vB Easy Archive - overall, what do you guys grade the moto v551?

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overall, what do you guys grade the moto v551?
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Posted by: Alfred_Neuman

from my perspective as a sales rep, i give it a c-. i know its a phone that it should be mandatory for insurance, as it'll crap out eventually.

but thats just me. what do you guys think?

Posted by: Chrissehbear

I'd probably give it an A. Maybe 'cuz the first phone I had was a V220, and ANYTHING is better than that piece of crap.

Posted by: Nick94

I'd give it a B, maybe a B+, with the newest firmware (D with the first one). I would have given it an A if the PIM functionalities were as good as those of the Nokia or SE phones, if EDGE would have been class 10, and if the BT menus weren't soo dumb. It is all around a solif, but not spectacular phone. Cingular should knowck $75 or so off the price of it though.

Posted by: ItalianAngel831

i give it a B because i didn't want a moto phone after the t720 but after two frozen and scrolling nokia 6230 it better kinda putting my faith back in moto phones cause now i thinking the nokia r crap. still don't like the phone book, also don't like how big the v551 is but it better then the nokia i couldn't use. so it gets the job done.

Posted by: quillhill

Given that it's really hit and miss in terms of battery life - you shouldn't need firmware upgrades for battery life - and other little quality control issues like the white screen in the first batch, it's not my favorite phone.
It also doesn't have the strongest reception. Better than my SE T616 in the metal fortress that is my office, but not as good as my RAZR.
Plus, I really missed having a full external LCD. I didn't think I would, but now that I have the V3, I don't think I could ever have another phone that can't do picture ID.
On the other hand, it's a tough little phone with a nice, loud, clear earpiece with a nice feature set. It does everything my Sanyo VM4500 did and then some with a significantly lower price tag.

I would give it a 2.7 on a scale of 4.0 - we had decimal, not letter, grades at the University of Washington. That's a high C or a low B, depending on how much you need to inflate your GPA. Heh.

When I got it, half the sales reps I talked to were comfortable selling it. Now, about 1/3 of the reps I talk to are comfortable selling it because they get them back so often.

Of course, I could be so enamored of my RAZR, I may be blind to all else.

Posted by: i0wnj00

It was an F, because the battery life was atrocious with the stock AT&T Wireless firmware. Next to useless as a phone.

Now, a B.
Minor gripes...
1.) Limited options for caller ID.
2.) Poor use of the word "Connection", why not use "Bluetooth"?
3.) Annoying splat icon. (I disabled the data part)
4.) There seems to be some wiggle movement when the flip is closed.
5.) Replacement of faceplates requires a Torx #6 screwdriver.

(With apologies to WirelessAndy for stealing his role of nitpicker of phones

)

Other than that...this is my preferred phone to use when I goto places beyond my neighborhood since it has 850/1900 MHz and the engineering menu so I'll have a general idea of how good/bad reception is (esp on the Blue side).

Posted by: .7

Still have the old firmware.....horrible

Posted by: zerilos

Motorola addressbook is atrocious. If it weren't for that I'd give it an A.

With some of the newer firms, the stableness and ui speedups were nice, but I just can't stand the address book. I give it a B.

Posted by: ASimpleFarmer

i'd give it a C. its good for the people who are not advanced enough, but still want features

Posted by: chonga

B-
great screen, camera is decent, mp3 ringers, BT, etc. etc.

BUT the screen hits the keys when you shut it, the hinge on the phone is very very cheap, it scratches very easily, and don't drop it at all....cuz if you do something will go out on this pos
try keeping this phone for 2 yrs....it won't happen
every friend i have who had it for a year had to get a new one cuz this one crapped out or they hated it so much and ended up getting a different one.

if moto would only make their phones more durable....then it would be a good phone

Posted by: WirelessAndy

Quote:

Originally Posted by i0wnj00

(With apologies to WirelessAndy for stealing his role of nitpicker of phones

)

No apologies necessary!

My biggest stumbling block with the V551 was build quality. No consistency between one phone and the next new one sitting in a box.

You can read my original Nit Pick at this link.

In short, random defects or oddities include keys not being consistently "clicky", misaligned LCD screens (inside and out). The latest versions of the V551 seem to have fixed the strange narrow viewing angle of the outside LCD, so it's once again easy to read, not just head-on.

Otherwise, I love the non-color external LCD that stays on all the time. I love the nag alerts (selectable) for missed SMS. And having quad-band doesn't hurt. Oh yeah, and for you gadget hounds, bluetooth, fancy ringers, and a camera (albeit kinda crummy as usual).

I'd give the V551 a B+ to A- for features, but a C- to D+ for build quality consistency. If you're lucky, you can find yourself a good apple out of the barrel.

Posted by: coinstar99

My first 551 was pure crap I would have given it a huge fat F. I had terrible reception and it would power off and on at will, closed, open, when I closed it , it didn't matter. The new one I receieved from XBM has been a completely different story. I was just planning on using this 551 as a hold out untill the V3 that I won came in but I don't know so much anymore. I use this 551 with my notebook, logged almost 3 hours of data transmission the other day and I had no problem what so ever with battery life, still showed a full battery, and I made an hours worth of calls. Its fast when connected to edge with my notebook, comes close to my buddies GC82 . Ear piece has been loud and clear, and I have not had this phone shut off once. I have only had to reset it once to get the bluetooth to sync with my notebook. I am actually impressed, if my first one would have been this way I would have said A+ all the way. My only worry is that its going to degrade over time and I am going to be dissapointed again. We shall see I guess. As for right now I would give the 551 I have a solid B!

