My MotoRizr Z3 review

There was a time when I always said to myself, I have to be more balanced, and review every other mobile phone brand out there, thats not a Nokia and Sony Ericsson. But you have to understand, in Brunei, Nokia and SE rank in the top 3 brands that a large proportion of the population use. They just sell well here! No doubt about it. (No. 3 being either LG, Samsung or Motorola in my opinion).

Well, that time is here. My first encounter with a Motorola. I decided I'd try venture out into the unknown with this review, PURELY because I didn't want to be labelled as a "phonist" (Like a "racist", except with phones) by dear old Blackdiamonds. (And btw, a BIG CONGRATS on the BIG news on the engagement and landing yourself that huge 1 carat rock! Like I told you, its not the Motorola Q you wanted, but hey that blinding sparkle you're wearing on your finger is WAY better ok!?).

So anyway, I've spent close to a week with this Motorola. I must admit though, I did feel lost at the start, almost like how to pronounce the name R-I-Z-R, but eventually, I managed to find my way around the phone. I sure like phone challenges. So what do I really think about it? Is it as good as it looks? Read on....

Inbox
MotoRizr Z3 inbox
1 x MotoRizr Z3 unit
1 x Battery
1 x Travel charger
2 x User Guides (English and Malay languages)
3 x Quick start guides (English, Malay and Chinese translations)

First Impressions

• When I first saw the box for the first time, I thought to myself, "what a unique design". Until, I tried opening it up. It took me a good few minutes would you believe. I attribute this to the fact that I was very cautious and quite determined not to rip any part of the box apart. Apparently, its supposed to slide up (like the phone itself) and the section where the phone is located lifts up and reveals the rest of the contents underneath (which I have to say, seems rather spartan i.e. bare?)
  
• Taking the phone out from the box, then slipping in the battery and sim card, my immediate impression is that it had quite a good solid feel and weight. I have to say though, the Rizr does look good. Now lets see how it REALLY performs....

Physical Aspects / Build quality

• The MotoRizr Z3 comes in only one colour; Black. It has a slider form factor, which has a nice snap sound when pushed up or closed. Being a new set, you'd also notice that virtually every part of the Rizr is covered in plastic. A bit of an overkill Motorola?
  
• On the left hand side, you will see the Dual volume button and Voice recorder button. Oddly, when I pressed the Voice recorder button, the bluetooth menu always popped up. I'm not sure why this was the case. Maybe a firmware issue? Maybe user issue? (Hey this user ain't that familiar with Motorolas)
  
• On the right hand side, you will see the dedicated camera button, the mini USB slot and a voice command button.
  
• The keypad, when the slider is pushed up reveals the all too familiar layout as found on the ultra-popular Moto Razr V3. It looks good honestly. Using it however, was a whole new experience altogether for me. But, I will say this, if you're used to the Razr v3's, then the Rizr Z3 shouldn't take much of an adjustment for you.
  

• The two soft keys on top can be configured according to your preference. There is also a new "C/back" button which is similar in function to the Sony-Ericsson models. It also acts as a correction button too. The backlighting of the keypad is in deep blue and is evenly illuminated (as you can see from the photo)

Display / User Interface

• The Rizr sports a 256k colour screen with 176 x 220 pixel resolution (again, similar in size to most Sony Ericsson models). However, I wouldn't compare this Rizr with any SE's screen personally. But, having said that, its enough for the Rizr's features.
• The user interface looks identical to Razr V3 and other Moto models, which has always suffered from criticisms on being too boring and simple. So I won't spend too much time on this but I'll just let the pictures speak more. But I will admit, it was pretty confusing at first, trying to move around the menu. And after a week using it, its still confusing.
  

Calls / Messaging

• Call quality has been good. Clarity is there, reception is there, so overall, no point mentioning anything else on this.
  
• Messaging wise, Rizr supports SMS's, MMS's and emails. Having previously tested the T9 for Nokia, SE, LG and Samsung, the T9 on this Moto felt close to SE in terms of using the directional pad to move down to select the words. Of course, the "space" on Motos is the "*" key, compared to "#" on SE's and "0" on Nokias/LG's. Honestly, it didn't feel comfortable. I didn't like it. Probably only Moto owners will like it. And if you're moving from Nokia or SE, I think you'd struggle too for a while.
  

Multimedia / Camera quality

• To make it quick, the Rizr is not a music phone. It won't compare to the likes of SE's Walkman series or even at worst (dare I say), Nokia's Music Edition series. Of course, the speakers are loud enough for you to hear your songs and ringtones, but I wouldn't replace my iPods with the Rizr basically.
  
• Camera quality, the photos I did snap, did not turn out as good as I'd expected, so I'm doing the Rizr justice by not posting it here. Maybe the 226k colour screen played a part in this too. Maybe not? But reading other reviews here, it seems that the camera isn't too shabby, and will probably satisfy you on those quick random snaps.
  
• Video quality was mediocre for me. I mean, it'll do the job, but just don't expect Nokia N95 / N93i qualities.
  

What I like about the Rizr

• The battery life. Using it for close to a week, with my usual sms-ing, a couple of calls (using loudspeaker too), playing some songs and snapping some photos, the battery meter BARELY moved! Impressive! But, I'm not sure if it was just this unit, or is reflective of every other Rizr out there.
  
• Feels solid and looks good.

What I didn't like about the Rizr

• Outdated User interface. C'mon Moto, you have to update the looks at least!
• Not 3G?
• Uncomfortable keypad use. (But, this one could be just me)
• Simplistic features; Calendar, alarm clock etc
  

d3xlabs Recommendations
To be honest, I am kinda glad to be able to return this unit. Although it wow-ed me in the looks department, practically, it lacked in many areas for my taste. I tried to give it some sort of a fighting chance, but overall, I'm just not that impressed with the RIZR. Having said that though, I'm pretty sure it would appeal to existing Moto owners at least. And just to prove it, during my time of testing, I did show it to a friend who liked the looks and actually seriously considered buying one! Keep in mind though, that her current phone is the RAZR V3. So I guess, that says it all doesn't it? For me though, I'd give it a miss.

Sorry blackdiamonds, but you can't say I didn't give it a chance. Well, there are more brands out there, so don't label me a phonist just yet.

My RIZR rating - 2.5 stars
Selling Price - BND428-00 (Use the DST privilege card for better discounts)
From - Incomm (all branches)