Ron's V551 Review

Okay, a few of you know I wanted and got a v551. Got the locked one, I
guess, but there's better service on the New Cingular, so why would I
need other carriers, right??

Anyhow, it took some calls to customer service to get the pictures to
send to an email address, and it took a call to get the voicemail
working - it just gave callers a "busy" signal. When's the last time
you heard one of those??

So while Cingular needed to give me special attention to get things
working on their end, it's all working now.

Meanwhile, the phone seems really good. The camera works great, but you
gotta hold it STEADY. Especially when zoomed to the max, and especially
in low light. The video is very useful, but the quality is not gonna
make you think I hired Michael Moore's cameraman when you see the
result. You can't beat the fact that I'll get photos and video clips
that I would never have gotten, had the camera not been inside the phone.

As a phone, v551 is better in terms of sound quality to the v60 and v60
color phones it replaced. The reception in my 4 most used locations is
better than the on AT&T using the TDMA phones I just mentioned, so that
was an improvement for me, but I can't say if it's the phone, carrier,
or both.

The bluetooth wouldn't install correctly on my toshiba notebook computer
which runs Windows XP among other os's. I haven't located any software
to access the internet via bluetooth under Linux. Anybody know about this?

The speaker phone works well enough that when I set the phone on the
table and just talk normally, they don't know I'm on a speakerphone.

Once I added $5 to $10 worth of ringtones, it's now a pretty nice phone.

Now if we could get them to pack 20gb of memory, MP-3 player, and XM
satellite radio, and a bluetooth high-fidelity stereo headset to go with
the music. And make the battery last 2 weeks and keep it at 4 ounces.
Is that too much to ask

Peace, Ron!

---

› See More: Ron's V551 Review

> Now if we could get them to pack 20gb of memory, MP-3 player, and XM
> satellite radio, and a bluetooth high-fidelity stereo headset to go with
> the music. And make the battery last 2 weeks and keep it at 4 ounces.
> Is that too much to ask

Don't forget WCDMA connectivity for fast data transfers in 3G networks, EDGE
GPRS, FM radio, WiFi (how you're gonna fill those 20gb otherwise?),
full-fledged HTML browser instead of those puny WAP thingies,
walkie-talkie... what have I missed so far?



I believe it was Samsung (or LG?) who have just released 1.5gb phone... of
course it lacks essentials like quad-band GSM, EDGE and Bluetooth.

Peter

Thanks for the review Ron. I too own the V551 and like it as a gadget ... I
bought the USB cable before I learned I could do everything with my BT
connection.

I specifically purchased a phone with BT in hopes of using it as a modem -
at no extra charge - but unfortunately Cingular charges extra for this
service which wasn't worth it for me.
___________________
Ann
Motorola V551
iPAQ 4355
"Ron" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Okay, a few of you know I wanted and got a v551. Got the locked one, I
> guess, but there's better service on the New Cingular, so why would I need
> other carriers, right??
>
> Anyhow, it took some calls to customer service to get the pictures to send
> to an email address, and it took a call to get the voicemail working - it
> just gave callers a "busy" signal. When's the last time you heard one of
> those??
>
> So while Cingular needed to give me special attention to get things
> working on their end, it's all working now.
>
> Meanwhile, the phone seems really good. The camera works great, but you
> gotta hold it STEADY. Especially when zoomed to the max, and especially
> in low light. The video is very useful, but the quality is not gonna make
> you think I hired Michael Moore's cameraman when you see the result. You
> can't beat the fact that I'll get photos and video clips that I would
> never have gotten, had the camera not been inside the phone.
>
> As a phone, v551 is better in terms of sound quality to the v60 and v60
> color phones it replaced. The reception in my 4 most used locations is
> better than the on AT&T using the TDMA phones I just mentioned, so that
> was an improvement for me, but I can't say if it's the phone, carrier, or
> both.
>
> The bluetooth wouldn't install correctly on my toshiba notebook computer
> which runs Windows XP among other os's. I haven't located any software to
> access the internet via bluetooth under Linux. Anybody know about this?
>
> The speaker phone works well enough that when I set the phone on the table
> and just talk normally, they don't know I'm on a speakerphone.
>
> Once I added $5 to $10 worth of ringtones, it's now a pretty nice phone.
>
> Now if we could get them to pack 20gb of memory, MP-3 player, and XM
> satellite radio, and a bluetooth high-fidelity stereo headset to go with
> the music. And make the battery last 2 weeks and keep it at 4 ounces. Is
> that too much to ask
>
> Peace, Ron!

