from the music store or watch TV programming, but let’s just say that it works.
The really smart thing about this device is the external touch controls that pull up your messages, music player and shortcuts (My Pics & Videos, Recent History, Bluetooth Power, and Voice Recognition). If you don’t hold down the icons for more than a second then you get an obnoxious message telling you to do so if you want the controls to work properly. It’s needed, but annoying nonetheless.
Overall, the VE20 is just another RAZR. The only thing I disliked about this device was the keypad. Each number has raised lettering that seems to all meld together and it isn’t the easiest device to navigate if you’re not looking at it and most of us do that quite often. But, then again, I’ve never personally liked the keypads on RAZRs. Other than that the VE20 does everything it says it can do and doesn’t fail in any specific area.
It’s available now from Sprint for $100 with a 2-year agreement.
2.0 megapixel camera and video camcorder
Capture high-resolution images with the digital camera and zoom. Create your own video clips and easily share them with family and friends.
Sprint Music Store EnabledDownload stereo-quality tracks instantly to your wireless phone or PC. Choose from thousands of artists in virtually every genre, and listen wherever you go.
MP3 PlayerTransfer music files from a PC or download from the Sprint® Music Store and listen to your songs via the speakerphone or a stereo headset accessory.
MicroSD Memory Card SlotStore songs, video, and pictures to a removable memory card, easily transferred to your computer. Supports up to an 8GB MicroSD memory card
Bluetooth® Enabled including Stereo BT profileEnjoy the convenience of hands-free communication by using headsets, car-kits and other Bluetooth-compatible devices.* Stereo Bluetooth lets you listen to your music on the go or listen to your music using compatible accessories without wires. *Bluetooth wireless accessories are sold separately.
Text, Pic and Video MessagingTell your story to friends and family with text, pictures and video taken in the moment. Send messages to other phones, email addresses and more all from your phone.
Sprint TV® EnabledWatch live TV and video-on-demand with full-motion video and vivid sound. Catch the latest news, sports, weather, entertainment and movie trailers on the go.
Sprint Mobile EmailGet easy access to your favorite home email services including AOL, Yahoo!, Gmail, and MSN/Windows Live Hotmail and more…
Sprint Mobile Email WorkNow access work email on the popular non-PDA phones. Receive email from Microsoft Exchange 2000, 2003, 2007 and Lotus Notes Domino versions 6.0, 6.5 and 7.0 with our latest software update.
Internal Phone BookAssign up to 600 entries, each storing seven numbers for a total of 4,200 numbers and up to 1,800 email and 600 Web addresses.
Wireless BackupIf your phone is ever lost, stolen, damaged or replaced, you can use Wireless Backup to restore your contact information quickly and easily. Additional charges apply.
RingersPersonalize your phone by downloading unique ringers and assigning them to numbers in your address book so you’ll know who’s calling by the sound of the ring or style of animation.
Screen SaversDownload unique images to use as screen savers – or make it easy to tell who’s calling by assigning specific images to numbers in your address book.
Voice-Activated DialingSay the name of the person you want to call, and the phone dials the number automatically.
Bright Main DisplaySee brilliant images, text and graphics on a 2.2″ LCD screen covering a range of 262,000 colors.
Large External DisplayCheck Caller ID and other information at a glance even when your phone is closed on the large QVGA external screen.
SpeakerphoneEnjoy easy, hands free communication with a speakerphone that lets you hear callers loud and clear.
Built-in Productivity ToolsAccess your planner and scheduler; check your task list and more. Also includes a world clock, calculator, memo pad, and alarm clock.
GamesDownload and play entertaining, interactive games that you’ll want to play all the time.
TTYAble to connect to a TTY device and allow anyone who is hearing-impaired to communicate.
Hearing Aid Compatible (HAC)This handset has been certified as Hearing Aid Compatible in accordance with applicable industry standards. This handset has a HAC rating of M4 for hearing aids operating in the acoustic mode. This handset has a HAC rating of T4 for hearing aids operating with a telecoil mode.