Posted by: ivwshane

I give it a c, it could have been a b but with all the software issues it has and bad battery life it gets a grade lower.

Features = b (it's got alot of features but doesn't excel at anyone particular)

Build quality = D or C- (the earpiece going out is quite common and the white screen is common too)

Battery = D (I don't have any experience with the new firmware but I can't imagine it would be a whole lot better)

UI quality = b (moto has a solid layout, it's not the easiest but it's also not the most difficult to use, the lag is also a negative).

Now let me compare it to a 6230

Feature = A (a ton of features like an upgradeable memory card, like the moto though, the quality of the features aren't the best, if they were this score would be an A+)

Build quality = b (if it wasn't for some minor firmware issues and I'm referring to the cingular version, the build quality would be an A)

Battery = A (the battery when compared to other phones is excellent, it's not the best but it can hold it's own)

UI quality = A (nokia's UI is one of the best, it's efficient, easy to use, it's just not that great looking)

Overall score = b+

Posted by: TheRupp

Quote:

Originally Posted by zerilos

Motorola addressbook is atrocious. If it weren't for that I'd give it an A.

Yeah, I 2nd that. I'm coming from an LG and the phonebook in the LG was far superior to the one in the Moto.

Posted by: Ced91071

I would grade the V551 a B as it has nice features, including BlueTooth, but it just seems like something is missing. Maybe that is because I got the 551 free at Best Buy when my SE Z500 crapped out twice. It just seemed like th SE Z500 was had more appeal, even though the 551 has tons more features. As I also have a black Razr, a Treo 650, an 8200, and an I860, the 551 ratea bout a B. Also, you should check Best Nuy, and the V551 was free, and any Bluetooth headset was 20 dollars off when purchased with the phone. CHeck it out...............................

Posted by: dobiegillis

I don't use this phone daily but I know its issues. Overall I think it is a C due to the same reasons mentioned above (battery, hinge, UI). Very average phone. Its only decent because it has a lot of features. It doesn't execute the features all that well.

Posted by: ALCingularUser

Overall, I like the phone. Nice screen, plays MP3 ringtones, solid feel.

Battery life used to be truly awful until I upgraded the firmware. Now it's very good. Anyone with battery issues really ought to seriously consider it.

However, I don't like the Moto UI, especially the phonebook. The whole thing feels like they started with the basic UI 10 years ago and just kept tacking things on. At some point, they should've done a complete redesign, but they never have. To be honest, my favorite overall UI was from my Sanyo SCP-4500 on Sprint. Simple and intuitive, although Nokia's phonebook was better.

When I got the V551, I wanted a good flip, and I've been satisfied. However, if and when Nokia releases a flip with comparable features, I'll most likely switch back.

Posted by: quillhill

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALCingularUser

Overall, I like the phone. Nice screen, plays MP3 ringtones, solid feel.

Battery life used to be truly awful until I upgraded the firmware. Now it's very good. Anyone with battery issues really ought to seriously consider it.

*snip*

I just can't for the life of me figure out how to get it done ... Moto Modders was way over my head, to be honest. How did you go about doing it?

Posted by: WirelessAndy

Quote:

Originally Posted by quillhill

I just can't for the life of me figure out how to get it done ... Moto Modders was way over my head, to be honest. How did you go about doing it?

Well, yeah, that's just it. I'm very happy for the folks that have the skill, time and energy to edit their phones. It's just not for me.

It's not that I'm not able... The last time I had the skill, time and energy like that was back around 1982 (?) editing bits of hex in Ultima ][ on the Apple ][+ to uh, "enhance" the gameplay.

But for the rest of us lazy types, you just shouldn't have to futz around with a PHONE. It's cool that you can, but boy, you just shouldn't have to... Ya know?

Posted by: dobiegillis

Yeah I had considered getting ours upgraded/unlocked/unbranded but I don't know that its worth it now. The phone exterior is already getting a bit beat up. Probably will get something new next year. I don't know maybe...can anyone recommend a 3rd party to do a fw upgrade/flex?

Posted by: anubis9278

I give it a POS.

Posted by: ALCingularUser

Quote:

Originally Posted by quillhill

I just can't for the life of me figure out how to get it done ... Moto Modders was way over my head, to be honest. How did you go about doing it?

I used xlr8's page to do the flash.

http://www.xlr8.us/hofo/flash/

Before you do this, read the entire page, making sure to follow the link to Guide to Flashing Your Vxxx Phone.

Some advice here: Make sure you have Mobile Phone Tools because you must back up your phonebook, calendar, etc. They WILL get corrupted during this operation. Also, remember that doing this will void your warranty, so if your phone dies in the process, you'll be SOL. Odds are it won't, but bad things can happen.

Posted by: quillhill

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALCingularUser

Well, that puts me between a rock and a hard place.
It's no longer my primary phone. I'd like to sell it, but I just can't do that knowing that the f/w could be upgraded to improve the battery life.
Yet, if the phone dies in the process, I can't very well sell it, can I? Guh.

I agree with Andy ... I shouldn't have to do this myself. Crap like this is exactly why I gave the phone an average grade.

I'm eight months into the warranty. Maybe I'll just wait. Urgh.

Posted by: ALCingularUser

I agree. When a phone is released, it should be stable. I think the whole computer industry model has allowed this to happen. Release a product that isn't quite ready, then fix it in firmware updates. That should only happen if a totally unanticipated problem is discovered, not as a general practice. And if a product does need an update, make it something that a consumer can easily do in a foolproof manner. Don't force them to choose between shipping the product to a service center or doing it themselves and voiding the warranty.