Get ready to parent at 4G speed
-
"Lets clear some misconceptions about this phone" on by TrueFacts
Pros: Full featured, relatively inexpensive
Cons: Weak vibrate
Summary: I just got this phone a few days ago after reading all the online reviews I could find. Some reviewers mentioned a few "weaknesses" that almost held me back from buying the phone, but have since proved to be incorrect.
"It's too easy to accidentally turn off the ringer when it's in your pocket, since the button is outside the phone"
Not true - You can set the phone up to require an unlock code before allowing a volume change from the outside button. When you set it this way if you hit the button the outside display will simply say "Enter Unlock Code", and not change anything. You can lock it by going into Main Menu > Settings > Security > Lock Application > Ring Styles > Locked. The best thing about this it that it is still trivial to change the ringer volume or make it vibrate when you need to, by simply opening the flip and hitting the outside volume button to whatever setting you need it to be - no unlock code required! The designers put some thought into this, since lowering the volume through the different settings is silent, while increasing the volume gives you a quick sample, so you can check how loud the new setting will sound. This is exactly how you want it to behave - if you are in a meeting, restaurant, or funeral you don't want your phone to be stepping through the different volume levels when you are trying to make it silent or vibrate.
"You have to make and scroll through a separate Contact Entry for all the phone numbers each person has."
Not true - Simply go into Contact > [New Entry] > Select > Add New Phone Number. Fill out the Name and No: fields, then scroll down to ...MORE... and hit Select. Select Phone Number, and now you will get another field to enter a second phone number for the same contact. You can keep repeating this to get all the Home, Mobile, Work, etc... entries you need for a contact. For a finishing touch, go into Main Menu > Contacts > [select a contact] > Main Menu (the top center button at the top of the keypad with 3 horizontal lines on it) > Setup > View > Primary Contacts. Now when you go into Contacts on your phone you will see each contact name only listed once. To view all the alternate phone number for a contact all you have to do is move the rocker button left or right - works great!
I am still checking out the other features on the phone, and will be investigating if there is a way sync up with my Outlook contacts and calendar. I will update this review soon, but I did not want to wait to clear up these misconceptions. -
"Can't decide between LG 8100 and E815...Let me offer my advice." on by mytobias
Pros: Reception/clarity/sound/camera /speakerphone/overall performance
Cons: Vibration/Earpiece a little bassy/Build?
Summary: I had the LG 8100 for 3 days and cashed it in for the Moto 815...'twas the right choice. All I can really say is not-so-great about the 815 is the vibration is so-so (not as bad as some make it seem...still okay), the earpiece is louder than the LG but could use some more high end treble, and I am not sure about the build...the LG felt really solid and tight...the moto feels pretty good but I will have to be a little extra cautious. Other than that the Moto out performs the LG for what a phone is supposed to do. Like get a good signal. My LG 8100 hovered between 0 bars and 2 (a common critique in 8100 reviews)...anything above that was wishful thinking. THe Moto is a constant and solid 4 with a few short dips into 3 ever now and then. The moto's menu setup gets a bad rap...i think it is just fine. If you can't figure it out within the first few times of using it then you need an extremely basic phone. I didn't get the 815 first because I didn't think the volume would fit my preferences but after having it for only a day I feel much better...not the loudest but still loud enough for sure. The speakerphone is much impressive. My girlfriend says she can't tell the difference between me talking to her the traditional way and when on speakerphone. Thats pretty cool. The camera kicks butt both outside and inside, high light and low light, and at night. The flash is much better than LG's 8100. The videos are pretty solid too. All around I think the camera is leagues better than the LG 8100. V-cast is solid...LG8100 might have been just a hair faster, but the 815 is still just fine (no probs with over-buffering or anything like that). The battery life of the moto 815 is just stellar (a selling point for me). I don't have to worry if I don't get to my charger for 2 or 3 days. Many people knock the charging port of Motorolas and say the LG's are so much better. I just don't get it...as long as you plug it in and it gets juice what is the difference?
