- Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 412 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
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20 out of 20 people found this review helpful
4.0 stars
"Meets my business & personal needs just fine."
Pros: Comfy & sturdy; good key size/position; very customizable; loud earpiece; file transfer via Bluetooth; conversations never become shouting matches
Cons: Requires special USB cable to iSync with my Mac; menu system can be confusing; not enough "how-to" help available from Motorola
Summary: I'm a tech manager who needed to replace her sadly defunct Nokia with something that would meet business and personal needs. The V551 certainly fits the bill.
This phone is wider, sturdier, and more comfortable to hold than other flip phones I tested. I never worry about it slipping out of my hand--even while running to catch a cab or bus in the rain. The couple of times I accidentally knocked it off a desk or countertop onto a tile or hardwood floor, the phone didn't break apart (unlike my old Nokia phones). The keys are larger and better positioned than those of some other phones, so I don't misdial numbers. The earpiece is very loud--which is great, because low earpiece volume was my nemesis with the Nokia phones. And I never have to shout into the mouthpiece to be heard. When you live in a big city and frequently take business calls in noisy public parks/stores/subway platforms/office buildings, these simple features are king.
Battery life: I heard/read many complaints about this before I bought the V551, so I went to Motorola's support site and found battery calibration instructions. As instructed, I ran my brand new phone through three 12-hour charge/discharge cycles as soon as I got it. On standby, my V551 discharges after a good 3 to 4 days. I think many new users don't properly calibrate their batteries.
(Side note: As part of the V551's packaging, Motorola should wrap a sheet of red paper around the phone that states, in big bold text, the calibration instructions. The manual does not include those instructions. In fact, the manual misleads users into thinking their new V551 is fully calibrated after only a couple of hours.)
As for battery life during regular use, well, the only time the phone drops calls is when it loses a network signal--and I think that's more my wireless carrier's fault than Motorola's. I make simple efforts to conserve power. For instance, I don't use my mobile phone during all hours of the day as a party line (frankly I don't have the time or desire for that). I use it when I'm away from the office during business hours, anytime after business hours, and anytime on weekends. When I'm in my office, I usually turn my V551 off; otherwise it's always on. I never shoot video with it. I set the backlight and brightness low, and I customized home keys and shortcuts so I can reach the tools I use most often without wasting time scrolling through the sometimes frustrating Motorola menu system.
About the menu system: The phone manual contains a Menu Map. I've had my V551 for 2 months and I still have to refer to that map to figure out where some features/tools are. Motorola needs to simplify their menu system; they could learn a lot from Nokia in that regard.
Motorola also needs to provide more "how-to" help for the V551. For instance, the manual tells you how to create shortcuts but doesn't explain how to USE shortcuts (Menu Key + Shortcut Number)--and there are no help articles at Motorola's mobile phone support site about this and many other issues.
Earlier I said I never shoot video with my V551. That's because it's a PHONE, not a video camera. It would produce horribly choppy video clips at best. When I want to shoot video, I use a digital video camera.
I do use my phone's VGA camera sometimes. Again, it's a phone; it's no match for my digital point & shoot or SLR cameras, nor is it meant to be. The V551 doesn't shoot high quality photos. I use it for spontaneous "wish I had my camera" moments. I've used it to take photos of wipe board meeting notes. But I don't use it very often.
I use Bluetooth to transfer photos from the V551 to my Mac PowerBook--and to send ringtones I created from my Mac to the V551. (The ringtones that come standard on the phone must've been created for teenagers. I needed rings that wouldn't raise conference room eyebrows yet didn't sound like everyone else's phone. So I made my own.)
I discovered that iSync doesn't work over Bluetooth between the V551 and my Mac. Instead I have to buy a special USB cable from Motorola. Hmpf.
I do love how customizable this phone is--and i'm not talkin' stuff like themes and wallpapers. No, I mean shortcuts, home keys, and home screen view. Instead of scrolling through 50 kazillion menu levels to reach the battery level meter, I made a shortcut for it. On my home screen, I have one-touch access to the calculator (call me crazy but I use it often) and messages center, plus I customized the nav key behavior. Someday I'll assign unique ringtones to a couple of numbers in my address book.
Speaking of address book: I save my entries to the phone instead of the SIM. This lets me create multiple numbers (home, work, mobile, pager) per entry. I also set the address book to view by list instead of by picture because (1) I have no need to assign unique pictures to entries and (2) I wanted to reduce scroll.
If the menu system was less complex, I'd have rated this phone a 9. Overall, the V551 and I get along wonderfully.
- 6 replies to this review
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What exactly is the process for calibrating the battery? Can anyone explain it further?
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Great phone. If you plan on buying one, bite the bullit and get the extended life battery. OEM battery is for JUNK.
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I just got the V555 as well. I like everything I have discovered about the phone. I didn't know about the battery calibration. I tried the Moto web site but got no where. Can you please send off the link so I can properly calibrate my battery too? norhamw@LCP2.net Thanks a million
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How do you download pics, etc. -- either through Bluetooth or a USB cable? thanks
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I recently purchased the V551 and haven't experienced most of the problems other users are having. Your comments were very helpful with regards to power consumption and ease of navigation. Made some adjustments and noticed immdeiate improvements. Just found out that it's important to shut this phone off from time to time if not daily. Not only does this conserve battery life but it allows the phone to receive updates from the carrier.
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You gave a great description of the phone and its uses. I am an 80 yrs old guy, just bought the phone have problems with the battery, am a Mac user and have no idea how to sync with the Mac. And what do I sync?? would you please email me so I can ask you for help and I can ask you some questions? Thanks a lot!
Peter Neuhaus
pedroflorida@yahoo.com
Motorola V551 (AT&T):
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