Motorola V197 Review

The Motorola V197 is a nice, bare bones cell phone for those not looking for all the bells and whistles.

I purchased this cell phone almost a month ago after my previous cell phone failed (Sony Ericsson.) My previous cell phone had a video camera and still picture camera which I rarely used so when replacing my phone, I decided to go with something with less features.

I'm impressed with the durability of the Motorola V197 and the quality of the phone. It's very compact and easy to navigate.

The keypad is large enough so it's easy to dial numbers without making an error. The keypad also lights up, which makes it nice to dial in the dark. The side number keys are slightly raised, making it easier to dial without hitting the wrong key. I rate the phone pad a 10 out of 10 because of the ease of using.

There's a nice array of ringtones available, although, a lot of them are very quiet even when you have your ringer volume as high as it can be. The ring volume isn't as high as previous phones I've had but it's satisfactory. I have missed calls because of being in a different room than my cell phone. Other than wishing the ringtones were a bit louder, I'm happy with the overall selection available. Because of the low volume, I rate this area an 8 out of 10.

I wish the received calls, dialed calls, and missed calls were available from one screen. I miss the ability to tab over to the calls I've missed, received, or dialed. After some getting used to, I'm handing the lack of this feature better. I rate this area a 6 out of 10, only because they could have made it easier to view all areas of calls from one screen without having to access other areas of your cell phone.

The internal antenna is nice, as there's nothing bulky in your way when you're trying to talk. There's nothing sticking out of the top of the phone, which not only makes the phone's appearance look better but it makes it more comfortable to hold the phone. Such a nice feature that I give it a 10 out of 10.

The battery charge holds for a nice length of time. I can go two or more days without having to charge my phone. The battery cover also locks into place, making it unable to slide off when you're talking on your phone. I'm impressed with the battery life and give this a 10 out of 10.

The Motorola V197 also have the Bluetooth ability, which seems to be pretty standard on cell phones now. It works very well and is relatively easy to use for beginners. It's nice to have the handsfree ability and still have a clear conversation. Definitely a 10 out of 10.

The ability to play pre-installed games really lacks. This area of your phone is quit confusing for such a simple phone. As far as I can tell from much investigating, there are no pre-installed gamed on this phone. This is one area of the phone that is greatly lacking and I rate it a 4 out of 10 (but not such a big deal for those that don't play games on their phone.)

Adding enteries into the phone book is very quick and simple. The phone basically walks you through this set up and would be very easy for those not familiar with cell phones. It's nice to have a simple, yet functional feature. I give this area of the phone a 10 out of 10.

There's about 15 different wallpapers to choose from, which is adequate for a simple phone such as this. The wallpaper is easy to set up from the settings section. I wish there were a few more girly images to choose from but they do have a nice variety. I rate this area of the phone a 9 out of 10.

I like the ability to view the time from the front of your phone. It displays in a nice size so it's easy to ready the time (and to see how much of a signal you have and your battery life meter.) It's very simple, which is what I was looking for. I definitely rate this area a 10 out of 10 because of its simplicity.

When using the phone the reception is wonderful and the conversation is clear. The volume can be controlled and adjusted to fit your needs (hearing impaired/hearing sensitive.) I'm hearing impaired and I can clearly make out the conversations without trouble. Every conversation has been crisp and clear to date. I'm extremely happy with the ability to hear so well and give this a 10 out of 10.

I have found the reception for this phone to be outstanding. I'm able to pick up calls in areas I wasn't previously able to with other phones (such as in Walmart.) The calls are clear, even when I don't have full signal. This is a bonus compared to other phones I have previously owned. Definitely a 10 out of 10 in this regard.

Overall, this is a very simple phone for someone that doesn't need/want all the bells and whistles. It's extremely easy to navigate and is quite durable. I've been very pleased with my purchase of the Motorola V197. I would highly recommend this phone to anyone looking for a good, reliable phone. You can't go wrong with the Motorola V197.

Overall phone rating: 10 out of 10.

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Thanks very much for posting such a detailed review of this phone. Can I ask where you bought this phone? I've been searching the web to find an unlocked V197 but have not had any luck.

I bought it from Cellular One. It was normally around $125 (in that range) but I renewed my contract and only paid $19.99.

The only annoying thing I have found is that you have to pull off the charger cover to plug the charger in. Not a big issue, just annoying.

Originally Posted by difranc2

Thanks very much for posting such a detailed review of this phone. Can I ask where you bought this phone? I've been searching the web to find an unlocked V197 but have not had any luck.

Good review.

I agree that you did a no nonsense great review and it was your post that made me decide to get 2 V197s last week vice their other choice, Nokia 6085.
I have been very happy with it and have also installed Phone Tools on both my Desktop and laptop computers. I had no problems with this program although I sure read that others have. I give the phone 10 out of 10.

I have one unanswered question after thoroughly reading everything I can find, and that is,,, How can you find out how much memory you have left.
Hope someone can tell me.

Rod