| Motorola C350 |
| General |
| Network | Gsm 900 / Gsm 1800 |
| Announced | 2003, 1q |
| Status | Available |
| Size |
| Dimensions | 101 X 42 X 19 Mm, 75 Cc |
| Weight | 80 G |
| Display |
| Type | Cstn, 4096 Colors |
| Size | 96 X 64 Pixels, 5 Lines |
| | - Downloadable Screensavers And Wallpapers |
| Ringtones |
| Type | Polyphonic (16 Channels) |
| Amount | 35 + 32 Custom |
| Customization | Composer, Download, |
| Vibration | Yes |
| Memory |
| Phonebook | 100 |
| Call Records | 10 Dialed, 5 Received, 5 Missed Calls |
| Card Slot | No |
| | - 25 Voice Dial Numbers |
| Data |
| Gprs | Class 8 (4+1 Slots), 32 - 40 Kbps |
| Hscsd | No |
| Edge | No |
| 3g | No |
| Wlan | No |
| Bluetooth | No |
| Infrared Port | No |
| Usb | |
| Features |
| Messaging | Sms, Ems 5.0 |
| Browser | Wap 1.2.1 |
| Clock | Yes |
| Alarm | No |
| Games | 3 - Motogp, Astrosmash, Snood21 |
| Colors | |
| Camera | No |
| | - T9 (itap)
- Calculator
- Currency Convertor
- Organizer
- Voice Dial
- Changeable Front Covers |
| Battery |
| | Standard, Li-ion 600 Mah (77596) |
| Stand-by | Up To 190 H |
| Talk Time | Up To 4 H |
|
Motorola - C350Face-off with the Motorola C350
Major features
Bright 4096-colour LCD display
Exchangeable front and back covers with different form factors
Polyphonic tones for calls and messages
WAP over GPRS (Class 8)
SMS and EMS capabilities, with iTAP predictive text input
Wallpaper and screen saver features
Ability to mix your own ringer tones (MotoMixer)
Basic organiser features and voice dialling capabilities
Problems/Issues?
Keypad buttons getting caught onto front case when installed
Sales package (should contain):
1 x Motorola C350 handset
1 x lithium-ion battery @ 600 mAh
1 x charger
1 x user manual
Overview
After the release of the world’s first mobile phone with no form factor restrictions (transformed by changing the front and back covers of the phone) not long ago, Motorola has already come up with another model based on the C330 design - which offers various improvements, as well as adding that “bit more” onto the phone to increase its “wow” factor even further.
New/outstanding features
Enter the C350, the C330 alternative that comes with a sharp 4096-colour LCD screen and the possibility to carry an extra battery where required (on the C330, it was not possible to remove the battery that powered the phone). The importance of a colour screen in today’s mobile phones is on the increase, given that the price differential between black-and-white and colour screens is diminishing rapidly over time.
Also, a slight facelift has been given to the C350’s standard set of covers - giving the phone quite a different look-and-feel when compared to its predecessor.
But the C350 retains a lot of the features that were offered on the C330, with most of the look-and-feel of the menus and functions having no or little difference. At the end of the day, consider the C350 as being a colour C330 - which was a wish that I had when I reviewed the C330 late last year.
Physical aspects
Weighing at around 85 grams, the C350 is moderately sized and fits comfortably into virtually any hand. The buttons on the keypad, being slightly more raised than those on the C330, should provide for some improvements in comfort - especially when typing messages on a restricted 12-key keypad.
On the original cover supplied with the C350 sales package, I found an extra lanyard/strap hole on the top right-hand corner of the front casing. This is additional to the one originally located at the base of the phone, which is actually part of the C350’s phone unit. Therefore, you have a choice of either hanging the phone upwards or downwards now :)
And apart from that, the C350 is (again) in many ways much similar to the C330.
User Interface & display
On the C330, it featured a 4-level greyscale screen that provided good levels of screen output and worked extremely well under conditions such as under bright lights (for example, under direct sunlight). The CSTN colour screen on the C350 provides similar levels of performance, with the major difference being the added colours. Sufficient lighting is guaranteed by the LCD’s backlighting should its user wanted to perform phone operations in a dark room.
Alike other Motorola phones, the C350 uses the Synergy interface that is aimed at providing an easy-to-use menu structure and phone functions that are user-friendly. But I still found the three lines of text per screen to be somewhat limiting (the other two lines are used permanently for indicator icons and soft key labels), as well as cramped up a bit.
Having colour means no more black-and-white menus and the possibility of displaying wallpapers with good results. However, this is the limit of the colour LCD’s value, since the phone is not capable of receiving multimedia messages or download and play Java-based games (though the available built-in games are in colour).