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.motorola - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on Wed, 15 Dec
2004 01:56:02 GMT, Ron <[email protected]> wrote:

>[SNIP]

Here's my own take, comparing the Motorola V551 to the Sony Ericsson Z600:

V551 STRENGTHS AS COMPARED TO Z600:

* Quad-band (works anywhere)
* EDGE (not just GPRS)
* Speakerphone
* IM clients
* Supports ENS (for Homing on both Cingular and ATTWS)
* Small size
* Better camera
* Video
* More memory

V551 WEAKNESSES AS COMPARED TO Z600:

* Less capable phonebook (Show Only Primary Numbers is still not as good as
multiple entries per name)
* Side keys that are too easy to press accidentally (too often turning off the
ringer when I put the phone in my leather holster)
* Lack of persistent missed call and voicemail notifications
* Mediocre power management (fast battery rundown with a Bluetooth EDGE
connection)
* EDGE not as fast as it could be (Class 4 rather than Class 10)
* Complex, unintuitive menu and navigation system
* Pitiful selection of preloaded ringtones and graphics, and no games
(available at extra cost from Cingular)
* Somewhat cheap feel
* PhoneTools not included (extra cost)
* No IrDA

DISPLAY:

* The V551 screen is very slightly brighter than the Z600, but the Z600 has
truer colors, especially in difficult lighting.

* The V551 has higher resolution (176x220 versus 128x160), but the Z600 has a
larger display, and in practice the difference in sharpness isn't noticeable.

* Text on the V551 display is much smaller, so more fits on a given screen,
but as a result is much harder to read than the Z600, particularly in
difficult lighting.

* The V551 display drains the battery much faster than the Z600 display, part
of the reason the V551 has much less battery life in use than the Z600. (Poor
Bluetooth and EDGE power management are other factors.)

* Overall, although the differences are small, I prefer the display on the
Z600 to the display on the V551. (I had both phones, so this is based on
actual experience.)

CAMERA

* The camera on the Z600 is unquestionably mediocre and not as good as the
camera in the V551. But I personally don't care about (or even want) a camera
in my phone -- some places prohibit phones with cameras, and when I want to
take pictures I use a real digital camera (Olympus D-40Z) that blows away any
camera phone.

SUMMARY

Overall it's a close call -- the V551 is a very good phone, arguably the best
phone currently offered by Cingular.

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

Ann,

I certainly got the v551 in part because I wanted internet connectivity
for my laptop...and partly because I wanted the video/still camera features.

True, Cingular charges by the kbyte for the wireless "modem" feature,
but it's faster and cheaper than dialup ($20 a month for media-works
which has unlimited internet!!) and it always seems to connect at 115.2
(your mileage may vary) so maybe you could reconsider it.

Sure, it's not DSL speed, but cheaper by half, and WIRELESS wherever
they have a signal. No, I have not cancelled my AT&T/Covad service at
home yet...but I'm planning to!

Peace, Ron!


