| Motorola L6 |
| General |
| Network | Gsm 900 / Gsm 1800 / Gsm 1900 |
| Announced | 2005, 1q |
| Status | Available |
| Size |
| Dimensions | 113 X 49 X 10.9 Mm, 56 Cc |
| Weight | 86 G |
| Display |
| Type | Cstn, 65k Colors |
| Size | 128 X 160 Pixels |
| | - Scratch-resistant Glass
- Downloadable Screensavers, Wallpapers |
| Ringtones |
| Type | Polyphonic (24 Channels), Mp3 |
| Customization | Download, |
| Vibration | Yes |
| Memory |
| Phonebook | 500 Entries, Photo Call |
| Call Records | 10 Dialed, 10 Received, 10 Missed Calls |
| Card Slot | No |
| | - 10 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, V1.2 |
| Infrared Port | No |
| Usb | Yes, Miniusb |
| Features |
| Messaging | Sms, Ems, Mms, Instant Messaging |
| Browser | Wap 2.0/xhtml |
| Games | Yes + Downloadable, |
| Colors | Silver |
| Camera | Vga, 640x480 Pixels, Video |
| | - Java Midp 2.0
- Push To Talk
- T9
- Calendar
- Currency Converter
- Calculator
- Stopwatch
- Built-in Handsfree |
| Battery |
| | Standard Battery, Li-ion 820 Mah |
| Stand-by | Up To 345 H |
| Talk Time | Up To 5 H 50 Min |
|
Motorola - L6Building on the success of the highly acclaimed SLVR L7, Motorola recently released the L6, the newest ultra-thin device to the popular SLVR line-up. Virtually identical in size and shape to the L7, the L6 offers a familiar slim profile with a metal etched keypad and scratch resistant LCD.
With a generous amount of user memory, the L6 similarly integrates a VGA digital camera with video capture and playback, Bluetooth wireless technology, multimedia text messaging, and chat capabilities on the most popular platforms.
But the differences are not as noticeable. As a stripped down version of the L7, the L6 lacks iTunes functionality and an expansion card slot. However at over $100 cheaper, the L6 provides Cingular customers an affordable alternative; perfect for consumers who want an equally slim and chic design but don't need all the features of the L7.
Design
Narrower and wider than the size of a credit card (86 x 54 mm), the SLVR L6 measures 113 x 49 x 10.9 mm, remarkably thinner than the L7 (114 x 49 x 11.5 mm), and the thinnest Motorola handset to date.
Manufactured from a hybrid glass-filled body to add stability and rigidity, the SLVR L6 is durable enough to withstand the wear and tear of everyday use that an all-plastic body would be too fragile for.
Prominently displaying a scratch-resistant 65K-color LCD screen at 128 x 160 px in resolution, the front also features Menu, Send, Power / End, and Left and Right soft keys surrounding a 5-way directional keypad.
In order to achieve L6's ultra-thin profile, a conventional numeric keypad could not have been used due to the thickness of the keys. However instead of an electro-luminescent strip used to make the L7's keypad (in one piece), the L6's keys are each made from a cut metal material (each individual key).
Turned around, the back of the L6 integrates a VGA camera, capable of snapping photos at a mediocre 640 x 480 px. However rather than hardened glass used to protect the L7's camera lens, the L6 has a plastic cover to avoid any accidental scratches.
On the left, a Smart Key lets users quickly access likely actions to follow (such as select when a menu item is highlighted), while a dedicated Camera Key along the right gives consumers quick access for impromptu moments. Also along the right, a charging port doubles as the accessory outlet.
The L6 uses cost-saving materials to bring down the price, and compared to the L7, changes are noticeable. Slight differences between the external finish, LCD screen, flush keypad, lens cover, and side key coating are not low-quality, but mediocre to the L7 when placed side by side.
Out of the box, the Motorola L6 comes with a Standard 820 mAh Li-Ion Battery, A/C Charger, and User Manual.
Camera
Initializing the integrated CMOS VGA (0.3-megapixel) camera turns the L6's screen into the camera viewfinder, with the lower portion of the screen displaying available memory and user settings.
Identical to the cameras found on the SLVR L7 and RAZR V3 (released last year), the L6's lens is rather disappointing, only able to capture photos up to 640 x 480 px in resolution.
With camera-focused phones from Samsung and Sony Ericsson pushing past 1-megapixel to 2-megapixels and above, the L6 uses outdated imaging technology. Consumers shouldn't expect to use the L6 to replace a digital camera, but it still works great for snapping unexpected moments.
Picture quality can also be switched between QQVGA (160 x 120 px) and QVGA (320 x 240 px) resolutions, but users will probably stick with VGA (640 x 480 px) since approximate image file sizes are only 50 KB for VGA, 16K for QVGA, and 3 KB for QQVGA; almost insignificant compared to the 10.0 MB of storage space available.
Controlling the 4X Zoom and Brightness Levels (-2 to +2) with the directional keypad, users can adjust basic functions with a quick press from the thumb. Bundled with additional camera effects, the L6 include Effects (Color, Black and White, Antique, and Negative), White Balance (Auto, Cloudy, Sunny, Indoor Home, and Indoor Office), and Self-Timer.
For full-motion capture, the L6 supports MPEG-4, H.263, and AMR Audio formats to record and playback at Sub-QCIF (128 x 96 px) resolution. The L6 lacks Full QCIF (176 x 144 px) recording found on the L7.
Overall the L6 isn't a great camera phone. Using technology found on mobile devices over a year ago, Motorola has decided to use old parts while other manufacturers push the megapixel boundaries. Good for taking photo wallpapers or contact IDs, the still and video capture offers mediocre quality at best.
