Crave

Pretty in pink

(Credit: Motorola)

Two weeks before CTIA, Motorola jumped the gun and unleashed a gallery of new cell phones. While most of the models were basic handsets for developing markets, the Motorola U9 and the Motorola Razr2 V8 Luxury Edition stood out from the crowd. Luckily, Motorola gave us the chance to see the handsets up close at a CTIA press event.

The Moto U9 inherits its curvaceous design from the Motorola Pebl U6. It has the same rounded edges and smooth body, though instead of a rubbery skin, it sports a glossy finish that reflects the light. It fits neatly in the hand, and I liked the slick external display. Though it's invisible when the backlighting is off, a flick of the volume rocker will cause the display to appear behind the front face.

The dark pink color is certainly eye-catching, but the U9 comes in a more subdued black hue as well. Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to test the new "Spinner" interface, but it looks cool from the pictures. Features on the U9 include a music player, stereo Bluetooth, Moto's Crystal Talk technology, a 2-megapixel camera, and world phone support. And in contrast to what I said in a video, the U9 is not part of Moto's Rokr series (sorry about that, it was a long trade show day). Also, we first saw the U9's nontraditional hinge design in the Sony Ericsson Z600, not the Pebl.

The Motorola Razr2 V8 Luxury Edition has the same overall shape as the original Razr2 V8, but the 18-karat and 24-karat gold plating positively sparkles. What's more, the slate black accents, faux leather rear face and the pin-striped design around the external display certainly put it in a luxury league (assuming there is, and even should be, such a league for cell phones). Some users might find that all bling to be a bit too much, but if you love making a statement, this could be the phone for you. The spacious external display is here as well, but unlike the Razr2 V9, it doesn't use the nifty onscreen controls to its full extent (T-Mobile's Razr2 V8 had the same problem). As for features, the handset offers Bluetooth, a 2-megapixel camera, quadband GSM world phone support, Moto's CrystalTalk technology, a full HTML browser, and Windows Media Player 11. We'll review them just as soon as we can.

T-Mobile's Razr2

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)

We expected that it would happen, and today we got confirmation that the Motorola Razr2 has at long last arrived at T-Mobile. The carrier announced it would sell the Razr2 V8 for $249 with service, making it the last major carrier to offer Moto's Razr revamp. From the outside the V8 has the same sleek design as both the GSM V9 and CDMA V9m, but inside there are some important differences. The V8 lacks 3G support (T-Mobile has yet to launch a wireless broadband network) and it doesn't fully utilize the external display. For a full analysis, check out our full Razr2 V8 review or see the Razr2's profile in our slide show.

That's one phone with a lot of bling

(Credit: Motorola)

It's a big day in the cell phone world. Not only did LG's Rumor become official, but also Motorola stepped up with nine new handsets. Though the majority are basic models meant primarily for making calls, Moto also gave us a new "Luxury" version of the Razr2 V8 and a curvaceous model based on the former Pebl U6. Check them all out in our slide show.

Pretty much everyone is aware that Motorola's Razr phones are skinny. Much fewer people know about director Michel Gondry's own skinniness.

But anyone who's seen director Gondry's films (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Science of Sleep), music videos, or straight-to-YouTube clips is aware that his work is exceptionally creative, visual, and artistic.

Gondry was hired to create a TV commercial for Motorola's highly rated Razr2 phone, but apparently, the result was far too interesting to air on TV. See for yourself.

According to AdWeek, Motorola CEO Ed Zander felt the spot didn't focus enough on the Razr2's sleek design. Tensions mounted between Motorola and Cutwater, the ad agency that hired Gondry to direct the commercial.

In the end, Gondry's commercial never aired. But the commercial has received more than 50,000 views on YouTube at the time of writing. That's a win for Gondry, and (unfortunately, given the lack of support it gave the spot) a ton of visibility for Motorola.

[Via psfk.com.]

Alltel's shiny Razr2

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)

After the iPhone debut, the launch of the Motorola Razr2 has been the biggest cell phone news of the summer. We've reviewed AT&T's Razr2 V9 and both the Verizon Wireless and Sprint versions of the Razr2 V9m, so now we turn our attention to the V9m with Alltel. Like its siblings, Alltel's handset offers a slick, stylish design and a host of high-end multimedia features. Of course, this being a Razr2, Alltel customized the handset's external display and added its own features, like its Celltop application and support for TeleNav GPS. It's not quite as action-packed as its counterparts, but it's still a very decent handset. Check out our full Alltel V9m review or look at the pretty pictures in our slide show.

The Razr2 V9m

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)

As expected, Alltel today formerly picked up the Motorola Razr2 V9m, that lovely Razr revamp that caught our attention last month. Alltel joins Verizon Wireless and Sprint in offering the feature-packed handset while AT&T has already countered with the GSM Razr2 V9. As is the case with the other carriers offering the Razr2, Alltel adds its own customization to the phone. The massive external display shows the missed calls list (handy indeed) and you'll find the carrier's unique Celltop application. The carrier chose to use Moto's standard user interface rather than applying its own, and the phone's color scheme is the same dark pearl gray found on the Sprint model. The standard features include stereo Bluetooth, a 2-megapixel camera, a microSD card slot, a digital music player and support for EV-DO networks. As for other goodies, Alltel's V9m has satellite XM Radio and a TeleNav GPS application. You can buy it for $299 with service; check back soon for a review.

