| Motorola E398 |
| General |
| Network | Gsm 900 / Gsm 1800 / Gsm 1900 |
| Announced | 2004, 1q |
| Status | Available |
| Size |
| Dimensions | 108 X 46 X 21 Mm |
| Weight | 108 G |
| Display |
| Type | Tft, 65k Colors |
| Size | 176 X 220 Pixels, 8 Lines, 30 X 37 Mm |
| Ringtones |
| Type | Polyphonic (24 Channels), Mp3 |
| Amount | 32 |
| Customization | Composer, Download, |
| Vibration | Yes |
| | - 3d Stereo Speakers (16 Mm, 22 Khz With Vibration)
|
| Memory |
| Phonebook | 1000 Entries, Photo Call |
| Call Records | 10 Dialed, 10 Received, 10 Missed Calls |
| Card Slot | Microsd (transflash), 64 Mb Card Included, |
| | - 5 Mb Shared Memory |
| Data |
| Gprs | Class 10 (4+1/3+2 Slots), 32 - 48 Kbps |
| Hscsd | No |
| Edge | No |
| 3g | No |
| Wlan | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes, V1.1 |
| Infrared Port | No |
| Usb | Yes |
| Features |
| Messaging | Sms, Ems, Mms, Email |
| Browser | Wap 2.0/xhtml |
| Games | 5, |
| Colors | |
| Camera | Vga, 640x480 Pixels, Flash |
| | - Mp3 Player
- Mpeg4 Player
- Java Midp 2.0
- Itap
- Voice Dial
- Calculator
- Organizer |
| Battery |
| | Standard, Li-ion 830 Mah (bx610) |
| Stand-by | Up To 240 H |
| Talk Time | Up To 7 H |
|
Motorola - E3983D-stereo with the Motorola E398
Major features
Tri-band GSM 900/1800/1900MHz compatibility
65,536 colour LCD display @ 176 x 220 pixels
Full stereo speakers
Rhythm lights on both sides
TransFlash memory card support
Audio player (supports MP3, MIDI, and more)
Polyphonic (24-chord) and MP3 ring tones with MotoMixer
Built-in VGA still camera
Photo-assist light
SMS/EMS, MMS, and e-mail messaging with iTap predictive text
Speakerphone function
Java games and application support
GPRS WAP browser
Bluetooth and USB connectivity
Problems/Issues?
MP3’s on memory card can’t be ring tones
Slow response times
No video capture function
Sales package (should contain):
1 x Motorola E398 handset
1 x Motorola E398 multi-lingual manual
1 x Standard 860mAh battery
1 x Standard Charger
1 x 64mB TransFlash memory card w/ SD adapter
1 x USB Data-cable
1 x Stereo headset
1 x Mobile Phone Tools CD-Rom
Overview
Introduction
American based company Motorola occasionally release a mobile phone which blows everyone’s socks off – and the E398 is an example of this. It’s not a wacky form factor or anything like that, but the time and effort put into creating the phone has paid off. Putting fun and functionality first while not leaving behind the other things that people enjoy the E398 is a real winner.
The professional age is almost taking over the mobile phone market, but the E398 is professionalism but has a streak of fun at the same time. Full stereo speakers and multicoloured sound-activated lights are just two examples.
The E398 is both a great addition to teenager or business person’s life with the range of features it has. Read on for more about this new handset from Motorola.
New/outstanding features
The new features are the outstanding ones on this mobile – they’re also really fun. The Motorola E398 also has a heap of features that everyone loves to enjoy, including Java games and applications, Office applications, VGA camera, expandable memory, MP3 and video player, and Bluetooth/USB connectivity. All of these features are easy to find and use with the bright and colourful UI.
The VGA camera is capable of still images only – which was one disappointing few areas of this phone. There is a photo-light as well to brighten up the darker photo situations, and images can be sent off straight away via MMS message to another phone or e-mail address. That or they can be stored forever on the phone’s memory!
Bluetooth Wireless Technology is implemented into the E398, for connection with whatever you desire. Headsets, computer, other devices, and more are all within the 10m reach of the E398! In the sales package is also a USB data-cable which connects to your PC and with the software included you can install themes, new applications, pictures, images, video, music and almost anything else!