Basic Features
The tri-band (850/1800/1900 MHz) L6 (released for Cingular) operates on GSM frequencies worldwide, provided it is unlocked. An international version of the L6 is runs on 900/1800/1900 MHz frequencies (dependant upon region).
Should consumers purchase the L6 from Cingular, it will be locked to the network, a common carrier practice to prevent customers from taking discounted phones (purchased in conjunction with a plan) to other carriers. However, good-standing customers can usually request the unlock code after 90 days of service. Only after it's unlocked will users be able to take it to other networks.
Motorola rated the L6's 820 mAh Li-Ion battery at an impressive 5.15 hours and 372 hours of talk and standby times respectively, slightly less than the L7's optimal times. When manufacturers and carriers list talk and standby times, they usually include disclaimers about variable performance and often refer to the times they publish as maximum times. Actual talk and standby times are lower.
Screen
Since the L6's screen is exposed at all times, Motorola constructed it from a scratch-resistant material. However compared to the L7, the L6's display is lacks sharpness and size, measuring 1.7-inches (128 x 160 px) and displaying 65K-color as opposed to the L7's 1.9-inch 262K-color display.
Motorola L6
Built with less-expensive STN (Super Twisted Nematic) passive display matrix, the L6 offers dimmer, less responsive refresh rates compared to the L7's TFT (Thin Film Transistor) technology.
Being a high-end fashion phone, the SLVR L7 contained a top-of-the-line LCD, offering a large display and vivid colors. By comparison, the L6 offers affordable imaging technology. Being matched side-by-side, the L6 seems inferior to the L7. But with the L7 being the benchmark, the L6 is actually decent with current mobile devices on the market.
Audio
Rather than the L7's iTunes software, the L6 integrates a standard music player, capable of accepting MP3 and AAC files. Rather limited with the 10.0 MB of internal memory, the L6 is not suited for anything more than clips of MP3 ringtones, which are wonderfully loud and clear.
Messaging
The keypad on the L6 is rather small, so consumers with larger thumbs may find it troublesome to text message quickly. Typical among all cell phones these days, SMS (Short Messaging Service), EMS (Enhanced Messaging Service), and MMS (Multimedia Message Service) text messaging standards are present on the L6.
Offering users the ability to send messages with format attributes such as style, size, alignment, and paragraphs, consumers can also attach photos and video taken by the built-in camera or sounds taken with the voice recorder.
The L6 also comes preinstalled with AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), ICQ, and Yahoo! Messenger through Cingular's network. Providing real-time chat from a wireless device, consumers no longer need to end the conversation with family and friends. With the L6, users can keep the conversation alive just as if they were sitting in front of a PC.
Entertainment
The L6 can store up to 500 contacts on its PhoneBook, also incorporating essential PIM (Personal Information Management) applications like an Alarm Clock, Calculator, Currency Converter, and Datebook.
The L6 offers fairly standard preinstalled applications, however it lacks an email client. But fortunately it does supports J2ME (Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition). Allowing users to download and install Java-based games and applications, users can choose from a wide range of programs to install, either through the Internet, PC, or Cingular's fee-based service.
Some are free for download, however most are developed by corporations and require a small fee.
Internet
Carriers have upgraded their networks to 3G broadband technology, offering video streaming and high-speed transfer rates. But unfortunately the L6 does not support Cingular's new EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for Global Evolution) broadband network.
Instead the L6 is equipped with GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) Class 10 technology, an older 2.5G technology capable of transferring up to a slower 48 kbps.
Storage
While the L6 is marketed as a more affordable alternative to the L7, it does contain more internal memory with 10.0 MB of storage (as opposed to the L7's 5.0 MB), ample room for photos, ringtones, and text messages.
However, unlike the L7, the L6 lacks an expansion card slot. Without expandable memory, functions such as the MP3 player become limited and almost useless.
Connectivity
Consumers can send and receive multimedia to and from a PC through a mini-USB jack or Bluetooth Class 2 technology.
Through SyncML users can also synchronize devices and applications over any network. Any personal information, such as email, calendars, to-do lists, contact information and other relevant data, will be consistent, accessible and up to date, no matter where the information is stored.
Users can pair Bluetooth-capable accessories for added convenience. Headsets, adapters, printers, and more can connect to the L6 within a 10 meter radius.
Conclusion
Throughout the review many comparisons were made between the L6 and its big brother, the L7. Both being released for Cingular, their similar designs are bound to draw assessments. But since both phones are marketed towards different consumers, the L7 naturally outshines the L6.
From the LCD screen to the MP3 player and storage, the L7 targets multimedia and fashion consumers at the expense of a hefty price tag.
Consumers should not be discouraged by the L6 though. By itself, it's a well designed phone with decent functionality. Obviously, not as well built as the L7, the L6 reflects its more affordable features without sacrificing its ultra-thin design.
In fact the L6 is the slimmest device to be released from Motorola. With a design that looks similar to the L7, it looks like a high-end device without costing like one.
However a few drawbacks are significant. Although Motorola doubled the L6's memory to 10.0 MB, the expansion card slot was removed, crippling the storage necessary for the MP3 music functionality. Additionally, the VGA camera provides little usage for printable photos, useful for phone wallpapers and grainy snapshots (but this was a problem with the L7 as well).
Consumers looking for high-end features such as a phone to replace their digital camera or MP3 player should look to more cutting-edge devices. But for customers looking for a good looking phone at a reasonable price, the L6 is a good choice.
The biggest advantage of the L6 is its price, costing about $50 (at the time of release) with a service plan. Considering the range of entry-level devices in this range, the L6 is a very stylish phone and a good value. |
| Common misspellings on this brand: motyorola |
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