Ron's V551 Review

Thanks for the review Ron. I too own the V551 and like it as a gadget ... I
bought the USB cable before I learned I could do everything with my BT
connection.

I specifically purchased a phone with BT in hopes of using it as a modem -
at no extra charge - but unfortunately Cingular charges extra for this
service which wasn't worth it for me.
___________________
Ann
Motorola V551
iPAQ 4355
"Ron" <rdswart@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:SQMvd.125873$7i4.70391@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> Okay, a few of you know I wanted and got a v551. Got the locked one, I
> guess, but there's better service on the New Cingular, so why would I need
> other carriers, right??
>
> Anyhow, it took some calls to customer service to get the pictures to send
> to an email address, and it took a call to get the voicemail working - it
> just gave callers a "busy" signal. When's the last time you heard one of
> those??
>
> So while Cingular needed to give me special attention to get things
> working on their end, it's all working now.
>
> Meanwhile, the phone seems really good. The camera works great, but you
> gotta hold it STEADY. Especially when zoomed to the max, and especially
> in low light. The video is very useful, but the quality is not gonna make
> you think I hired Michael Moore's cameraman when you see the result. You
> can't beat the fact that I'll get photos and video clips that I would
> never have gotten, had the camera not been inside the phone.
>
> As a phone, v551 is better in terms of sound quality to the v60 and v60
> color phones it replaced. The reception in my 4 most used locations is
> better than the on AT&T using the TDMA phones I just mentioned, so that
> was an improvement for me, but I can't say if it's the phone, carrier, or
> both.
>
> The bluetooth wouldn't install correctly on my toshiba notebook computer
> which runs Windows XP among other os's. I haven't located any software to
> access the internet via bluetooth under Linux. Anybody know about this?
>
> The speaker phone works well enough that when I set the phone on the table
> and just talk normally, they don't know I'm on a speakerphone.
>
> Once I added $5 to $10 worth of ringtones, it's now a pretty nice phone.
>
> Now if we could get them to pack 20gb of memory, MP-3 player, and XM
> satellite radio, and a bluetooth high-fidelity stereo headset to go with
> the music. And make the battery last 2 weeks and keep it at 4 ounces. Is
> that too much to ask
>
> Peace, Ron!

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.motorola - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <32cjeuF3ksc1vU1@individual.net> on Thu, 16 Dec 2004 06:40:02 +0200,
"Peter" <peter@greatnowhere.com> wrote:

>> Now if we could get them to pack 20gb of memory, MP-3 player, and XM
>> satellite radio, and a bluetooth high-fidelity stereo headset to go with
>> the music. And make the battery last 2 weeks and keep it at 4 ounces.
>> Is that too much to ask
>
>Don't forget WCDMA connectivity for fast data transfers in 3G networks, EDGE
>GPRS, FM radio, WiFi (how you're gonna fill those 20gb otherwise?),
>full-fledged HTML browser instead of those puny WAP thingies,
>walkie-talkie... what have I missed so far?

A full-fledged HTML browser for the V551 (and other J2ME handsets) is
available now from Reqwireless <http://www.reqwireless.com/webviewer.html>

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.motorola - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <SQMvd.125873$7i4.70391@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net> on Wed, 15 Dec
2004 01:56:02 GMT, Ron <rdswart@worldnet.att.net> wrote:

>[SNIP]

Here's my own take, comparing the Motorola V551 to the Sony Ericsson Z600:

V551 STRENGTHS AS COMPARED TO Z600:

* Quad-band (works anywhere)
* EDGE (not just GPRS)
* Speakerphone
* IM clients
* Supports ENS (for Homing on both Cingular and ATTWS)
* Small size
* Better camera
* Video
* More memory

V551 WEAKNESSES AS COMPARED TO Z600:

* Less capable phonebook (Show Only Primary Numbers is still not as good as
multiple entries per name)
* Side keys that are too easy to press accidentally (too often turning off the
ringer when I put the phone in my leather holster)
* Lack of persistent missed call and voicemail notifications
* Mediocre power management (fast battery rundown with a Bluetooth EDGE
connection)
* EDGE not as fast as it could be (Class 4 rather than Class 10)
* Complex, unintuitive menu and navigation system
* Pitiful selection of preloaded ringtones and graphics, and no games
(available at extra cost from Cingular)
* Somewhat cheap feel
* PhoneTools not included (extra cost)
* No IrDA

DISPLAY:

* The V551 screen is very slightly brighter than the Z600, but the Z600 has
truer colors, especially in difficult lighting.

* The V551 has higher resolution (176x220 versus 128x160), but the Z600 has a
larger display, and in practice the difference in sharpness isn't noticeable.

* Text on the V551 display is much smaller, so more fits on a given screen,
but as a result is much harder to read than the Z600, particularly in
difficult lighting.

