Motorola V330 – Cellular phone – GSM – folder (flip)

10 Review to this product

• 

  irene
  August 4th, 2010 on 10:29 am

  Rating

  I’ve had the phone for 14 months. It’s been very reliable. I’ve dropped it many times, got some chips and scratches on the cover, and the phone keeps performing at top grade. The battery life is getting shorter over the time tho. I start to charge it every day, when I used to charge it every two days.

  Voice quality is superb. Menu is easy to follow (I never needed to read the manual.) What I like most over other phones is that it captures absolutely beautiful pictures with nice colors and reasonable details. I also purchased a data cable to tranfer pictures onto my laptop, easy!

  Unfortunately, the signal reception is poor at my place. Before you buy this phone, check the reception of T-mobile in your area. This is a great phone if you are lucky to live at a 5-bar region. Otherwise, get ready to apologize (to the other side of the line) over and over again every time your call gets dropped.

  By the way, I’m not sure if this is sth. about T-mobile or the phone– summer daylight saving time doesn’t get adjusted automatically, you have to restart the phone (twice a year).
• 

  A. Chaleff
  August 5th, 2010 on 6:22 pm

  Rating

  Okay, so I have only had this for a couple of days so I can’t really speak about battery life, but I am already lovin’ this phone. Having bluetooth and mp3 ringtones is awsome; I will never pay for another ringtone, AND they are the actual song (MIDI can go to hell). Quad band GSM is cool because I know that I can get service anywhere in the world. I havent had it freeze or anything. The main display and the camera look great, in some cases the digital zoom is actually useful for shots that will stay on the phone(normally throwing away pixels make cameraphone images look horrible). The quality of the speakerphone and the voice quality is average, but nothing to complain about. The external screen is sharp and is quite legible even w/o the backlight, imho. Its up to debate whether not having an external color screen is a bad thing, as a color screen needs the backlight and therefore wastes more power. The phone is compatible with any standard 2.5mm headset, which is nice. So the only feature that I really regret is the lack of a flashcard slot. I guess they do this because thats one of the few features that only the high end phones have, but if this had a transflash slot I could use this as an MP3 player (although this this would obviously require the data cable instead of bluetooth). Another very minor quibble I have is that the photos are too small when you have them for picture caller ID, they could easily be a sqaure inch, but the images show up in 1/4 of that size (even though the extra area is completely wasted!). All in all, however, I am very pleased with this phone, I paid $100 for it AFTER rebates, so the price here is a steal. GET THIS PHONE, is all I have to say.

  If you do get this phone visit [...], you can download great wallpapers (just use the ones for the v300, since they are the same)
• 

  S. Zanganeh
  August 7th, 2010 on 9:52 am

  Rating

  This phone sounds allows calls the be as clear as a land line. I am a former ATT/Cingular customer and just switched to Tmobile, this phone, combined with the great service has been excellent. When I talk to people on it, they think I am on a land line. AMAZING. Very pleased with the V330
• 

  shopzy
  August 7th, 2010 on 1:41 pm

  Rating

  [...]
  
  On to the instrument now. This phone has the following pros and cons (IMHO):

  PROS:
  
  ——
  
  1. Bluetooth: Amazing feature which allows you to download all the pictures and videos from the phone apart from ofcourse the hands-free option. The bluetooth features included are File Transfer, Dial-up Networking etc.

  2. Speakerphone: The speaker on this phone is of a real good quality. Of course the quality also depends on the signal strength.

  3. External Display: Well light for digital time display, signal strength, battery life and bluetooth indicator. How much more can we ask of an external display?

  4. Keypad: Well organized, decent color schemes, ergonomically designed and everything in its place. Some people whine about the T-Mobile logo but its no bother for me.

  5. Software: I have always liked the software on motorola phones. Good amount of choice in ringtones, wallpapers, screensavers with download options too. The networking and connectivity is great and office tools (calendar, calculator etc.) live upto expectations. The only flaw in the phone book (as one reviewer pointed out) is the lack of categories (home, work, mobile etc.)

  CONS:
  
  ——
  
  1. Dimensions: It is a bulky phone which requires a belt clip if you want to save yourself the embarassment of a bulb shaped pocket. If you don’t want to wear a clip I’d suggest the RAZR for a few $$$ more.

  2. Weight: It is certainly one of the heavier phones in the market. So if you are moving from a lighter instrument you might want to consider this issue.

  3. Display: The display screen has the magical powers of going black when the display light goes out (default is 20sec but I had to set it to 60sec to work with bluetooth). Ofcourse by pressing any key it will get back on.

  4. Antenna: Considering the fact that this phone is heavy and bulky the MOT guys could have shown some mercy on the size of the antenna. It could have been more like the antenna you would find on a T722i.

  5. Camera: It’s not the best resolution but would work if you are not looking to make a photography career by using the camera on this phone.