Ann wrote:
> Thanks for the review Ron. I too own the V551 and like it as a gadget ... I
> bought the USB cable before I learned I could do everything with my BT
> connection.
>
> I specifically purchased a phone with BT in hopes of using it as a modem -
> at no extra charge - but unfortunately Cingular charges extra for this
> service which wasn't worth it for me.
> ___________________
> Ann
> Motorola V551
> iPAQ 4355
> "Ron" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>Okay, a few of you know I wanted and got a v551. Got the locked one, I
>>guess, but there's better service on the New Cingular, so why would I need
>>other carriers, right??
>>
>>Anyhow, it took some calls to customer service to get the pictures to send
>>to an email address, and it took a call to get the voicemail working - it
>>just gave callers a "busy" signal. When's the last time you heard one of
>>those??
>>
>>So while Cingular needed to give me special attention to get things
>>working on their end, it's all working now.
>>
>>Meanwhile, the phone seems really good. The camera works great, but you
>>gotta hold it STEADY. Especially when zoomed to the max, and especially
>>in low light. The video is very useful, but the quality is not gonna make
>>you think I hired Michael Moore's cameraman when you see the result. You
>>can't beat the fact that I'll get photos and video clips that I would
>>never have gotten, had the camera not been inside the phone.
>>
>>As a phone, v551 is better in terms of sound quality to the v60 and v60
>>color phones it replaced. The reception in my 4 most used locations is
>>better than the on AT&T using the TDMA phones I just mentioned, so that
>>was an improvement for me, but I can't say if it's the phone, carrier, or
>>both.
>>
>>The bluetooth wouldn't install correctly on my toshiba notebook computer
>>which runs Windows XP among other os's. I haven't located any software to
>>access the internet via bluetooth under Linux. Anybody know about this?
>>
>>The speaker phone works well enough that when I set the phone on the table
>>and just talk normally, they don't know I'm on a speakerphone.
>>
>>Once I added $5 to $10 worth of ringtones, it's now a pretty nice phone.
>>
>>Now if we could get them to pack 20gb of memory, MP-3 player, and XM
>>satellite radio, and a bluetooth high-fidelity stereo headset to go with
>>the music. And make the battery last 2 weeks and keep it at 4 ounces. Is
>>that too much to ask
>>
>>Peace, Ron!
>
>
>

> Here's my own take, comparing the Motorola V551 to the Sony Ericsson Z600:
>
>
> V551 WEAKNESSES AS COMPARED TO Z600:
>
> * Less capable phonebook (Show Only Primary Numbers is still not as good
as
> multiple entries per name)

That sucks. I _need_ multiple phone numbers for each name. Can't you do it
on V551? If so guess it's no Motorola for me.

> * Side keys that are too easy to press accidentally (too often turning off
the
> ringer when I put the phone in my leather holster)

Every now and then I would accidentally switch on camera on Z600 when
opening it. Annoying.

> * Mediocre power management (fast battery rundown with a Bluetooth EDGE
> connection)

That sucks bigtime. I get 2-3 days out of Z600, sometimes more. I hear
Nokias fare way better, but they don't have a decent clamshell phone, and I
can live with charging my phone 2-3 times a week.

> * Pitiful selection of preloaded ringtones and graphics, and no games
> (available at extra cost from Cingular)

Huh... doesn't it support Java? There are tons of Java games out there el
cheapo.

> CAMERA
>
> * The camera on the Z600 is unquestionably mediocre and not as good as the
> camera in the V551. But I personally don't care about (or even want) a
camera

Who cares about a camera? Not me. All I need is a phone that is small,
light, has decent phonebook, Bluetooth, fast data, reasonable battery life,
clamshell/flip form factor and WORKS instead of locking up every day. Guess
I'll have to wait for Z500... it's a bit smaller than Z600. Was also looking
at Z1010 as well but it's a brick, not phone... even bigger than Z600.

Thanks for the comprehensive review, John!

Peter

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.motorola - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on Thu, 16
Dec 2004 17:22:04 GMT, Ron <[email protected]> wrote:

>I certainly got the v551 in part because I wanted internet connectivity
>for my laptop...and partly because I wanted the video/still camera features.
>
>True, Cingular charges by the kbyte for the wireless "modem" feature,
>but it's faster and cheaper than dialup ($20 a month for media-works
>which has unlimited internet!!) and it always seems to connect at 115.2
>(your mileage may vary) so maybe you could reconsider it.

<http://navasgrp.home.att.net/tech/cingular/media.htm>:

Connections between handsets and "tethered" devices (e.g., notebook
computer, PDA) are typically implemented as a serial port, either
real or virtual, and port speed usually defaults to 115 Kbps.
(Bluetooth is typically implemented on a computer as a virtual serial
port that will go as fast as 921.6 Kbps, but which runs at only 115.2
Kbps by default.) While 115 Kbps is generally fast enough for GPRS
(and CDMA 1X), it can be a bottleneck for EDGE (as well as UMTS and
CDMA EV-DO). In general, port speed should be at least 230 Kbps for
GPRS (and CDMA 1X) and 460 Kbps for EDGE (920 Kbps for UMTS and CMDA
EV-DO).

