pundit
08-25-2007, 01:05 PM
Although there is a bit of a discussion about this phone in another thread, I thought against posting the following first impressions by burying it in another thread...
What's in the box:
- phone
- battery (BC-50 720mAh)
- charge cable
- USB data cable
- 1GB SanDisk microSD card
- miniUSB plug stereo earphone (+ extra pads)
- S9 bluetooth earphone (+ extra plugs + soft pouch)
- manual, quick reference card, software CDs
Firmware: R60_G_80.31.15R (Singtel unbranded)
Flex: GSQACENHGSGDST03D
Bootloader: 03.CD
Menu System - Special Features
Motorola introduced a new operating system for their phones incorporating linux. The MotomaGX OS on the new Z6 is very responsive, very stable (haven't had a single hiccup yet - nothing!), truly very customizable and a refreshing change over MotoUI. It's familiar (for those used to MotoUI) yet quite different because it's so customizable. For instance, there is no middle menu like in Motos of old to bring up options, but pressing the left softkey presents the user with numerous new options (make/move/copy/edit file/folder, properties, view memory etc). More so, the customization possibilities are such that allows the user to move functions/features found throughout the menu system to higher-tiered levels in the menu system. For example, if one requires use of the "world clock" (found in "menu/office tools/world clock") on a regular basis, then it's possible to move it to the main menu level. Same for access of the memory card (normally: "menu/office tools/file manager/memory card") and many other features/functions. This is very well thought out and very convenient as you can bring up all the frequently used features/functions to a higher menu level for easier access. Of course, there remains an option to reset everything to stock settings but make certain to backup data first.
One very neat feature that Motorola introduced with this phone (not certain whether this will be implemented in all MotomaGX run phones) is the talking phone feature. Not only can you select an option that allows the phone to spell out (read: talk out loud) a phone number, but it can also read out incoming text messages for you as well. This is a very nice addition when dialing "blind", i.e. when not looking directly at the keypad when pressing the numbers - the phone will confirm the number pressed in a male computer-generated voice.
This phone also includes voice command which complements the talking phone feature. Voice command is a means for the user to speak a command into the phone to perform certain tasks without a need to click away at menus; the user may simply command the phone to perform certain actions. Examples of voice commands include: dialing a number, check battery/signal/time/date/e-mails/calendar/text messages, set airplane mode, set ring, and many others. This feature works very well, but best when the slider is opened or when using an external microphone as part of a headset. It is accessible whether the slider is open or closed by depressing and holding the voice command button on the top right of the phone casing.
Text messaging is another feature that's received an upgrade, of sorts. First, the user may store text messages either on the phone or the memory card, the messages are placed in the "messages" folder within "my folders" or other user-created folder. Since messages can now be stored to the memory card, the number of messages stored is only limited by the capacity of the memory card itself. An unlimited number of folders can be created to store messages - sort them by name, subject etc. The predictive texting is very simple, however it is different from the iTap employed in other Motorola phones. The user has the option to select up to 6 different input methods/languages including "word", "letter, i.e. ABC", "numbers", "symbols", etc. Even though new words are automatically stored in the dictionary, there exists an option to lock the dictionary to prevent addition of any new words.
Sound/Call quality, signal reception
I've read numerous reports that some reviewers were disappointed with the signal reception. Quite the opposite. There are a number of "dead" spots in the area where I live and these locations offer a perfect opportunity to test the signal quality of a cell phone. The Z6 performed like other Motorolas - signal was achieved. Interestingly, the signal indicator does show a full 5/5 but only when the signal is exceptionally strong, while other phones (notably Nokias) tend to show full signal strength when the Moto would only show 3/5 or 4/5. It's not clear whether there is a difference in software/hardware "interpretation" of the signal or whether the meters are more liberal/conservative depending on manufacturer. However, the signal reception in weak signal areas is much better on the Z6 than other makes (notably Nokia) and somewhat similar to my old L7 and the V3.
