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Midrange clamshell cell phone with camera and music player
- Pretty good call quality
- Decent 2-megapixel camera
- Music player
- Compatible with standard headphones
- OK video playback
- MicroSD memory card slot
- Body attracts fingerprints
- Flush keypad
- Conflicting results on battery tests
- Slow browser
Reviews say the Motorola Razr VE20 is pretty good -- for a Razr. Most reviewers look at the Sprint version, but it is also available on Alltel and U.S. Cellular. In a generally very positive review, CNET's Kent German calls the clamshell phone's overall design "old hat." PCMag.com's Sascha Segan rates it "good" but says, "Please excuse us for not getting particularly excited about it." InfoSyncWorld.com's Philip Berne says it's the best Razr as of August 2008, but if you didn't get it for free, you paid too much. But on substance, criticisms don't seem all that horrible, hardly unique for a midrange phone: The body's a fingerprint magnet, the microSD card slot (up to 8 GB) is behind the battery, the alphanumeric keys are flush, the Web browser is slow (but you can install the superior Opera Mini), and the Sprint music interface is a chore ("If you have more than about 50 tunes in the player, it can take forever to find anything," says PCMag's Segan). Segan also says voice and music sound quality is better via the 3.5 mm jack -- which accepts any standard set of headphones -- than over Bluetooth.
On the other hand, most reviews say that the call quality is at least decent and even good and that the 2.2-inch internal screen is fine. Some like the 2-megapixel camera ("quite good," says CNET), and some say video playback is OK, even "excellent." PCMag got much better battery life than advertised; Laptop got worse than promised; and PhoneArena.com, oddly, says it got good results but still isn't sold, on the battery or overall, noting that "we'd have a hard time recommending it until it proves itself over a period of time." Pro football fans, however, will appreciate that the Sprint Motorola Razr EV20 offers NFL Mobile Live -- radio broadcasts of every league game. Laptop's buying advice is succinct, noting that the Samsung M520 is a better deal for Sprint customers at about $50 less (though it has a lower resolution, 1.3-megapixel camera) -- otherwise get Verizon's LG Chocolate 3 if your contract is up.
Most of the top sources for cell phone reviews cover the Motorola Razr VE20 -- CNET, PCMag.com, InfoSync and ConsumerReports.org. CNET offers the supplement of 15 owner reviews, and at this writing there are none at Amazon.com. A scattering of user reviews can also be found at PhoneScoop.com and PhoneArena.com.
Our Sources
1. CNET
Reviewer Kent German says that call quality is decent and music and video playback are "excellent." The overall rating is "very good," but about 15 owner reviews combine to score it slightly lower. Some complain about poor battery life and excessively complex menus.
Review: Motorola Razr VE20 -- Silver (Sprint), Kent German, Aug. 17, 2008
2. PCMag.com
Although the Motorola Razr VE20 earns a rating of "good" from Sascha Segan, he says, "Please excuse us for not getting particularly excited about it." Voice quality and battery life (tested at more than 5.5 hours) are praised, but the included browser is slow, and Segan recommends loading Opera Mini.
Review: Motorola RAZR VE20, Sascha Segan, Aug. 21, 2008
Philip Berne says the VE20 is the "best Razr on the market right now," but it doesn't make the "best multimedia" list at the bottom, and Berne says it's overpriced if it isn't free. One of the "pros" is the VE20's "feminine" design. Says Berne: "Web browser lousy and dated. Streaming services can't keep up with downloads."
Review: Motorola Razr VE20 Review, Philip Berne, Aug. 18, 2008
4. ConsumerReports.org
The Sprint-Nextel version of the Motorola Razr VE20 is one of nearly 60 standard cell phones rated in a subscription-required chart, with links to short individual reviews.
Review: Cell Phone Ratings, Editors of ConsumerReports.org
The Motorola Razr VE20 rates three out of five stars, with Todd Haselton saying that the Samsung M520 is a better deal for Sprint customers at about $50 less (albeit with a lower-res camera). "If your contract is up, we recommend Verizon Wireless' LG Chocolate 3."
Review: Motorola Razr VE20, Todd Haselton, Aug. 18, 2008
PhoneArena.com achieves about 90 minutes more than the promised battery talk time yet oddly still has "reservations" about the battery. "Call us biased, but Moto has earned their lousy reputation on Sprint, and while we like what we see in the VE20 for now we'd have a hard time recommending it until it proves itself over a period of time."
Review: Motorola Razr VE20 Review, Editors of PhoneArena.com, Sept. 10, 2008
