Motorola W230: Upgrading the Basic Phone – 1

In this article, we shall provide an initial review of Motorola's newest basic phone model, the W230. This is based on the available information from the Internet, specifically reviews from other sites and Motorola's own website. The second part of the review shall be posted later which is a hands-on review of the said unit.

A basic phone is a phone that is used for making calls and sending/receiving text messages at low price point. That's about it. Anything else is extra. Right now, cell phone makers are deluging the marketplace with an overwhelming choices. Nokia, the world's No. 1 cell phone manufacturer, has about 20-30 phone models that can be classified as basic phones. This Motorola offering sets itself differently by having the ability to become an MP3 player at a very low price (less than PhP 2,500 or about US$ 58 using an exchange rate of PhP 43:US$1). At that price point, this phone signals the death knell of standalone MP3 players.

Specifications

Dimensions	Width = 45 mm x Length = 110.97 mm x Thickness = 14.7mm
Weight	80 g
Frequency	Dual Band: GSM 900/1800, GSM 850/1900, GPRS Class 10
Display	128 x 128; 65,536 colors; 1.6”
Built-in Memory	800 KB user downloadable memory
μ SD card slot	Internal, Up to 2GB capacity
Talk Time	568 minutes
Talk Time (Manufacturer Estimate)	568 minutes or 9.47 hours for calls 10 hours for MP3 playback
Standby Time (Manufacturer Estimate)	450 minutes or 7.5 hours
Included in the Package	Phone Unit, Battery, Earphones, Charger