Call quality is very good as well. No garbled conversations, people clearly hear what I'm saying, although the callers noted a difference when speaking in a very windy environment (for instance, in a vehicle with the window open). This problem was overcome by using my Plantronics 510 with wind blocker tech (looks geeky, so that's why I only use that thing while driving the car). Otherwise, there is no buzzing or other electronic sounds in the earpiece at all and voice quality is very good.
The sound is very good - in terms of call quality as well as the music/ringtone playback quality. The playback/ringtone/keypress volumes are all independently controllable in each of the sound profiles (Normal, vibrate then ring, ring & vibe, silent, etc). *** BTW, one may create as many profiles as desired (for instance, make a new profile select "vibe & ring" ringer type and set the ring volume to 7/7, then make a copy of that profile but then set the ring volume to 2/7) ***. Thus it is quite simple to create numerous profiles to suit one's needs: for bluetooth usage, car, loud, soft, outdoors, etc...
The external speaker is in the base and has a slit to the front, so the sound is heard equally well whether the slider is open or closed. Sound of music/ringtone playback is very crisp, does not sound muted or "tin-y". When set to loud, be certain you will hear the ringtone! The mp3 sound quality is very good overall but best when heard through headphones (S9 or hardwired - although I have not yet tried the hardwired headphones). I've tried a number of Nokias in the last month and NONE of them had as good as sound as the Z6 (including the N73 or N95 - which are touted as "Nokia's best sounding phones") - sound on the Z6 is much louder, crisper and richer than even other Motos that I've had (L7, V3). Regarding the difference in sound between the Z6 and other, older Motos, I suspect the better quality of sound on the Z6 is partly due to the software itself. Although this may be true, don't expect this phone to sound like a home stereo sound system when listening to MP3's through its mono external speaker - that would simply be an unrealistic expectation from any such device, but, as mentioned earlier, the sound is incredible when listening to MP3's via the bluetooth headset or, as suspected, hardwired earphones. The lack of a 2.5" or 3.5" earphone jack is a bit of a drawback on this phone, although thankfully the package included the hardwired headset as well that will fit the microUSB jack.
Physical Features
Regarding build quality, the Z6 is very solid as is the sliding mechanism which opens/closes with assertiveness (very nice feeling - feels like it's an expensive phone - heck IT IS an expensive phone!), although the bottom of the slider portion does move very slightly from side to side when closed. Since the phone itself is made of metal and glass (obviously some plastic inside there somewhere), it is heftier than other recent Motos but that's neither a discomfort nor a nuisance - quite the opposite - the nice weight provides a comfortable feeling of holding a solid phone and certainly doesn't feel that it will blow away with a good gust of wind. Again, comparing to Nokias or other makes (such as Samsung, Sony Ericsson) which make extensive use of cheap-feeling plastic (for the keypads, screens, battery covers, etc), the construction of the Z6 is a world of a difference!! Please note that this in no way reflects negatively on the fine advances some of these manufacturers introduced in their newer models, however, their continued use of cheap plastic makes the phones seem very cheap and toy-like. Quite the opposite with Motorola's higher-end phones - one very positive aspect. The back battery cover is painted with some anti-slip material which makes it nice to hold in the hands, offering the feeling of having a solid grip on the phone.
The screen is bright! Very bright at highest setting (6/6). Although the screen is only 262K colors, the pixelation is denser than the smaller screen cousins of the Moto line which makes the screen look crisper and more detailed than other phones - the different font also makes it much more appealing to view. It would be interesting to compare the V8/V9/Z6 side by side. In bright daylight with direct sun shining on the screen, brightness level of 3 sufficiently lights up the screen to make it readable. Screen brightness level of 4/6 makes it even easier to see in direct sunlight. Beware that adding a screen protector will increase reflection and perhaps make the screen more difficult to read in the sun. In order to further conserve battery life, I set the screen brightness level to 2/6 - quite sufficient to read under any conditions. Image viewing is a breeze, but requires a higher screen brightness level to fully appreciate the tonal/contrast differences on regular photos. Video playback not yet tested.
