Full-featured Z9 also features dissappointing design downfalls
While the Motorola Z9 slider cell phone can’t consider itself a direct rival to the mega-powered iPhone 3G and Samsung Instinct smartphones, what’s most interesting in this phone review is its ability to compete somewhat toe to toe with its full feature set despite the apples-to-oranges comparison.
While the Z9 doesn’t feature a touch screen (like what’s at the heart of the iPhone 3G for AT&T and the Samsung Instinct for Sprint), the price point of the lesser-known and lesser-marketed Z9 is even comparable to these more powerful smartphones. That, though, is a mistake.
But before we can analyze any of the positive attributes of the Motorola Z9 for AT&T, we’re helpless to point out several disappointing design downfalls that stick out like broken thumbs.
Strike One: Motorola Z9’s Unwieldy Weight
The Z9 is surprisingly and awkwardly heavy. Weighing in at a cumbersome 4.9 ounces (or 140 grams), this makes the traditional cell phone even heavier than more advanced and necessarily larger phones like the iPhone 3G and Samsung Instinct.
By contrast, the iPhone 3G weighs 4.7 ounces and the Samsung Instinct weighs 4.4 ounces.
As compared to today’s standards, the Z9’s weight is one of the most distinguishable turnoffs for your everyday pocket. The Z9 has no business weighing in heavier than smartphones. Even if you forgive the unwieldy beast, the second design blotch you can’t help but notice centers on the most practical part of the phone.
Strike Two: Motorola Z9’s Microscopic Keys
While the area for the keys are all sized just like you’d like them, we’re baffled as to why Motorola would make us depress nearly microscopic metal dots in order to perform all the phone’s functions. Motorola, by the way, hasn’t released a killer phone since the RAZR years ago and has been seen frequently unleashing underwhelming phones ever since.
Sure, you’ll be able to press the dots and do what you need with decent speed and accuracy, but these metal dots certainly make things more difficult. They’re not at all designed with the human finger in mind and they most certainly don’t fit together like any sort of human glove. It’s an unnatural experience.
Perhaps if our fingers were instead pointy rods then this design decision might prove beneficial. As it is, though, the choice is nothing short of a manufacturer’s unfortunate misstep. The Z9’s circular scroll wheel, on the other hand, is done just right and performs efficiently and effortlessly.
Strike Three: Motorola Z9’s Hefty Size
Bigger often isn’t better in the world of cell phones. In the Motorola Z9’s case, it’s almost as if its creators have forgotten that consumers desire and expect compact devices. The cell phone measures in at 4.48 inches (114 millimeters) by 2.11 inches (53.6 millimeters) by 0.55 of an inch (13.99 millimeters).
The iPhone 3G has a height of 4.5 inches, a width of 2.4 inches and a depth of 0.48 of an inch. The Samsung Instinct is 4.57 inches by 2.17 inches by 0.49 of an inch. The Z9 has no business being nearly the same exact dimensions as a smartphone. It’s not a smartphone. It’s a cell phone.
Strike Four: Motorola Z9’s Mysterious ‘CV’
The Motorola Z9 features CV. Come again? What’s CV? Motorola and AT&T have decided to feature on the phone’s box the acronym “CV” among its top features. Instead of more clearly calling the feature “mobile video,” CV stands for cellular video. The concept of Occam’s razor would tell us here that simpler is better.
Standing out from the sea of cell phones is challenging enough, and all the while, clarity is key in the consumer electronics space. We need to just get it. When we first see CV, which isn’t a commonly accepted industry term, we just don’t get it.
Strike Five: Motorola Z9’s Underwhelming Battery
At up to 3 hours of talk time and up to 12 days of standby time, the Motorola Z9’s battery underwhelms. At least 4 hours of talk time would have been more useful and appreciated. By contrast, the iPhone 3G features 5 hours of talk time while the Samsung Instinct boasts 5.75 hours of talk time and even comes with two batteries.
Given the Z9’s already excessive weight, though, it appears the creators opted to sacrifice on battery life so as not to exceed 5 ounces of total weight.
Strike Six: Motorola Z9’s Price
The Motorola Z9 costs $199 with a two-year AT&T service contract. The lowest price for the mega-featured iPhone 3G also runs $199 (though it can be a good deal more).
While the Motorola Z9’s full feature set is certainly impressive considering it’s in the non-smartphone world, no one would argue that the iPhone 3G and Samsung Instinct both blow it away. So why price it the same or even more expensive than the Samsung Instinct at its cheapest price of $129.99?
The Motorola Z9 doesn’t have anything we don’t find in the iPhone 3G and Samsung Instinct. Considering the competition, the Z9 price point is too high.
Base Hit: Motorola Z9’s GPS, Practical Mapping Software
With the ever-increasing popularity of GPS for the purposes of satellite-precision mapping and traveling, it’s notable that the Motorola Z9 has included the technology.
The software is similar to what you’ll see with the iPhone 3G and Samsung Instinct and the practicality of the feature is clear and present. The Z9 scores big with its GPS.
Ball One: Alleged Ambient Noise-Reduction Technology
The Motorola Z9 is marketed to feature “CrystalTalk” technology. This is hype for technology that should reduce ambient noise and bolster AT&T’s ability to deliver clear calls.
The concept sounds swanky, but in testing, the difference isn’t clearly discernable. While it may be there for peace of mind, this doesn’t appear to be a killer application that can powerfully differentiate and change the game.
Homerun: Motorola Z9 is a Full-Featured Phone
Despite its design flaws, at the heart of the Z9 is its stirring feature set that’s nearly comparable to advanced smartphones. The Motorola Z9 features:
* high-speed data access using fast 3G technology
* GPS with street-level navigation software
* mobile music
* video sharing
* Bluetooth for short-range wireless communications
* instant messaging
* email
* a 2-megapixel camera
This feature set is clearly the phone’s best call. Also, the relatively large screen display for a traditional cell phone is front and center in the Motorola Z9’s perk list. The Z9 features a 2.4-inch, non-touch display.
This compares to a 3.1-inch haptic touch display for the Samsung Instinct and a 3.5-inch display for the multi-touch iPhone 3G.
Overall
If Motorola could reconvene with its design team and reduce the Z9’s weight, improve its keys in a more natural way and shrink the phone’s overall size, we’d have a serious contender in today’s full-featured cell phone space.
As it is, though, the full features with the design flaws result in a wash and yield this 2.5 out of 5.0 review.