When it comes to my cell phones, I have a short list of things that I expect. First the phone should have good call quality, and second it should have good reception. That brings me to the CDMA Motorola RAZR V3c (an updated version) on the Telus network.

Oh yes, it is an old phone, but Telus usually comes late to the fad cells and besides, it was cheap at $80 Canadian Dollars. I was originally using Bell pre-paid and really loved my primitive (by today’s standards) LG 3300 flip phone. It had no external screen, no camera, no Bluetooth, but it did have outstanding call quality.

After 10 years with Bell, they decided they had enough, and would do absolutely nothing to keep me as a customer. I actually pleaded with them on the phone on two different calls, but to no avail. Instead, they told me to go with another provider, and the rest as they say is history.

So, you might ask, how is the Motorola Razr V3C? Well, let me start with my first criteria for a good phone, sound quality. The Razr does a good job most of the time, with relatively loud earpiece volume. Voices sound clear, but at times, as the signal drops it can get hard to hear what someone is saying. I also do not think it fairs to well in noisy environments, like a mall, especially if the signal strength is low. Over all my old LG 3300 sounded louder and better more often then the Razr.

Where the Razr excels is in reception ability. It rocks so hard when I can make calls from 3 levels down in underground parking. Super clean calling and reception in a friends basement. Excellent over the road signal handling as well. The LG 3300 did a good job, but could never match the Razr’s signal pulling prowess.

Then there are the ‘other’ features. Oh you might be thinking camera, or perhaps java games, but really, I have no use for those things. What I have fallen in love with is the voice command, by Voice Signal. I liked the LG 3300 voice dial, but you had train it with your own voice. With the Motorola, it just recognizes what you’re saying, and it seems to be about 80% accurate, easy to correct, and not hard to use at all.

While I did use a corded headset with my LG, the Motorola offers Bluetooth. I like the idea of no cables, and the Motorola H500 headset is light, sounds pretty loud and is easy to use. Unfortunately I think the V3c has a problem with its Bluetooth, because most of the headsets(5 in total) I have tried with this phone crackle and do not work well past 5 feet. Even when it’s clipped to my belt I get crackling. Then again, it could just be my phone?!

Other issues I have noticed are the weird scheduler alarms that don’t work very well. No way to set separate ring tones for text messages instead of voice calls from contacts. Ringer volume could be a bit better, because it’s hard to hear in a crowded place or even under my winter coat. I don’t care for the fancy features, like the camera. Since the phone is in a case clipped to my belt, I hardly even use the external screen, preferring to flip it open when checking the time.

Overall though, I am pleased with this cell phone. Its ability to pull in a signal and it’s good to very good call quality make the Razr V3c a winner. It will be the phone I look to as a backup(on Telus) in the future, and the bonus is everyone will be selling this off soon for little more (or less) then what I paid for mine.