Immediately above the screen are two light indicators built into the casing, one light (green) showing charge and the other (blue) indicating Bluetooth activity. This is a very welcome addition and a nicely thought out concept. At quick glance, the user may distinguish whether the phone's bluetooth connection is active, in seeking mode, disconnected, or otherwise. No need to activate the screen to see the status of bluetooth!
The keypad is, quite frankly, a bit of a let down. In order to keep the phone slim, it is to be expected that the keypad would need to be fully flat with no obtrusive ridges or the like that could hamper the slide mechanism of the phone. This introduces a bit of a different problem though - accidentally pressing adjacent keys when typing in phone number or text.
So far I've been impressed with the battery life as well. I was set for some disappointment after reading numerous "reviews" stating the battery was the weak point. I received the phone 2 days ago, charged it for 12 hours, as I normally would with any other battery operated device, and the battery shows 60% on the meter after 2 days. This after playing around with the phone nearly non-stop over the last couple of days (playing music, chatting (30 minutes of calls), taking some pictures to see quality, etc). I suspect the battery will remain charged for 3 - 4 days depending on usage. I've invoked the "battery save" feature on the phone, reduced the brightness to 2, and set the network scan to medium to conserve battery energy even further.
Update: Based on a few days and a number of charge/discharge cycles, I can confirm that the battery will last anywhere between 2½ to 3½ days depending on usage and other factors. In a test performed solely in "airplane mode" the battery will last well over 5 days (this includes some music playing). A complete charge is achieved in 2½ hours!
The camera present on the back of MotoROKR Z6 is a 2MP still/video unit. Quality is not the best and it seems that Motorola included a camera as an afterthought - like in many other Motorola models. The pictures are somewhat grainy and soft, nothing a little photoshoping can't fix, but usable. There exist many options to control the lighting, photo size, orientation, etc. An LED flash sits next to the camera lens and may be turned on/off to provide supplemental light for taking photos or videos. It makes for a great flashlight in dark locations, providing just enough light to see without causing excessive blindness - great for reading maps, illuminating dark staircases, etc. Another welcome addition is the option for automatic picture storage - either to the memory card or the phone itself - without user input ... Take a picture/video and it will be automatically stored to the memory device of your choosing.
Regarding the memory card, although the manual states that Moto does not guarantee proper function of any memory card over 1Gb other than SanDisk, I decided to test this assertion and purchased a Transcend 2GB microSD card, formatted in FAT filesystem, inserted in the phone (which demanded to format the card again) and have no problems with the phone not recognizing the card. Info transfer between the phone itself and the card is seemless - no lag, no waiting and transfers between computer and phone (memory card) are very speedy thanks to the USB 2.0 connection on the phone. I have thus put all my wallpapers, ringtones and music on the memory card. The memory card is "hot-swapable", meaning you can take it out of the slot without turning the phone off beforehand and no information is lost in the process, unless data is being written to the card during the time of extraction. The drawback is that it's fairly difficult to remove the card from it's slot. No matter, put in a 2GB card and "forget about it".
The neat feature is that when connecting the phone to the computer while in "memory card" mode, the phone will recognize and switch over to "modem" mode or "media synch" mode depending on what software you open up to interact with the phone. So for instance, when simply transferring files and the phone is set to "memory card" mode, and then one starts MPT to synchronize contacts, the phone will automatically revert over to "modem mode" (a.k.a. USB mode). If one opens MP11 the phone will switch over to "media sync." mode automatically. Neat!
Impressions
Thus far, I'm very satisfied with this phone. It's a solidly built well functioning cell phone - this is first and foremost the most important feature of any cell phone, regardless of other gimmicks, and Motorola did well in this regard. The call quality is similar to my trusty L7 that I've counted on for a long time now.
There are no significant quirks, partly because it's still in the "user testing" stage and it performs very well as a cell phone as well as a music player (with s9 headset - I have not yet tried with regular stereo wired headset).
