Mini USB jack to connect earphones and mouthpiece.

Leather protective pouch.

Transflash memory slot.

Penning a design that will strike the right chord with consumers all around is never an easy feat. Yet, for the past decade, Motorola has managed to regularly whip up a number of jaw dropping handsets to continue as a force to be reckoned where mobile phone design excellence is concerned. The original RAZR V3 was and still is arguably the most iconic handset around, but in a world where technology never stands still and consumers are always spoilt for choice, products of beauty must be constantly backed by substance to go the full retail distance. Tuned In This is where the new V3i steps in and while it may appear to have nothing more than a few obvious aesthetic makeovers such as the lighted Motorola badge at the front and the shimmering brushed metal that frames the external LCD, there is actually more to it than just dashes of skin-deep enhancements. First and foremost is the popular iTunes software from Apple Computer. Presentation and application are similar to the Motorola ROKR E1 and can be triggered via a dedicated iTunes button above the hang-up key. Interface is expectedly easy to use and much more snappy than the ROKR E1. In fact, anyone who has used an iPod before should face no difficulty in adjusting to the watered down iTunes in the V3i. One Niggling Limitation An unfortunate inheritance from the ROKR E1 version of iTunes is the cap on the number of tracks the new V3i is able to handle. Save for the American version that is capped at 100 songs, all other V3i will come with a cap of 50 songs – that is unless you use Motorola's very own MP3 playback software that doesn't have this playback limitation.

Flashy Lack of storage options is no longer an issue because right underneath the battery cover of the new V3i is a Transflash memory expansion slot, which together with a piece of bundled Transflash memory card of 256MB (maximum of up to 512MB) capacity means instant storage of more than 60 MP3 files. The addition of Transflash for more storage is also useful considering that resolution of the onboard camera has been bumped up from VGA (640 x 480 pixels) to 1.23 megapixels (1280 x 960 pixels), which means you can now capture more detailed candid shots than the older RAZR V3. Between the two transfer modes of either USB or direct reading off the Transflash memory card, the latter was preferred because of its speedier data transfer speed. USB transfer was simply too slow for copying pictures and songs in and out of the V3i. The Rest Of It All The bundled pair of earphones produces decent audio quality for everyday use but because the connecting end is in the form of a mini-USB connector, using personal earphones and headphones to enhance audio quality would be impossible. Both external and internal screens are brilliant in their respective applications and messaging using Motorola's iTap should be easy for loyal users of Motorola mobile phones – that is if you are more used to T9 predictive input. Audio and silent alerts are strong and the good tactility of the keypad means the V3i is just as pleasant to use as the first RAZR V3. The Cool Just Got Cooler Considering how small the battery pack is, one will be pleased to learn that the V3i lasted nearly three days on a single charge. This together with the imaging, storage, software and build enhancements has successfully injected a new lease of life and appeal to the successor of the RAZR V3. Simply put, the new V3i has just extended the desirability of Motorola's RAZR V3 series.

Product Specifications Quad-band GSM Primary Display: 262K-color TFT (176 x 220 pixels) Secondary Display: 65K-color CSTN (96 x 80 pixels) Transflash slot (256MB card supplied) and 10MB onboard WAP 2.0, GPRS, Bluetooth, USB English, Simplified Chinese and Malay languages Polyphonic/MP3 ringtones, video playback and Java support 1.23-megapixel Integrated Camera Standby Time: Up to 200 hours Talk Time: Up to 3.5 hours Dimensions: 98 x 53 x 13.9 mm (D x W x H) Weight: 100g