  I have been researching cell phones for 2 months now. If you are looking for a decent flip-camera phone which won’t cost you very much but has the latest features (bluetooth, speakerphone) for a 1 yr contract … go for the V330.
• 

  yeanelle
  August 8th, 2010 on 3:46 am

  Rating

  I just let go of my motorola v188 and went to the store to get a samsung x495 from T-mobile, but what i saw on my screen was not what i saw at the stand. The Samsung was not what i wanted. Though it had all the features i was looking for : speakerphone, hifi, it did not look sturdy. And the white outlining was horrible, not that i care that much, my cell goes in my purse. So i really had to shop. Finally I ran into the V330 (didnt like the color) but the sturdy look was perfect (i have two small kids). When the associate was exlplaining all the features i was impressed. Especially by the blutooth–that is a plus for me. The camara I didnt care about because I have a digital camara of my own but it became a plus because my husband decided on the Razr so we could pic message eachother (his in the army so his gone alot). And the fact that both the razar and the v330 are both international its a plus too.

  We are stationed in hawaii and get fairly good reception here but I have noticed that our previously owened v180′s didn’t get as good reception as the V330 and the razr. I wasnt able to use it in my house downstairs now i can talk anywhere in my house, some places better than others-but its better!

  Aslo I campare the V330 with my husbands razr alot. The reception is the same. we will have like say 3 bars and his will change to four then mine will change a second later. . All the features all the same only his phone looks better but his a guy what can i say!
  
  OH and the voice quality on both the phones are the same so clear!!!! and loud ringers!!!
  
  We are both happy with our phones, i would say we bought two of the best phones out there!! thanks
• 

  Edward Brown
  August 8th, 2010 on 1:28 pm

  Rating

  This is actually a quad-band mobile phone which makes it a true ‘world phone’… more so than the common tri-band devices.

  World phones are generally equipped w/ both 1900 and 1800 frequencies. Together, these frequencies cover Europe, much of the U.S. and many other countries. Most tri-band units, however, are usually equipped with either 850 or 900mhz.

  850 fills in the ‘rural gaps’ in The States. 900 allows for roaming in New Zealand and Australia. Whereas both T-Mobile and Cingular operate on GSM frequencies and therefore can offer world phones, Cingular operates on the 850 and T-Mobile on 900. They allow each other to use their frequencies for instances where they don’t provide a needed frequency… provided you device is equipped w/ both 850 & 900 mhz as is the Motorola V330.

  How is T-Mobile? Truth of the matter (as with any mobile phone service) it comes down to the region you live in as well as what building your in and the area that building is in. Sorry, there is no across-the-board answer. As soon as one gets great reception, his/her neighbor curses it.

  Visually, this phone is indistinguishable from just another flip phone, but it offers rather large and well-spaced keys. The screen is vivid and bright. The ringtone gets plenty loud. For these reasons, it’s a great phone for seniors who still want a modern phone. I just got one for my mum.

  Of course, being a quad-band, video, camera, multi-zoom, bluetooth, infrared device w/ browser, the general ease of operation can only be so easy. That ‘said,’ many a senior probably couldn’t be bothered w/ messing with it all or putting to test call quality in rural U.S. and New Zealand.

  That you get all of this and at such a price makes the V330 an eyebrow-raising steal.

  One more thing – That it’s blue, not the de riguer black or silver, I like.

  A quality phone packed w/ a host of goodies. Go ‘head on, Motorola.
• 

  Clarissa R. Knight
  August 9th, 2010 on 12:14 am

  Rating

  I’ll start by admitting I’ve only had the phone for 2 weeks. So far I’m pretty happy with it. (As some other reviews pointed out, this phone only became available in May. Reviews saying people have used it for months are probably mistaking it for the v300.) The jury’s still out on T-mobile.

  Pros -
  
  -Pretty good voice sound quality
  
  -Good sound quality on mp3 ringtones
  
  -can communicate with laptop using bluetooth without additional software (I was able to add mp3s)
  
  -Screen is very bright
  
  -Very long redial list – 10. (My old phone had 5)
  
  -Works well with the Motorola HS820
  
  -The size is nice
  
  -Plenty of faceplates available (I noticed someone gave it a bad review because it’s blue – that’s changeable!)
  
  -Speakerphone’s clearer than I expected it to be.
  
  -Buttons are easy to use and intuitive
  
  -Outside display is easy to read

  Cons –
  
  -I’m sure I read somewhere it has USB connectivity. I want to clarify that it does NOT come with a USB cable.
  
  -Motorola didn’t include any sync software. It’s available for an additional charge.
  
  -Menus are not intuitive.
  
  -The phone takes FOREVER to turn on.

  The camera is a typical phone camera. I certainly won’t be using it to take any special shots I want to keep forever. I wish it could store addresses along with phone numbers.

  I’ve been using T-mobile for 3 years. I had a samsung phone from Voicestream, which was bought out by T-mobile quite some time ago. Just in the last 6 months I started having a dead zone in my neighborhood and in a couple of other areas around town (Savannah, GA) where I had previously not had a problem getting a signal. When I contacted T-mobile, they told me I needed to get a new phone. Unfortunately, that didn’t help.

  Although it isn’t perfect, I like it better than any of my other cell phones or any others I have used.