Now onto some of these fun features I’ve been talking about. If you’re into pretty colours and all things related the E398 is a definite winner. On either side of the handset are openings with a greyish sheet behind this. Behind this are multi-coloured LED’s (Light Emitting Diodes). Once they have been turned on they will react to music around the phone, and they have all different types of colour combinations. They react when the phone rings too, and when special functions are enabled.
Another funky feature the E398 sports are the full stereo speakers. On either side, like the mutli-coloured lights are the speakers which release your audio at the quality it’s supposed to be. With MP3 and polyphonic ring tone support as well, the power of the speakers can be shown. There is no radio but, that would have been even better!
A new memory card format which isn’t widely used is the TransFlash. This really tiny card sits opposite the SIM card underneath the battery and has 64mB memory available to the user. This external memory ups the smaller internal memory – but there are some problems associated with the phone and MP3 ring tones stored on the memory card, but check out the Problems/Issues section for more on that.
Physical aspects
The new rubber-like finish on the Motorola E398 is a change from the somewhat unpopular plastic finishes of their other phones which feel flimsy and low-quality when being used. The black and silver colour scheme of the E398 is just another great achievement by the team behind the handset – it’s stylish but simple.
Let’s start from the front. The E398 is totally covered in the black rubber-ish finish, except for the buttons and other logos or symbols. At the top of the E398 on the front is a silver Motorola logo, positioned in the middle. Next to it are two slits – the speaker for use when the phone is up next to your ear. Just below you will find the E398’s display making a bold statement. The sides of the handset are curved so the protector over it is also curved.
There are two selection keys on the E398, either side of the main menu key which is explained a little later in the User Interface section. You’ll find the 5-way directional stick underneath this and then the two hang-up/pick-up buttons. The normal numerical keypad is below that – it’s slightly curved at the sides and the buttons are big and smooth to touch, a nice effect.
Underneath the keypad is a model-logo, which reads E398. It’s covered with a hard jelly material which just tops off the front of the mobile. The bottom of the E398 houses the connection port which is used to plug in the USB data-cable, charging adapter etc.
The sides of the E398 have dedicated buttons. The left side has the volume up/down buttons, and another button below the speaker/mutli-coloured light hole is another button, named the “Smart key”. The right hand side of the E398 has the camera key which can be used to start the application and a press again will take the photo.
The side sections of the E398 are silver and imprinted with the word Motorola. The same silver is used on those external buttons and the battery cover release button. The camera lens on the back is quite sunken into the handset and has chrome plating around and on top of it for self-portraits.
User Interface & display
Take a closer look!
The E398 is brought to life with a single 65,536 colour LCD display at 176 x 220 pixels. The user interface has been changed from previous Motorola models but there are the similarities; no big learning curve when it comes to operating the menu. Special themes can be applied to the user interface as well, giving it a whole new look and feel for your moods.
Along with the themes available for use on the E398 many other aspects of the phone can be personalized on the inside. The home-screen can have a full colour wallpaper applied to the background, and other things that can be changed is the clock (analogue or digital), the layout and which side it should be justified on and also skins which are another aspect of the themes. Animated screensavers are also supported on the handset.
The main menu which is accessible by the middle key on the top row of buttons has 9 icons which are pretty self-explanatory with their little animated icons. If you’re wondering where your SIM menu has gone (on supported SIM cards like Vodafone and Virgin) you can find it in the Office Tools section.
The user interface of the E398 could have been more laid out as it is quite easy to get lost and the menus go quite deep. There is a shortcut function on the E398 which I used quite a bit to get to places I needed to go in a flash. The soft keys can also be personalized, and there is the Smart Key on the left hand side of the handset which can be customized to a range of different functions from phone book to SIM menus. When the screen is idle pushing the directional stick in different directions will open different functions which can also be changed to your needs.
Making and receiving calls
One of the best things in the E398 for this section is the full stereo speakers. The clarity of them is outstanding for a mobile phone, unlike anything you’ve ever heard from a mobile device. The E398 can use the speakers as a speakerphone during a call, and also has Bluetooth Headset compatibility and a stereo headset in the sales package
For voice calls the speakerphone can be activated by pressing the speaker button. The clarity is really evident when in voice calls and using this function. The phone will automatically detect your voice and amplify the incoming audio through the stereo speakers. The volume controls are on the left hand side of the handset if it needs adjusting.
