Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I traded up from a Motorola Razr which I liked for two years using an extended battery and in a fitted case. I liked the Razr because it had excellent call quality, reception, battery life, nice size and fairly well made. So when the time came to trade up, I first went with the Moto RAZR2 V9m a few weeks ago. Being a flip phone, I expected to like it. The call quality was excellent, reception was so-so, build quality was good but the battery wouldn't last for me. I bought an extended battery and even with that I wasn't happy. The other major problem I personally had with it was it was so BIG. The casing scratches SO easily it needs to be in a case. And when you put it in a case, it becomes HUGE. To big for me anyway. So... true size, battery life and so-so reception caused me to return it.
That brought me back to the Verizon store. I made test calls to my home voice mail from about 8 phone models I was interested in. A cell phone needs to have good call quality above all. And I also like phones that cancel out ambient noise so people don't know if you're in a restaurant, a car or at your office. I also do a lot of texting and check email a lot.
Impressions while shopping for my new phone on 10/24/07 were:
- The Samsung phones seem a bit muted but acceptable. Nice features. u740 is nice but I prefer one handed texting as I multitask. The u620 is great in the text messaging department as you can speak your message and it converts it into text! And it's small. Did NOT like the Gleam in sound quality.
- The LG VX8700 is an excellent phone! Excellent call quality, maybe the best. They make an extended battery for it too. Also, it has a better interface so it is more fun to use.
- The LG 9400 just had unacceptable call quality. enV is cool but not happy with call quality. Fun to use phone...will be replaced by newer model next month. Not small.
- The Juke is cool if you like a small phone with nice music features. Good call quality.
- The Chocolate sliders just missed the sound quality mark for me.
- I felt that the KRZRs were a bit `last year'. Nice size, good sound.
So, I tried a MotoRIZR Z6tv.
I liked lots of things about it. Decent call quality, small, well made, all the features of the current line up of Verizon phones like Navigator, Chaperone, Bluetooth, etc. Strong signal, excellent speakerphone when you need it, good battery life, uses all my old car and home chargers, nice key pad, easy to use, fits in the hand well. BTW, this phone will also give you Mobile TV, if available in your area, and it'll cost you $$.
Dislikes?: Well I have only had this for 4 days. The screen could be bigger but that would take more battery so I'm happy there. The call quality is not as good as the LG8700 or the MotoRazr2 V9m but it is good!
Bottom line:
The phone is easy to use, feature packed, has all the features I need, nice battery life, camera and video clips are acceptable, good address book, etc. It just plain works well. Seems to be a keeper!
Click Here to see more reviews about: Motorola RIZR Z6tv Black Phone (Verizon Wireless, Phone Only, No Service)
Enjoy all the entertainment you want right at your fingertips with the iconic Motorola RIZR Z6tv slider phone, which offers Verizon's V CAST Mobile TV as well as V CAST Music & Video services. With V CAST Mobile TV, you'll get 24-hour access to broadcast-quality full-length TV shows, including the Late Show with David Letterman, 24 and Dora the Explorer, and content from CBS Mobile, Comedy Central, ESPN Mobile TV, Fox Mobile, MTV, and more. The RIZR Z6tv can also help you from getting lost, thanks to its GPS receiver and Verizon's VZ Navigator service for turn-by-turn directions. Stylishly wrapped in a fashionably portable package, the RIZR Z6tv also includes a 2-megapixel camera with video capture, Bluetooth stereo music streaming, MicroSD memory card expansion, and syncing with Windows Media Player.
Verizon Service Options With support for the EV-DO high-speed data standard, you'll enjoy fast access to the Internet and Verizon's multimedia services (additional charges applicable), with average download speeds ranging from 400 to 700 Kbps and peak rates up to 2 Mbps. (Learn more about where EV-DO coverage is offered.) With V Cast Mobile TV, this phone supports live TV broadcasts using MediaFLO technology to deliver full-length television programming from some of the most popular TV channels right to your phone. You'll be able to channel surf with no buffering, take calls without interrupting the program you're watching, and get text reminders for your favorite shows sent straight to your phone. Channel selection includes CBS Mobile, NBC News, Comedy Central, ESPN, Fox News, MTV, and Nickelodeon.
