My Motorola V710 Review

[insomniac]

I used this forum (and Howard Forums) to research my most recent phone purchase so I thought I'd give back a little with a review. Now I'm not a power user like a lot of users on this and other phone forums. All I really needed was a basic flip phone that did the phone features well, i.e. good reception, good battery life, good UI, etc. I was looking at relatively cheap phones like the LG VX3200, the Samsung A650, among others. So why did I end up with an expensive, full featured V710 you ask? I happened to receive a generous gift card as a birthday gift.

I was coming from an old Startac 7868 so you may think that anything new would be an improvement. But I actually loved the old Startac. It did everything I needed it to do almost perfectly. The reception was great, the earpiece volume was nice and loud, battery life was very good (until my battery got old and started to deteriorate battery life), was compact, and the UI was snappy and easy to use. Pretty much the only reason that drove me to a new phone was a problematic charge port.

So after much research and debate, I picked up the V710. After almost a month of use, I can say that I've been relatively pleased with it. To me, it's been a solid if unspectacular phone. I loved my Startac but I'm not as enthusiastic about the V710. Still yet, it's been functional and reliable without too many major quirks or dealbreakers.

One of the big complaints I read about before purchasing this phone was the soft volume on the earpiece. When I first got the phone, I did indeed find the volume too soft, even at the highest setting. I thought this might be the dealbreaker that would make me return the phone, but I eventually got used to it. Positioning the earpiece just right helps a lot. While I still find it softer than I would like, I haven't found it to be a big problem so far.

Some interesting quirks are found mostly on the software side. Nothing that's a dealbreaker but notable nonetheless. It seems just a tad buggy at times. For instance, I have my Contacts set to display only Primary Numbers. However, at random times, the list will display all the numbers for some of the names. Not all names, just some. Pretty weird. I still haven't figured out what causes this. It seems to come and go randomly.

Another thing I do not like is that when I set my ringer to Vib+Ring, then change the volume by using the side buttons, I can't get back to Vib+Ring mode using the side buttons. Once you adjust the volume using those side buttons, you can only choose Silent, Vibrate, and various volume levels. You have to go into the menu to get it back to Vib+Ring. Also, there are so many notification settings and scenarios to set that I find my phone emitting a beep (i.e. for voicemail) when I want it to remain silent in a particular setting. I guess that's just a matter of taking the time to set all the conditions to my liking.

Ringer volume is good but I find the Vibrate to be too weak. One of the things I loved about the Startac was its strong vibration mode. The V710 is a good deal weaker and I often don't feel it vibrating in my pants. Especially when I'm out and about, walking around.

Reception has been good. No complaints. I find it roughly comparable to my Startac. I have no measurables to support this but I haven't had any problems with the phone cutting off. Battery life, too, I have no measurables for, but I find it solid. I don't use my phone heavily most of the time and I find I charge it every 2 or 3 days.

Some other notes. While the phone seemed huge at the store, compared to a lot of Verizon's other offerings, it now seems like a good size. It's not too small and it's very comfortable to use. The build quality is not as good as the pictures seem to indicate. The fit and finish are not as top notch as I would like in some places. For instance, my number keypad isn't affixed tightly and exhibits some movement if I try to slide it. While it feels a little plasticky and cheaper feeling than I thought it would be, it's proven to be pretty durable.

The camera, which I don't use much, has awful picture quality. I don't really expect it to take even mediocre photos, but most shots look downright awful. Pictures look very dark, washed out and blurry. Hardly useable. And that you have to turn the flash on manually is pretty annoying. I find that my girlfriend's LG VX6000 takes better pictures. Definitely, the VX7000 and Samsung A670 I tried at the store take much better shots. But this is not a big deal for me. The screen on the other hand is super sharp and bright. Not that great in bright daylight, but indoors it is simply superb.

I purchased the Bluetooth headpiece, which I haven't used much, but it seems to work like a charm when I've tried.