For MP3 ring tones you must have the file stored on the internal memory, an MP3 on the external memory won’t have the option to set it as ring tone which is very disappointing – the internal memory is only so big. The speakers kick in with full force when the phone rings with an MP3 playing, and you will defiantly stand out of the crowd. You can also have polyphonic MIDI ring tones but they’re boring when compared to full quality MP3 ring tones! The rhythmic lights will brighten up your bag if you’re searching for the phone and are customized to how you want them. :)
The Bluetooth support on the E398 allows headsets to be paired and used with the phone for wireless conversations. I used several headsets with the E398 and even different mobile phone brands worked with the headset, so branding isn’t a barrier when it comes to choosing a headset. For wired conversations the bundled stereo headset will plug into the stereo port on the top of the handset which hides underneath the rubber stopper.
Messaging
I had a problem or two with messaging on the E398, but it was mostly related to the slow response time of the phone and iTap predictive text lag. Generally messaging on the E398 was fine and with the most widely used types being supported keeping in contact is easy and stress free. The inbuilt VGA camera personalizes your MMS messages too.
First off the block is SMS and EMS. Of course, the E398 does support these two formats, and like all messaging types on the phone iTap predictive text is supported when creating the messages. The message editor uses lines like some Symbian phones which looks very well presented. In the message editor, at the top of screen you will see several icons, the far left houses the input mode that is currently set.
If a small dictionary icon is next to the “Abc” text this means iTap predictive text is activated. To switch between input modes tap the hash key. Holding is down will switch to numerical input. On the far right hand side you will see the character counter which starts at 450. It doesn’t show how many messages you are using up (long linked messages are supported) so you will have to be careful not to move into more than a single message.
The keypad of the E398 is built to last and the buttons are quite large, very useful for inputting text. The curved effect of them is also an added improvement.
iTap predictive text is truly predictive on Motorola handsets, as the phone will display words that contain letters you have inputted as well as words which have the letters you have inputted plus others you haven’t. It’s a little hard to explain, but if you typed in “any” the phone would display Any, Amy, Anx, Anz, and so on, as well as showing in a lighter grey colour next to the inputted text “thing”, and all you would have to do is press the up button on the directional stick to input Anything; without pressing more than three buttons!
MMS messaging is also supported on this Motorola handset. The camera can capture still images for you to send via MMS, and when you’ve decided to store an image in the camera application you can select right then and there to send via MMS; convenient or what! :) MMS messages can contain text, images, sounds, and video files but must be under the maximum of 100kB. You can set different values – 20, 30, or 50kB or even none for incoming MMS messages.
For more about the text lag on the handset, particularly noticeable when messaging read the Problems/Issues section of this article.
Connectivity
The Motorola E398 has the ability to connect to a whole range of different devices – wirelessly or with wires. The sales package of the E398 is a great starting point as it includes fabulous software to install on your PC and does also come with a USB data-cable tailor made for your new E398.
The newest connectivity method to be incorporated into mobile phones is Bluetooth Wireless Technology. Using the E398 you can connect to other devices wirelessly within a 10m area, and devices include Audio Headsets, Computers and other devices. The Bluetooth option is in the “Connectivity” menu in the main “Settings” menu, and contains all information you can personalize and change – Device name, visibility etc. Every connection I made with the E398 was easy to perform.
The USB data-cable that comes in the sales package is compatibly with the CD software that is also included. I loved using the E398 with my computer; the software was very user friendly and stable. Having an image on screen of your phone is a great idea, and when the phone rings and it’s plugged in the computer rings too! The data-cable plugs into the bottom connector port of the phone and to a spare USB port.
For wireless internet the GPRS protocol is supported on the E398. This enables you to obviously browse WAP pages with the built-in browser but also send MMS messages, receive MMS messages, send/receive e-mails and even upload your high-score on a Java game to a leader board. The GPRS Class 10 connections can be established for a maximum speed of about 32-48kbp/s on this phone.
Many new mobile phone manufacturers are following the trend of removing Infrared connections from their devices – mostly because Bluetooth & Data-cables are more stable and easier to use, and Infrared is getting quite old. Motorola have followed with this device and left out infrared, but it wasn’t missed with USB and Bluetooth compatibility.
