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Motorola SLVR L7

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By Wayne Cheah
Jan 26, 2006

Today's mobile customers insist on sleekness and style and that is exactly what Motorola is focusing on with the SLVR L7. This candy-bar copy of the Motorola RAZR V3 promises not only the same desirable ultra-thin design, but also better features than before. The question beckons: Can it emulate the success of the RAZR?

Design
At 113.5 x 49 x 11.5mm and 96g, the SLVR is actually thinner than the already super-slim V3 by 2.4mm. Given that the SLVR is a candy bar while the V3 is a clamshell, the L7 is undeniably still one of the thinnest handsets in the market today, bested only by the lower-end L6 model and NEC's imode handset, the N412i.

The hybrid glass-filled body makes for a fairly sturdy build and the slightly smaller 1.9-inch, 262K-color TFT display at 176 x 220 pixels is as impressive as ever and a joy to behold. However, the SLVR screen also tends to attract smudges with its smooth glossy finish. This is particularly obvious as the display spans a good 50 percent of the length of the phone.

The keypad is just as responsive with the numbers protruding instead of indenting into the pad. With pretty much the same layout and blue electro-luminescent backlight as the V3, there is really little to complain about. However, the insensitivity of the five-way directional pad can be irritating at times, especially when gaming.

There are chrome-plated side keys for adjusting volume, accessing the MP3 program and another for accessing the Web browser. Motorola has kept the onboard mini-USB port (also found on the L6 and V3) which provides a convenient connection to the PC while doubling as a connector for the earphone and battery charger.

Features
Although this quadband phone uses the same chemically hardened glass for its exposed camera lens, it still suffers from the same problem as the V3--the built-in VGA camera. Compared with most phones today, the 640 x 480-pixel images captured on the L7 are somewhat lacking. Those looking for higher-resolution cameras should look out for upcoming Motorola models such as the RAZR V3i and the 3G-enabled V3x.

Meanwhile, the SLVR makes up for its basic camera with in-built photo-editing functions such as Effects (Color, Black and White, Antique, and Negative), Contrast Adjustments, and Self-Timer. Video recording is also possible but limited to 30-sec clips and up to 176 x144-pixel resolution.

With the L7, there is no need to worry about storage space, even with only 5MB of usable memory onboard. Like many of the recent phones, the SLVR offers a TransFlash memory expansion slot which gives users the flexibility to expand the onboard memory by up to 512MB. The standard package comes with a 128MB microSD card.

Putting the memory to good use is the bundled Digital Audio Player for MP3 playback, which produces amazing results through the loud and clear 22KHz polyphonic speakers. We achieved the same sharp speaker volume when using the L7 in speakerphone mode, too. Radio lovers will, however, be disappointed as the SLVR does not come with an FM tuner.

Armed with all your basic PIM, the Motorola candy bar features Bluetooth Class 2, GPRS Class 10, WAP 2.0 as well as easy synchronization with your PC via the USB cable provided. The phone can also be configured to check POP3 or SMTP email accounts. The onboard J2ME support means games can be downloaded onto the phone. There are two onboard games--Asphalt Urban GT and Football.

The L7 also features Push-To-Talk technology, Wireless Village (access to the popular chat programs like AOL, ICQ, Yahoo and MSN) and Screen 3 (delivery of news, weather, etc.), which are all only available should your service provider cater to them.

Performance And Battery Life
During tests, we experienced no problems with either reception or voice quality. The 820mAh Lithium-ion battery managed to last about four days on moderate usage, though we noticed that battery life was significantly reduced when the MP3 player and Bluetooth connectivity functions were activated occasionally.

The highest SAR value for this handset is 0.95W/kg, which meets international guidelines for exposure to radio waves.

Conclusion
The Motorola L7 SLVR is currently retailing at S$438 with a two-year plan and S$638 without contract. This stylish and superslim number from Motorola is actually quite a basic phone by today's standards and a fair bargain if you're not really into 3G and serious photo-video-taking with your phone.

 
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