* The V551 display drains the battery much faster than the Z600 display, part
of the reason the V551 has much less battery life in use than the Z600. (Poor
Bluetooth and EDGE power management are other factors.)

* Overall, although the differences are small, I prefer the display on the
Z600 to the display on the V551. (I had both phones, so this is based on
actual experience.)

CAMERA

* The camera on the Z600 is unquestionably mediocre and not as good as the
camera in the V551. But I personally don't care about (or even want) a camera
in my phone -- some places prohibit phones with cameras, and when I want to
take pictures I use a real digital camera (Olympus D-40Z) that blows away any
camera phone.

SUMMARY

Overall it's a close call -- the V551 is a very good phone, arguably the best
phone currently offered by Cingular.

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

Ann,

I certainly got the v551 in part because I wanted internet connectivity
for my laptop...and partly because I wanted the video/still camera features.

True, Cingular charges by the kbyte for the wireless "modem" feature,
but it's faster and cheaper than dialup ($20 a month for media-works
which has unlimited internet!!) and it always seems to connect at 115.2
(your mileage may vary) so maybe you could reconsider it.

Sure, it's not DSL speed, but cheaper by half, and WIRELESS wherever
they have a signal. No, I have not cancelled my AT&T/Covad service at
home yet...but I'm planning to!

Peace, Ron!


Ann wrote:
> Thanks for the review Ron. I too own the V551 and like it as a gadget ... I
> bought the USB cable before I learned I could do everything with my BT
> connection.
>
> I specifically purchased a phone with BT in hopes of using it as a modem -
> at no extra charge - but unfortunately Cingular charges extra for this
> service which wasn't worth it for me.
> ___________________
> Ann
> Motorola V551
> iPAQ 4355
> "Ron" <rdswart@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
> news:SQMvd.125873$7i4.70391@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
>
>>Okay, a few of you know I wanted and got a v551. Got the locked one, I
>>guess, but there's better service on the New Cingular, so why would I need
>>other carriers, right??
>>
>>Anyhow, it took some calls to customer service to get the pictures to send
>>to an email address, and it took a call to get the voicemail working - it
>>just gave callers a "busy" signal. When's the last time you heard one of
>>those??
>>
>>So while Cingular needed to give me special attention to get things
>>working on their end, it's all working now.
>>
>>Meanwhile, the phone seems really good. The camera works great, but you
>>gotta hold it STEADY. Especially when zoomed to the max, and especially
>>in low light. The video is very useful, but the quality is not gonna make
>>you think I hired Michael Moore's cameraman when you see the result. You
>>can't beat the fact that I'll get photos and video clips that I would
>>never have gotten, had the camera not been inside the phone.
>>
>>As a phone, v551 is better in terms of sound quality to the v60 and v60
>>color phones it replaced. The reception in my 4 most used locations is
>>better than the on AT&T using the TDMA phones I just mentioned, so that
>>was an improvement for me, but I can't say if it's the phone, carrier, or
>>both.
>>
>>The bluetooth wouldn't install correctly on my toshiba notebook computer
>>which runs Windows XP among other os's. I haven't located any software to
>>access the internet via bluetooth under Linux. Anybody know about this?
>>
>>The speaker phone works well enough that when I set the phone on the table
>>and just talk normally, they don't know I'm on a speakerphone.
>>
>>Once I added $5 to $10 worth of ringtones, it's now a pretty nice phone.
>>
>>Now if we could get them to pack 20gb of memory, MP-3 player, and XM
>>satellite radio, and a bluetooth high-fidelity stereo headset to go with
>>the music. And make the battery last 2 weeks and keep it at 4 ounces. Is
>>that too much to ask
>>
>>Peace, Ron!
>
>
>

> Here's my own take, comparing the Motorola V551 to the Sony Ericsson Z600:
>
>
> V551 WEAKNESSES AS COMPARED TO Z600:
>
> * Less capable phonebook (Show Only Primary Numbers is still not as good
as
> multiple entries per name)

That sucks. I _need_ multiple phone numbers for each name. Can't you do it
on V551? If so guess it's no Motorola for me.

> * Side keys that are too easy to press accidentally (too often turning off
the
> ringer when I put the phone in my leather holster)

Every now and then I would accidentally switch on camera on Z600 when
opening it. Annoying.

> * Mediocre power management (fast battery rundown with a Bluetooth EDGE
> connection)

That sucks bigtime. I get 2-3 days out of Z600, sometimes more. I hear
Nokias fare way better, but they don't have a decent clamshell phone, and I
can live with charging my phone 2-3 times a week.

> * Pitiful selection of preloaded ringtones and graphics, and no games
> (available at extra cost from Cingular)

Huh... doesn't it support Java? There are tons of Java games out there el
cheapo.