The V Cast Music service enables you to download songs instantly to your phone, or purchase music through your PC and transfer the files to your phone. If purchased from your phone, you'll receive two copies of the song: a Windows Media Audio Pro Plus format at 64Kbps stereo is sent to your phone, and a Windows Media Audio 9 format at 160Kbps stereo is sent to your account in the V CAST Music online store for downloading to your PC. V Cast Music offers nearly 2 million songs, with more being added all the time.
With the V Cast Video service, you can stream or download video clips to your phone from a variety of news, entertainment, sports, and weather channels, including CNN, ABC News, E!, CBS Sports, The Weather Channel, and VH1.
Getting on the Internet is easy using Verizon's Mobile Web 2.0 package, which allows you to read and send e-mails, exchange instant messages and view your favorite web content on your phone. Verizon's Get It Now wireless download service is also fully compatible with this phone. This pay-per-download service features application downloads, games and productivity tools. You can also personalize your handset with ringtone downloads using the Get It Now service.
With this GPS-enabled phone, you'll be able to access Verizon's VZ Navigator service (additional charges applicable) for voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions, heads-up alerts, local search of nearly 14 million points of interest in the US (such as landmarks, restaurants and ATMs), and detailed color maps. And Verizon's Chaperone service lets you easily locate your loved ones from your Verizon Wireless phone or PC in real time. After defining a zone, such as an area designating a school or summer camp, you'll be sent an alert via text message when the Chaperone handset enters or leaves the zone.
Phone Features The Z6tv retains the same slider design as its Z3/Z6 predecessors--a sleek profile and a unique, spring assisted opening design. A large 2-inch color display with a 240 x 320-pixel resolution and 65K colors dominates the top of the slider. The 2-megapixel camera lens is discreetly housed on the upper backside of the phone, safely tucked away until ready for use. Most of the phone's features and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset's backlit control pad, which is precision cut from a single sheet of nickel-plated copper alloy. For video playback, it features a dedicated TV key, an easy to use Program Guide and the ability to watch in portrait or landscape mode.
The RIZR Z6tv allows you to control your music player with the slider opened or closed. Skip to tracks or fast forward and rewind with one touch of the 4-way external navigation key, while the Music Keypad Lock Key prevents accidental button presses. Create a playlist for whatever mood you are in, and sort content by artists, albums, songs, genres using quick search functionality. The digital audio player supports MP3, AAC, AAC+, and WMA formats.
This phone provides Bluetooth version 1.1 wireless connectivity, and includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, and audio/video remote control. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. You can connect your laptop (either via Bluetooth or wired USB) and enjoy dial-up networking--surf the Internet, send email, and access files from a server.
The 2-megapixel camera provides resolution up to 1600 x 1200 pixels, and you can choose from three other resolution choices (1.3 MP, VGA, and QVGA) as well as three quality settings within each resolution. Other features include an 8x zoom, multi-shot capability, six color effects, and adjustable exposure setting. For video capture, the Z6tv records clips in MPEG4 format in two resolutions--176 x 144 (QCIF) and 128 x 96 pixels--with editing options similar to the still camera. You can shoot video as long as your memory card has available space, and videos shot for MMS messaging are capped at 6 seconds.
A messaging and wireless Internet powerhouse, support is built in for sending and receiving pictures, text, graphics, sound and video via messages. When used in combination with the phone's built-in still and video camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. Instant messaging is also supported, and the phone ships with a built-in email client. The RIZR also comes stock with a built-in web browser for downloads and mobile web browsing. iTap text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for entering text on handsets, is built into the unit--a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.
The RIZR Z6tv's internal phone book can hold up to 1000 contact entries with seven phone numbers per entry, while the phone's picture ID system allows you to assign pictures to your most common callers. The RIZR's voice dialing feature makes calling family, friends, and business associates as easy as saying their names. Other features include:
MicroSD expansion up to 4 GB
PIM tools: Calculator, calendar, alarm clock, world clock, notepad
Speakerphone
Vibrating alerts and silent mode
Hearing aid compatibility = M3
Bilingual interface: English/Spanish
Vital Statistics The RIZR Z6tv weighs 3.7 ounces and measures 4.15 x 1.79 x 0.64 inches. Its 940 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 295 minutes 4.75 hours of talk time, and up to 375 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the CDMA 850/1900 frequencies and Verizon's EV-DO data network.