The overall performance of the 815 is just consistantly great. Mainly, the signal strength, and clarity, you know, what a phone is supposed to do, is all around what sold me on it.
The LG had a lot about it that I liked. The liked its menu setup better. It was loud as heck (but sometimes not as clear) and had an awesome vibrate. The outside LCD was much better than the Moto 815's, but it was also so smallt that I really didn't pay a whole lot of attention to what was on it anyways. Some of the customize features were nice too. Like being able to make videos wallpapers, so whenever I opened up my phone it would play a short clip of my girlfriend blowing me a kiss. But I don't miss it too much because all it really did was just drain my battery faster. Also you could put different pics and vids on both LCDs...the Moto 815 can't put vids as wallpapers and whatever is on the inside is on the outside. Navigating through the LG was a little faster than the moto. The build on it was tight and felt like it could take a good amount of abuse. But other than that it just annoyed me too much.
The earpiece volume was not loud enough for my tastes, but on top of that it drove me nuts on how it was an audible rollercoaster (also commonly found by other reviewers). People on the line would go from a roughly comfortable volume, to near inaudible, to mid range, back down to near inaudible, back up, and so on. The fluctuating sound was pretty much the deal-breaker for me. My signal would brake up. It dropped a good 40% of my calls that were already staticy and muffled. The phone locked 3 times in 3 days. The battery life (another deal-breaker and a common critique by others) made me gag. Had to charge it 4 times in 3 days and I wasn't really using it a whole lot. It made me wonder why they even put a battery in it at all. As great as the camera was outdoors, inside it was painfully terrible. The slightest loss of light or odd angle produced pictures riddled with grain and blur. That made night mode virtually useless, and the flash as well. The speakerphone was nice and loud...BUT..useless. The party on the otherline would continually complain of background noise and distortions (as there were distortions on the speaker too).
In the end it came down to a choice of whether I wanted the best light show, gizmos, and inside entertainment goodies...or a phone that serves the purpose of why you go and by a cell phone in the first place...making and receiving clear calls reliably. The Moto 815 wins hands down. Thanks Motorola. -
"Worthy Successor to the V710" on by bofis
Pros: improved keypad, beautiful screen, bluetooth, updated iTap, voice commands, EV-DO/V-Cast, more responsive GUI, well-designed, good speakerphone, picture and video msging
Cons: have to hack it to get OBEX and DUN working, but not hard to hack
Summary: I wrote a review on PhoneScoop not long after getting my phone, and it was almost not positive enough. I love this phone.
I had a V60 for years and Motorola won me over with iTap, which I find to be far better than T9 for typing out sms msgs (text messaging). The E815 features Motorola's updated iTap predictive typing software which now can learn new word automatically and also suggest a word after only a few letters so you don't have to even type it all out.
The outside screen on the phone, while small and not as nice as the inside screen, does show the date, time, battery, and service and can display photo-caller-id if you set that up. The inside screen is beautiful and works well for taking pictures, reading in sunlight, or playing games and v-cast videos.
One thing most people are complaining about lately with this phone is the crippled bluetooth features. Motorola shipped the phone being able to do OBEX file transfers and DUN internet networking with a computer, but Verizon, wanting more profit, disabled these features. Since I wanted to get my pictures off my phone without paying to send lots of picture messages, I modified my phone to be an E815m which Mobile Phone Tools now recognizes and can copy files off of and to. Also enabling DUN is as easy as dialing ##342587 (##DIALUP) quickly and you'll see a prompt saying "Dial Up Networking Enabled." So I won't hold any of those limitations against this phone, since now it all works.
But enough about all the bells and whistles, what do most people do with their cell phones...make calls. And the E815 does that quite well, reception is better than any phone I've used on Verizon and battery-life is great. Audio quality on speakerphone, bluetooth headset, or normally is great, people have said I sound like I'm on a land line.