Overall, I find it to be a solid, useable phone. It's not anything close to the be all, end all phone that many were hoping it to be. But, to me, it's not as bad as some of the backlash would indicate. It doesn't do anything spectacularly well and it doesn't evoke as strong emotions as my old Startac did, but it doesn't royally screw anything up either. At least not to the point where it would be a dealbreaker for me. For instance, if you needed decent shots from the camera, this might not be a good way to go. It's got some quirks, the earpiece volume could certainly be louder and the vibration could be stronger, but it's a good, reliable phone. I don't really have much to complain about regarding battery life and reception. It's survived a few pretty nasty falls. And it's exhibited no major problems so far. But it is pretty pricey, and each individual has to decide whether "solid" is worth that kind of price.

Sorry this was so long but hopefully it can help someone out in making his/her decision.

[Morfious]

Originally Posted by insomniac

Another thing I do not like is that when I set my ringer to Vib+Ring, then change the volume by using the side buttons, I can't get back to Vib+Ring mode using the side buttons. Once you adjust the volume using those side buttons, you can only choose Silent, Vibrate, and various volume levels. You have to go into the menu to get it back to Vib+Ring. Also, there are so many notification settings and scenarios to set that I find my phone emitting a beep (i.e. for voicemail) when I want it to remain silent in a particular setting. I guess that's just a matter of taking the time to set all the conditions to my liking.

With the phone closed hit either volume button then hit the smart button (speaker phone) to cycle through the various ring types, when you see vibe & ring hit either of the volume buttons to save. A bit easier than going through the menus.
Part of the benefit of having multiple ring styles is that you can set them up for various settings. This is a ***** to set up but once you do it's a matter of selecting the style you and and everything is instantly changed. I tend to mess arround and play with my new toys in the very beginning so this is the time I use to sort out all my ringtones and pictures etc.

[KenS]

Originally Posted by insomniac

Overall, I find it to be a solid, useable phone. It's not anything close to the be all, end all phone that many were hoping it to be. But, to me, it's not as bad as some of the backlash would indicate.

I, too, did my research here before buying the phone, and I have to agree with your comments, and particularly with the bit I quoted. It's a good phone, for people who need/want the things it does well, but it falls short of what many (including myself) were hoping it might be.

I never got emotional about my Startac (the SC725 digital flip-phone of a few years ago was a different matter, I LOVED that phone, even if it was the size of a brick). But I do miss the Startac's clean user interface, ability to take repeated falls onto concrete without breaking, and long battery life (with extended battery).

Nice review, by the way.

[insomniac]

Originally Posted by Morfious

With the phone closed hit either volume button then hit the smart button (speaker phone) to cycle through the various ring types, when you see vibe & ring hit either of the volume buttons to save. A bit easier than going through the menus.

Thanks for the tip! Very helpful.

[Al Shamah]

Your review is basically flawless. You hit everything on the nose... I do however, disagree with you on one point:
My cousin lives on the first floor of an apartment building in Brooklyn smack in the middle of the building. I used to have a T720, then upgraded (upgraded???) to a T730... NEVER had service in the apartment, not by the window, not in the bedroom... NO SERVICE! Anybody with a Verizon phone got no service in that apartment, that is however until I picked up the V710. I now get perfect reception in every room in his apartment. So yes, I am EXTREMELY impressed in the phones reception capabilities.

Al

[Mobile Mike]

I've had my V710 for about a week, and I agree with Insomniac. I didn't have high expectations for the phone, but overall I like it a lot. I have experienced a few minor glitches, such as a picture taken but not appearing, and once I have added them to a contact, the pictures don't completely appear at first. These are extremely minor issues. I love the reception and ringtones. I'm hoping it will last me for the next 2 years. I don't want to repeat the T720/Refurbished T720/T730 drama again. I liked the T720/T730 except for their needing to be replaced multiple times. Oh well, you live and learn....