Issues and other observations
The drawbacks are few and some (perhaps) fixable through tweaking sometime in the future:
Hardware drawbacks:
- larger capacity battery would be fantastic (although no real complaints yet)
- lack of 2.5"/3.5" earphone jack
- Inserting SIM card is hassle-free. Extraction is only possible if memory card removed!
- Memory card extraction is near impossible! Very weird setup!! Why no slot on the side of the phone??
- for those who want to know more about the camera on this phone, some advice. Don't buy this phone if you expect much from a 2MP camera on a cell phone, you will be disappointed. I personally don't care for cameras on phones, so the crappy image quality doesn't make an iota of a difference to me because I have a nice tiny Canon SD1000 for pictures and video.
- the keys are nearly indistinguishable from each other. I've already found myself pressing the wrong button a number of times. This applies to the "clear" key and the "end call/back to main menu" keys in particular. Need to concentrate on which button one presses - I suppose no texting while driving for me! LOL!
Software Drawbacks:
- No direct voicemail dial by pressing #1 key (this confirmed as a firmware thing)
- Lack of customization for the slide mechanism. Universal setting is either "continue task" or "end task" for everything. Would be nice to have options for the slide mechanism depending on the task. For example - set "continue task" when in a call and close the slide, but "end task" for everything else. For example, if the slide mechanism feature is set to "end task" (because it's more convenient when working generally with the phone) and you open the slide to call someone, then close the slide for convenience while in the conversation, the phone hangs up, so someone is likely to be pissed that you hung up on them.
- better "recent calls" management. At the moment (at least with this firmware version), the phone only displays a complete list of incoming/outgoing/missed calls. There is an option to filter by call type, but it's only temporary and automatically reverts to a complete list. Not a bad thing, but the icons are so similar for all three call types that it makes it very difficult to distinguish what's call was what. I'd prefer sub-categories (received calls, outgoing calls, missed calls) to be permanent and default instead of a complete list.
- Impossible to customize left/right softkeys. The d-pad is fully customizable, but not the softkeys or the buttons on the side of the phone. I normally press the middle d-pad button to access the main menu and don't need the right soft-key to do the same. Would like to customize the right soft-key but impossible to do so.
- When viewing multiple phone number entries for a single contact, the list is presented in a very small font (it's really tiny) and two very similar colors: blue and light purple - this makes it very difficult to distinguish which number is highlighted when attempting to select the number to call. To give you an idea, the color combo is the same as the stock colors in a regular www browser (as in visited/unvisited links).
- Another "recent calls" issue: when selecting and viewing detailed info of a call, it's not possible to use the up/down d-pad keys to scroll to the next/previous call, one needs to exit from viewing the detailed info, then select the following/prior name/number on the list and then press for detailed info again.
Modding
Heh... Well, I haven't done anything to this phone yet, besides changing wallpapers and themes. BTW, there are three installed themes on the phone (Alkali, Indium, Plush) and each one is modifiable and the user can create new themes based on the ones pre-installed.
I've yet to find any other modifications for this model anywhere on the net, except for the original source tarballs for the different modules that make up this firmware (check out the OpenSource Z6 Project page listed below). Now that Moto announced opensource availability of the OS that is installed on this phone, it will be interesting to see what people come up with.
Off the beaten track
Some useful sites:
Motorola Press Release on MotomaGX (linux-based operating system) for Z6:
http://www.motorola.com/mediacenter/news/detail.jsp?globalObjectId=8536_8466_23&pageLocaleId=2026
Motorola OpenSource Project page (SourceForge):
https://opensource.motorola.com/sf/sfmain/do/viewProject/projects.rokrz6
MotoDEV ROK Z6 info:
http://developer.motorola.com/products/handsets/motorokrz6/
Drivers & Software used to connect phone to 'puter:
Moto Handset USB Driver v.2.9.0:
http://developer.motorola.com/docstools/USB_Drivers/
Motorola Phone Tools:
ver 4.51c (updated via MPT liveupdate)
Official ModMyMoto MotoROKR Z6 discussion forum here: http://www.modmymoto.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=71
Cheers!
