Motorola Razr V3im review: Motorola Razr V3im

The Motorola Razr V3im is the Razr V3i with iTunes on it. So what does the m edition give you that the old Razr didn't? The most obvious differences are that the handset is the colour burgundy and there's a dedicated iTunes button in place of the messaging key. The iTunes key lets you access Apple's music application without having to go through the phone's menu, which is useful if you want to listen to your tunes without having to fiddle around too much.

8.3

Motorola Razr V3im

The Good

Dedicated iTunes key; slim form factor; battery-saving aeroplane mode.

The Bad

The 100-song cap on iTunes; the lack of effort in converting the V3im into a more music-oriented phone.

The Bottom Line

Distancing itself from the terrible Rokr E1, the V3i is a good-looking phone with very usable music software. Sadly, the 100-song cap has prevented it from being a great mobile phone/MP3 player solution. We're also disappointed that the only external changes from the V3i are the burgundy casing and dedicated iTunes key

Once you access the phone's interface, you'll notice that it's identical to the V3i's, except that there's an iTunes icon in the menu that gives you access to the application, which is a mini version of the full software. You also have the option to turn the phone on in aeroplane mode, which means you can use it exclusively as an MP3 player and also save battery when you don't need to use the handset as a phone, giving you more time to listen to music.

In the box you get a CD with iTunes on it and Motorola's Phone Tools software. Once you install iTunes, the phone is automatically recognised when you plug it in and doesn't require any drivers. You also get an adaptor in the box that lets you plug in your own 3.5mm jack headphones, which is great if you've spent a fortune on a pair of brand new Sennheiser headphones, and means that the sound quality won't be limited by the proprietary earbuds included.

The iTunes software on the V3im is basic compared to the iPod interface but lets you access playlists, artists, albums, songs and shuffle mode, which is much better than the built-in music software on most phones. The application is very easy to use and even shows album art. Annoyingly, you can only put a maximum of 100 songs on the phone, which is strange considering they provide you with a 512MB card. We imagine this is a limitation placed by Apple, so that the V3im doesn't cannibalise the iPod market.

Aside from that, the features on the V3im are identical to the ones on the V3i and if you want to see those, have a look at our V3i review. Overall, we like the dedicated iTunes key and software but we're not impressed with the 100-song cap or the lacklustre effort in making it a music phone -- although having said that, it's miles better than the Rokr. It's available on an O2 contract from £30 or on pay as you go from the Carphone Warehouse for £250.

Edited by Mary Lojkine
Additional editing by Nick Hide