MOTORAZR2 V9 Ferrari Special Edition

A touch of Ferrari class

Good Gear Guide

Motorola's iconic RAZR continues to be the company's flagship handset. The latest version has been released in collaboration with Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari. The RAZR2 Ferrari Special Edition retains all the technical specifications of the original MOTORAZR2 V9, but adds exclusive Ferrari content, a checker flag pattern, red accents and a Ferrari-branded leather case.

Pros

  • Design and build quality, HSDPA-capable, superb displays, touch-sensitive music controls, speedy interface, Ferrari branding and content

Cons

  • Basic music player, lack of 3.5mm headphone jack, dull interface

Bottom Line

The Ferrari additions are largely aesthetic improvements. Under the hood, the RAZR2 V9 is a similar handset to the original version.

Would you buy this?

  • Price

    $ 629.00 (AUD)

Aesthetically, the MOTORAZR2 Ferrari is a pretty stunning device. It's been built using a combination of plastic, metal and glass and feels extremely solid. The design is wonderfully sleek and stylish, although the gloss black finish does attract plenty of fingerprints. The checker flag pattern on the front and rear of the handset, in addition to the red accents and keypad backlight, are the main differences in design from the MOTORAZR2 V9. There is also a Ferrari logo etched into the rear casing.

The keypad once again has a flat layout, but tactile feedback is impressive and the controls are well laid out. A real highlight is the touch-sensitive music controls, which only become visible at the bottom of the external display when the music player is running. They are very responsive and are naturally facilitated by the large 2in screen — it remains the best external display we've seen on any flip phone. The 2.2in internal display is also noteworthy for a flip handset, displaying bright, vivid colours.

Unfortunately, Motorola's bland user interface, while speedy and easy to use, doesn't do this wonderful display justice. The V9's main menu design pales when compared to offerings from rivals; however, the addition of Ferrari content such as wallpapers and backgrounds is a nice touch. Despite this, the general user experience is solid, and the keystroke lag suffered by previous Motorola units when messaging and browsing menu items has been eradicated.

The MOTORAZR2 V9 Ferrari Special Edition once again uses CrystalTalk technology, a feature that automatically accounts for background noise and adjusts the audio to match the ambient volume. We noticed its effects, but our callers complained of regular fluctuations in volume.

The handset includes a 2-megapixel camera with 8x digital zoom, but the absence of a flash means night-time photography is almost impossible. The quality of pictures is as expected, although the outstanding display is excellent for browsing through photos. The camera's location on the front of the handset means it can be used during video calls and the 'See What I See' feature means users can stream live video while a call is in progress.

The included music player supports a variety of audio formats, but the lack of a standard 3.5mm headphone jack and equaliser is a disappointment. Sound quality is fair thanks to the inclusion of spatial audio and bass boost settings, and the A2DP Bluetooth profile means you can stream audio to a compatible set of headphones. The V9 Ferrari Special Edition has 45MB of built-in memory, and Motorola includes a 512MB microSD card in the sales package (its slot is located beneath the rear battery cover).

The V9 is well equipped in terms of connectivity: it boasts HSDPA, Bluetooth 2.0 and USB 2.0. Conveniently, you can use it as a USB mass storage device with the supplied micro-USB cable. We were disappointed a standard mini-USB connection wasn't utilised, but a micro-USB to mini-USB adapter is included in the sales package. To top off the Ferrari theme, a leather case with red stitching and an etched Ferrari logo is included in the sales package.

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