What's in the box:
- phone
- battery (BC-50 720mAh)
- charge cable
- USB data cable
- 1GB SanDisk microSD card
- miniUSB plug stereo earphone (+ extra pads)
- S9 bluetooth earphone (+ extra plugs + soft pouch)
- manual, quick reference card, software CDs
Firmware: R60_G_80.31.15R (Singtel unbranded)
Flex: GSQACENHGSGDST03D
Bootloader: 03.CD
Menu System - Special Features
Motorola introduced a new operating system for their phones incorporating linux. The MotomaGX OS on the new Z6 is very responsive, very stable (haven't had a single hiccup yet - nothing!), truly very customizable and a refreshing change over MotoUI. It's familiar (for those used to MotoUI) yet quite different because it's so customizable. For instance, there is no middle menu like in Motos of old to bring up options, but pressing the left softkey presents the user with numerous new options (make/move/copy/edit file/folder, properties, view memory etc). More so, the customization possibilities are such that allows the user to move functions/features found throughout the menu system to higher-tiered levels in the menu system. For example, if one requires use of the "world clock" (found in "menu/office tools/world clock") on a regular basis, then it's possible to move it to the main menu level. Same for access of the memory card (normally: "menu/office tools/file manager/memory card") and many other features/functions. This is very well thought out and very convenient as you can bring up all the frequently used features/functions to a higher menu level for easier access. Of course, there remains an option to reset everything to stock settings but make certain to backup data first.
One very neat feature that Motorola introduced with this phone (not certain whether this will be implemented in all MotomaGX run phones) is the talking phone feature. Not only can you select an option that allows the phone to spell out (read: talk out loud) a phone number, but it can also read out incoming text messages for you as well. This is a very nice addition when dialing "blind", i.e. when not looking directly at the keypad when pressing the numbers - the phone will confirm the number pressed in a male computer-generated voice.
This phone also includes voice command which complements the talking phone feature. Voice command is a means for the user to speak a command into the phone to perform certain tasks without a need to click away at menus; the user may simply command the phone to perform certain actions. Examples of voice commands include: dialing a number, check battery/signal/time/date/e-mails/calendar/text messages, set airplane mode, set ring, and many others. This feature works very well, but best when the slider is opened or when using an external microphone as part of a headset. It is accessible whether the slider is open or closed by depressing and holding the voice command button on the top right of the phone casing.
Text messaging is another feature that's received an upgrade, of sorts. First, the user may store text messages either on the phone or the memory card, the messages are placed in the "messages" folder within "my folders" or other user-created folder. Since messages can now be stored to the memory card, the number of messages stored is only limited by the capacity of the memory card itself. An unlimited number of folders can be created to store messages - sort them by name, subject etc. The predictive texting is very simple, however it is different from the iTap employed in other Motorola phones. The user has the option to select up to 6 different input methods/languages including "word", "letter, i.e. ABC", "numbers", "symbols", etc. Even though new words are automatically stored in the dictionary, there exists an option to lock the dictionary to prevent addition of any new words.
Sound/Call quality, signal reception
I've read numerous reports that some reviewers were disappointed with the signal reception. Quite the opposite. There are a number of "dead" spots in the area where I live and these locations offer a perfect opportunity to test the signal quality of a cell phone. The Z6 performed like other Motorolas - signal was achieved. Interestingly, the signal indicator does show a full 5/5 but only when the signal is exceptionally strong, while other phones (notably Nokias) tend to show full signal strength when the Moto would only show 3/5 or 4/5. It's not clear whether there is a difference in software/hardware "interpretation" of the signal or whether the meters are more liberal/conservative depending on manufacturer. However, the signal reception in weak signal areas is much better on the Z6 than other makes (notably Nokia) and somewhat similar to my old L7 and the V3.
