| Motorola v8088 |
| General |
| Network | Gsm 900 / Gsm 1800 |
| Announced | 3q, 2000 |
| Status | Available |
| Size |
| Dimensions | 82 X 43 X 26 Mm |
| Weight | 79 G |
| Display |
| Type | Monochrome Graphic |
| Size | 96 X 64 Pixels |
| | - Screensavers |
| Ringtones |
| Type | Monophonic |
| Amount | 27 + 2 Custom |
| Customization | Composer |
| Vibration | Yes |
| Memory |
| Phonebook | 300 |
| Call Records | 10 Dialed, 10 Received, 10 Missed Calls |
| Card Slot | No |
| | - 9 Voice Dial Commands
- 25 Voice Dial Numbers |
| Data |
| Gprs | No |
| Hscsd | No |
| Edge | No |
| 3g | No |
| Wlan | No |
| Bluetooth | No |
| Infrared Port | No |
| Usb | |
| Features |
| Messaging | Sms |
| Browser | Wap |
| Clock | Yes |
| Alarm | No |
| Games | |
| Colors | 4 - Platinum, Lilac, Teal Green And Radar Blue With Chrome Styling Ring |
| Languages | 16 + 11 |
| Camera | No |
| | - Voice Memo |
| Battery |
| | Standard Battery, Li-ion 500 Mah |
| Stand-by | Up To 80 H |
| Talk Time | Up To 2.5 H |
|
Motorola - v8088Motorola v8088
This dual band phone continues the tradition of subtle good looks as displayed by earlier members of Motorola's V series--but to a pricier tune of S$998, thanks to the WAP feature included in the package.
Improved Features Menu
The best thing about the v8088 are the improvements seen in the phone's user menu. After all that griping from Motorola users about the absence of features commonly found in other mobile brands, such as an alarm function, the manufacturer has finally paid attention. It not only rectified the problems inherent in the older v3688, Motorola also threw in a few extras as well.
The v8088 has an alarm function, voice-dialing capability, configurable message alert tones and a ringtone editor. To further justify the price-y tag, the v8088's quick access menu can now be configured to one's convenience. Motorola has also sensibly chosen Voice Notes over daily memos—which need to be manually keyed in—and has even provided a dedicated button for this feature. Even SMS messaging is a breeze, thanks to the inclusion of iTAP's predictive text input software.
Web In A Small Screen
Here's the part that provokes mixed feelings. The v8088 has the same screen area as the v3688 (four lines of text), which in short isn't very much space to WAP around on.
On the other hand, the WAP experience was not as warped as one would have expected, given previous WAP trial runs on other phones. The v8088 did not "freeze" up during WAP surfing, and provided enough horsepower to order a pizza, find directions using the service provider's street maps, and check the latest soccer Euro 2000 results.
Voice Clarity Not An Issue
Motorola has always been known for empowering its handsets with crystal-clear reception. At times, it even felt like one was using a land line! The one setback here was the maximum talktime of three hours; rather short when compared to the five hours being offered by competitors at a lower price.
Hardware Not As Hardy
It's almost natural for most handphone users to compare the v8088 to the older v3688. Both weigh about 80g; have similar dimensions and even surface colors. The same battery can also be used on the two handsets. In fact, the similarities go as far as to include shortcomings. The newer model suffers from a flimsy flap, much like the v3688, while the chrome lining on the flap felt as if it would detach with a little external pressure.
What's physically different? The button at the top of the phone now takes on a new role. Instead of being a shortcut to the mute function on the v3688, its purpose is now to record short voice notes (of no more than two minutes and 42 seconds). There is also a U-shaped opaque band in the phone's center which slight up with a different color, depending on the caller's profile. This visual alert proved helpful in identifying calls from bosses, mother and pub-crawling buddies.
Ouch! Too Pricey
Can Motorola pull off the kind of price stunt that Nokia did with its 8850? Only time will tell. I, for one, would require greater motivation than an improved features menu to shell out S$998 for a WAP-enabled handset when competitors like Siemens are peddling similar products at nearly half the v8088's cost. |
| Common misspellings on this brand: |
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