Making and receiving calls
Two improvements here - the improved call audio volume in the C350’s earpiece, and the slightly-louder polyphonic ringing tones which can be heard better should the phone be tucked away deep in your purse. These were two issues that I had with the C330 model I reviewed previously.
The C350 only offers two ways of making and receiving calls - through the traditional phone earpiece or via a headset accessory, which is sold separately. Holding the phone against my face for calls was effortless, and my index finger was able to find a good locating to sit on (the Motorola “M” logo on the back cover).
Messaging
Alike most other Motorola phones, the C350 comes with the iTAP predictive text input system for quick and efficient message completions. The EMS messaging standard allows non-text objects, such as pictures, animations and sounds, be included along with the text note as well.
Build quality
The covers of the C350 snap on quite well - but one must be careful that all parts are placed in their correct positions before locking the covers in together. There were situations where I was unable to successfully snap the cases into place because the keypad was slightly out of place.
Overall, the phone felt as solid as the C330, with the exception of the back casing which creaked slightly and felt like there was empty space behind it when pressing down onto the “M” logo.
Battery life
On average use, the C350 was able to yield around 3-4 days standby and 3-4 hours talking time on a single charge. Note that should the phone be used extensively, standby times will reduce greatly because of the colour LCD screen.
Major features...
Bright 4096-colour LCD display
Although slightly smaller than most others, the 4096-colour CSTN screen on the C350 provides for good levels of clarity and sharpness for any image or text displayed. The colour screen offers users with a richer user interface, as well as coloured graphics for games and EMS messaging objects such as pictures and animations.
Exchangeable front and back covers with different form factors
The Motorola C350 has the ability to use differently-shaped covers based on the same phone core structure. While the C350 actually has a rectangular core on the inside, it is the cover that’s doing the shape-shifting.
Polyphonic tones for calls and messages
The C350 supports polyphonic ringing and message tones. A built-in composer also allows a user to create his/her own pieces instead for a unique experience.
WAP over GPRS (Class 8)
The C350 comes with GPRS capabilities of up to Class 8 speeds (4+1). In addition to being able to use the built-in WAP browser to experience high-speed Internet services over GPRS, the C350 also allows external connectivity to a compatible PC or notebook via data cable with the Data Solutions Kit (sold as an accessory).
SMS and EMS capabilities, with iTAP predictive text input
Whether it’s just basic text messages or wanting to add more flavour to those very bland words, the C350 provides the necessary tools for sending that message. If it’s just text, iTAP assists in completion of the message much more quickly than traditional tapping. Pictures, animations and sounds can be added by accessing the menu and selecting the type of object required.
Wallpaper and screen saver features
Thanks to its colour LCD screen, the C350 has the ability to display a wallpaper image during standby with the utmost clarity. A screen saver can also be set which activates after a pre-defined period of inactivity (with the standby screen displayed). Both can be activated from the “Picture Viewer” function (under the “Media Centre” menu), which lists all the available graphics for these features.
Ability to mix your own ringer tones (MotoMixer)
The MotoMixer feature allows you to “mix” your own ringtones using the downloaded tones on the C350. You can change whether a particular instrument is actually playing inside the ringtones, add an effect or change the pattern that it’s currently being played at. In the end, you may just end up with something quite different yet original!
Basic organiser features with voice dialling capabilities
The C350 comes with a set of basic PIM (personal information management) features - including an alarm, date book (calendar), calculator with currency converter, and 100-number entry phone book. You can also set voice dialling for specific phone book entries, eliminating the need to go in search of a phone number when you can simply make it a one-touch dial!
Problems/Issues?
Keypad buttons getting caught onto front case when installed
Should you decide to remove the original cover and replace it with another, make sure you have placed the keypad mat inside the front cover and is properly secured into place. There were several situations where I quickly removed the covers from the phone, but found it somewhat tedious to put them back together - simply because some of the keys were getting caught onto the front cover due to even the slightest positioning error.
Although these situations may occur on other brands and model phones that have removable front covers and keypads, but I found it to be especially difficult to get it right on the C350. This is probably due to the keypad’s design.
In Summary
The Motorola C350 is a phone that is affordable, filled with practical day-to-day features and has the ability to morph into another shape on your choosing. Before, it was the C330 - but now, with its ability to display graphics in colour, the C350 offers a richer experience whether it’s simply browsing the menus or admiring that special wallpaper you downloaded - in more than just four shades of grey! |
| Common misspellings on this brand: mmotorola |
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