Photo gallery: Motorola SLVR L7Design
If there was one phone that was the talk of town last year, it was Motorola's RAZR -- whether it be black, pink or the original silver model. And while its black 3G-enabled successor, the RAZR V3x, is trying to allure upgraders to third-generation features such as streaming video, Motorola has given GSM users the option of a candybar-style RAZR.
Motorola's emphasis on fashion continues with the SLVR bearing similar design characteristics to the RAZR, such as its signature steel keypad backlit in blue. The mini-USB connector is on the right this time alongside an infrared port and a hot-swappable microSD card slot.
The SLVR L7 has a bright 256K-colour display that is a tad smaller than the RAZR's screen, yet packs in the same amount of pixels (176 x 220), which gives it a sharper looking picture. The keypad is slightly different to its clamshell brethren in that the numbers are raised slightly, which should make text messaging more tactile. Motorola has shaved 2.4mm off the RAZR V3's already slim design, which is only outdone by the recently introduced (and less expensive) L6.
Although ultra-thin, the SLVR's candy-bar form factor makes the RAZR quite a long and wide handset. While the RAZR is available in three colours, pink, silver and black, Motorola has released the SLVR in only black so far.
Features
 Motorola's H500 Bluetooth headset is included in the box |
Unlike Nokia's lipstick-like 7380, which has no keypad, Motorola hasn't sacrificed usability and features in the name of fashion. A VGA camera sits at the top back of the with its shortcut key on the left side of the phone. Videos can be recorded up to 176 x 144 pixels with available storage determining the maximum length of clips.
Unfortunatlely in Australia, the SLVR does not support iTunes as it does in the US. However, Motorola pre-installs two generic music applications so that Australian users can use the L7 as an MP3/AAC player. We prefer the one launched when you press up on the navigation key; the other one is found hidden in the applications menu, takes much longer to launch, and you can't browse the phone's menu when it is running.
Performance
The bundled H500 Bluetooth headset takes around 2 hours via mini-USB after which you should get up to 8 hours of talk time or 130 hours of standby. A blue LED blinks on the headset to indicate to others that you are taking a call. The H500 is rubberised and comfortable to wear, if you're not adverse to looking a little dorky, and the removable clip allows it to be worn on either ear.
The SLVR's battery fared averagely in ours tests. Motorola states it should last up to 400 minutes during talktime or 350 hours of standby. With minimal use of the music player and Bluetooth switched off, we got about three to four days out of the battery.
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