22 May 2008
Surely you’ve noticed the many smart phones coming out of the market nowadays. New phones contain an integrated camera, built-in media player for both video and audio, so even have wireless Internet and pc capabilities! Packed with so many features for every new model, sometimes it can be a real pain to buy a new phone especially when you are working with a tight budget.

For people who are looking for a simple yet stylish phone, Motorola has the answer to your needs with the release of the newest addition to their collection of great mobile phones. In a press release from Motorola, the company described the Motorola F3 as the “handset (that) redefines wireless communication with high design, smart features and an easy-to-learn functionality at a low price”.

Unlike the new phones today, the Motorola F3 mobile phone, more commonly known as MOTOFONE F3, is designed for the low-end market in the developing countries by integrating features that’ll contribute to the ease of use. With more and more people who are starting to explore wireless technology, Motorola aims to help billions of people get connected through a more cost-effective device. With the MOTOFONE F3, this is all a possibility – families, friends and even business associates can now connect with each other without the need to spend hundreds of dollars for a simple way to call or send a short message.

Perhaps the most glaring feature of Motorola F3 is its thinness. It is currently considered as the slimmest phone in the market with just 70 grams in weight and 112 x 46 x 9mm in dimension. Its monochrome display is approximately at 1.9 inches and it keypads has layout the same as that of the Motorola V3 RAZR but with its bumps and plastic border, the MOTOFONE F3 is so much easier to use.

Voice prompt and automatic update for prepaid accounts

Motorola recognizes the fact that a lot of people in developing countries have trouble reading. To address this issue, they have made the user interface of the MOTOFONE F3 to include innovative voice prompts which are customizable to local languages. These voice prompts helps the user to navigate through menus, create messages and many other functions. Aside from this, the phone also has graphical displays to report the network status and battery strength. It also sends an automatic report for prepaid users after each call or message so they can monitor the status of their accounts. This way, users will know exactly how much they’re spending during a certain amount of time, giving them greater control over their expenses.

Clear Vision display

The MOTOFONE F3 is also considered as the first mobile phone to incorporate the electronic paper on its screen, also termed as Clear Vision by Motorola. The electrophoretic imaging film is a lot thinner and lighter than the regular LCD displays used by modern phones, allows for the phone’s thinness. The display also consumes lesser power so the phone’s battery can last longer than the average modern phone and its paper-like display allows excellent viewing even in direct sunlight.

Unfortunately, this electrophoretic film is so much similar to the screen used in calculators so there is no functionality to change from upper case to lower case, and the phone has no built in dictionary. The F3 also has very limited non-alphabetic characters and can support only a few such as the comma, hyphen, question mark, at-sign, asterisk and hash. If an F3 user receives a message that contains characters that are not supported, these appear as dashes on the phone’s display. Also, the display contains only two lines of six characters each so it is fairly restrictive. It is also monochromatic so none of those colorful screensavers you see with other modern phones. Moreover, the display is much more difficult to see at night, despite the backlight in the keypads and on the display.

For people who are looking for a more “gadget-y” devise, you will probably find the Motorola F3 stylish, but it doesn’t have the features you are looking for. This simple phone can only call and send text messages and it doesn’t have Bluetooth or infrared connectivity; there is no integrated camera, and you only have polyphonic tones as ringtones.

Despite its limitations, we must note that the MOTOFONE F3 is not a low quality contraption. From the design alone and the way all its parts fit together, one can see that this phone was made with the highest standard of quality. With the durable, matte-finished housing, the phone is best used by people whose jobs are exposed to a lot of dust and sun. It is fairly solid and was built to last even with rough handling and damp conditions. If you are looking for a simple yet functional phone, then the Motorola F3 will suit you just fine.

Reviewer: T Boylin - Nottingham
Reviewed on: 2nd June, 2008
Rating: 10/10
This phone suits me!
It is quick,simple, cheap and easy to use.
OH! and it solves my other problem too! I am prone to losing and abusing them....now I can afford the replacement.

Reviewer: m.murison - middlesex
Reviewed on: 29th October, 2007
Rating: 7/10
only issue is the lack of instructions

Reviewer: Angela Cox - Dudley, West Midlands
Reviewed on: 13th October, 2007
Rating: 10/10
Hi, this mobile phone is excellent, my Son has special needs and wanted a basic 'phone that he could understand and in no time at all he has learnt how to call people and even text!! A great 'phone for a first timer!

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