First Take: Motorola SLVR L7 - Reviews - Cool Gear - Mobile Phones

To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu

--------------------------------------------------------------
This story was printed from ZDNet Australia.
--------------------------------------------------------------

First Take: Motorola SLVR L7

By Jeremy Roche, ZDNet Australia
February 13, 2006
URL: http://www.zdnet.com.au/reviews/coolgear/mobiles/soa/First-Take-Motorola-SLVR-L7/0,139023387,139237978,00.htm

Motorola's super slim SLVR L7 is a beautifully crafted phone with features including an MP3 player, push-to-talk and Bluetooth.

Motorola SLVR L7 If there was one phone that was the talk of town last year, it was Motorola's RAZR -- with silver, black and pink variations being toted around by business users and fashionistas alike. And as we await for its 3G successor to arrive, the RAZR V3x, Motorola has given second-generation users the option of a candybar-shaped version, which it calls the SLVR (pronounced sliver).

Upside
Motorola's emphasis on fashion continues in 2006 with the SLVR bearing similar design characteristics to the RAZR, such as its signature steel keypad backlit in blue. The mini-USB connector is on the right this time alongside an infrared port and a hotswappable microSD card slot. Motorola bundles a 128MB card, Bluetooth headset and a stereo headset with the SLVR.

The SLVR L7 has a bright 256K-colour display that is a tad smaller than the RAZR's screen, yet packs in the same amount of pixels (176 x 220), which gives it a sharper picture. The keypad is slightly different to its clamshell brethren in that the numbers are raised slightly, which should make text messaging more tactile. Motorola has shaved 2.4mm off the RAZR V3's ultra-thin design, which is only outdone by the recently introduced (and less expensive) L6.

Downside
Although slim, the candybar form factor makes the RAZR quite a long and wide handset. At a time when more and more one- and two-megapixel camera phones are hitting the market, the SLVR also hangs on to the RAZR's 640 x 480-pixel (VGA) resolution. And even though the RAZR is now available in three colours, Motorola has released the SLVR in one colour only, black.

Outlook
The SLVR is hitting the Australian market with an RRP of AU$599. At this price, we see the L7 as an attractive offer from Motorola for people who prefer candybar-shaped phones -- especially ultra-thin ones that can sit inconspicously in your pocket.

Motorola SLVR L7
Company: Motorola
Price: AU$599