Build quality
The build quality of the E398 was up to scratch, and I didn’t experience any problems with it. The buttons are big enough for any size fingers, and even though the sides of the handset where the lights and speakers are have slits they are strong and sturdy. The plastic cover over the headset port is black and attached firmly to the handset and won’t fall out unexpectedly.
The back cover comes off easily, just push down the silver button and slide down. Battery is a bit tricky to get out but just grab it from the indents in the phone on each side.
Only thing you may have difficulty with is the super-tiny TransFlash card. It’s hard to handle but once you have it positioned in the slot behind the battery and opposite the SIM card you just have to slide the holder down and it’ll be in place. The manual has detailed diagrams and steps for you to follow.
Battery life
I was very pleased with the battery life of the Motorola E398 after using the Motorola MPx200 which was very disappointing. Charging was quick and easy and I only ever had to do it a few times during my 2 week trial. I was sending a lot of MMS messages but talk time was low; never the less still impressing.
The battery used is a Lithium-ion 700mAh battery, and should keep the phone charged for around 3-4 hours and about 4 days.
Major features...
Tri-band GSM 900/1800/1900MHz compatibility
The Motorola E398 supports the GSM 900, 1800, and 1900MHz networks. This means you can travel the world and still use the same handset without having to change any settings once your provider has been notified.
Aside from the America’s most continents use one of these three frequencies.
65,536 colour LCD display @ 176 x 220 pixels
The single display on the E398 is medium sized but is perfectly suited for the physical size of the handset and its demands function-wise. Using the display as a viewfinder for the camera is perfect, and the full-colour wallpapers and animated wallpapers give showcase its ability to display up to 65,536 colours within a 176 x 220 pixel area.
MMS messages are clearly viewable and there are many display-related settings customisable on the E398 to get the display just how you want it.
Full stereo speakers
This is a great feature on the E398 that I know I’ve really been waiting for. Many MP3 supported handset just have the single speaker used to play the files, and they sound don’t sound like you would expect them to, being very grainy and just having a low overall quality.
The E398 eradicates this problem by having stereo speakers positioned on both sides of the handset, near the coloured lights. MP3’s come out just as you would expect them to and really blow you away when you have an MP3 ring tone coming out at beautiful quality. Listening to other MP3’s and all other audio formats supported is also a joy!
Rhythm lights on both sides
Right near the stereo speakers is the rhythm lights which are another cool and playful feature of this model from Motorola. When you have activated them they are sound-activated, and respond to the music around the handset.
I couldn’t get them working that well but others have had better experiences. There are different effects with fading and an assortment of different colours. Almost the whole side of the phone lights up when someone calls or you get a message, even when you turn the phone on and off!
TransFlash memory card support
The 5mB internal memory is small for the type of phone the E398. With support for MP3 files, an integrated digital camera and more an external memory source is really required.
TransFlash cards are to the rescue in this situation, with a 64mB one in the sales package. These memory cards are really small – about ¾ the size of a SIM Card. So you can read the data stored on the card with normal SD/MMC card readers, the sales package also comes with an SD adapter which you just slide the TransFlash card into.
Audio player (supports MP3, MIDI, and more)
The Motorola E398 has stereo speakers, and to show off the ability of these speakers the handset also supports MP3 files. You can transfer some music files to the TransFlash card or chop certain bits out and move them to the smaller internal memory and play them using the built-in application.
The one application will play all sound clips on the internal and external memory, including MIDI and other file-formats. You can adjust the volume with the dedicated keys on the left-hand-side of the handset too!
Polyphonic (24-chord) and MP3 ring tones with MotoMixer
You can create your own polyphonic ring tones with Motorola’s mixing application, MotoMixer. This inbuilt application will produce high quality polyphonic ring tones with a range of different effects and backing tracks.
Use your own masterpieces as ring tones or use an MP3 stored on the internal memory. For more about MP3’s and ring tones take a read through the Problems/Issues section of this article.
Built-in VGA still camera
The built in camera on the E398 allows picture capture of up to 640 x 480 pixels, but doesn’t have video support unfortunately. A video function would have really made use of the 64mB external memory, but you will just have to fill it with images instead!
