Crave

(Credit: Crave Asia)

Remember the shameless phone that tried to pull a Ferrari stunt? Forget that. Here's the almost real deal--the Moto Razr2 V9 Ferrari Special Edition. Granted, that differences between this and the original Razr2 V9 are purely cosmetic, but at least you won't be on the receiving end of stifled giggles. In case you're worried people can't tell it's a special-edition phone, the top LCD will show a big Ferrari logo when the handset is open. And if they still don't get it, show them you mean business by playing the racing car ringtones on repeat. See more photos here.

(Source: Crave Asia)

Kent German, CNET's cell phones guru, answers your questions about cell phones, services, and accessories and reports on the state of the industry. Send him a question!

You can't talk about Motorola's cell phone division without hearing gloomy predictions about its future. Such a prognosis is understandable considering the litany of bad news that's come out of the company over the past year. Indeed, plummeting earnings, layoffs, executive departures, and Carl Ichan haven't done much for Moto's image. Yet, I'm struck by how the cell phone world appears to be shrugging off the decline of a storied and pioneering company. Instead of hearing a lot of hand wringing over Moto's troubles, many consumer and industry watchers seem to be content to let Moto go.

An old classic.

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This sentiment is both unfortunate and uncalled for. While Moto is largely responsible for its declining market share, I don't think it deserves the schadenfreude that goes along with it. We're not talking about some two-bit company; we're talking about a firm that gave us some of the most popular cell phones ever. We can't underestimate the impact of models such as the Startac and the V60, nor can we forget that Moto's iDEN phones continue to power Nextel. And I couldn't have agreed more when PC Magazine's Sascha Segan explained the dangers of a world without Moto. While competitors such as Nokia and Sony Ericsson consider North America an afterthought, Motorola gives equal attention to its home market. Instead of waiting in line behind Europe and Asia to get Moto's phones, usually we get them first. That's a benefit I don't want to lose.

History, however, can be a strength and a hindrance. When we talk about Moto now, we talk more about its past glories than its current hits. Like many of my colleagues, I've criticized the company over the past couple years for that very reason--it's been a long time since it has wowed us with something completely new. Just consider what Moto's record this year. After an exciting CES where it introduced the promising Rokr E8, it barely made a ripple at GSMA and at CTIA, it gave us just the Motorola Z9. Though the Z9 proved to be a satisfying phone, it was more of the same.

Moto's last big hit

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I'm confident that Moto has the potential to surprise us, and I'm hopeful that it successfully spins off its cell phone business as it has promised. At CTIA CEO Greg Brown insisted that the company is committed to the mobile business but the Wall Street Journal isn't too optimistic on the prospect. The newspaper estimates that an independent cell phone division would need about $4 billion to support itself. It also reported that Hewlett-Packard executive Todd Bradley, who was being considered to head the new company, has pulled his name from consideration.

I'm not going to postulate about what Moto needs to do to save itself. Frankly, that's already been discussed many times over and I don't think I'd have anything new to say. But let me tell you a story. In late 2005, about a year after the iconic Razr V3 went on sale, I had the chance to ask former CEO Ed Zander what the Razr meant to his company. He replied that it had a huge effect not only on the company's external its external but also its internal morale. Because of the Razr, Zander said, Moto's employees began to believe in the company again and that it could do great things. After riding the Razr wave for so long, I wonder if the company still believes that. Please don't hang up on us Mototola, this is one caller that would hate to see you go.

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(Credit: Techie Diva)

Of all the major car companies that have co-branded phones, Ferrari seems to have the most versions, flags-down--and it can't seem to make up its mind on which one it likes best.

Last year luxury phone maker Vertu announced its "Ascent Ferrari 1947 Limited Edition" just months after the "Razr Maxx V6 Ferrari Challenge Mobile Phone" was unveiled. Now it's apparently come full circle back to Motorola with its "V9 Ferrari Edition."

At the risk of suffering Razr fatigue, as Techie Diva says, the latest model doesn't look all that different except for the familiar stallion logo, trademark red hues, and checkered-flag panels. It does come with a leather case, but the specs are the same as the standard handset. True Enzo loyalists who want to state their allegience in an unmistakeable way may opt for the F1 phone instead.

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.

Moto Razr 2

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET Networks)

Motorola today showed off a bunch of fancy cell phones, including the new Razr 2. At an event in New York City, the company debuted not only a successor to the popular Razr line but also showed off the Rokr Z6, the "media monster" Z8, and new versions of the Motorola Q. Multimedia is a big theme here, while slider and thin designs continue to be in. Check out photos of the event and the new handsets in our slide show.