Motorola certainly has been at the top of their industry in coming up with the most innovative cell phones with lots of neat features, a sleek look, and bizarre names. The new Motorola KRZR K1 lives up to all that and then some. The KRZR body is similar to the RAZR, but Motorola also added some things to spice it up a bit. The Motorola KRZR K1m is available from Verizon Wireless for a two-year contract for $250.
The KRZR is a little bigger than the RAZR, but not by much. It measures about 4 x 1.75 x 0.7-inches. It also weighs a little more than the RAZR, weighing in at about 3.5 ounces. Due to the slightly larger size of the KRZR, we feel that it feels a little more sturdier and rigid. The exterior gray hardened body looks sleek and is great because smudges and fingerprints don't show too easily. Like the RAZR, at the bottom of the phone when closed is the sleek chrome plating that really completes the look.
On the front of the phone when closed, there's a postage-stamp sized screen that is just tad too small for the phone's size, but it serves its purpose well. It displays the Caller ID, date, time, signal reception strength, battery meter, and a way to look at yourself when taking a self-portrait when using the phone's built-in digital camera. The digital camera lens is just above the external LCD screen at the top of the phone. The quality of the 1.3-megapixel camera is average for a camera phone ,with a little blurriness and streaking at times. However, perhaps the coolest and most unique feature of the KRZR are the three touch-sensitive buttons under the external display to control the playback of music. They are lit and only work when the phone is in operation (which is good because it prevents accidental pressing of the buttons). Also on the external portion of the phone is a mini USB port and a Micro SD memory card slot in the battery compartment. We do thank Motorola for allows you to access the SD card slot without removing the battery as with some other phones.
On the inside, you'll find a very large and vibrant almost 2" LCD screen. The display is one of the best we've seen in terms of brightness and color quality. The navigation and control buttons are pretty much identical to the RAZR phone. The four-way navigation toggle doubles as shortcut keys to programmed features when pressed in standby mode. Around the toggle are the standard two soft-keys, Talk, End/Power, and a shortcut key. The keys are a little slippery to use, but they are very brightly backlit, which is a huge plus.
The KRZR's features are standard and then a few extras, which include a speakerphone, voice commands, e-mail, a mini USB port, and Bluetooth connectivity. The built-in memory of the KRZR is a tad small with only 18MB, but you can expand it using the Micro SD slot. The KRZR is also EV-DO enabled, which allows you to connect to many of Verizon's multimedia features, such as streaming video content and music.
The call quality of the KRZR was very good, in fact, it was excellent. Voices are very clear and the volume is just right. Even in very loud environments you can hear very nicely. The battery is rated for a talk time of just over 4 hours and a standby time of around 18 days or so.
In conclusion, the Motorola RRZR K1m is a very nice phone for the money. It gives you sleek style with excellent features that really work nicely. If you are looking for a new top-of-the-line cell phone to impress your friends and family, this one is definitely worth considering.