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.motorola - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on Thu, 16 Dec 2004 19:54:49 +0200,
"Peter" <[email protected]> wrote:

>> * Less capable phonebook (Show Only Primary Numbers is still not as good as
>> multiple entries per name)
>
>That sucks. I _need_ multiple phone numbers for each name. Can't you do it
>on V551? If so guess it's no Motorola for me.

Only one phone number per entry, so you have to use multiple entries with the
same name for multiple numbers. You can set one entry per name as the Primary
Number. It's workable, but a kludge compared to Sony Ericsson.

>> * Side keys that are too easy to press accidentally (too often turning off the
>> ringer when I put the phone in my leather holster)
>
>Every now and then I would accidentally switch on camera on Z600 when
>opening it. Annoying.

The V551 is worse because the buttons are easier to press.

>Who cares about a camera? Not me. All I need is a phone that is small,
>light, has decent phonebook, Bluetooth, fast data, reasonable battery life,
>clamshell/flip form factor and WORKS instead of locking up every day. Guess
>I'll have to wait for Z500... it's a bit smaller than Z600. ...

Unfortunately, the Z500 LACKS BLUETOOTH which makes it a non-starter for me --
WHATEVER WERE THEY THINKING?!

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

> >> * Less capable phonebook (Show Only Primary Numbers is still not as
good as
> >> multiple entries per name)
> >
> >That sucks. I _need_ multiple phone numbers for each name. Can't you do
it
> >on V551? If so guess it's no Motorola for me.
>
> Only one phone number per entry, so you have to use multiple entries with
the
> same name for multiple numbers. You can set one entry per name as the
Primary
> Number. It's workable, but a kludge compared to Sony Ericsson.

Doesn't V3 have multiple entries per name? I've been reading reviews that
it's not exactly easy to use, but at least seems like a step in right
direction.

> >Who cares about a camera? Not me. All I need is a phone that is small,
> >light, has decent phonebook, Bluetooth, fast data, reasonable battery
life,
> >clamshell/flip form factor and WORKS instead of locking up every day.
Guess
> >I'll have to wait for Z500... it's a bit smaller than Z600. ...
>
> Unfortunately, the Z500 LACKS BLUETOOTH which makes it a non-starter for
me --
> WHATEVER WERE THEY THINKING?!

Geez, and I completely missed that! Bye bye Sony!

Are there ANY phones on the market that fulfill the above criteria? Are we
doomed?

One of the best phones I've ever owned was Ericsson T39 - really small,
light, fast GPRS, BT, display easily readable in sunlight (those idiots are
now putting color screens on outside!)... Unfortunately in coupla years it's
GPRS started doing like 2kbps instead of expected 50+ kbit, so I had to get
myself a new one. Now Z600 is starting to show signs of breakdown - locking
up, wobbly clamshell hinge... I wonder if SE phones inherently have short
lifespan?

Peter


Peter

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.motorola - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on Thu, 16 Dec 2004 20:26:31 +0200,
"Peter" <[email protected]> wrote:

>> Only one phone number per entry, so you have to use multiple entries with the
>> same name for multiple numbers. You can set one entry per name as the Primary
>> Number. It's workable, but a kludge compared to Sony Ericsson.
>
>Doesn't V3 have multiple entries per name? I've been reading reviews that
>it's not exactly easy to use, but at least seems like a step in right
>direction.

>Are there ANY phones on the market that fulfill the above criteria? Are we
>doomed?

I personally think the V551, notwithstanding some flaws, is a darn good phone.
The Sony Ericsson Z600 likewise, although it lacks EDGE and MP3, and has a
poor camera.

>One of the best phones I've ever owned was Ericsson T39 - really small,
>light, fast GPRS, BT, display easily readable in sunlight (those idiots are
>now putting color screens on outside!)...

