Review: the UIQ 3-powered Motorola RIZR Z8

[slitchfield]

In part 1 of a four part review, Rafe Blandford examines the new Motorola RIZR Z8 in detail, looking at the hardware, the overall form factor and the new non-touchscreen version of UIQ 3. What about that hinged keypad, and what about handling those on-screen 'softkeys'?

Read on in the full article.

[stuclark]

Excellent part 1 Rafe, looking forward to the other parts

[ares]

I agree...UIQ3.X is looking really nice on a non-ts device

[Bassey]

It does look really nice, and it's probably the closest I've come to being tempted by a non-touchscreen device, but it looks like a big bugger. I mean, it's quite slim but, in terms of surface area, it's even bigger than the N95 and that is one big beast of a phone. I was thinking the Z8 would be similar in size to the other Motorola sliders.

Maybe when I see one in the flesh it won't look so big.

I think it is the "Chin" at the bottom the slider that has such a big impact on it's length. Remove (or reduce it) that and I think you would knock upto 1/5 of the size of the phone off.

[Rafe]

Originally Posted by Bassey

Maybe when I see one in the flesh it won't look so big.

I reckon that will the case. Size is a funny thing. I'd say the Z8 is a fair bit smaller than the N95, but it doesn't look it. Its is a lot thinner which means it is more pocketable.

The issue for some people will be there isn't (yet) the same family of products as there is with S60 and SE's UIQ 3 phones so things like sat-nav, optimised bluetooth keyboard drivers, extra apps may take a while.

SE should have put UIQ3.1 on the P1 and W960 just because the new font. It's much better than that wimpy shite typeface in UIQ3.

[stuclark]

SE won't be using UIQ 3.1 this year (at least I highly doubt it)

[krisse]

What's interesting is that, as Rafe notes in the article, this isn't being marketed as a smartphone. Motorola are doing exactly what Nokia has done with S60 and marketed them as mainstream phones, not even using the word "smartphone" in case that sounds too niche.

It seems like Motorola wants to make UIQ as mainstream as S60 already is, which can only be a good thing for Symbian as a whole.

Wow! You have a Sendo X!

lol, but nice one from moto, although from what I saw, the menu structure still is kind of weird (what is that "hellomoto" thing in main menu? browser?), I hope it will be user configurable...

[stuclark]

The Sendo X was a great handset in it's time. It's was nice to see Rafe include it in this review ;-)

[krisse]

"what is that "hellomoto" thing in main menu? browser?"

From the icon, it looks like some kind of download service, perhaps free ringtones and wallpaper.

Seems odd that my local Motorola Product Vice President said that this phone was "a dud" and would not be brought to the Asia/Asia-Pac market for that very reason.

They are instead going to bring the next iteration. And bring some variant called "Z9" to market in Australia for the Telstra 850mhz 3G platform.

[ratza]

Quite odd to have an UIQ without a touchsreen. In my opinion, UIQ means to have a touchscreen by definition.

[mudstuff]

Good review so far Rafe, this is the first Moto I have liked the look and spec of. I don't know about the N95 being called a beast - i'd like it to be a little bigger and heavier!