• Overview
• 
• Review
• 
• Specs
• 
• Compare
• 
• Images
• 
• User Reviews
• 
• Discuss
• 

By Juniper Foo and Antonio Tan, CNET Asia
Nov 09, 2006

Take the RAZR, do a nip tuck, and the result: One svelte bombshell dressed to kill in glossy metallic blue and a width just over 3/4s that of the old V3. In keeping with tradition, Motorola has wrapped another four-letter name around its latest issue, the KRZR (pronounced cray-zer). We know it looks good. Now let's find out if it's all eye candy or if the KRZR is really an evolved RAZR V3 as some say.

Design
If you liked the iconic RAZR and any of its variations that have since emerged, the KRZR is clearly a RAZR V3 put on a strict diet. But it's also much more. Its narrow frame is topped off by a hardened blue glass finish, the back borrows the matte feel of the PEBL, while the bottom piece has been given perforated dimples that add a modern element to the overall look. Even the ends of the hinges have been given a jeweled touch.

The body's magnesium and polished chrome composition imbues the KRZR with a solid, well-built construction despite the slenderer heft. However, this has also contributed to the K1's weightier 103g to the V3's 95g. While we're on the matter of dimensions, interestingly, the KRZR may be narrower (42mm), but in all else, it is longer (103mm) and thicker (16mm) to the RAZR's 53 x 98 x 13.9mm. That said, the K1 feels great in hand and operating this one-handed is quite easily accomplished, with the side buttons finally within comfortable reach.

There are hidden service lights to the left and right of the external display, which emerge once the phone is in either active Bluetooth mode (a blue status light) or being charged (a green status light). There are no lights in the case of missed calls or messages. Instead, the phone plays an alert which we found good enough.

To accommodate the narrower frame, everything within has been trimmed down, from the keypad to the internal screen. Fortunately, this has in no way affected the user experience, with the 1.9-inch internal display maintaining the same brightness at 65,536 colors and 176x220-pixel resolution.

Now we come to the crux of owning such a shiny bauble. Whichever way you look at it, the K1 is a fingerprint magnet. Barely 5 minutes out of its box, and the KRZR had morphed from glossy beauty to greasy gremlin.

Inside, the same problem that plagued the RAZR continues to annoy in the KRZR. As the keypad and display become oily with use, the lines that divide the keys and the D-pad outline would imprint themselves onto the screen in a grid fashion. You can probably play Tic Tac Toe on it, but this really mars the viewing experience, particularly in bright sunlight. So word to the wise: Keep that cleaning cloth handy.

• Most Popular

• Upcoming

What's Hot

 

Latest Downloads