I also had a T39m, and agree that it's an awesome phone.

>Unfortunately in coupla years it's
>GPRS started doing like 2kbps instead of expected 50+ kbit, so I had to get
>myself a new one.

My T39m was still going strong when I sold it. My reasons for upgrading to
the Z600 were more capable email and WAP, J2ME support, and polyphonic
ringtones.

>Now Z600 is starting to show signs of breakdown - locking
>up, wobbly clamshell hinge... I wonder if SE phones inherently have short
>lifespan?

My Z600 is holding up very well with none of those issues even though I've
dropped it a few times. [wince] If it had EDGE Class 10, I'd consider it
near-perfect.

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>

On Thu, 16 Dec 2004 19:54:49 +0200, "Peter" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>That sucks. I _need_ multiple phone numbers for each name. Can't you do it
>on V551? If so guess it's no Motorola for me.
>

You can on the v551. I don't have the Ericson so I can't compare, but
if John says it is better at that I have to believe him. However, when
entering names there is an option ("MORE") that allows you to enter
additional numbers for each name. You can also enter separate voice
commands "DAVE HOME or DAVE CELL" for each number, plus a category
(HOME, WORK, MOBILE, etc). I think that you can even enter a separate
picture for each. That isn't a feature I care about.

But the display shows them individually, with a little graphic
indicating the category. It's ok for me, especially since I dial
mostly by using the voice command. I think that this is only for
saving to the Phone. Save to the SIM and I think you have much fewer
options.

>> * Side keys that are too easy to press accidentally (too often turning off
>the
>> ringer when I put the phone in my leather holster)
>
>Every now and then I would accidentally switch on camera on Z600 when
>opening it. Annoying.

I have not turned on the camera by mistake. Internet, yes once or
twice.




>> * Pitiful selection of preloaded ringtones and graphics, and no games
>> (available at extra cost from Cingular)
>
>Huh... doesn't it support Java? There are tons of Java games out there el
>cheapo.

Yes, it does support Java games. I have figured out how to install a
few. Free from various websites.



>> CAMERA
>>
>> * The camera on the Z600 is unquestionably mediocre and not as good as the
>> camera in the V551. But I personally don't care about (or even want) a
>camera
>
>Who cares about a camera? Not me. All I need is a phone that is small,
>light, has decent phonebook, Bluetooth, fast data, reasonable battery life,
>clamshell/flip form factor and WORKS instead of locking up every day. Guess
>I'll have to wait for Z500... it's a bit smaller than Z600. Was also looking
>at Z1010 as well but it's a brick, not phone... even bigger than Z600.
>

I do like the camera, it's one of the reasons that I bought the phone.
It isn't great but it works pretty well and is for those times that I
want a picture and didn't bring a camera. Video? I haven't even
tried.

just wanted to add something to this...

i just got the motorola HS801 bluetooth headset to go with my new V551

it works great and i am told by people i call that its sounds pretty
darn good



On Wed, 15 Dec 2004 01:56:02 GMT, Ron <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Okay, a few of you know I wanted and got a v551. Got the locked one, I
>guess, but there's better service on the New Cingular, so why would I
>need other carriers, right??
>
>Anyhow, it took some calls to customer service to get the pictures to
>send to an email address, and it took a call to get the voicemail
>working - it just gave callers a "busy" signal. When's the last time
>you heard one of those??
>
>So while Cingular needed to give me special attention to get things
>working on their end, it's all working now.
>
>Meanwhile, the phone seems really good. The camera works great, but you
>gotta hold it STEADY. Especially when zoomed to the max, and especially
>in low light. The video is very useful, but the quality is not gonna
>make you think I hired Michael Moore's cameraman when you see the
>result. You can't beat the fact that I'll get photos and video clips
>that I would never have gotten, had the camera not been inside the phone.
>
>As a phone, v551 is better in terms of sound quality to the v60 and v60
>color phones it replaced. The reception in my 4 most used locations is
>better than the on AT&T using the TDMA phones I just mentioned, so that
>was an improvement for me, but I can't say if it's the phone, carrier,
>or both.
>
>The bluetooth wouldn't install correctly on my toshiba notebook computer
>which runs Windows XP among other os's. I haven't located any software
>to access the internet via bluetooth under Linux. Anybody know about this?
>
>The speaker phone works well enough that when I set the phone on the
>table and just talk normally, they don't know I'm on a speakerphone.
>
>Once I added $5 to $10 worth of ringtones, it's now a pretty nice phone.
>
>Now if we could get them to pack 20gb of memory, MP-3 player, and XM
>satellite radio, and a bluetooth high-fidelity stereo headset to go with
>the music. And make the battery last 2 weeks and keep it at 4 ounces.
>Is that too much to ask
>
>Peace, Ron!