Call quality is very good as well. No garbled conversations, people clearly hear what I'm saying, although the callers noted a difference when speaking in a very windy environment (for instance, in a vehicle with the window open). This problem was overcome by using my Plantronics 510 with wind blocker tech (looks geeky, so that's why I only use that thing while driving the car). Otherwise, there is no buzzing or other electronic sounds in the earpiece at all and voice quality is very good.
The sound is very good - in terms of call quality as well as the music/ringtone playback quality. The playback/ringtone/keypress volumes are all independently controllable in each of the sound profiles (Normal, vibrate then ring, ring & vibe, silent, etc). *** BTW, one may create as many profiles as desired (for instance, make a new profile select "vibe & ring" ringer type and set the ring volume to 7/7, then make a copy of that profile but then set the ring volume to 2/7) ***. Thus it is quite simple to create numerous profiles to suit one's needs: for bluetooth usage, car, loud, soft, outdoors, etc...
The external speaker is in the base and has a slit to the front, so the sound is heard equally well whether the slider is open or closed. Sound of music/ringtone playback is very crisp, does not sound muted or "tin-y". When set to loud, be certain you will hear the ringtone! The mp3 sound quality is very good overall but best when heard through headphones (S9 or hardwired - although I have not yet tried the hardwired headphones). I've tried a number of Nokias in the last month and NONE of them had as good as sound as the Z6 (including the N73 or N95 - which are touted as "Nokia's best sounding phones") - sound on the Z6 is much louder, crisper and richer than even other Motos that I've had (L7, V3). Regarding the difference in sound between the Z6 and other, older Motos, I suspect the better quality of sound on the Z6 is partly due to the software itself. Although this may be true, don't expect this phone to sound like a home stereo sound system when listening to MP3's through its mono external speaker - that would simply be an unrealistic expectation from any such device, but, as mentioned earlier, the sound is incredible when listening to MP3's via the bluetooth headset or, as suspected, hardwired earphones. The lack of a 2.5" or 3.5" earphone jack is a bit of a drawback on this phone, although thankfully the package included the hardwired headset as well that will fit the microUSB jack.
Physical Features
Regarding build quality, the Z6 is very solid as is the sliding mechanism which opens/closes with assertiveness (very nice feeling - feels like it's an expensive phone - heck IT IS an expensive phone!), although the bottom of the slider portion does move very slightly from side to side when closed. Since the phone itself is made of metal and glass (obviously some plastic inside there somewhere), it is heftier than other recent Motos but that's neither a discomfort nor a nuisance - quite the opposite - the nice weight provides a comfortable feeling of holding a solid phone and certainly doesn't feel that it will blow away with a good gust of wind. Again, comparing to Nokias or other makes (such as Samsung, Sony Ericsson) which make extensive use of cheap-feeling plastic (for the keypads, screens, battery covers, etc), the construction of the Z6 is a world of a difference!! Please note that this in no way reflects negatively on the fine advances some of these manufacturers introduced in their newer models, however, their continued use of cheap plastic makes the phones seem very cheap and toy-like. Quite the opposite with Motorola's higher-end phones - one very positive aspect. The back battery cover is painted with some anti-slip material which makes it nice to hold in the hands, offering the feeling of having a solid grip on the phone.
The screen is bright! Very bright at highest setting (6/6). Although the screen is only 262K colors, the pixelation is denser than the smaller screen cousins of the Moto line which makes the screen look crisper and more detailed than other phones - the different font also makes it much more appealing to view. It would be interesting to compare the V8/V9/Z6 side by side. In bright daylight with direct sun shining on the screen, brightness level of 3 sufficiently lights up the screen to make it readable. Screen brightness level of 4/6 makes it even easier to see in direct sunlight. Beware that adding a screen protector will increase reflection and perhaps make the screen more difficult to read in the sun. In order to further conserve battery life, I set the screen brightness level to 2/6 - quite sufficient to read under any conditions. Image viewing is a breeze, but requires a higher screen brightness level to fully appreciate the tonal/contrast differences on regular photos. Video playback not yet tested.
