Motorola Slvr L7e

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When the Motorola Slvr L7 first debuted, we had high hopes for the candy bar version of the Motorola Razr. Even though it had a thin and sleek design, ultimately we were disappointed with the lackluster iTunes integration, the VGA camera, and the lack of EDGE support. But fast-forward several months later, and we're glad to see that Motorola's new Slvr L7e addresses some of our previous gripes. Notable improvements include a 1.3-megapixel camera, EDGE support, and the company did away with the restrictive iTunes integration altogether. The Slvr L7e even sports a blue hue and a new keypad design. That said, the Motorola Slvr L7e isn't all great either--it replaces iTunes with a subpar music player, and we found the keypad a bit too crowded for our liking. However, if you like the form factor of the Slvr L7 but want higher-end features, the L7e could be a nice fit. The Slvr L7e doesn't have a U.S. carrier, but it is a quad-band GSM phone that can be purchased unlocked for about $250 each.

The Motorola Slvr L7e has a sexy new redesign.

We must say that the design of the Motorola Slvr L7e is quite improved over that of the Slvr L7. While both phones are skinny and lightweight (the L7e measures 1.9x4.5x0.45 inches and weighs 3.4 ounces), the Slvr L7e has a couple of aesthetic refinements that make it just a tad prettier. First is its beautiful all-blue coating that gives it the appearance of sapphire, and second is its all-new keypad design. The keys are now arranged in curved rows as opposed to the previous offset arrangement, giving it a much more streamlined design. Aside from that, it is pretty much the same in terms of portability and feel--quite solid--and can be easily slipped into a pocket.

The Motorola Slvr L7e has a 1.3-megapixel camera.

The display is carried over from the Slvr L7 as well. It measures 1.8-inches diagonally, and is a beautiful screen that displays 262,000 colors with a 176x122-pixel resolution. You can adjust the display and keypad backlight time, the brightness, and the font size. On the left spine are the volume controls and voice command button; while on the right spine are the charger jack, a "smart" key that can be mapped to any shortcut you like, and a microSD card slot. The camera lens is located on the back of the phone along the top, but the phone does not have a flash or a self-portrait mirror.

Underneath the screen is the aforementioned redesigned keypad. Even though it has a sleeker and more streamlined design, we still found the keypad a bit too crowded, resulting in us pressing more than one button accidentally a few times. The navigation array consists of two soft keys, a four-way toggle that can be mapped to four shortcuts by the user, a middle OK key, a dedicated Web browser key, a back/clear key, and the talk and end/power buttons. The addition of the Back/Clear key is a nice touch, seeing as it was noticeably absent on the Slvr L7. As for the alphanumeric keypad, even though the numbers are raised slightly, the lack of delineation in between each number made it difficult to dial by feel. We also found the slippery keys unpleasant to text message with, seeing as they take a bit more effort to press.

Motorola Slvr L7e review (Unlocked)

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