advertisement

Ask CNET Asia

Find Products

  • Brand
  • Price
  • Operating system
  • Phone type
  • Connectivity options
  • Touchscreen
  • Built-in digital camera?
  • Filter »

Buying Advice

Editors' Top 5s

CNET Features

 

Motorola Krzr K3

 Print    Email     Bookmark     Share

By Ella Morton, CNET.com.au
Oct 1, 2007

Toward the business end of last year, we put the KRZR K1 through our usual stringent tests and deemed it rather wanting. Now the K3 has arrived--and that's "3" as in "3.5G". In addition to an HSDPA network upgrade, the successor to the K1 offers 50MB of internal memory (up from 18), a curvier keypad and a larger external display.

Editors' note:

This review is based on tests done by our sister site CNET.com.au. As such, please note that there may be slight differences in the testing procedure and ratings system. For more information on the actual tests conducted on the product, please inquire directly at the site where the article was originally published. References made to some other products or telcos in this review may not be available or applicable in Asia. Please check directly with your local distributor for details.

Design
The K3 follows the K1's narrow form factor--the measurements for each phone are identical at 42mm by 103mm by 16mm. On the outside of the clamshell is a 60 x 120-pixel display that trumps the K1's 96 x 96-pixel version. It's also located toward the bottom of the phone, whereas the K1's teeny screen was plonked smack-bang in the middle. Above the display is a 2-megapixel camera designed for daytime--there's no flash function or glowing light. The whole surface of the outer shell is coated in a glossy finish, which unfortunately tends to act as a smudge showcase.

The K3 can be flipped open with flair using a single thumb. The movement is not as springy as a slider phone, but it's smoother and less awkward than wider clamshell models such as Nokia's N76. The hinge is solid and hardy, but looks oddly utilitarian in light of the Razr2's sexy silver version.

Motorola is really digging on the flat, razor-cut keypad look these days, and this model is no exception. There is one subtle change from the K1 though: The number keys have been nudged into a faint, smile-shaped curve instead of the standard blocky grid formation. It does look more modern, but the effect on usability is negligible. A VGA camera lurks at the bottom-right corner of the display, ready to capture your mug during video calls.

Features
Beyond the flash-free camera, the K3 serves up Bluetooth--including the A2DP variety--a speakerphone, and some basic games. Internal storage space has been bumped up to 50MB, with support for up to 2GB of extra room through an optional microSD card.

As with most other Moto models that have lately appeared on the scene, there is also a focus on multimedia. Music files can be dragged and dropped from PC to phone via Windows Explorer (or Finder, for the Mac users), but there is also the ability to sync playlists automatically using Windows Media Player 11. A basic music player app on the phone allows songs to play in the background while you get on with other tasks.

 
Performance »