Motorola Rizr Z3 - blue (T-Mobile)

Reviewed by

Kent German

on 12/14/2006

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Page 2

The Motorola Rizr has a flash but no self-portrait mirror.

Like the GSM Krzr K1 (but not the CDMA Krzr K1m), the Rizr has a 2-megapixel camera. You can take MPEG4 pictures in four sizes (2 megapixel, 1.3 megapixel, 640x80 pixels, and 320x240 pixels), and another innovation offers you a selection of three quality settings. Other features include a multishot option, an adjustable exposure setting, a self-timer, six color effects, five lighting choices, an 8x zoom, and five shutter sounds (plus a silent option).The camcorder shoots MPEG4 clips in two resolutions (176x144 pixels and 128x96 pixels) with sound; editing options are similar to the still camera. Videos meant for multimedia messages are capped at six seconds; otherwise you can shoot for as long as the available memory permits. Image quality was poor for a 2-megapixel camera. Images were bit blurry, and colors weren't always sharp. Also, shots were too dark.

We didn't love the Rizr's photo quality.

You can personalize the Rizr with a variety of wallpaper, screensavers, menu styles, and color skins. If you want more options or more ringtones, you always can download them via the WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser. Gamers get two Java (J2ME) titles: BlockBreaker Deluxe and Platinum Sudoku. The Rizr also offers a digital music player that plays AAC, AAC+, and MP3 files.

We tested the quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900; EDGE) world phone in San Francisco using T-Mobile service. Call quality was on par with the GSM Krzr K1, voices sounded natural, and there was no background hiss or static. Even better, the volume level was much better than on the Razr. Callers said we sounded fine, and they couldn't always tell we were using a cell phone. Speakerphone calls weren't as satisfactory; voice quality was somewhat muffled with a slight echoed effect. On the other hand, Bluetooth calls sounded better.

The Motorola Rizr has a rated battery life of 6.6 hours talk time and 14.6 days standby time. In our tests, we got a very respectable 6.5 hours of talk time. According to FCC radiation tests, the Rizr has a digital SAR rating of 1.02 watts per kilogram.