Review: Motorola MOTOKRZR K1 - High Gloss, High Fashion

Motorola MOTOKRZR K1

Motorola MOTOKRZR K1

Motorola MOTOKRZR K1

Introduction

The original Motorola RAZR V3, released back in July of 2004, is a handset that has truly stood the test of time. While it is by no means a technological marvel when compared with other phones on the market today, it is still a handset that sells outstandingly well. When Motorola decided to refresh its fashion line of handsets, taking such a popular design, modernizing it, and adding features to bring it in line with other handsets of the day was an obvious choice. That is not to say that the new Motorola MOTOKRZR K1 has all the advanced features of many high-end devices doing the rounds, but when compared to other fashion phones, it definitely holds its own.

Physical Aspects

If there was just one reason to purchase the Motorola MOTOKRZR K1, it would be its build quality. The device looks and feels great, and gives a very solid impression without feeling too heavy. Measuring 16mm x 42mm x 103mm (0.6" x 1.7" x 4.1") and weighing in at 103g (3.6oz), the MOTOKRZR K1 is 5mm taller and 2mm thicker than the original RAZR V3, and also adds 8g of weight to the device. Regardless of this, the K1 feels much more comfortable in the hand, and the extra 8g is not enough to cause a problem. Everything feels very solid here, and even the hinge mechanism feels quite durable.

The front of the K1 is coated in highly reflective dark blue plastic with a glass inset, and attracts fingerprints even worse than LG's Chocolate line of devices. Surprisingly, this material actually feels quite robust, resisting scratches very well. The back of the handset is covered in the same soft-touch rubberized material as seen on the Motorola PEBL; I am happy Motorola made this decision, as covering the entire handset with the mirror finish blue would have made keeping a grip on it exceedingly difficult.

The right hand side of the handset plays home to the voice dial key, which also starts the voice recorder with a long press, as well as the miniUSB port. The miniUSB port has a plastic cover that is attached to the handset with a fragile looking piece of plastic. While it has not been a problem for us after some extensive use, we still have some concerns about the cover's durability. The miniUSB port is the only connector on the K1, and is used for charging, headsets, and data connectivity.

Volume keys and a camera key can be found on the left side of the handset, though the camera key caused a little bit of trouble for me - I found myself regularly pressing it accidentally when opening the handset one handed, leaving me looking at the camera viewfinder when wanting to use the phone.

Opening the handset, a keypad quite similar to the old RAZR can be found. Coinciding with the reduction in width of the handset, the MOTOKRZR K1's keypad is much thinner than its older brother's. Thankfully, usability has not suffered from this, though the inherent problems of having a flat keypad remain, such as the increased difficulty in finding keys when using the device without looking. An improvement on Motorola's part is that the uneven middle row of keys, seen on the RAZR, is no longer an issue. Instead, all keys line up evenly, which makes for a far less confusing keypad. A small rubber ridge outlining the numbers on the keys and the keys themselves does help though. The dark blue keypad has a bright light blue backlight that provides excellent visibility in the dark, and does not impede visibility in the light, which is important, as the MOTOKRZR does not have a light sensor to shut it off when ambient light is sufficient. Overall, the keypad proves to be very comfortable to use.

 

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