  Just a tip – if you are replacing a phone, you can transfer the sim card long enough to copy your phonebook. If you don’t have your numbers saved to the sim card on your existing phone, there’s probably an option to copy them there.
• 

  Grouchy Grunt
  August 9th, 2010 on 7:05 am

  Rating

  UPDATE II: We have owned and used 2 of these phones for well over 6 months now. In that time period I managed to drop my phone a number of times, sometimes on very hard surfaces. Other than light scrathes and a slightly misshapen antenna, the phone works perfect. Does it ever drop a call? Yes, if the reception is poor. This is a function of the network rather than the phone. Our phones have not frozen up a single time. I can send and receive text messages just fine, no problems. I never turn this phone off. It needs a recharge every 3-5 days depending on usage, which is quite reasonable. Recharging does take a rather long time, several hours, but hey, nothing’s perfect. As far as displays “just breaking”: please do not store your cellphone in a cement mixer, people! This is a brilliant and sturdy phone, and all the people writing bad reviews have some sort of grudge against T-mobile or Motorola, which is OK, but don’t knock a perfectly fine phone in the process.

  UPDATE: a LOT of the negative reviews are about the V300 which looks very similar to the V330 (identical really, except for the keypad) but lacks many features and in general is far inferior. Any reviews starting with “I had this phone for a year” and similar are NOT APPLICABLE TO THIS PHONE. This phone became available in April of 2005.

  I have owned about half a dozen cellphones over the years. I never paid (after rebates that is) for one and I intend it to stay that way, so this review is not for those willing to blow wads of cash for the latest and greatest because they use it professionally or have an all-overriding need to hear people gasp when they take their phone out of their pockets. Obviously, you would not expect a “better than free” phone to have the absolute greatest specs available. Still, the V330 is a surprisingly full-featured phone.

  I also believe that discussing coverage issues is largely moot in phone reviews, because depending on your geographical location, you may think that signal strengths are absolutely perfect, or that (put your provider here) is the worst carrier ever. I get five bars at my house, but only two or three at my work.

  So far I only talked to customer service once, but they were perfectly helpful and hold times were not excessive.

  When I was shopping around for this phone I had a few requirements that I definitely wanted:

  1. It had to be a flip phone. I had enough of the “bar” type devices, especially the cumbersome process of locking the keypads and difficulties of answering calls quickly when fishing it out of pockets, backpacks, etc.

  2. It had to have a camera. This was just to make it a bit more fun. Seems like you only have half a phone without it.

  3. I would have liked a quad-band phone so that I could use it anywhere during my travels.

  I was not too worried about bluetooth, voice dialing, or speakerphone capabilities, but it is definitely nice to have those as well. Bluetooth is especially sweet because you can easily up- and download pictures, games, create new ringtones, etc. without having to pay all those fees to T-Mobile. It is too bad that they have no games on their T-zones yet though.

  The phone has a decent battery life as well, although leaving bluetooth on does shorten it considerably. The keypad is well laid out and handy, and the “joystick” button is easy to use and fairly intuitive. All in all it is a good phone, voice quality is great, and I can actually hear the person at the other end which was not always the case with my previous (Nokia, Samsung, Mitsubishi, etc.) phones.

  Now for the few and minor shortcomings: The manual is much too brief in the discussion of the many, many features of this phone. Most of the omitted stuff is fairly straightforward to discover though. The built-in memory is not all that plentiful (5 MB). This could certainly be improved upon. Voice dialing takes a bit of patience and I am not fully convinced it is a very useful feature. And the phonebook lists each number separately even if they belong to the same person, resulting in tons of duplicate lines. This is probably the most annoying feature of this phone. But for the money, I can live with that.
• 

  Matthew L. Dimarco
  August 9th, 2010 on 10:53 pm

  Rating

  First off, anyone who says they had this for for 6+ months (or 1 1/2 years for the matter) is ignorant and confused with the V300. The V330 is the culmination of the V300 and the V600. It has the sex appeal of the V300, along with the pimp appeal of the V600. Coupled with a bluetooth hands free head set, this phone surpasses most every expectations. Among the most notable qualities are voice dialing, mp3 ringtones (which can be transferred directly from your computer via Motorola’s Mobile PhoneTools 3.0), video camera in 2 modes, VGA digital camera with 4x zoom and AIM with the quickness.

  The cons a few and far between:
  
  -Aim use is charged PER MESSAGE through T-Mobile. Unless you have the 500 SMS messages for 2.99, AIM can rack up a few extra dollars

  -The video camera is hard to configure to get the longest video/audio clips. However, if you wanna call motorola, the reps in Iraq will get you all the facts on recording video within 5 min.

  All in all THIS PHONE ROCKS!!!
• 

  Terry
  August 9th, 2010 on 11:29 pm

  Rating

  Bought this phone directly from T-Mobile. You have to be careful when reading ratings; people are rating the wrong phone, picking on their service, etc.etc.

  I’ve had this phone for 2 weeks; charged it 2 times. Batteries will not last as long when you take lots of pictures, use bluetooth, mess w/ it all the time, etc., it’s just common sense.

  Everything works, good choice of ringtones, decent pictures, battery life, features and on and on. Really can’t go wrong, especially when it’s free.