The full
Motorola KRZR K1
review
Motorola hit pay-dirt with the RAZR phone. It re-invented the mobile in ways that are still reverberating through the industry. The RAZR has already taken its place in the annals of iconic design and its enduring appeal is exemplified by the fact it's still going strong and selling well two years after its launch.
Clamshell phone
The MOTOKRZR isn't a radical departure but Motorola has given the look some much-needed pep. It takes the much-loved traits of the RAZR - the tactile, nickel-cut keypad and quality construction - but squashes the wide chassis into a more elongated frame, adding just 2mm in the process. It now measures a svelte 16mm.
The KRZR's new glass-coated front veneer is a move away from the RAZR's metallic armour. Motorola has also given the back cover a lick of soft paint and the whole phone is incredibly tactile. It also retains the RAZR's satisfying snapping clamshell flip action.
Etched keypad
The 176x220-pixel resolution screen feels small but its size limitations are dictated by the handset's slender bodywork. You won't need any introduction to the etched keypad because nothing has changed from the RAZR. It remains responsive and easy to operate.
Improved user interface
Motorola's user interface has long been renowned for being a nightmare to navigate but really this is a misleading description, often spread by people who don't have the patience to master anything new. Okay, it may not be as intuitive as Nokia's UI but Motorola has been working hard to make its wrongly accused interface more lucid.
The MOTOKRZR brings along these minor but welcome improvements: the number of clicks it takes to send a text has been reduced, while the choice of words that appear in predictive text mode now appear in the body copy for a more seamless approach; the search criteria when finding contact names is more accurate, taking you straight to the desired area, and the voice command operation is also enhanced. All these modifications will look to silence the dissenters and enhance the KRZR's reputation.
Two-megapixel camera
The MOTOKRZR's two-megapixel camera is kept simple. There's no auto-focus or any real ability to modify the exposure, and the lack of any flash hinders its performance in low light environments. But for a rudimentary point-and-shoot experience the KRZR does a sterling job and the pictures are good enough to archive on your PC or share via Bluetooth.
Video recording is similarly raw, shooting in a CIF (352x288 pixels) resolution at 15fps in MPEG format. The quality is disrupted by digital noise and judder and is only really good for MMS fun and frolics.
A2DP music player
The MOTOKRZR's A2DP (Advance Audio Distribution Profile) music player, like the 3G-enabled Motorola V3x, is also no-frills, so doesn't give you a lot of choice when enhancing the audio. But hook up your Bluetooth headphones and you can hear the increase in quality. The majority of A2DP headphones serve up driving bass and beef up your MP3, AAC or AAC+ files.
The 20MB of embedded memory won't be able to handle all the music, images and videos, so a microSD card slot is available to stockpile your clobber. 2GB cards are the maximum capacity but shop around and you could pick them up for around £50.