Hi John!

Your comparison to Sony Ericsson z600 and Motorola V551 included the
v551 "cons" which I was unsure about.

> Lack of persistent missed call and voicemail notifications

Does this mean that you can't see that someone has called you 7 times
and didn't leave a message, or that he has left 3 messages since you
last looked?? Or something else?

> No IrDA

What's that? Why do I need it?

The rest of the stuff, except the "cheap" feel, I can understand or
agree with. The "missing" ringtones, Mobile Phone Tools software, and
connection cable/bluetooth adapter (for the computer) are not issues as
long as they're available. I just consider the $10 for ringtones and
the $75 for pc connection kit a part of the cost of the phone...not a
"negative" in any other way. This is just my point of view.

I don't think it feels cheap.

I wish the "voice" button wasn't so sensitive, but no harm is done with
this. Also, I keep mine in the case except when it's off and I'm
changing batteries, so I don't experience hitting the buttons when going
into the case...

As for places not allowing camera-phones, I have not run into it.
Probably not a problem with cameras of this quality. It's not like
you're gonna get great art-reproductions while sneaking snapshots at the
museum. When they make 700 megapixel cameras, I guess we'll have to worry!

A nice thing to put on phones these days, that the v551 doesn't have, is
a phone-off feature, so you can play games or update your calendar while
you're on board a plane!

Peace, Ron!


John Navas wrote:
> [POSTED TO alt.cellular.motorola - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]
>
> In <[email protected]> on Wed, 15 Dec
> 2004 01:56:02 GMT, Ron <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>>[SNIP]
>
>
> Here's my own take, comparing the Motorola V551 to the Sony Ericsson Z600:
>
> V551 STRENGTHS AS COMPARED TO Z600:
>
> * Quad-band (works anywhere)
> * EDGE (not just GPRS)
> * Speakerphone
> * IM clients
> * Supports ENS (for Homing on both Cingular and ATTWS)
> * Small size
> * Better camera
> * Video
> * More memory
>
> V551 WEAKNESSES AS COMPARED TO Z600:
>
> * Less capable phonebook (Show Only Primary Numbers is still not as good as
> multiple entries per name)
> * Side keys that are too easy to press accidentally (too often turning off the
> ringer when I put the phone in my leather holster)
> * Lack of persistent missed call and voicemail notifications
> * Mediocre power management (fast battery rundown with a Bluetooth EDGE
> connection)
> * EDGE not as fast as it could be (Class 4 rather than Class 10)
> * Complex, unintuitive menu and navigation system
> * Pitiful selection of preloaded ringtones and graphics, and no games
> (available at extra cost from Cingular)
> * Somewhat cheap feel
> * PhoneTools not included (extra cost)
> * No IrDA
>
> DISPLAY:
>
> * The V551 screen is very slightly brighter than the Z600, but the Z600 has
> truer colors, especially in difficult lighting.
>
> * The V551 has higher resolution (176x220 versus 128x160), but the Z600 has a
> larger display, and in practice the difference in sharpness isn't noticeable.
>
> * Text on the V551 display is much smaller, so more fits on a given screen,
> but as a result is much harder to read than the Z600, particularly in
> difficult lighting.
>
> * The V551 display drains the battery much faster than the Z600 display, part
> of the reason the V551 has much less battery life in use than the Z600. (Poor
> Bluetooth and EDGE power management are other factors.)
>
> * Overall, although the differences are small, I prefer the display on the
> Z600 to the display on the V551. (I had both phones, so this is based on
> actual experience.)
>
> CAMERA
>
> * The camera on the Z600 is unquestionably mediocre and not as good as the
> camera in the V551. But I personally don't care about (or even want) a camera
> in my phone -- some places prohibit phones with cameras, and when I want to
> take pictures I use a real digital camera (Olympus D-40Z) that blows away any
> camera phone.
>
> SUMMARY
>
> Overall it's a close call -- the V551 is a very good phone, arguably the best
> phone currently offered by Cingular.
>