The Razr2 V8

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)

With Alltel's announcement, only T-Mobile has yet to make any Razr announcements. Rumors persist that T-Mobile will acquire the GSM/EDGE Razr V8 next month, but that's remains unconfirmed as of now. We'll let you know when we know something for sure.

The Razr2 V9m

(Credit: Corrine Schulze/CNET Networks)

Just when you think Motorola has milked everything it can out of the Razr line, here comes yet another version of the now-iconic phone. But instead of just a simple refresh, the Motorola Razr2 series is a complete redesign of the handsets. Believe us when we say we're as tired of the Razr as the next person, but Motorola has managed to pique our interest with this second-generation model. It's attractive, packed with features and for the most part it's a good performer as well. While the original Razr was a Cingular exclusive for the first six months of its life, Moto spread the carrier love this time around. The Razr2 is coming to almost all the major carriers at the same time; so far we've reviewed the CDMA V9m models for Sprint and Verizon Wireless and the GSM V9 for AT&T. After giving each phone a full shake down we can report that the AT&T and Sprint models are the best so far but that could change once we get our hands on the Alltel version. And for your viewing pleasure check out our Sprint V9m and Verizon V9m slide shows.

The Razr2 V9m in Alltel and Sprint colors

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)

Motorola announced today that its second-generation Razr phone will be arriving at most major U.S. carriers by the end of the summer. The GSM Razr2 V9 will come to AT&T while the CDMA Razr2 V9m will come to Alltel, Sprint, and Verizon Wireless. T-Mobile is out of the game at the moment, mostly due to the carrier's lack of a 3G network. That said, it theoretically could adopt the GSM Razr2 V8, which tops out at 2.5G EDGE speeds, but that's just speculation for now.

Announced in May, the Razr2 line adopts the now iconic Razr form factor but offers a fresh approach. Besides being marginally thinner and more streamlined, the phones offer steel and hardened glass casings; large, higher-resolution displays; and onscreen touch controls with tactile feedback. Carriers were given a lot of freedom as to the design of their phones. They could change the appearance of the external displays and alter which touch controls they wanted to show on the screen. Colors also vary among the carriers. Sprint and Alltel come in dark pearl grey, AT&T's phone is mahogany, and Verizon chose the espresso model.

Razr2 V9 for AT&T

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)

Features are the same on all versions. You'll find a 2-megapixel camera, full Bluetooth, a microSD card slot, 3G support, video conferencing, a full HTML browser, Windows Media Player 11 with PC syncing, a 500Mhz processor, USB 2.0, and "CrystalTalk" voice technology that will adjust the volume automatically based on ambient noise.

Sprint's version will go on sale August 22 for $249 with service. The other carriers will get their phones at about the same time and for a similar price.

We'll have full reviews of the phones in the next couple of days. In the meantime, check out some from our initial hands-on session. Though we're as sick of the Razr as the next person, we admit that the Razr2 line is undeniably eye-catching. We've been saying for a long time that Motorola needs something completely new--and we still feel that way--but this will do for the time being. If this Razr's performance is as good as it looks, then Moto may just be able to revive its flagging cell phone division.

The Razr2 V9 in maroon

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)

A day after Motorola released its new Razr 2 cell phones, I got the chance to play with the handsets up close. Though I've grown quite weary of recycled Razrs, I have to admit I liked what I saw. The Razr 2 design is more a refresh of the popular thin handset than a revolution, but it wins new points for beauty. The redesigned hinge and the flattened bottom end are eye-catching, and they contribute to the overall sleek and shiny appearance. And though the V9, V9m, and V8 are just a hair's (0.07 inch) slimmer than the original Razr V3, the change is quite noticeable. As for colors, I'm partial to the maroon hue on the V9 but the dark blue on the V8 and V9m is attractive as well. Meanwhile, the metal casing gives the cell phone a relatively solid feel. Check out more pictures in our slide show.

The Razr2 V9m and the new external display

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)

The external displays are a huge improvement over the original screen on the V3. It's rich with color and detail, and the tactile feedback for the on-screen touch controls is definitely cool. It's disappointing that Moto made some messaging functions available only on the V8's external display. Why the company can't do the same for every Razr is beyond me.

Inside I liked the internal display as well. It's also bright and vivid, though again I don't understand why Moto doesn't spread the love when adding new features to a phone. Though the V8 features a slick new interface thanks to a Linux/Java platform, the V9 and V9m include the same boring and stodgy Moto interface that we're thoroughly over.

The new menu interface on the Razr2 V8

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)

The keypad shows some changes as well. It covers nearly the whole surface of the phone's bottom half. The alphanumeric buttons are completely flat with the surface of the phone and have no definition between them but we'll hold our firm assessment on their usability until we get a review model. The navigation array features the same round four-way toggle with the central OK button.

The V9 and V9m have a microSD card slot but it's crammed behind the battery cover. The V8 doesn't have expandable memory but it comes with 512MB of shared memory plus an additional 2GB of internal storage--impressive indeed.

Motorola wouldn't tell which carriers will get the Razr 2 but we can say that the V9 was running on Cingular, the V8 was operating on T-Mobile, and the V9m was using Alltel. While the V9 and V8 could be flukes since they could use any carrier's SIM card, it seems pretty clear that the V9m will land at Alltel. I can't imagine Alltel hooking up a strange phone on its network unless they were thinking about supporting it. All three Razr 2s will be out by the end of the summer.