There are several functions in the camera application, including a self-timer, brightness function, 4x digital zoom, three size settings and more. A detailed review of the image capture application is located in the Camera Performance section.
Photo-assist light
Brighten up those dark environments with the short-range flash located below the VGA camera. This will enable you to place some real light into the surroundings instead of using the night-mode which pixelate photos and in the end they turn out at a dodgy quality.
More about the VGA still and video camera, and the photo assist light can be found in the Camera Performance section of this article.
SMS/EMS, MMS, and e-mail messaging with iTap predictive text
The Motorola E398 will keep you in contact with everyone around the globe with a range of different messaging formats for use, from simple text messaging to rich multimedia messages. All messaging functions have iTap predictive text, which will predict the word you are typing and give you words that have the letters you’ve inputted – and even display words that have letters you’ve inputted and extra letters, which is true predictive text!
Text SMS and EMS messages, image, picture, sound, and text compiled MMS messages and also e-mail messages can all be sent and received with this handset.
Speakerphone function
Sometimes you can’t use the normal phone-to-ear position to make and receive calls with, and you can’t plug in the stereo headset in time. Other times you may just not be bothered, or need to make a group call! All this can be accomplished using the E398’s speakerphone function.
Audio quality is great with the speakerphone thanks to the full stereo speakers.
Java games and application support
A Java application environment supports games & application to be downloaded and run on the handset. Some games are pre-installed on the handset, and a handy Java icon is placed at the top of the phone’s UI to notify you that a Java application is running.
With the included data-cable and software, games and applications can be transferred in the blink of an eye.
GPRS WAP browser
Once a GPRS connection has been set up on the handset you can browse pages and download anything and everything to personalize and enhance your handsets functionality. The large display and support for many file types increases your WAP browsing experiences.
Bluetooth and USB connectivity
Just to top everything else off the Motorola E398 also has Bluetooth Wireless Technology and USB connectivity. It doesn’t have infrared though, but this is becoming quite out-dated with new phones which are leaving it out.
Bluetooth adapters connected to a PC, Bluetooth audio headsets and more can all be paired with the E398. One USB data-cable is in the sales-package with all the software you need to get your E398 personalized and spiced up with new ring tones, themes etc.
Problems/Issues?
MP3’s on memory card can’t be ring tones
With the ability to read and store data on TransFlash cards, the E398’s internal memory doesn’t have to be clogged with files which will possibly slow down the phone. The internal memory is only 5mB, whereas the TransFlash card in the sales package is a generous 64mB.
Most would store MP3’s, ring tones, images, etc on the memory card and fill it up before the internal memory – however if you wish to have an MP3 ring tone you must move the file from the TransFlash card to the internal memory. There is no function on audio clips stored on the card to set as ring tone. This can be annoying as sometimes transferring the files can take quite a while.
Slow response times
Especially when messaging, the E398 is very slow and takes a few seconds after you’ve pressed buttons to respond. With the way that messaging is designed on the E398 and other Motorola phones the response time is quite critical to select the word you are looking for.
A slow-ish typist most probably won’t recognize the delay but as fingers are getting quicker and quicker the majority will.
No video capture function
The E398 has all the features that would suit video capturing function; a good quality camera, internal and expandable external memory, and photo light. Instead the makers of the phone have opted to leave this feature out and instead left us with image capture only, at VGA resolution.
The E398 even has a video player – why not video capture Motorola!?
In Summary
Motorola have really done well and the E398 does perform in all aspects of my review except for a few small problems which people can get used to over time. Plus, the fun and functional features overtake any problems.
The fun features of the E398 speak a thousand words; groovy multicoloured rhythmic lights, dual stereo speakers, and an MP3 and video player. Other features which turn heads are the Bluetooth and USB connection capabilities, WAP browser over GPRS, full colour themes and animated screensavers/full colour wallpapers.
There is a serious side to the handset as well. Office tools keep you on track and organized and with Bluetooth and SMS/EMS, MMS, and E-mail messaging – as well as Instant messaging you’ll have no trouble keeping in contact and up to date with what’s happening at work and home.
You won’t find many mobile phones out there with all these features at the very appealing price tag of $549. |
| Common misspellings on this brand: miotorola |
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