Immediately above the screen are two light indicators built into the casing, one light (green) showing charge and the other (blue) indicating Bluetooth activity. This is a very welcome addition and a nicely thought out concept. At quick glance, the user may distinguish whether the phone's bluetooth connection is active, in seeking mode, disconnected, or otherwise. No need to activate the screen to see the status of bluetooth!
The keypad is, quite frankly, a bit of a let down. In order to keep the phone slim, it is to be expected that the keypad would need to be fully flat with no obtrusive ridges or the like that could hamper the slide mechanism of the phone. This introduces a bit of a different problem though - accidentally pressing adjacent keys when typing in phone number or text.
So far I've been impressed with the battery life as well. I was set for some disappointment after reading numerous "reviews" stating the battery was the weak point. I received the phone 2 days ago, charged it for 12 hours, as I normally would with any other battery operated device, and the battery shows 60% on the meter after 2 days. This after playing around with the phone nearly non-stop over the last couple of days (playing music, chatting (30 minutes of calls), taking some pictures to see quality, etc). I suspect the battery will remain charged for 3 - 4 days depending on usage. I've invoked the "battery save" feature on the phone, reduced the brightness to 2, and set the network scan to medium to conserve battery energy even further.
Update: Based on a few days and a number of charge/discharge cycles, I can confirm that the battery will last anywhere between 2½ to 3½ days depending on usage and other factors. In a test performed solely in "airplane mode" the battery will last well over 5 days (this includes some music playing). A complete charge is achieved in 2½ hours!
The camera present on the back of MotoROKR Z6 is a 2MP still/video unit. Quality is not the best and it seems that Motorola included a camera as an afterthought - like in many other Motorola models. The pictures are somewhat grainy and soft, nothing a little photoshoping can't fix, but usable. There exist many options to control the lighting, photo size, orientation, etc. An LED flash sits next to the camera lens and may be turned on/off to provide supplemental light for taking photos or videos. It makes for a great flashlight in dark locations, providing just enough light to see without causing excessive blindness - great for reading maps, illuminating dark staircases, etc. Another welcome addition is the option for automatic picture storage - either to the memory card or the phone itself - without user input ... Take a picture/video and it will be automatically stored to the memory device of your choosing.
Regarding the memory card, although the manual states that Moto does not guarantee proper function of any memory card over 1Gb other than SanDisk, I decided to test this assertion and purchased a Transcend 2GB microSD card, formatted in FAT filesystem, inserted in the phone (which demanded to format the card again) and have no problems with the phone not recognizing the card. Info transfer between the phone itself and the card is seemless - no lag, no waiting and transfers between computer and phone (memory card) are very speedy thanks to the USB 2.0 connection on the phone. I have thus put all my wallpapers, ringtones and music on the memory card. The memory card is "hot-swapable", meaning you can take it out of the slot without turning the phone off beforehand and no information is lost in the process, unless data is being written to the card during the time of extraction. The drawback is that it's fairly difficult to remove the card from it's slot. No matter, put in a 2GB card and "forget about it".
The neat feature is that when connecting the phone to the computer while in "memory card" mode, the phone will recognize and switch over to "modem" mode or "media synch" mode depending on what software you open up to interact with the phone. So for instance, when simply transferring files and the phone is set to "memory card" mode, and then one starts MPT to synchronize contacts, the phone will automatically revert over to "modem mode" (a.k.a. USB mode). If one opens MP11 the phone will switch over to "media sync." mode automatically. Neat!
Impressions
Thus far, I'm very satisfied with this phone. It's a solidly built well functioning cell phone - this is first and foremost the most important feature of any cell phone, regardless of other gimmicks, and Motorola did well in this regard. The call quality is similar to my trusty L7 that I've counted on for a long time now.
There are no significant quirks, partly because it's still in the "user testing" stage and it performs very well as a cell phone as well as a music player (with s9 headset - I have not yet tried with regular stereo wired headset).
