We've grumbled about the VGA camera on the Slvr L7c before and we're going to grumble about it again. It's just disappointing that a 3G multimedia-friendly handset such as this goes so low rent when it comes to a shooter. The camera takes pictures in just three resolutions (640x480, 320x240, and 160x120), and comes with a self-timer, adjustable brightness and white balance settings, an 8x zoom, three color effects, 10 fun frames, and three shutter sounds (there's also a silent option). Unlike its Sprint cousin, the Verizon L7c doesn't offer image quality settings but it does come with a multishot mode. The camcorder shoots 13-second clips with sound, while the Sprint L7c offered double the recording time. Editing options for videos are similar to those of the still camera. Photo quality was unchanged from other Slvr models--colors looked a bit washed out, and objects were fuzzy. Videos weren't remarkable either, with a lot of jerkiness. Here again you're allotted just 18MB of internal memory to store your work, but you can use a microSD card for more space.
As an EV-DO phone, the Slvr L7c supports the full range of Verizon's 3G services including the V Cast video service and the V Cast music store. The music player's interface is identical to those on other Verizon phones. You also have the option to purchase a variety of Verizon applications including VZ Navigator and ChaperoneParent.
You can personalize Slvr L7c with a variety of alert tones, display themes, wallpaper, screensavers, and banners. You can always buy more options if you're dissatisfied with what comes on the phone. Unfortunately, the phone does not come with any games besides a demo version of Pac-Man.
Performance
We tested the dual-band (CDMA 800/1900; EV-DO) in San Francisco using Verizon service. Call quality was somewhat disappointing on the whole. Though we had no trouble finding a signal, there was noticeable feedback on our end, and we had trouble hearing our callers if we were outside. On the upside, there was enough volume but it just didn't compare to the other Slvr models we've reviewed. On their end, callers didn't report as many problems. Voices sounded natural but they encountered a lot of wind noise.
Speakerphone calls were decent but we recommend resting the phone upside down to give the rear-facing speaker maximum exposure. Call quality was a tad more muffled but that's not unusual with a mobile speakerphone. Bluetooth calls were fine overall, and we encountered no interference from other electronic devices.
Music quality on the phone was about average. Though the Slvr L7c lacks stereo speakers, the volume was quite loud. Like with the Sprint phone, the output was a bit bass-heavy, especially at their volumes. Downloading music was a trickier proposition. It took about four minutes to download a 1.5MB song and the EV-DO connection was a bit shaky. We never lost reception but it remained slow throughout our test period.
The Motorola Slvr L7c for Verizon Wireless has a rated battery life of 4 hours talk time and 18 days standby time. Our tests revealed a talk time of 5 hours. According to FCC radiation tests, the Slvr L7c has a digital SAR rating of 1.23 watts per kilogram.
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