Pros: Pretty clear signal, slimness, takes pretty decent amount of abuse without breaking, clean aesthetics (etched keypad is lovely), beautifully clear polyphonic ringtones.
Cons: Does not stay in back pocket, slippery, too wide for petite hands, memory gets low relatively quickly, batteries can be problematic, no flash, no "always-on" outside display
Summary: I owned the V3c for a year before losing it. During the first month, I replaced two batteries which caused my RAZR to freeze up and turn unresponsive; this indicated to me that OEM batteries may be problematic.
While I enjoyed the slimness of this phone, it proved problematic because I would stick it in my back pocket automatically, and thanks to its sleek aluminum case, as soon as I sat down, it would slip out and I was consistently losing it. I do think the phone is a bit too wide for smaller hands but for the average/older American who is used to a land-line handset, they love it. The camera LACKS a flash and picture quality is only so-so. Voice activated dialing is a blessing, as is the quick sync with Motorola Bluetooth headsets, but you have to keep them relatively close together - as in, your back pocket to your headset. Ringers are loud and polyphonic, so your MP3 ringtones will sound great. Displays are colorful, large, and clear, but the outside display will *not* stay on, you must push a button to see what time it is, which is a pain. Even cheaper phones tell you time and date from the outside display, as well as have a flash, but this stupid, expensive phone does not. I had a gimpy Audiovox 8910 from 2005 that had better features than my 2006 RAZR.
I do have raves about the durability though. I have dropped my V3c on the pavement, watched it fall and bounce across parking lots, and down wooden flights of stairs. My phone was chipped and dented on all the plastic parts, but it still managed to work. While I don't recommend being abusive, because your phone might not take it, it's good to know that it is pretty durable.
Battery life gets steadily worse over time, at most you will usually get 1 day of standby by the time you hit a year of use. Memory is pretty low, and if you have a penchant for text messaging, video, ringtones, or pictures, expect it to fill up relatively quickly. There are no included accessories to this phone beside the home charger, so expect to pony it up for car charger, wrist strap, and cases/belt clips.
V3c and V3m prices on auction sites (eBay) are pretty comparable, if you are a media-heavy person, pay extra and pick up a V3m, which has expandable memory up to 1 GB. That is the one improved aspect of the V3m over the V3c, otherwise, nothing much has changed between the two models.
One last note: Verizon cripples its V3c(s) from full-media functioning, while Alltel does not, plus there can be activation issues if you are buying a second-hand phone, so make sure you buy the correct company and from a reputable seller.
So: It's a good, somewhat trendy phone, and after awhile, you'll get used to its lack of basic necessary features (flash/always-on outside display/crappy battery life) and fall in love with its quality features (voice activated dialing, bluetooth, slimness, anticipatory responsive text-messaging). Worth a year of use, at least 'till they com
The Phonedog Days of Summer giveaway is coming to a close, but stay tuned for our new "Phonedog One-Paw Bandit Instant Winner Game", coming in November! We'll be giving away an iPhone in the very first week!