Since I have unlimited internet on my plan with Cingular, I don't mind
using the free bandwidth to complain about the "preloaded" photos and
some cartoon character.

How do I delete these? I hate not only the core that they take, but
also the fact that I must scroll past each and every one while I scroll
through my own photos. They were nice photos the first 75 times I had
to look at them, but now....

Anybody figured this out yet??

Peace,
Ron!


jilted wrote:

> just wanted to add something to this...
>
> i just got the motorola HS801 bluetooth headset to go with my new V551
>
> it works great and i am told by people i call that its sounds pretty
> darn good
>
>
>
> On Wed, 15 Dec 2004 01:56:02 GMT, Ron <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>
>>Okay, a few of you know I wanted and got a v551. Got the locked one, I
>>guess, but there's better service on the New Cingular, so why would I
>>need other carriers, right??
>>
>>Anyhow, it took some calls to customer service to get the pictures to
>>send to an email address, and it took a call to get the voicemail
>>working - it just gave callers a "busy" signal. When's the last time
>>you heard one of those??
>>
>>So while Cingular needed to give me special attention to get things
>>working on their end, it's all working now.
>>
>>Meanwhile, the phone seems really good. The camera works great, but you
>>gotta hold it STEADY. Especially when zoomed to the max, and especially
>>in low light. The video is very useful, but the quality is not gonna
>>make you think I hired Michael Moore's cameraman when you see the
>>result. You can't beat the fact that I'll get photos and video clips
>>that I would never have gotten, had the camera not been inside the phone.
>>
>>As a phone, v551 is better in terms of sound quality to the v60 and v60
>>color phones it replaced. The reception in my 4 most used locations is
>>better than the on AT&T using the TDMA phones I just mentioned, so that
>>was an improvement for me, but I can't say if it's the phone, carrier,
>>or both.
>>
>>The bluetooth wouldn't install correctly on my toshiba notebook computer
>>which runs Windows XP among other os's. I haven't located any software
>>to access the internet via bluetooth under Linux. Anybody know about this?
>>
>>The speaker phone works well enough that when I set the phone on the
>>table and just talk normally, they don't know I'm on a speakerphone.
>>
>>Once I added $5 to $10 worth of ringtones, it's now a pretty nice phone.
>>
>>Now if we could get them to pack 20gb of memory, MP-3 player, and XM
>>satellite radio, and a bluetooth high-fidelity stereo headset to go with
>>the music. And make the battery last 2 weeks and keep it at 4 ounces.
>>Is that too much to ask
>>
>>Peace, Ron!
>
>

[POSTED TO alt.cellular.motorola - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]

In <[email protected]> on Thu, 16
Dec 2004 20:45:13 GMT, Ron <[email protected]> wrote:

>Hi John!
>
>Your comparison to Sony Ericsson z600 and Motorola V551 included the
>v551 "cons" which I was unsure about.
>
> > Lack of persistent missed call and voicemail notifications
>
>Does this mean that you can't see that someone has called you 7 times
>and didn't leave a message, or that he has left 3 messages since you
>last looked?? Or something else?

It means the alerts for these things get canceled by any screen update. With
Sony Ericsson, the alerts stack up on the screen until cleared.

> > No IrDA
>
>What's that? Why do I need it?

Infrared. Handy to connect to laptops, printers, etc.

>As for places not allowing camera-phones, I have not run into it.
>Probably not a problem with cameras of this quality. ...

It definitely is; e.g., in businesses and other installations concerned about
security.

--
Best regards, HELP FOR CINGULAR GSM & SONY ERICSSON PHONES:
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/#Cingular>