The Motorola RAZR V3c just became available in stores this past week. And like any true gadget geek, I had to be one of the first to get one.
The good:
It's still the slickest looking phone out there, on the most reliable wireless network. So what if it's a year plus late compared to other providers. The gunmetal color strikes a nice balance between the sliver and black versions. The screen is bright and sharp. The voice quality is excellent. The 1 megapixel camera takes great pictures (for a phone). The phone supports V-CAST (streaming video, etc.) and EV-DO (high-speed data).
The bad:
Verizon has done it's usual craptastic crippling of the software. Bluetooth only works for wireless headset use. Everything else goes through Verizon and costs $$$. Even getting your photos off the phone! Of course, in time there will be hacks to access the service menus, fully enable the bluetooth, use the phone as an EV-DO modem, etc. (If you have any information on such hacks to the Verizon RAZR, I'll be happy to post the information on this blog.) The phone costs $200 after a $100 rebate without any other credits on your account.
The ugly:
The red theme is unappealing and it doesn't appear it can be changed via the standard menus.