Issues and other observations
The drawbacks are few and some (perhaps) fixable through tweaking sometime in the future:
Hardware drawbacks:
- larger capacity battery would be fantastic (although no real complaints yet)
- lack of 2.5"/3.5" earphone jack
- Inserting SIM card is hassle-free. Extraction is only possible if memory card removed!
- Memory card extraction is near impossible! Very weird setup!! Why no slot on the side of the phone??
- for those who want to know more about the camera on this phone, some advice. Don't buy this phone if you expect much from a 2MP camera on a cell phone, you will be disappointed. I personally don't care for cameras on phones, so the crappy image quality doesn't make an iota of a difference to me because I have a nice tiny Canon SD1000 for pictures and video.
- the keys are nearly indistinguishable from each other. I've already found myself pressing the wrong button a number of times. This applies to the "clear" key and the "end call/back to main menu" keys in particular. Need to concentrate on which button one presses - I suppose no texting while driving for me! LOL!
Software Drawbacks:
- No direct voicemail dial by pressing #1 key (this confirmed as a firmware thing)
- Lack of customization for the slide mechanism. Universal setting is either "continue task" or "end task" for everything. Would be nice to have options for the slide mechanism depending on the task. For example - set "continue task" when in a call and close the slide, but "end task" for everything else. For example, if the slide mechanism feature is set to "end task" (because it's more convenient when working generally with the phone) and you open the slide to call someone, then close the slide for convenience while in the conversation, the phone hangs up, so someone is likely to be pissed that you hung up on them.
- better "recent calls" management. At the moment (at least with this firmware version), the phone only displays a complete list of incoming/outgoing/missed calls. There is an option to filter by call type, but it's only temporary and automatically reverts to a complete list. Not a bad thing, but the icons are so similar for all three call types that it makes it very difficult to distinguish what's call was what. I'd prefer sub-categories (received calls, outgoing calls, missed calls) to be permanent and default instead of a complete list.
- Impossible to customize left/right softkeys. The d-pad is fully customizable, but not the softkeys or the buttons on the side of the phone. I normally press the middle d-pad button to access the main menu and don't need the right soft-key to do the same. Would like to customize the right soft-key but impossible to do so.
- When viewing multiple phone number entries for a single contact, the list is presented in a very small font (it's really tiny) and two very similar colors: blue and light purple - this makes it very difficult to distinguish which number is highlighted when attempting to select the number to call. To give you an idea, the color combo is the same as the stock colors in a regular www browser (as in visited/unvisited links).
- Another "recent calls" issue: when selecting and viewing detailed info of a call, it's not possible to use the up/down d-pad keys to scroll to the next/previous call, one needs to exit from viewing the detailed info, then select the following/prior name/number on the list and then press for detailed info again.
Modding
Heh... Well, I haven't done anything to this phone yet, besides changing wallpapers and themes. BTW, there are three installed themes on the phone (Alkali, Indium, Plush) and each one is modifiable and the user can create new themes based on the ones pre-installed.
I've yet to find any other modifications for this model anywhere on the net, except for the original source tarballs for the different modules that make up this firmware (check out the OpenSource Z6 Project page listed below). Now that Moto announced opensource availability of the OS that is installed on this phone, it will be interesting to see what people come up with.
Off the beaten track
Some useful sites:
Motorola Press Release on MotomaGX (linux-based operating system) for Z6:
http://www.motorola.com/mediacenter/news/detail.jsp?globalObjectId=8536_8466_23&pageLocaleId=2026
Motorola OpenSource Project page (SourceForge):
https://opensource.motorola.com/sf/sfmain/do/viewProject/projects.rokrz6
MotoDEV ROK Z6 info:
http://developer.motorola.com/products/handsets/motorokrz6/
Drivers & Software used to connect phone to 'puter:
Moto Handset USB Driver v.2.9.0:
http://developer.motorola.com/docstools/USB_Drivers/
Motorola Phone Tools:
ver 4.51c (updated via MPT liveupdate)
Official ModMyMoto MotoROKR Z6 discussion forum here: http://www.modmymoto.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=71
Cheers!