For sale: your calling records, and your questions answered

Q: Though the Motorola Razr V3i hasn't been released yet in the United States, I am interested in buying it soon. Some of the online sites I have visited say it comes with iTunes, but others say it comes with a generic Motorola media player. Which is correct, and which is better, iTunes or the Motorola media player? Also, is it safe to buy from eBay and other third-party sites?
--Tolani

A: We just saw the Razr V3i at CES, and Motorola promised that it will officially arrive in the United States by March. As a GSM phone, it will be available through a GSM carrier, and we suspect that Cingular will land it first. Regarding music players, however, the V3i will support iTunes and include a generic Motorola music player. This is currently the case with the Motorola Rokr E1.

Which media player is better? Well, that's a personal decision. The appeal of having the user-friendly and popular iTunes interface on a cell phone is undeniable, but if the V3i is anything like the Rokr E1, I'll have to throw my support behind the Moto-designed player. Remember that on the Rokr E1, there were a number of restrictions. You couldn't transfer iTunes music through Bluetooth, you couldn't use songs as ring tones, and the memory was limited to 100 tracks. On the other hand, with the generic player, you could transfer tracks via Bluetooth, and you could use them as ring tones. And while song capacity was a measly 20 tracks or so, that was due to the available memory (just 20MB integrated) rather than being capped at some arbitrary number. So if the V3i has the same iTunes restrictions as the Rokr E1, from a pure utility standpoint, I say ditch the flashy for the functional.

And concerning purchasing cell phones on eBay, I answered a similar question a few weeks ago, so please refer to this previous edition of On Call.

Q: I'm shopping for a new cell phone and would like one with Bluetooth. For me, Sprint is the best value, but I'm worried that the few phones they offer with Bluetooth may work with headsets but not necessarily with computers. I'd like to sync my Outlook calendar, e-mail, contacts, and so on with my cell phone. I've seen friends with Sony Ericsson phones use them as remote controls for their laptops as well.
--Bobby

A: It's true that Sony Ericsson offers a feature on its newer Bluetooth phones, such as the W600i, which enables you to use the handset as a remote control. Sprint, unfortunately, doesn't offer such functionality on its Bluetooth handsets yet. In fact, only in the last few months has Sprint bothered to increase its selection of Bluetooth phones substantially. Although you can use the Bluetooth on phones such as the Samsung MM-A900 to connect to a headset and transfer most files, you'll have to use a cable to connect to a PC.

Alternatively, you can use cell phone-syncing software such as Mobile Action's Handset Manager 9. The Bluetooth data suite isn't compatible with Sprint's 3G phones yet, but the company could add support in the near future.

Q: Do you have an idea of how soon the Sony Ericsson W800i or the Sony Ericsson K750i will get picked up by a carrier? I am planning to buy the W600i phone through Cingular, but I have my eyes set on a better camera phone with memory-slot expandability.
--Abhishek

A: Unfortunately, Abhishek, I'd say the chances of a carrier picking up the Sony Ericsson K750i at this point are slim. The phone has been around since last summer, and typically, carriers don't choose something several months old--even if it is cool--when they're deciding on new phones. I could be wrong, of course, but I'm afraid the K750i will remain unlocked and expensive.

On the other hand, I'd say the Sony Ericsson W800i is more apt to see the light of a carrier someday. And if I had to guess, I'd say T-Mobile will be the winner. I can't offer any guarantees, but the cell phone rumor mill is still buzzing about this prospect. In either case, it's a shame if neither phone makes it to a carrier. They're both fantastic mobiles and worthy of more love.

Q: I just purchased a Motorola Razr V3c phone, but it has a few glitches, and I have to restart it often. I keep hearing that there's a software upgrade to correct the problem. Where can I find out more information?
--Kezeli

A: I'm sorry you're having issues with your new V3c. We didn't encounter any such problems with our review model, and I haven't received a large number of complaints reporting the same issue. To find a resolution to your problem, I'd suggest starting with your carrier. It's possible you have a lemon, so you should ask if you can exchange the phone for a new one. In the meantime, though, if any other Razr V3c owners are having trouble with their phones, I'd love to hear about them.