> CAMERA
>
> * The camera on the Z600 is unquestionably mediocre and not as good as the
> camera in the V551. But I personally don't care about (or even want) a
camera

Who cares about a camera? Not me. All I need is a phone that is small,
light, has decent phonebook, Bluetooth, fast data, reasonable battery life,
clamshell/flip form factor and WORKS instead of locking up every day. Guess
I'll have to wait for Z500... it's a bit smaller than Z600. Was also looking
at Z1010 as well but it's a brick, not phone... even bigger than Z600.

Thanks for the comprehensive review, John!

Peter

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.motorola - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <0vjwd.1105320$Gx4.548849@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net> on Thu, 16
Dec 2004 17:22:04 GMT, Ron <rdswart@worldnet.att.net> wrote:

>I certainly got the v551 in part because I wanted internet connectivity
>for my laptop...and partly because I wanted the video/still camera features.
>
>True, Cingular charges by the kbyte for the wireless "modem" feature,
>but it's faster and cheaper than dialup ($20 a month for media-works
>which has unlimited internet!!) and it always seems to connect at 115.2
>(your mileage may vary) so maybe you could reconsider it.

<http://navasgrp.home.att.net/tech/cingular/media.htm>:

Connections between handsets and "tethered" devices (e.g., notebook
computer, PDA) are typically implemented as a serial port, either
real or virtual, and port speed usually defaults to 115 Kbps.
(Bluetooth is typically implemented on a computer as a virtual serial
port that will go as fast as 921.6 Kbps, but which runs at only 115.2
Kbps by default.) While 115 Kbps is generally fast enough for GPRS
(and CDMA 1X), it can be a bottleneck for EDGE (as well as UMTS and
CDMA EV-DO). In general, port speed should be at least 230 Kbps for
GPRS (and CDMA 1X) and 460 Kbps for EDGE (920 Kbps for UMTS and CMDA
EV-DO).

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.motorola - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <32e0fdF3kdrlqU1@individual.net> on Thu, 16 Dec 2004 19:54:49 +0200,
"Peter" <peter@greatnowhere.com> wrote:

>> * Less capable phonebook (Show Only Primary Numbers is still not as good as
>> multiple entries per name)
>
>That sucks. I _need_ multiple phone numbers for each name. Can't you do it
>on V551? If so guess it's no Motorola for me.

Only one phone number per entry, so you have to use multiple entries with the
same name for multiple numbers. You can set one entry per name as the Primary
Number. It's workable, but a kludge compared to Sony Ericsson.

>> * Side keys that are too easy to press accidentally (too often turning off the
>> ringer when I put the phone in my leather holster)
>
>Every now and then I would accidentally switch on camera on Z600 when
>opening it. Annoying.

The V551 is worse because the buttons are easier to press.

>Who cares about a camera? Not me. All I need is a phone that is small,
>light, has decent phonebook, Bluetooth, fast data, reasonable battery life,
>clamshell/flip form factor and WORKS instead of locking up every day. Guess
>I'll have to wait for Z500... it's a bit smaller than Z600. ...

Unfortunately, the Z500 LACKS BLUETOOTH which makes it a non-starter for me --
WHATEVER WERE THEY THINKING?!

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

> >> * Less capable phonebook (Show Only Primary Numbers is still not as
good as
> >> multiple entries per name)
> >
> >That sucks. I _need_ multiple phone numbers for each name. Can't you do
it
> >on V551? If so guess it's no Motorola for me.
>
> Only one phone number per entry, so you have to use multiple entries with
the
> same name for multiple numbers. You can set one entry per name as the
Primary
> Number. It's workable, but a kludge compared to Sony Ericsson.

Doesn't V3 have multiple entries per name? I've been reading reviews that
it's not exactly easy to use, but at least seems like a step in right
direction.

> >Who cares about a camera? Not me. All I need is a phone that is small,
> >light, has decent phonebook, Bluetooth, fast data, reasonable battery
life,
> >clamshell/flip form factor and WORKS instead of locking up every day.
Guess
> >I'll have to wait for Z500... it's a bit smaller than Z600. ...
>
> Unfortunately, the Z500 LACKS BLUETOOTH which makes it a non-starter for
me --
> WHATEVER WERE THEY THINKING?!

Geez, and I completely missed that! Bye bye Sony!

Are there ANY phones on the market that fulfill the above criteria? Are we
doomed?

One of the best phones I've ever owned was Ericsson T39 - really small,
light, fast GPRS, BT, display easily readable in sunlight (those idiots are
now putting color screens on outside!)... Unfortunately in coupla years it's
GPRS started doing like 2kbps instead of expected 50+ kbit, so I had to get
myself a new one. Now Z600 is starting to show signs of breakdown - locking
up, wobbly clamshell hinge... I wonder if SE phones inherently have short
lifespan?

Peter


Peter