Until a CDMA RAZR V3 comes out next year this is the Verizon phone to get/beat. -
"This is THE Motorola to get!" on by Thunderheart
Pros: Voice command feature, digital camera, grabs & hold a signal, superior battery life, large screen, Bluetooth sync w/Palm
Cons: Some may find it sizeable, flimsy antenna
Summary: I have been in the market for a new phone (and service... sorry Nextel) for some time now. The Motorola E815 provides the flexibility, sturdy construction, excellent ergonomics, intuitive operations to put it at the top of the heap. I hear the Razr V3 is great, but for those road warriors who want a feature-laden phone with exceptional reception, this is the one for you.
My venerable i90c, while timeless in its basic features and durability, is no match for the E815. This thing grabs and HOLD a signal about as tenacious as a bulldog does a plastic bone. It has a sizable surface area when compared to today's mini-phones, but it is understandable when you consider the 1.3 megapixel camera, speakerphone, voice-actuated dialing, search and status functions, Bluetooth and Openwave browser. It can sync with my Tungsten T5 and serve as a wireless modem. Not that I need it, because my new service provider, Verizon, allows me to check my e-mail anyway. While it has some size, it is by no means large; in fact it is dimensionally similar to my old unit. However, it is much more efficient in the use of the space it provides. For example, when the clamshell is open, nearly all of the interior surface is either screen or keys. Clean, efficient, highly-functional. Provide a slightly thicker antenna, and you are there!
Awesome job Moto! Keep it up!Updated
I would also like to offer a different opinion about two gripes that I've read here that seem to be common to this phone. 1) The battery life: Trust me on this; in order to get the posted life out of your battery, you MUST condition it at least twice. You will then see the 280-minute talk-time rating. 2) Weak vibration: This is subjective, but I prefer the vibration output on this phone, as I believe it should be felt by the user, but not heard by others (as you could with the older models). The output is more than sufficient for anyone who is wearing this phone on their belt or in a pant pocket. -
"Wonderful mobile phone" on by gizabird
Pros: Sleek, stylish, and functional above all else
Cons: Slight tinny sound in earpiece if volume is set too loud
Summary: I agonized over choosing a mobile phone from Verizon for weeeeks. I was deliberating between the samsung schA890 and the lg VX 8100 and this moto. I am very very happy I chose the moto. It is a sophisticated looking mobile which feels great in the hand. I was suprised, as it is a tad larger than both of the other phones but fits much more naturally in my hand (and I have v. small female hands). I have recieved several comments from people who have noticed the phone and I didn't even expect it to (or care if did ) turn heads
Pros: Very customizable and intuitive user interface. When I am on the speaker phone the listener on the other end cannot tell. I dont really care about VCAST, but i got the free month promo and the multimedia capabilities/possiblities are amazing. Owning a 7 MP digital camera I thought the camera on the phone would be a lost cause, but it takes suprisingly good pics...(by it is a PHONE above all else, people.) Battery life is v. good. No dropped calls. V. good signal. Also comes stocked with a nice selection of non-fussy ringers (and a lot of fussy ones for those that like that) .
Cons: I wont regurgitate what others have said but yes, the vibrate mode is weak. The external LCD is not crystal clear. My only main problem with the phone is when the speaker on the other end speaks loud and high pitched, there is a tinny sound on my end, which I might have beef with in the next week if it doesn't stop annoying me. If you keep the volume on 4 it is diminished. I like the actual phone so much I might go back to verizon and see if it is simply my phone. Otherwise I can get used to it.
very nice phone. I obsess about choosing a cell phone and research it to death and I am happy so that should say something.
Write a Review
Compare to other cell phones
Compare Selected
Check coverage in your area 
%20-%20Cell%20Phones%20-%20CNET%20Reviews&srcUrl=http://reviews.cnet.com/cell-phones/motorola-e815-verizon-wireless/4852-6454_7-31280474.html&x_breadcrumb=8900:3488:3504:6454&x_arw_bkts=MAD:high_wireless_switcher){kind=small}