Motorola V3 RAZR

In this article I review one item that I could definitely not live without: my Motorola V3 RAZR cellular phone. This clamshell-style phone is one of the thinnest, sleekest, and toughest phones on the market, and comes equipped with a VGA camera with 4X digital zoom, a 176 x 200 pixel internal color screen display, Java 2.0, 750 mAh lithium ion battery, quad-band GSM/GPRS, and Bluetooth and Internet capability. Best of all, the phone weighs 3.35 ounces, has the dimensions of a standard credit card, and is under 14 mm in thickness.

The first thing that you notice about the RAZR V3 is its tough, metallic exterior. That exterior is actually made of anodized aluminum, as opposed to plastic. This protects the phone during falls and other insults, although I wouldn't recommend beating it up too much, as its internal electronics are rather delicate. I have been very happy with the durability and resistance of the phone's exterior, as its hard (and mostly waterproof) outer shell actually protected my phone's delicate innards during an actual dive into a toilet bowl! Luckily, I didn't flush...

A small color screen on the phone's clamshell front registers the name and number of the incoming call, and alerts you of missed calls or text messages by displaying a banner (as well as providing a "beep" every 5 minutes). Otherwise, it displays the current time (though, on a sunny day, it is difficult to see the actual display). Upon opening the phone, you notice its distinctive keyboard, which is etched in metal and contains a blue backlight to light up the numbers and symbols. This is ideal in terms of seeing the keys, and also eliminates the problem of having the numbers/letters eventually rub off.